FDA's new 'healthy' definition spurred by KIND's citizen petition
Seven years after its petition, FDA proposes new definition of 'healthy.'
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed an updated definition for the use of the term "healthy" on food labels, 25 years after creating the first regulatory definition of "healthy." The proposed rule is in direct response to issues raised by KIND Healthy Snacks (KIND) in a 2015 Citizen Petition, which requested better alignment between food labeling regulations and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The petition, which was supported by several prominent nutrition and public health experts, urged the FDA to bring the "healthy" regulation up to date with current nutrition science and recognize nutrient dense foods, such as whole nuts and seeds, as "healthy."
The proposed rule consists of the following primary changes, reflecting changes advocated by KIND: