Watson Publishes Guide To The Nutrition Facts Label Changes

Watson published a comprehensive guide, entitled “Nutrition Facts Label Changes,” developed to be a useful tool for manufacturers of food and beverage products while they prepare to comply with the recent changes in the Nutrition Facts Label. Manufacturers will need to implement the use of the new label by July 26, 2018, although manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food sales will have an additional year to comply. The goal of this publication is to provide an overall summary of the main changes to the label, as well the changes to the Daily Values for some nutrients.

Topics discussed in the guide include the 2015 - 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, issued by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture in January of this year. Also featured in this guide are several infographics (which may also be viewed on the company website here. This guide also reviews the changes to the Nutrition Facts Label, which include updated Daily Values for nutrients like dietary fiber, phosphorus, and vitamin D. Daily Values are reference amounts of nutrients to consume or not to exceed and are used to calculate the percent DV that manufacturers include on their labels.

Infographics and tables in the guide detail the change in units of measure which will be implemented for some nutrients. International Units (IU) will no longer be used for Vitamin A, D, and E. These will be replaced with mcg and mg. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) Labeling Committee recommended this change in order to be consistent with the new Dietary Reference Intake reports.

The guide will also provide the reader information on the new mandatory label nutrients, such as choline, and changes to serving sizes. “One of our goals with this project,” says Moira Watson, vice president of marketing and communication at Watson “was to help food and beverage manufacturers in the planning process, and ensure that they are ready to reformulate if needed." The change in daily values may affect the ability of the manufacturer to make sure nutrient claims. To be considered a 'good source,' for example, the product needs to contain 10-19 percent DV of that nutrient. "Now that the daily values are changing, some products might not be eligible to make the same claims without reformulation,” explained Watson. “We wanted to ensure our customers were prepared and well-informed ahead of these changes.”

“The changes to the Nutrition Facts Label are meant to help consumers make healthier choices,” Watson adds. “Here at Watson, our mission is to improve health and nutrition worldwide; therefore we support the Institute of Medicine's recommendations, as well as the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. We developed this Guide with the intent of supporting our customers as they navigate this transition.”

Watson's Guide to the changes in the Nutrition Facts Label is free and available for download on the company’s website.