New nutrition labels to highlight calories, added sugar

First Lady Michelle Obama will introduce the new labeling, which will have greater focus on calories and added sugar.

The Washington Post: Nutrition Labels To Get First Makeover In 20 Years With New Emphasis On Calories, Sugar
The ubiquitous nutrition label on food packages is about to get its first overhaul in 20 years, a change that is likely to have a dramatic effect on what people choose to eat and drink and what products sell on supermarket shelves. Obama administration officials say the update, scheduled to be formally unveiled Thursday at a White House event, is necessary to keep pace with the science of nutrition and to reduce confusion about what qualifies as healthy food (Cha, 2/26). 

McClatchy: U.S. To Revamp Nutrition Labels, Emphasizing Calorie Counts And Added Sugars
The Obama administration on Thursday will propose the first major revamp of nutrition labels in more than two decades, an update that would emphasize calorie information, include the amount of added sugars and revise serving sizes to reflect how people really consume food. The revision is aimed, in part, at addressing serious public health issues, including obesity and other chronic diseases. Administration officials believe the new labels could lead consumers to make more healthful food choices and encourage the food industry to reformulate some products, particularly those with high amounts of added sugar. First lady Michelle Obama, who has made better nutrition a focus of her "Let's Move!" initiative to battle childhood obesity, is slated to announce the Food and Drug Administration proposal at the White House with top administration officials (Rothberg, 2/27).

Marketplace: Making Nutrition Facts Label More Helpful
That familiar "Nutrition Facts" label hasn't been updated in decades. Some changes have been in the works, however, and First Lady Michelle Obama will present a new nutrition label Thursday, at the White House. On the current label, there are calories at the top, then total fat, cholesterol, sodium, and so on. "You can see in the panel a history of past arguments in nutrition policy," says Parke Wilde, an agricultural economist at Tufts University, adding there have been fights over what to emphasize. Something the administration wants to change is information on servings (Gura, 2/27).