In December 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unveiled its final guidelines on what qualifies as “healthy” for food labeling in U.S. grocery stores. This marks the FDA’s first significant update to its healthy labeling standards since 1994, introducing stricter regulations on added sugars and sodium. Notably, the new rule removes caps on total fat, though restrictions on saturated fat remain.
Under these updated standards, items like salmon, avocados, olive oil, and even water are now officially considered “healthy” and can bear this label in stores. This decision may come as no surprise, as many of these foods have long been recognized for their health benefits. For example, the American Heart Association has recommended that Americans consume omega-3-rich fish, such as salmon, at least once a week since 2002. The Mediterranean diet, known for its emphasis on healthy fats like those found in olive oil and avocados, has been hailed as one of the healthiest diets globally, linked to increased longevity, particularly among women. As for water, its health benefits hardly need government validation.
While the FDA’s role in food regulation is clear, its history of misguided nutritional advice raises questions. In the 1970s and 1980s, concerns about saturated fats led to the widespread adoption of margarine and Crisco, both containing harmful artificial trans fats. It wasn’t until 2015 that the FDA finally retracted its “generally recognized as safe” label for trans fats, despite emerging studies in the 1990s linking them to heart disease. Additionally, before this new rule, sugary cereals and pastries could be marketed as “healthy” if they met certain nutritional standards, despite their high sugar content.
The latest FDA guidelines seem unnecessary given that there is widespread consensus among health experts and consumers on what constitutes a healthy diet—one rich in whole, minimally processed foods. The FDA’s acknowledgment that only a tiny fraction of people (0 to 0.4%) actually rely on these “healthy” labels suggests the rule’s relevance is questionable.
Ultimately, Americans don’t need the government to tell them that foods like salmon, avocados, and water are healthy. The FDA should focus its resources on more pressing issues, such as ensuring food safety and transparency, and leave dietary decisions to individuals based on informed choices.
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