Toward a New Definition of "Healthy" Food: Issues and Challenges

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Public Health Policy
• Food Regulation

Background:

• Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) are increasingly food-based, emphasizing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy while limiting added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat.
• Recent nutrient density measures incorporate both nutrients and food groups.
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed new criteria to define "healthy" foods for regulatory purposes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the stringency of the FDA's proposed "healthy" food criteria by applying them to a comprehensive food database.
• To compare the FDA's proposed definition of "healthy" with existing consumer and USDA perceptions.
• To identify implications for regulatory and public health policies.

Main Methods:

• Applied the FDA's proposed "healthy" food criteria, based on Reference Amount Customarily Consumed, to foods within the USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS 2017-2018).
• Assessed the percentage of foods within various categories (fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains) that met the proposed criteria.

Main Results:

• The proposed FDA criteria were met by only 58% of fruits, 35% of vegetables, 8% of milk and dairy products, and 4% of grain products.
• A significant number of foods widely considered healthy by consumers and the USDA did not meet the FDA's proposed standards.
• Federal agencies appear to utilize differing definitions of "healthy".

Conclusions:

• The FDA's proposed "healthy" food criteria are highly stringent and may exclude many commonly accepted healthy foods.
• Discrepancies exist in how federal agencies define "healthy" foods, impacting policy and consumer understanding.
• Nutrition scientists should be involved in developing federal regulations and policies affecting consumers and the food industry.