Until last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not allow almonds to be called “healthy” on food labels, due to the agency’s regulatory definition of the term that considered foods’ total fat rather than distinguishing among different types of fat.
Now in light of recommendations from the newest Dietary Guidelines for Americans that reflect updated nutrition research, FDA has announced it has started the process to redefine the term “healthy” as it applies to labeling food products. FDA also issued a guidance document stating it does not intend to enforce the regulatory requirements for products that use the term if certain criteria are met. The criteria are that: