The Food and Drug Administration updated this Thursday definition of ‘healthy’ food for the first time in three decades, by bringing it in line with modern dietary guidelines and shaking up which products can carry that label.
The updated definition is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans released by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, which will be updated next year. Food manufacturers can call their products “healthy” if they contain a certain amount of a food group considered healthy under these guidelines, including fruits, vegetables, proteins, dairy and grains. Their products must also meet certain limits on saturated fat, sodium and sugars.
The updated definition allows more foods to be classified as healthy, including fish with higher fat content such as salmon, nuts, seeds and certain oils. It disqualifies many ultra-processed foods, such as cereals, that do not contain a certain amount of whole grains or exceed the sugar limit. The FDA is teaming up with Instacart to make it easier for people to buy “healthy” foods online.
“Food labeling can be a powerful tool for change,” FDA Food Commissioner Jim Jones said in a statement. “Food labeling, such as ‘healthy,’ can help promote a healthier food supply if manufacturers choose to reformulate their products to meet the new definition.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Trump’s pick as HHS secretary, has criticized food companies for making Americans sicker as part of his Make America Healthy Again campaign. If confirmed, he will likely make regulating ultra-processed foods a priority.
Manufacturers can choose whether to describe their product as ‘healthy’ if it meets the definition. The FDA has not yet chosen a standardized, clear “healthy” symbol for manufacturers to print on their packages. The American Heart Association urged the agency in a statement complete another line requiring food companies to include certain nutritional information on the front of product packages.
“A front-of-pack labeling system, based on the best available science and consumer research, would provide consumers with valuable information about the nutritional value of foods and beverages and help them quickly and easily identify healthier options,” the organization wrote.
All around a million people die annually from diet-related chronic diseases in the United States. The FDA hopes that accessible, direct food labeling will encourage Americans to eat healthier.
Jones said at a news conference that the agency routinely investigates the food supply and will crack down on food companies claiming their products are healthy without meeting the criteria. But whether the agency can enforce proper use of the label, especially on a limited budget, is unclear. It’s also unclear whether a “healthy” label will change consumer behavior, especially if less healthy foods become more attractive or affordable.
The FDA’s final rule is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, but the Advisory Guidelines 2025-2030 report is more plant-forward than the current version. The recommendations reflect expert opinions based on reviews of evidence, but do not constitute the guidelines themselves. HHS and USDA may reject or accept the committee’s conclusions after a period of public comment.
The advice emphasizes vegetables, fruit, legumes (beans, peas, lentils), whole grains, nuts and fish and seafood. Low-fat and low-fat dairy products (cow or alternatives) and unsaturated fats are encouraged, while red or processed meat, saturated fats and salty or sugary snacks are discouraged, along with sweetened drinks and foods. The committee concluded that there was not enough high-quality research to take a position on ultra-processed foods.
The 2020 guidelines had urged people to limit added sugars and alcohol intake, in line with the limits set in the 2015-2020 edition.
While Eva Greenthal, senior policy scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Calling the new FDA definition a “substantial improvement over the status quo,” she also said the need for food labeling reform is far from over.
“We expect the ‘healthy’ rule to have limited impact as it only applies to those few products with the voluntary ‘healthy claim’,” she said in a statement statement Thursday. “The most important step the Biden administration can take to leverage food labels for public health is to publish the FDA’s proposed rule on mandatory nutrition labeling on the front of the package.”
Jones said this rule “remains a priority for us,” during a briefing for reporters.
Packaged food companies expressed dissatisfaction with the new definition, saying it may not be based on “clear and unambiguous scientific evidence.”
“The FDA’s update to the healthy claim on food labels threatens to exclude some packaged foods, despite countless years of industry innovation to provide healthier options,” said Sarah Gallo, senior vice president of product policy at the Consumer Brands Association.