It can be hard to keep up with the various initiatives coming from a wide-ranging government body like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For those of you not scouring the black hole that is the FDA website in order to stay up-to-date, we have compiled a quick primer on the latest health initiatives from the country’s food safety regulator along with a questionable report about how it tamps down on lobbying from former employees. New Sugar Labeling Rules Incoming Even though the FDA’s new front-of-pack labeling (FOP) rules for added sugar are expected to be released next month (delayed from June), industry stakeholders are already pushing back. Industry group The Sugar Association has already taken an offensive stance of the expected FDA label guidance by launching a campaign in June aimed to “empower consumers to achieve added sugars goals and build balanced diets.” At the International Sweetener Symposium Aug. 6, Sugar Association president and CEO Courtney Gaine called the FDA’s goal of providing clearer guidance on added sugar “a little scary” because it was not expected to include recommendations on how sugar and calorie intake are correlated. Gaine is not alone. Caitlin Boon, U.S. public affairs director of health and nutrition at Mars, Inc., said last fall that it is “critical” that the FDA provide a declaration of calories per serving on FOP. But as 75% of Americans seek to limit or avoid sugar as they try to maintain a healthier lifestyle, the FDA is trying to aid in that effort by providing clearer FOP guidelines. Sodium Reduction On The Menu Sweet stuff is not the only topic in the FDA’s crosshairs; salty is, too. About two weeks ago, the FDA announced it had reached a “milestone” in its voluntary sodium reduction efforts. With initial draft guidance for Phase I completed the agency is moving onto Phase II, which will be more “data-driven,” according to the FDA’s press release. The new voluntary targets suggest that individual sodium intake should be around 2,750 mg per day instead of the prior recommendation of 3,400 mg. FDA deputy commissioner for human foods Jim Jones called the FDA’s sodium reduction guidance “one of the most important public health initiatives in a generation” that was already showing signs of success. Since kicking off the initiative in 2022, the FDA believes 40% of food categories contain less sodium. Industry groups are watching this one just as closely with snack industry trade association SNAC International telling Nosh at the beginning of the year that it was encouraging the FDA to weigh short-term targets with long-term impacts to food makers. Questionable Lobbying Practices The FDA is not just taking fire from lobbyists but from watchdog groups as well. Last month, a BMJ investigation (formerly British Medical Journal) reported that FDA’s ethics program staff is not adequately preventing former employees from lobbying after leaving the government agency. The BMJ claimed that former FDA employees are allowed to work “behind the scenes,” which in essence forbids direct lobbying but permits indirect lobbying. “It does seem contrary to the public interest that an ex-official would be quarterbacking activities behind the scenes,” said Center for Science in the Public Interest president Peter Lurie in the piece. “As a practical matter, this policy likely plays out in a way that advances the interests of big pharma, as that’s where many officials head after FDA.” | 
