Break Time — Food
February 9, 2010 at 3:36 PM Leave a comment
The FDA is considering changing the rules as to how a “serving size” is calculated and then displayed on food packages. It contends manufacturers make serving sizes unrealistically small (in order to hide high amounts of fat, sugar and salt), which they do.
Consider the humble chip: most potato or corn chip bags today show a one-ounce serving size, containing a tolerable 150 calories, or thereabouts. But only the most disciplined snacker will stop at an ounce. For some brands, like Tostitos Hint of Lime, that can be just six chips.
In the real world, many people might eat two or three times that, or more. Munch half a bag of Tostitos while watching the Super Bowl and you could take in about half the 2,000 calories an average person needs in a day.
“We are actively looking at serving size and evaluating what steps we need to take,” said Barbara O. Schneeman, director of the F.D.A. office that oversees nutrition labels. “Ultimately, the purpose of nutrition labeling is to help consumers make healthier choices, make improvements in their diet, and we want to make sure we achieve that goal.”
Great idea. I hope they do it. (Should have been done a long time ago.)
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