For the first time in nearly three decades, the FDA is updating the definition of ‘healthy’ when it comes to food labels.

Food manufacturers can now call their products ‘healthy’ if they contain a certain amount of a food group promoted as healthy by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including fruits, vegetables, protein, dairy and grains.

They must also meet certain limits on saturated fat, sodium and added sugars.

The FDA Commissioner says, “It is vital that we focus on the key drivers to combat chronic disease, like healthy eating. Now, people will be able to look for the ‘healthy’ claim to help them find foundational, nutritious foods for themselves and their families.”

 More foods will now be eligible for the ‘healthy’ claim, including nuts, seeds, salmon, olive oil and water.

The American Heart Association says it hopes these changes “motivate food manufacturers to develop new, healthier products” but points out use of the ‘healthy’ label is voluntary and may only appear on a small number of packages.

The AHA is urging the government to move forward with a proposed rule for a front-of-pack nutrition labeling system.

Source: Food and Drug Administration