“A bill to strengthen requirements related to nutrient information on food labels.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section states congressional findings that (1) Americans consume substantially more added sugars, sodium, and saturated fat than recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (7 U.S.C. 5341), increasing risks for hypertension, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease; (2) front-of-package labels highlighting high levels of these can improve consumers' food purchases and selections; (3) such labels particularly benefit those with lower education, income, nutrition literacy, or limited shopping time; (4) they provide quick information on food healthfulness to support better choices; (5) they enhance understanding of relative food healthfulness; (6) public health organizations advise against non-nutritive sweeteners for children, and labels omitting them lead to industry increases in those sweeteners; and (7) labels disclosing non-nutritive sweeteners (with child avoidance advisories) prompt industry reductions in sugars, sodium, saturated fat, and those sweeteners.
This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to finalize, not later than 180 days after enactment, the proposed rule entitled “Food Labeling: Front-of-Package Nutrition Information” (90 Fed. Reg. 5426 (Jan. 16, 2025)) and to require specified front-of-package nutrition labeling on foods (as defined in 21 U.S.C. 321(f)) intended for human consumption and offered for sale. The final rule must include (1) on the principal display panel, separate labels identifying high amounts of added sugars, sodium, or saturated fat (as applicable)—using the words “High in” and a conspicuous exclamation point icon—based on Daily Reference Values for adults, children ages 1 through 3 years, and infants through 12 months; and (2) if applicable and adjacent to such labels, a statement declaring the presence of non-nutritive sweeteners and stating they are not recommended for children. These requirements apply to foods (other than infant formula) represented as specifically for infants through 12 months or children ages 1 through 3 years, notwithstanding 21 C.F.R. 101.9(j)(5). The section further directs the Secretary to establish Daily Reference Values and percent Daily Values for those nutrients for infants through 12 months and to update them for children ages 1 through 3 per the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (allowing the rule to be finalized first if needed, with subsequent revision); it does not preclude revising 21 C.F.R. 101.61(b)(4) or (5) to set low sodium nutrient content claim limits at 115 milligrams per reference amount customarily consumed or per 100 grams, respectively.