American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown issued the following comments today on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) final rule that extends the compliance date for the revised Nutrition Facts label by 18 months:

“The delay sanctioned by this new FDA rule is a disappointment. But we are encouraged that several major food manufacturers have publicly committed to meeting the original deadlines of July 2018 and 2019, and we want to thank them for their leadership. As a result, more than 29,000 products on the market already have revised Nutrition Facts labels. 

The up-to-date information these new labels provide to consumers is critical. When it comes to diet, it’s important to choose carefully, because eating nutritious foods goes hand-in-hand with maintaining good cardiovascular health. Having key food facts easily accessible, enables consumers to make informed decisions. 

We urge food manufacturers who are still in the process of putting these labels on their products to do so as soon as possible and follow the commendable example of the companies who are already compliant. When it’s time to dine, Americans should not only enjoy the food they are eating, they deserve to know what’s in it.”