Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015 & The Nutrition Food Label What’s New? Lacey Chapa Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015

Dietary Guidelines for Americans History 1980 –

Dietary Guidelines for Americans  Why are they important? 1. The DGAs form the basis of Federal nutrition policy, education, outreach and food assistance programs used by consumers, industry, nutrition educators and health professionals. 2. All Federal dietary guidelines for the public is required to be consistent with the DGA. 3. The guidelines provide the scientific basis for the government to speak in a consistent and uniform manner. 4. They are used in developing educational materials, nutrition messages, and nutrition-related programs to communicate healthy eating and physical activity for the general public and specific audiences, such as children.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015  Administrative leadership  Health and Human Service’s (HHS) Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion  Supported by  USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion in Committee and process management

Tentative Timeline DietaryGuidelines.gov

What has the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Committee (DGAC) discussed so far?  Learning from past experience  Consumer interest in health and culture; hunger and price; and convenience, access, taste and food experience  Guidance should be based in science, simple and utilize educational tools  Introducing new areas for the DGAC to consider International Food Information Council Foundation

Importance of Sustainability  Discussion on importance of recommending foods that are produced sustainably  Food systems consultant; Debate as to which dietary patterns contribute most to sustainability  Example: Protein is an essential component of the diet, whether plant or animal-based  Example: Concerns over fish stocks and current recommendations International Food Information Council Foundation

Should the Guidelines reflect predicted dietary patterns?  Individual components of diet vs. “exposure” to foods through dietary patterns, or behavior in patterns  Why study dietary patterns?  May be more appealing to consumers  Correlation to positive health outcomes with change in the “total diet”  Many types of research to evaluate  How close is the population to meeting a set of dietary recommendations?  Are there groups of people with distinct eating patterns?  What elements of the diet track together in exploring variation in the diet?  Which dietary components explain the most variation in a health outcome?  “Dynamic exposure” International Food Information Council Foundation

 Sub-Committees for 2010 DGAC 1. Sodium, Potassium and Water 2. Nutrient Adequacy 3. Energy Balance and Weight 4. Carbohydrates and Protein 5. Ethanol 6. Fatty Acids 7. Food Safety & Technology  Sub-Committees for 2015 DGAC 1. Food and Nutrition Intakes, and Health: Current Status and Trends 1. Dietary Patterns, Food and Nutrients, and health Outcomes 2. Diet and Physical Activity Behavior Change 3. Food and Physical Activity Environments 4. Food Sustainability and Safety DietaryGuidelines.gov

Cultural Sensitivity and Acculturation  Subcommittee #3 (Diet and Physical Activity Behavior Change) will be focusing on the the impact of immigrants’ health once their traditional diets are abandoned. Personal and Societal Responsibility  The 2010 DGAs referenced that the entire environment shapes our food and activity choices.  The 2015 DGAC is taking that next step with emphasis on the overall context of our food choices. Picture: Oldwayspot.org

Other Topics:  Whole Grains / Refined Grains / Gluten  Sodium  Caffeine

The Nutrition Food Label The FDA Proposes Changes

The Nutrition Facts Label  Introduced 20 years ago  Helps consumers make informed food choices and maintain healthy dietary practices  If adopted, the proposed changes would include:  Greater understanding of nutrition science  Updated serving size requirements and new labeling requirements for certain package sizes  Refreshed design U.S. Food and Drug Administration

#1) Greater Understanding of Nutrition Science  Require information about “added sugars”  Update daily values for nutrients like sodium, dietary fiber and Vitamin D  Required: Potassium, Vitamin D, Calcium* and Iron*  Voluntary: Vitamins A and C  Required: “Total Fat,” “Saturated Fat,” and “Trans Fat”  Removed: “Calories from Fat” U.S. Food and Drug Administration

#2) Updated Serving Size Requirements and New Labeling Requirements for Certain Package Sizes  Change to reflect how people eat and drink today, not on what they “should” be eating.  Packaged foods and drinks typically eaten in one sitting be labeled as a single serving and that calorie and nutrient information be declared for the entire package.  Provide a “dual column” for certain packages that are larger and could be consumed in one sitting or multiple sittings U.S. Food and Drug Administration

#3) Refreshed Design  Make calories and serving sizes more prominent.  Shift the Percent Daily Value to the left of the label, so it would come first.  Change the footnote to more clearly explain the meaning of the Percent Daily Value. U.S. Food and Drug Administration

FDA.gov

So Now What?  Any final rules resulting from the proposed rules become effective 60 days after the date of the final rule’s publication in the Federal Register  A compliance date two years after the effective date.  June 26, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will host a public meeting in Washington, DC  “To inform the public of the provisions of the proposed rules and the rulemaking process (including how to submit comments, data, and other information to both dockets), respond to questions about the proposed rules, as well as provide an opportunity for interested persons to make oral presentations.”  For more information, check the FDA website ( FDA.gov