Half of US adults check the Nutrition Facts panel when deciding whether to buy a food product either “always” (16%) or “most of the time” (34%). In the 11th Health and Diet Survey conducted by the Food and Drug Administration, only 22% of respondents said they “rarely” (12%) or “never” (10%) consult nutrition labels. The most common reasons given for skipping nutrition information were “I buy what my family likes” and “I’m satisfied with my diet or health.”
The FDA recently finalized a long-awaited update to the Nutrition Facts label, which will be required on most products by mid-2018. (See the August newsletter.) The agency also proposed draft guidance to food manufacturers for reducing their products’ sodium content. In another question on the survey, 90% of respondents said they think they eat more salt than they should.