The American Bakers Association looks forward to working with FDA to ensuring the Agency’s proposed updates to the nutrition facts panel and product serving sizes help better inform consumers with science based information regarding their food choices. Both proposals will be impactful to bakers, who are very responsive in meeting customers’ preferences.
ABA is an active leader in the food industry’s Nutrition Facts Panel Alliance that has been meeting with FDA since January 2013 to discuss nutrition facts panel revisions and offered itself as a resource to FDA.
From an initial review, ABA believes there are positive opportunities for bakers to promote the healthy benefits of their products but also a few areas that could be potentially problematic. Specifically, ABA will provide feedback to FDA on key issues including:
- Proposed new required line for added sugars (no DV for added sugar)
- Proposed reduction of sodium daily value from 2400mg to 2300mg per day
- Proposed increase in fiber DV from 25 to 28 grams per day
- Proposed increase in calcium DV from 1000mg to 1300mg
- New required listing of Vitamin D and Potassium (Vitamins A and C become voluntary)
- Review of impacted bakery serving size changes (i.e., muffins/bagels from 55g to 110g)
- Proposed format changes (prominence of calorie changes; servings per container; percent daily value from right to left side of the panel)
- Proposed deletion of calories from fat line
Founded in 1897, the American Bakers Association (ABA) is the Washington D.C.-based voice of the wholesale baking industry. ABA represents the interests of bakers before the U.S. Congress, federal agencies, and international regulatory authorities. ABA advocates on behalf of more than 700 baking facilities and baking company suppliers. ABA members produce bread, rolls, crackers, bagels, sweet goods, tortillas and many other wholesome, nutritious, baked products for America’s families. The baking industry generates more than $102 billion in economic activity annually and employs more than 633,000 highly skilled people.
Source: American Bakers Association (ABA)
