Proposed Changes to the Nutrition Facts Label and the Chronic Kidney Disease Patient

Abstract

proposed label to help consumers differentiate between naturally occurring sugar and what portion of sugar is being added to the product. The total carbohydrate designation on the label has been replaced by ‘‘total carbs,’’ which includes the added sugar declaration. The proposed NFL will no longer list the total calories provided from fat but will continue to list the amounts of total fat, saturated fat, and trans fats in a food. Current research suggests that the type of fat in the diet is more critical to health than the number of calories associated from fat. The original NFL focused on calcium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C, which were problem nutrients at the time. Most of the U.S. population currently has adequate intakes of both vitamin A and vitamin C, so labeling of these nutrients will be voluntary. However, recent consensus reports and national survey data indicate that certain population groups were deficient in calcium, iron, vitamin D, and potassium. These nutrients playan important role in the prevention of chronic diseases and will be mandatory on the revised NFL. The FDA also plans to update the % DV for certain nutrients. The %DV helps consumers understand the nutrition information on the product label in the context of the total diet. The %DVs for sodium and calcium are being revised to agree with current Dietary Reference Intakes. 3,4 The maximum intake for