bake - November 2016 - 16

ingredients

Labeling "Healthy" Snacks
Nuts are rocketing to the forefront of the healthy foods discus-

before-a reversal of the position the FDA took more than a

sion in America, as government agencies take a second look

year ago. The acknowledgment comes after much public con-

at how nuts (once villainized for their fat content) ﬁt into the

versation among health and nutrition leaders about how the

"healthy" labeling debate. First, on the heels of the gluten-

term healthy can be used on food labels, and why the agency's

free phenomenon comes a wave of new grain-free snack and

20-year-old standards are in need of an update.

breakfast options. SPINS tracked 124 percent dollar growth of
grain-free products last year, noting more than 200 brands are

The FDA is now considering a wholesale "refresh" of its regu-

labeling products as grain-free, grain-less or no grains.

lations concerning labeling food products as "healthy." At the
same time, FDA is considering whether and how to regulate

According to Food Business News, examples on display at the

use of the term "natural," which many consumers equate with

2016 Expo East included Krave the Krunch grainless granola

healthy.

from Paleo Passion Foods in Greenwich, Connecticut. The
product is made with nuts, seeds, coconut and honey or maple

Creighton Magid, a partner at the international law ﬁrm Dorsey

syrup, ﬂavors include Caribbean coconut, chocolate nut, and

& Whitney and head of its Washington DC office, works with

maple cinnamon. Pamela's Products, Ukiah, California, is intro-

clients to reduce their liability risks and to help them navigate

ducing Pamela's Nut Flour Blend, which contains almond ﬂour,

the federal regulatory system, particularly in connection with

organic coconut ﬂour, pecan ﬂour and walnut ﬂour.

the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. "The bigger
picture is that several trends are coming into play right now,"

It's important to note that millennials' top choice when it comes

Magird says. "Nutrition science is evolving, with an emphasis on

to snacking is salty snacks, according to "How America's Eat-

looking at the pluses and minuses of various foods, rather than

ing Habits Are Changing," a new report from the Private Label

categories (such as fat)."  

Manufacturers Association. The online survey of 1,839 shoppers
between the ages of 20 and 29 found 58 percent prefer snack-

The FDA has issued a guidance document that updates how

ing on salty snacks like nuts, while 42 percent said they prefer

the agency deﬁnes the nutrient content claim "healthy."  The

sweet snacks like cookies, candy and donuts.

guidance was issued in response to the agency's effort to make
it consistent with the FDA Nutrition Facts Panel ﬁnal rule that

On the regulatory front, evidence is emerging that the past

was ﬁnalized this past May. "In particular, we intend to exercise

emphasis on fat as a villain was driven in large measure by lob-

enforcement discretion with respect to the current requirement

bying rather than by science, according to one legal expert.

that any food bearing the nutrient content claim 'healthy' meet
the low fat requirement provided that ... the amounts of mono-

KIND Healthy Snacks, for example, announced earlier this year

and polyunsaturated fats are declared on the label and ... the

it has been notiﬁed by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

amounts declared constitute the majority of the fat content,"

that it can use the term healthy on its packaging as it had

the FDA reports.

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bake - November 2016

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