FDA opts for nutrition label update

The Food and Drug Administration is proposing an overhaul for nutrition labels on packaged food and drinks. If the pitch is approved, there will be more emphasis on total calories, added sugars and certain nutrients, like Vitamin D and potassium. Serving size requirements will also be changed to make them more accurate.

As consumers better understand nutrition, administration officials say, and know now what to look for on nutrition labels, the FDA sees fit that they should be updated accordingly.

First Lady Michelle Obama, a spokesperson for healthy living, applauds the move.

"You as a parent and a consumer should be able to walk into your local grocery store, pick up an item off the shelf, and be able to tell whether it's good for your family," she said, according to CNN. "So this is a big deal, and it's going to make a big difference for families all across this country."

The "calories from fat" label would be removed, for example, since nutritionists believe the type of fat you're eating is more important than the calories from fat. But the breakdown of total fat versus saturated and trans fat would remain.

Also, the need for 17 percent of serving size labels to change is, in the FDA's opinion, because some products weren't around 20 years ago, and the makeover will make the information more suited to how much people actually eat.

Nutrition labels have remained the same for decades, and didn't even exist until the 1960s. Nowadays, 42 percent of working-age adults between 29 and 68 look at nutrition labels when shopping, a recent USDA study found.

With this announcement, the FDA has granted a 90-day period during which experts and the public alike can submit comments. The agency is likely to issue a final ruling on the proposal before the end of the year.