March/April 2004
HEALTH BYTES

Experts urge updating food labels

      A panel of advisers have urged updating food and supplement labels to reflect current nutritional guidelines; current labels are based on 1968 guidelines, which are outdated in many cases. New labels should be based on the current Dietary Reference Intakes, with daily values for saturated fatty acids, trans-fatty acids and cholesterol, the committee said. The 'percent Daily Value' figures on current labels are based on guidelines which have been revised many times over the past 35 years, rather than on the newest scientific information. The committee from the Institute of Medicine issued the report at the request of FDA, USDA and Health Canada .