The Sugar Association is seeking action from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to change food packaging and enhance labeling transparency. Sugar Association CEO Courtney Gaine says the association filed a citizen petition with the FDA on Wednesday to stop misleading claims about added sugar’s content. “The first ask is the term sweetener appear in parenthesis after the name of all non-nutritive sweeteners in the ingredient list. For children’s food and beverages, indicate the type and quantity of non-nutritive sweeteners in milligrams per serving on the front of food packages,” explains Gaine. “For products that make a sugar content claim, it will require the disclosure sweetened with the specific sweetener. We are also asking for the requirement to disclose the potential gastrointestinal side effects from the consumption of sugar alcohols and some sugar substitutes. All sugar content claims need to be truthful and not misleading.” The changes are meant to help consumers make better decisions about their food and drinks.
