The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has delayed the introduction of its new ‘healthy' label rule by about two months, CNN reported.
In December, the FDA finalised a rule updating the nutritional requirements a human food item had to meet to claim on its packaging that it was “healthy”, the 24 February report said.
The rule was scheduled to be implemented on 25 February.
US President Donald Trump issued a memorandum in January putting a freeze on new rules until a department or agency head appointed or designated by the president reviewed and approved the rule.
The ‘Regulatory Freeze Pending Review’ memorandum also instructed agencies to postpone the effective date for any rules that had been published in the Federal Register but had not taken effect, CNN wrote.
The use of “healthy” labelling is voluntary for food manufacturers, and foods that meet the new requirements can start using the label once the rule is effective, while those not meeting the standards have until 2028 or three years to conform.
“Healthy” foods must contain a certain amount of a key food group – such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats or low-fat dairy – and must limit added sugars and saturated fats.
About 5% of all packaged foods in the current marketplace are labelled as “healthy,” according to the final rule.
Some foods that could previously carry the healthy label, such as white bread and heavily sweetened cereal and yogurt, would no longer qualify, the report said.
Foods qualifying under the new rules, included nuts, seeds, salmon, olive oil and some peanut butters and canned fruits and vegetables.
The FDA was also working on designing a symbol to be put on packages to help consumers more easily identify foods considered as healthy.
In addition to in-depth labels on the back of packaging, the organisation is also developing a plan for nutrition labelling to go on the front of food packaging, according to the report.
The last time the “healthy” definition on packaging was updated was in the 1990s, the FDA said on its website on 24 February.
Based on nutrition, science and federal dietary guidelines at that time, the definition was solely focused on individual nutrients; for example, it included limits for saturated fat, total fat, cholesterol and sodium, while requiring a certain amount of beneficial nutrients such as specific vitamins, minerals, fibre and protein, the organisation said.
“Today, we have a greater understanding of dietary patterns and their effects on health, and we recognise that foods are made up of a variety of nutrients that work together as part of a healthy dietary pattern,” the FDA said.
