The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is extending a public comment period for a Draft Guidance called “Questions and Answers about Dietary Guidance Statements in Food Labeling.” The new deadline for comments is September 25, in response to stakeholders asking for additional time to submit comments.
 
The draft guidance is primarily focused on dietary guidance statements, or statements used on food labels which can provide consumers with information about foods or food groups that can contribute to a nutritious dietary pattern. The draft guidance provides the agency’s thinking on statements like “make half your grains whole grains,” or “eat a variety of vegetables.”
 
Dietary Guidance Statements should be used on foods which contain a meaningful amount of the food or category of foods that is the subject of the statement, with limitations on saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.
 
Approved Dietary Guidance Statements are intended to act as quick signals on food packages to help consumers better understand nutrition information and make healthier choices.
 
Dietary Guidance Statements were inspired by a public meeting the FDA held in which stakeholders demonstrated an interest in labeling claims, statements, symbols, and vignettes that will help consumers determine how foods can contribute to nutritious dietary patterns.
 
The guidance is also part of the National Strategy presented at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health held on September 28, 2022. At the conference, FDA also proposed a rule to update the definition of “healthy” on food labels, and guidance for the food industry which provides voluntary, short-term sodium reduction targets for a broad range of processed, packaged, and prepared foods.