Food and Drug Administration's proposed labeling rules for protein

The labeling proposals of the National Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are having enormous impact on the food industry. The comment period for the November 1991 rules ended February 25, 1992. The 1991 proposals, with possible modifications, may become law as soon as November 8, 1992; industry then has 6 months to comply. It is imperative that dietitians be familiar with the content and meaning of the new labels. The NLEA information needs to be introduced into academic curricula immediately. Not only will dietitians need to define for consumers the difference in the proposed new reference values--Reference Daily Intake (RDI) and Daily Reference Values (DRVs)--if implemented, but they will also need to understand the quantifiable statements underlying the various descriptors, eg, light, low, high, more, free, and source, for all nutrients and food attributes displayed on labels. This article describes the proposed changes for determining protein quality.