Wellness/food article misleads on serving sizes

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Created on 14, January, 2020

A wellness/nutrition website's article by a "health coach" states "brands used to get away with deceiving consumers [by] making the serving sizes whatever tipped the nutritional facts in their favor"...

Actually, serving sizes have ALWAYS been regulated for food labeling (since the debut of Nutrition Facts panels). That means each category of food did and still does need to comply with standard serving sizes (Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed, aka RACC). The only difference now, with the updated regulations (effective 2020), is that serving sizes have been changed (some upwards and some downwards) for various foods. In most cases this is due to new data showing that people eat more now than in the past (not a good development). Companies do NOT make up the serving sizes for their food labels. If they do, and it is not according to FDA regulations (and yes, it happens), they are out of compliance and can be fined and/or subject to recalls of their products.