Why was the nutrition label created? A Look at Its History and Purpose

November 18, 2025 •

3 min read

The iconic black and white Nutrition Facts panel was not mandatory on most packaged foods until 1994, following the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990. The driving force behind its creation was the need to empower consumers with clear, consistent information to make healthier and safer choices.

Quick Summary

The nutrition label was created to inform consumers about food content, standardize nutritional information, combat deceptive health claims, and address diet-related chronic illnesses.

Key Points

Informed Decisions: The nutrition label was created to give consumers clear, standardized information to make healthier and safer food choices.
Public Health Crisis: Rising rates of chronic diet-related diseases in the 20th century, like heart disease and cancer, necessitated a tool to address these issues on a broad scale.
NLEA of 1990: The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act mandated the creation of the uniform Nutrition Facts panel, putting an end to inconsistent and confusing voluntary labels.
Combating Deception: The label standardized nutrient content claims, preventing manufacturers from using misleading marketing terms like 'low fat' on product packaging.
Evolving Standards: The label is not static, with major updates in 2016 to include new information like 'Added Sugars' and reflect current dietary science.
Serving Size Realism: Updates have made serving sizes more accurately reflect the amounts people actually eat and drink, providing more realistic nutritional context.

The Rise of Processed Foods and Public Health Concerns

Before the late 20th century, most food was unprocessed and locally sourced. However, the rise of mass food production introduced numerous packaged products, creating an information gap between manufacturers and consumers about food content. This lack of transparency, coupled with growing scientific evidence linking diet to chronic diseases, highlighted the need for standardized nutritional information.

Early Attempts at Regulation

Early regulations like the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938 addressed false claims but didn't require comprehensive nutrition facts. Some companies provided voluntary nutrition information, but it was inconsistent in format, wording, and listed nutrients, making interpretation difficult for consumers. This voluntary system proved insufficient for public health guidance.

The Impact of Diet-Related Diseases

By the 1980s, concerns grew over rising rates of chronic conditions like heart disease, cancers, and obesity. Reports such as The Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health (1988) confirmed the link between diet and these health issues. This underscored the importance of providing standardized, easy-to-understand nutrition information to help address this public health threat.

The Landmark Legislation: NLEA of 1990

Confusion from inconsistent labeling prompted action, and in 1990, the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) was passed to transform food labeling. Key NLEA goals included standardizing the Nutrition Facts panel format, requiring mandatory listings like calories and fat, defining serving sizes based on typical consumption, and regulating health and nutrient claims. The NLEA label, introduced in 1994, significantly changed food shopping and increased manufacturer accountability.

Key Objectives and How the Label Achieves Them

The nutrition label serves several critical purposes:

Empowering Consumers

The standardized data allows consumers to make informed dietary choices. The % Daily Value provides a reference point for understanding a nutrient's contribution to a daily diet, simplifying product comparison.

Improving Public Health Outcomes

The label helps address diet-related noncommunicable diseases by highlighting nutrients of public health concern, encouraging moderate intake. This also motivates manufacturers to reformulate products for healthier options.

Protecting Against Deception

Before standardization, food packaging often featured unsubstantiated health claims. The NLEA defined specific nutrient content claims, like "low fat," based on FDA-regulated criteria, protecting consumers from misleading marketing.

The Evolving Nutrition Label: Recent Updates

The nutrition label has been updated to reflect current scientific knowledge. A major update in 2016, with compliance by 2020 and 2021, introduced several changes. Key revisions include a larger, bolder font for calories and serving size, a new line for "Added Sugars", revised daily values for nutrients, and Vitamin D and potassium becoming mandatory nutrients.

Comparison of Old vs. New Nutrition Label (U.S.)

The table below highlights some of the key differences between the original 1994 nutrition label and the updated 2016 version:


Feature	Original 1994 Label	2016 Updated Label
Calories	Standard font	Larger, bolder font for prominence
Serving Size	Standard font, often based on outdated reference amounts	Larger, bolder font; amounts reflect modern consumption patterns
Added Sugars	Not included, only Total Sugars	Mandatory listing, including grams and % Daily Value
Calories from Fat	Included	Removed, as the type of fat is deemed more important than the total amount
Daily Values (DV)	Based on older reference values	Updated DVs reflect newer scientific findings
Vitamins & Minerals	Mandatory for Vitamin A & C	Mandatory for Vitamin D & Potassium; A & C now voluntary
Dual-Column Labels	Not required	Required for some packages that contain 2-3 servings but might be consumed at once

Conclusion: A Constantly Evolving Tool

Ultimately, the nutrition label was created to provide a consistent, regulated source of information that empowers consumers and improves public health outcomes. Born from a period of increasing processed food consumption and a better understanding of diet's link to chronic disease, the label has evolved from a voluntary, inconsistent practice to a mandatory and standardized tool. It is not just a list of ingredients, but a crucial public health measure that informs purchasing decisions and holds the food industry accountable. As dietary science continues to advance, the nutrition label will undoubtedly continue to evolve, ensuring that consumers have the best possible information at their fingertips. For more information on the most recent changes, refer to {Link: FDA's official guidance https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/changes-nutrition-facts-label}.

Frequently Asked Questions

The NLEA is the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990. It is the landmark legislation that made nutrition labels on packaged foods mandatory and standardized their format, ending the previous voluntary and inconsistent labeling system.

The label was created in response to growing public health concerns over diet-related chronic diseases, the rise of confusing processed food marketing, and the need for consumers to have transparent, reliable nutritional information to make healthier choices.

Key changes in the 2016 update included a new line for 'Added Sugars,' a bolder and larger font for calories and serving size, updated daily values based on new science, and the inclusion of Vitamin D and potassium as mandatory nutrients.

The % Daily Value (%DV) helps consumers understand a food's nutrient contribution within the context of a total daily diet. It allows for quick comparison of products, with 5% or less considered low and 20% or more considered high for a particular nutrient.

Yes, the FDA regulates health claims and nutrient content claims on food labels under the NLEA. For example, specific criteria must be met for a product to be labeled 'low fat,' preventing manufacturers from making misleading or false statements.

Prior to 1990, nutrition information was not mandatory on all packaged foods. It was typically only required on products that were fortified with nutrients or those making a specific nutrition claim.

Serving sizes were updated to more accurately reflect the amount of food and drink people actually consume today, rather than outdated amounts from the 1970s and 1980s. This helps provide a more realistic picture of the calories and nutrients in a typical eating occasion.