Nutrition labels can be tricky. Not only are they tiny and sometimes hard to find on food's packaging; the serving sizes often far underestimate the actual amount of food people are actually consuming.
In an effort to help combat the obesity epidemic in the US, the Food and Drug Administration is trying to take action against the elusive and confusing nutrition information on packaged foods in the US. The FDA is urging food manufacturers to start posting nutritional information on the front of packages instead of the back in hopes that the information will shock consumers into practicing more caution when it comes to consumption of unhealthy foods.
The FDA also wants manufacturers to list more realistic serving sizes. Oftentimes one bowl of cereal is equal to two servings, a serving of potato chips is sometimes considered one ounce (about six chips) or an ice cream serving only 1/4 cup. Most Americans consume far more than the average serving size. A hurried shopper with an untrained eye may see the total amount of calories on a label and assume it accounts for the whole package or at least a realistic serving size.
Although the new labeling will be voluntary, the FDA is encouraging food manufacturers to re examine serving sizes in an attempt to better communicate important nutrition information to American consumer. This isn't the first time the FDA has promised to re evaluate serving sizes. In 2005, amongst rapid obesity concerns, the FDA considered making similar changes. The efforts fizzled but have been reignited with the Obama administration.
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