In a Federal Register notice to be published on March 3, 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a proposed ruling to amend nutrition labeling requirements for conventional foods and dietary supplements, modifying the information requirements and outlay of the labels.

The proposed ruling explains that, “We are proposing to revise our regulations to provide updated nutrition information on the label and improve how the nutrition information is presented to consumers, in light of current scientific evidence, dietary recommendations of most recent consensus reports, and public comments received in response to advance not ices of proposed rulemaking.“

Modifications to nutrition reporting requirements would include the following:

• Remove the declaration of "Calories from fat"- The type of fat is more relevant than overall total fat intake in increased risk of chronic diseases
• Require the declaration of "added sugars”
• Update the list of vitamins and minerals- Vitamins A&C will no longer be a requirement, but Vitamin D and potassium will be mandatory.
• Adjust the serving sizes to better represent current standards

Modifications to the presentation of information would include:

• Enlarging the information on Calories and Servings per Container
• Moving the "% DV" to the left side of the label
• Removing the requirement for the footnote table listing the reference values for 2,000 and 2,500 calorie diets

The rule would also require nutrition records to be kept for at least 2 years.

Comments have to be submitted by June 2, 2014.

The Federal Register notice can be accessed here

A comparison of the current and proposed label can viewed here