U.S. seafood industry organizations are welcoming updates to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) “healthy” claims label, which could benefit the seafood industry.

In its final rule issued 19 December, the agency said the “healthy” claim on food labels has been updated “to help consumers find foods that are the foundation of a healthy dietary pattern and could also result in the development of healthier foods.”

“There is an ever-growing crisis of preventable, diet-related chronic diseases in the U.S. that requires immediate action,” the FDA said. “The updated ‘healthy’ claim marks an important step in fulfilling the FDA’s nutrition priorities, which are part of a whole-of-government approach to address this crisis. This rule will help ensure that consumers have access to more complete, accurate, and up-to-date nutrition information on food labels.”

To qualify as “healthy” under the updated definition, food products must contain a certain amount of a food from at least one of the food groups, or subgroups, in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans – including fruits, vegetables, protein foods, dairy, and grains. They must also meet certain limits on saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.

As a result, more …