The Institute of Medicine has released a report recommending that the Food and Drug Administration and the US Department of Agriculture consider "a fundamental shift in strategy" when it comes to nutrition labeling." While the recommendation for a "front-of-package" (FOP) labeling system is not new, the IOM authors don't just want the usual nutrition facts to be moved from the back of the package to the front; rather, new labels should specifically encourage shoppers to choose healthier products.
The authors cite EPA's Energy Star program as a successful government labeling system, because it quickly identifies the most energy-efficient products and consumer awareness of the label's meaning is high. While leaving the details (and the testing and implementation) up to FDA and USDA, the IOM committee recommends a system with the following characteristics:
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