It won’t be official for months, but FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb outlined on Thursday a solution to a food-labeling issue that had honey producers buzzing and had tapped the ire of the maple syrup industry. In a statement, Gottlieb said the agency anticipated that there would be no “added sugars” line on the new Nutrition Facts label when it comes to packages of pure honey and maple syrup.
One of the major changes to the updated Nutrition Facts label, which takes effect in January 2020, is the inclusion of data on sugar added to foods by processors. The federal government’s Dietary Guidelines suggest that added sugars should not account for more than 10 percent of daily calories.
There is no added sugar in pure honey or maple syrup, although they can be used as sweeteners in food. The FDA proposed initially that all the sugar in honey and maple syrup should be listed as “added sugars.” Honey and maple syrup producers called that idea unfair to them and misleading to consumers. Some lawmakers threatened to block use of the updated Nutrition Facts label.
After asking for suggestions in February on how to clarify the situation, and getting 3,000 comments, Gottlieb said, “We’re drafting our final guidance” for foodmakers. “This guidance will provide a path forward for pure, single-ingredient ‘packaged as such’ products that does not involve the standard ‘added sugars’ declaration on the Nutrition Facts label.”
“The FDA seems to be headed in the right direction,” said Rep. Chellie Pingree, Maine Democrat, who opposed the FDA’s initial plan. “I think the agency has gotten the message that its proposal would have caused confusion for consumers and hurt producers by wrongly implying that these natural products contain added sugars.”