FDA Proposes New Food Labeling Law
By: Rebecca Jeffrey
Updated: February 10, 2013
The trip to the grocery store could start costing more.
"When the USDA and the FDA come in and try to make changes to regulation, people freak out," Jerry Huddleston, Human Resources Manager with Ozark Natural Foods said.
An initiative of ObamaCare would give consumers full nutritional information for all food products. Huddleston gives it a thumbs up.
"Anytime that you can pass more information along to the consumer, especially about the nutrition and their diet, we're all for it that's a good thing," he said.
From produce at the grocery store to hot dogs at the gas station, the label would be in front of you.
"When people are given information, it effects their decision and usually people make better decisions when they have more information."
It comes at a price.
The research and cost of labeling these foods could have a price tag upwards of a billion dollars in the first year of it being put into effect.
"But when you scatter that across hundreds of millions of businesses and retailers that are going to have to do this, then ultimately is the cost significant, yup. Is it overwhelming and unbearable? I don't think so," Huddleston said.
The cost however could come out of your pocket.
"The benefit to peoples health and the benefit to peoples nutrition is going to outweigh the pennies that this is going to add to a product."
Expanding grocery bills to hopefully shrink waistlines
"If item A has 300 calories and item B has 600 calories, and you know that now, does that effect the decision of which of the two products that you buy? For most people it does."
A cost analysis is expected to be complete in the spring. It's needed before the FDA can put the mandate into effect. If it turns out the price to label the products outweighs the benefits, it will be taken off the table.
"When the USDA and the FDA come in and try to make changes to regulation, people freak out," Jerry Huddleston, Human Resources Manager with Ozark Natural Foods said.
An initiative of ObamaCare would give consumers full nutritional information for all food products. Huddleston gives it a thumbs up.
"Anytime that you can pass more information along to the consumer, especially about the nutrition and their diet, we're all for it that's a good thing," he said.
From produce at the grocery store to hot dogs at the gas station, the label would be in front of you.
"When people are given information, it effects their decision and usually people make better decisions when they have more information."
It comes at a price.
The research and cost of labeling these foods could have a price tag upwards of a billion dollars in the first year of it being put into effect.
"But when you scatter that across hundreds of millions of businesses and retailers that are going to have to do this, then ultimately is the cost significant, yup. Is it overwhelming and unbearable? I don't think so," Huddleston said.
The cost however could come out of your pocket.
"The benefit to peoples health and the benefit to peoples nutrition is going to outweigh the pennies that this is going to add to a product."
Expanding grocery bills to hopefully shrink waistlines
"If item A has 300 calories and item B has 600 calories, and you know that now, does that effect the decision of which of the two products that you buy? For most people it does."
A cost analysis is expected to be complete in the spring. It's needed before the FDA can put the mandate into effect. If it turns out the price to label the products outweighs the benefits, it will be taken off the table.
