Food and Drug Administration

Blumenthal, DeLauro Fight for New Food Labels

Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Rosa DeLauro wrote a letter to the Food and Drug Administration asking the agency to mandate that food labels be changed so consumers know what they're buying.

“Consumers have a right to know. That is what this is about,” said DeLauro.

The FDA is currently working to change nutrition labels, but Blumenthal and DeLauro want to take it a step further: They're asking for contextualized food labels on the front of packages.

“The cluttered, confusing labels on food packaging today, have contributed to an epidemic of obesity and diet-related diseases, including diabetes,” said Blumenthal.

One of the big issues is changing the way sugar content is recorded.

“I think that changing the way that sugar is presented from grams to teaspoons makes a lot of sense. People understand what teaspoons are, and they can imagine them in our minds,” said Dr. Marlene Schwartz, Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University.

Consumers think the additional information is a good idea.

“I think if the labels are larger, and clearer, it could be a good thing to help people understand what they're getting,” said Emily Powers.

Some think it could be challenging to get manufacturers on board since they spend large sums of money perfecting their packaging.

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