On May 20, 2016, the FDA announced that it finalized changes to the Nutrition Facts panel on the labels of packaged foods and beverages, as well as changes to the Supplement Facts panel on the labels of dietary supplements.  The final regulations were published in the Federal Register on May 27, 2016.  The final  version  of the revisions to regulations pertaining to the nutrition informationare on the FDA website, as well as the final version of the revisions to the regulations pertaining to serving sizes and the Recommended Amounts Customarily Consumed (RACC).  The FDA website also contains summaries and information links for the new revisions, including examples of the new format for the Nutrition Facts panel and side by side comparisons.

The following is a brief overview of the major changes:

New Design

• The type size for “Calories” is substantially larger on the new panels.“Servings per Container” and “Serving size” declarations are also larger and will be required to be in boldface type to highlight this information.

• Manufacturers must declare the actual amount and Daily Value percentage of vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium. They can voluntarily declare the gram amount for other vitamins and minerals.

• The new footnote will read “*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.”