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For the first time in three decades, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has radically changed its approach to defining healthy food, daily.afisha.ru reports.
Unlike the recommendations of the 1990s, when the main goal was to reduce fats in the diet overall, the new rules recognize the important role of healthy fats in nutrition. Now, products such as avocados, various nuts, seeds, fatty fish, eggs and olive oil are officially recognized as components of a healthy diet.
At the same time, many products have lost their “healthy” status. Among them were sweet fruit snacks, high-sugar bars, fortified breakfast cereals, sweetened yogurts and fruit drinks.
This revision was a response to the growing problem of chronic diseases in the US associated with poor diet. The FDA also introduced new labeling for products that meet the updated criteria for a healthy diet.
Diet-related diseases, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes, have become the leading cause of disability in the United States, according to FDA top official Jim Jones. Statistics show that 77 percent of Americans consume too much fat, 63 percent consume too much sugar and 90 percent consume too much sodium.