Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal urged the USDA to make sure that it provides unbiased nutritional information as part of a potential adoption of a uniform labeling program, reports Legal Newsline.
Blumenthal also called for uniformity in labeling, with a single, national, uniform label serving as the sole nutritional label on the front of food packaging. He was joined by 11 other states -- Arizona, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont -- in formal comments filed with the FDA that urged the administration to provide complete nutritional information, whether good or bad. This information, Blumenthal says, will allow consumers to make informed choices about their food purchases.
"Only full disclosure of nutrition information will provide clear, consistent guidance to consumers," Blumenthal said. "Full disclosure also will encourage food manufacturers to offer healthier alternatives by reformulating existing products and providing new ones."