The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received more than 11,000 comments in response to its proposal to require a front-of-package nutrition label for most packaged foods.
In announcing the proposed rule in January, FDA said this nutrition info box would offer consumers “readily visible information about a food’s saturated fat, sodium and added sugars content — three nutrients directly linked with chronic diseases when consumed in excess.” Those content levels would carry a “low,” “medium” or “high” designation.
Industry legal and design experts noted that this could be a huge change for brands, taking up valuable packaging real estate. The deadline for comments was July 15, which had been extended from May.
The Consumer Brands Association continues to instead promote the existing “voluntary industry-led” Facts up Front label. Last week, the association released survey results from what it described as independent consumer research supporting the use of the 15-year-old Facts up Front label. In a May 2025 survey of 2,000 U.S. adults, 90% recognized and utilized the label in purchasing decisions. The research was supported by Facts up Front leaders CBA and the Food Industry Association, also known as FMI.
“This research is important because the industry is hearing directly from consumers that they value facts and rely on the existing tools already in the marketplace. Consumers are not only aware of Facts up Front — they are engaged with it,” said CBA President and CEO Melissa Hockstad in a statement. “As the Trump Administration focuses on consumer transparency and efforts to improve nutrition labeling, consumer behavior and preferences must be central to the conversation.”
In its own formal comment to FDA, FMI largely criticized the proposal and questioned FDA’s authority to mandate this type of uniform front-of-pack label. FMI also said that solely focusing on saturated fat, sodium and added sugars would not help consumers to actually identify healthier food options.
FMI called for FDA to consider additional factors, including that calories be included in any front-of-pack nutrition label scheme, that the agency potentially expand the scope of nutrients, and that the “medium” designation potentially not be included. From a design standpoint, FMI also called for FDA to reconsider moving the info box from the top third of a label to the bottom third, and that the required label use the minimum space needed.
“Accordingly, the impact and usability of the proposed scheme does not justify the significant burden it would impose,” FMI concluded.
