The Food and Drug Administration on Dec. 19 updated the definitions of the term “healthy” for food labeling, a move that reflected changes in nutrition and that tightened limits on saturated fat, sugar and salt in food that could be sold under that claim. It’s been a 30+ year discussion and debate over the word “healthy” that culminated in a 318-page rule to take effect in 2028, that sets highly specific guidelines around what food manufacturers can voluntarily label “healthy” or other terms, like “healthful” or “healthiest.”

Label changes always make the job of retail dietitians more difficult. Consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands see these changes as a marketing opportunity, which in some cases can be misleading or confusing to the shopper. Dietitians are put in the awkward position to sift through the marketing jargon and balance their role between helping the consumer and advising their CPG counterparts on how to properly execute and communicate label changes, underscoring the importance of the role of the RD in the grocery industry.

The ‘healthy’ label standards

There are two conditions that foods must meet in order to make the “healthy” claim. Food must meet new limits on sodium, added sugars and saturated fat. The FDA has set the standards for vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, meats, seafood, eggs, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, soy products, oils, along with main dish, mixed products (meaning that it contains more than one food group) and meal products (these can be found starting on page 7 of the new rule). The second condition is that the product must contain certain amounts of food from specific food group equivalents (FGEs): vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy, grains, proteins and oils. FGEs are based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the amount of food needed to qualify depends on the food group.

Under the final rule, foods such as vegetables, fruits, seafood, eggs and beans will now “automatically qualify” for the term “healthy,” provided they have no added ingredients besides water. Water, tea and certain coffees will also automatically qualify for the “healthy” claim. Several high-fat foods, such as salmon and avocados, are now eligible for the “healthy” claim as well.

To make the claim for example, a 50-gram serving of a dairy product must contain no more than 5% of a person’s daily sugar level and 10% of a person’s daily salt and saturated fat limit. The problem is that certain foods that we know to be healthy, for example yogurt that has added sugars, would not be allowed to use the term since the added sugars would exceed the 5% Daily Value limit. Similar standards would apply to fruits, grains, vegetables, meat and other foods.

The FDA’s rule reports that about 5% of foods on supermarket shelves are currently labeled “healthy.” Since April 2022, the agency has been testing a “healthy” symbol that could appear on food labels but has not yet been issued. Marion Nestle, professor of emerita of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University (and in all transparency, a dear friend) wrote an opinion piece that year in STAT showcasing and discussing the prototype labels. The compliance date of the final rule is Feb. 25, 2028.

‘Healthy’ can be misleading and misused

Let the consumer confusion begin as companies start putting the term on their packages. Transparent labeling builds consumer trust; however, in this case the criteria may very well confuse more shoppers than it helps based on the criteria. A great example is SpaghettiOs “healthy” kids entrée labeling. It may be low in fat — just 2 grams, but it’s high in carbs — 58 grams, high in sugar – 20 grams and has a whopping 1070 mg of sodium. Hardly a product that deserves to include the word “healthy” on its label.

The impact of the new administration

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is about to begin confirmation hearings to become secretary of the nation’s top health agency, Health & Human Services, campaigned for President-elect Donald Trump on a message of making the nation healthier through more nutritious food. His goal is to transform Americans’ eating habits to eliminate ultra-processed foods from school lunches, remove food dyes, end fluoridation of drinking water and urges the consumption of raw milk (evidence shows that raw milk increases the of foodborne illnesses from salmonella, listeria and E. coli). He has criticized the food industry for decades, saying it’s poisoning children with artificial additives and ultra-processed foods. We just don’t know his position on this “healthy” label rule and what its future might be in the weeks to come.

A call for a warning label on alcohol

Right after hundreds of millions of Americans were toasting the New Year, as one of his final acts under the outgoing administration, Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, called for warning labels to be put on alcoholic beverages (similar to those displayed on tobacco products) based on the scientific evidence of the link between alcohol consumption and increased risk for at least seven different types of cancer, including breast (in women), colorectum, esophagus, voice box, liver, mouth and throat.

The World Health Organization reports that there is no safe limit for alcohol consumption and 47 nations around the globe require warnings on alcoholic beverages. South Korea implemented a warning label tying consumption to liver cancer, but based on industry complaints, weakened the implementation of the label and now offers alternatives that don’t contain the word cancer. In 2026, Ireland is set to introduce labels that declare there’s “a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers.”

Both President-elect Trump and RFK Jr. have been outspoken about the dangers of alcohol, do not drink nor have commented on the Surgeon General’s Jan. 3 recommendation. It’s questionable whether either will embrace the recommendation as the alcohol industry contributed almost $25 million almost equally to both parties in the 2024 election cycle (according to non-partisan OpenSecrets) and that typically Republicans resist government regulations and the alcohol industry has a powerful lobby.

Weight-loss drugs are changing the way CPG thinks

Circana’s new report Early Days of a Revolution: How GLP-1s Are Already Changing Consumer Spending finds that 12% of U.S. adults said they have taken a GLP-1 drug, and according to the company, these users account for nearly 8% of food and beverages sold. They predict that percentage could increase to 13% by 2034. The report found the biggest shift in grocery spending was in frozen foods, where GLP-1 users’ monthly spend fell three percentage points. Which is probably one reason why Conagra has created their own new label “On Track” and added it to 26 products in the Healthy Choice portfolio to help these shoppers find GLP-1 friendly selections which are high in protein, low calorie and a good source of fiber. While other food companies including Nestle’s new Vital Pursuit brand have introduced foods for GLP-1 users, Conagra is the first major food company to call out “GLP-1 Friendly” on the package, which may trigger FDA to look at yet another new regulation.

The impact of these new labels

The FDA’s new rule for labeling foods as “healthy” and a new administration that’s signaling less regulation may significantly influence the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which should be released later this year. The challenge will be for food brands to actually produce better-for-you foods, rather than just trying to force fit these labels into their marketing efforts and further confuse shoppers.