Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to brainstorm the regulatory framework surrounding the word “healthy” on food products. September 2016 guidance advises that the “healthy” nutrient content claim can be used if the food:
- Meets specific criteria for nutrients to limit in the diet, such as total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, as well as requirements for nutrients to encourage in the diet, including vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, protein, and fiber;
- The criteria are linked to elements in the Nutrition Facts label and serving size regulations;
- When used with an explicit or implicit claim or statement about a nutrient (e.g. “healthy, contains 3 grams of fat”), suggests that a food, because of its nutrient content, may be useful in creating a diet that is consistent with dietary recommendations.
As FDA continues to develop “healthy” definition ingredients, it seeks comments from the public.
