FOOD SERVING SIZES ARE GOING TO BE REVISED TO MEET WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD EAT, INSTEAD OF WANT THE MANUFACTURERS WANT YOU TO EAT

Earlier this year, the FDA announced its plans to change the 20-year old nutrition facts, panel that appears on food products, based on the standard portion size people are eating, derived from the Nationwide Food Consumption Surveys conducted in the Seventies and Eighties.  These are the STILL THE CURRENT standards for the FDA, manufacturers, and the dietitian community. these values are called Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed (RACC). 

The problem with the RACCs is that for many food categories the RACCs no longer represent the amount people actually consume.  

For example, the serving size, according to consumer behaviors, is no longer 1/2 a cup, but 1 cup, reflecting how people eat.  What does this mean, that a serving will contain twice the the calories, fat, sodium (as well as fiber, protein, etc.)

The bad news is that these changes have not yet been implemented, since the FDA is currently reviewing feedback from industry and the public. 

And it may take up to 3 years for the new labels to appear on your local grocery shelf. 

In the meantime, if you are counting calories, make sure that the amount you are eating matches your expectations, and what is best for your health.

This infographic illustrates the difference for two major snack staples: ice cream and soda:

SOURCE: Fooducate: http://blog.fooducate.com/2014/07/02/fda-serving-sizes-are-about-to-get-real