On January 14, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that, in addition to the detailed “Nutrition Facts” information label that is already present on the backs of food packages, it proposed imposing another, simpler label on the front, which would be a minor revolution in the land of junk food. The clock is ticking in the United States, where, according to a study published by The Lancet in 2024, nearly three-quarters of the adult population were overweight or obese; a trend that has increased continuously since the 1990s.

“Nearly everyone knows or cares for someone with a chronic disease that is due, in part, to the food we eat,” said the FDA commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf. “It’s time we make it easier for consumers to glance, grab and go.” The FDA noted that chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes, are the leading cause of disability and death in the US, that 60% of Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease, and that these conditions are also behind $4.5 trillion (€4.352 trillion) of yearly health care spending in the US.

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