NMPF Opposes Latest ‘Added Sugars’ Proposal from FDA
December 7, 2015
NMPF has opposed the Food and Drug Administration’s latest proposal to revise the Nutrition Facts Panel to include an amount and percent Daily Value for “added sugars” on the label for consumers.
In comments sent to the agency in October, NMPF disagreed with the FDA that its proposal will help consumers make better food choices and improve their diets, noting the FDA itself has concluded there is no scientific basis for a recommended daily intake for added sugars.
As with comments submitted last summer on FDA’s original proposal, NMPF again emphasized that the FDA incorrectly and inappropriately extended the definition of “added sugars” to include the lactose in many concentrated and dried dairy ingredients, even though lactose is a naturally-occurring sugar and is not used primarily as a sweetener.
“FDA’s proposed definition of ‘added sugars’ falls woefully short in this regard and leaves our industry confused and ill-served . . . .” the Federation said. It encouraged FDA to rewrite its added sugars definition “or risk significant consumer misunderstanding . . . ”
