In an attempt to improve American meals, the US Food and Drug Administration was released on Thursday New definition What it means to qualify the food as “healthy”.
Products such as yogurt will not be allowed with fruit flavor, fortified white bread and sweetened energy bars as healthy if certain limits over saturated fats, sodium and added sugars.
At the same time, foods such as salmon, almonds and even water will qualify for good health for the first time.
The new definition reflects the advice provided in Food instructions for AmericansProduced by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health and Humanitarian Services. Hope is that consumers who think about healthy claims are directed to filled foods while filling their groceries towards the most nutritious eating style, The Food and Drug Administration said.
There is no doubt that Americans can use some help in their diet. For example, Lower Who are we adults eat a piece of fruit on any specific day, and Only 12 % It consumes from 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit per day, according to national surveys conducted by the centers of control and prevention of diseases. Americans are beyond the mark with vegetables, with only 10 % of the target of 2 to 3 cups per day.
On the other hand, 90 % of us eat a lot of sodium, 75 % eat a lot of saturated fat and 63 % eat a lot of added sugars.
The new definition of healthy foods aims to transform this by excluding excess sodium foods, saturated fats and added sugars even if they also contain valuable nutrients such as protein and whole grains.
The specified limits vary according to food groups. The border also depends on whether the product is an individual food (such as cheese) or “mixed product” (such as a corridor mix) or a full meal (such as a frozen dinner).
For example, for the dairy product to qualify like yogurt as a healthy, one cup of 2/3 cup can have more than 5 % of the recommended daily amount of added sugars, 10 % of the recommended daily amount of sodium or 10 % of the recommended daily amount of saturated fat.
These limits are translated into 2.5 grams of added sugars, 230 milligrams of sodium and 2 grams of saturated fat. One meal from Chobani Strawberry Greek Yogurt will miss the mark because it contains 9 grams of added sugars. Thus, it would “less sugar” in Chopani, which he has 5 grams of added sugars.
Sugar, salt and fat are only part of the new standards. The FDA (FDA) said that foods should contain no less than protein, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, or dairy -free dairy or low -fat foods.
Full foods such as eggs, beans, seafood and nuts will automatically be qualified as healthy if sold without additional ingredients (except for water). This makes foods such as avocado, olive oil and high fat fish such as qualified salmon to be classified as healthy for the first time. The agency said that fruits, vegetables and fish can make the reduction if they are fresh, frozen or canned, which makes them accessible to people in a set of budgets.
However, products such as fortified bread, grains, snacks of fruits, granola bars and fruit punch will lose the poster unless they are reformulated to meet the new definition.
Nancy Brown, CEO of American Heart AssN, said the new definition has been delayed for a long time and hopes to improve the American diet by stimulating food manufacturers to create healthier products. However, she added that it would be more feasible to require products to carry a feeding poster at the front of her packages, which you think will make it easy for consumers to determine and select healthy options.
The previous definition of healthy foods, which was released in 1994, focused more on the total fat and cholesterol. Since then, nutritionists have realized that not all fats should be treated in the same way, and that the unsaturated fats in nuts, seeds, fish and some vegetable oils can reduce the risk of disease.
The old definition also requires foods to provide at least 10 % of the recommended daily amount of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, protein or fiber. The FDA (FDA) said it converts its concentration from the specific nutrients into larger food groups in order to help consumers build a healthy diet.
Bad diet is a risk factor for many The main causes of death In the United States, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said, although food manufacturers will have three years to agree to the new definition, although those who meet the new standards do not have to wait a long time to start using the “healthy” brand.