Mandatory nutrition labeling is a major milestone for the American Heart Association. It represents significant progress in carrying out our mission. We have participated actively in the legislation and regulatory process that has made nutrition labeling more useful to consumers. As a result, it's now easier to choose foods low in saturated fat, total fat, cholesterol and sodium.

The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations apply mainly to packaged foods. The Association is pleased that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will soon require nutrition labeling for meat and poultry products, including all ground or chopped meat. The American Heart Association urges that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) continue to work with the FDA and USDA on complementary guidelines and regulations governing the advertising of all food products.

Background

On November 8, 1990, the president signed into law The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act. This major reform act has these provisions:

• Requires food manufacturers to disclose the fat (saturated and unsaturated), cholesterol, sodium, sugar, fiber, protein and carbohydrate content in their products.
• Requires labeling for the top-20-selling fruits, vegetables, fish and shellfish. Retailers may provide this information in a single location in their stores.
• Exempts from labeling such foods as meat, poultry and egg products, food sold in restaurants and at prepared food counters in grocery stores, infant formula, foods sold in bulk, foods with insignificant amounts of nutrients and foods sold by retailers with total sales of less than $500,000.
• Requires the Food and Drug Administration to establish standards and definitions for food descriptors such as "low," "lean," "lite," "reduced," etc.
• Sets standards for allowing health claims on foods if the claims are based on sound scientific evidence and are truthful, accurate and not misleading and for allowing third-party references or endorsements.

On Jan. 6, 1993, the FDA and the USDA issued parallel regulations that designate the format and content of nutrition labels on most foods, including processed meat and poultry products. The new food label on all products allows consumers to make informed decisions about the foods they eat.

On May 27, 2000, the USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the updated year 2000 dietary guidelines for Americans. As part of that announcement, the USDA will require nutrition labeling for meat and poultry products including all ground or chopped meat. The new dietary guidelines also emphasize physical activity as important for healthy living.

The National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act of 1990 requires the USDA and HHS to publish dietary guidelines for Americans at least every five years.

As of Jan. 1, 2006, the Nutrition Facts Labels on packaged food products are required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to list how many grams of trans fatty acid (trans fat) are contained within one serving of the product.

Related AHA publications:

• Easy Food Tips for Heart-Healthy Eating (also in Spanish)
• Tips for Eating Out 
• "How Do I Read Food Labels?" in Answers By Heart kit