Here’s what the FDA says about Use of the Term Healthy on Food Labeling.
To meet the updated criteria for the claim, a food product needs to
- contain a certain amount of food from at least one of the food groups or subgroups (such as fruit, vegetables, grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy and protein foods) recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and
- meet specific limits for added sugars, saturated fat and sodium.
To qualify, a breakfast cereal, bread, or any other grain food would need to have 3/4 ounce of whole grains, and have less than 10% of the Daily Value for added sugars (5 grams per serving), less than 10% for sodium (230 mg per serving), and less that 1 gram of saturated fat (5% DV).
On this basis, kids cereals won’t qualify.
Resources
- Use of the Term Healthy on Food Labeling | FDA
- FDA Finalizes Updated “Healthy” Nutrient Content Claim | FDA
- Constituent update
- FDA’s Updated “Healthy” Claim Definition: Fact Sheet
- Federal Register: https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2024-29957.pdf
- New York Times: What Are ‘Healthy’ Foods? The F.D.A. Updates the Labeling Terms
- The Hill: FDA updates definition of ‘healthy’ on food labels for first time in 30 years
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