November 01, 2016
Big news, food manufacturers, the FDA is making changes to the nutrition facts label. All food manufacturers will be expected to comply with these changes by July 26, 2018.
What does this specifically mean for you? It means you’ll be:
– highlighting calories and servings, so consumers can make more informed food choices
– indicating “added sugars” instead of just “sugars”
– disclosing “per serving” and “per package” calorie and nutritional information (because who ever really follows the recommended “per serving” information anyway)
(as well as several other changes, but these three are the big ones)
A few suggestions for you to consider when making these changes:
1. Stay calm and be true to your brand
Remember it’s all about authenticity these days. Don’t try to reinvent your brand as something it’s not. Consumers buy your brand and love it for a reason. Continue to do what you do best – stay true to you.
2. Educate your consumers
Tell your consumers all the good stuff happening in your product. While many of the changes seem like doom and gloom (hello 45g of sugar in a 100% juice brand). There are a lot of great things to tell consumers about your brand too. Such as, despite being high in sugar, they get 100% of the daily value of vitamin C and there are 0 added sugars (zero, as in nada – nothing). You should also consider moving some of your brand’s positive attributes to the front panel.
3. Plan ahead
Instead of only making the changes required by the FDA, think ahead. Remember points 1 & 2 above (“be true to your brand” and “educate your consumers”), now is the time to plan and make global changes to your brand’s front and back panel labels at the same time. We see this as a time to get smart and maximize efficiencies.
Dustin is a purpose-driven strategy and marketing leader with extensive experience building high-performance teams, driving growth, and creating brand value. In his role at CBX, He is dedicated to helping clients maximize the cultural and commercial impact of their brands.
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