The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed that all food labels must carry information on the amount of sugar present in every food item as well as information on what those sugar levels mean.
The agency's proposal, which was announced on Friday, is meant to "supplement" a rule that was proposed by the agency last March stating that food companies should disclose added sugars on labels.
The newly proposed rule requires that an accepted level of added sugar consumption, which is not exceeding 200 calories per day, be stated on the labes of packaged food items and beverages.
The purpose of having the detailed label is not just to show consumers the amount of sugar present in the food, but also inform how such sugar levels compare with the recommended daily limit on sugar, TIME reported.
The current recommendation is that people should not exceed consumption of 10 percent of daily added sugar in their diets.
The FDA also proposed changing the footnote found on the current Nutrition Facts label to provide better understanding on what percent daily value means.
The proposed label would carry a statement in the footnote that reads: "*The percent daily value (%DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice," as stated in the official announcement from the agency.
The FDA proposal will still welcome public opinion for 75 days and may go through revisions before it becomes a formal rule.
According to the Wall Street Journal, sugar is one major food component that has not been given a "recommended consumption level" because FDA had not specified a limit.
The new proposal is a move supported by health advocates for a long time, but is opposed by several beverage and food companies.
