美国国家公共电台 NPR FDA Is Redefining The Term 'Healthy' On Food Labels

 FDA Is Redefining The Term 'Healthy' On Food Labels

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And the Food and Drug Administration is in the process of redefining what counts as a healthy food. The FDA is asking the public to weigh in on a new definition which will help determine whether food companies can label their products as healthy. NPR's Allison Aubrey reports that as nutrition science has evolved, a modern definition is overdue².

ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE³: The last time the Food and Drug Administration took a stab at defining what counts as a healthy food product was in 1994. Back then, this was one of the most popular snack foods on the market.

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UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: Attention shoppers. SnackWells' cream sandwich cookies have just arrived in aisle⁴ three.

AUBREY: SnackWells were positioned as a low-fat alternative to fattier treats.

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UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: What a creamy way to cut the fat.

AUBREY: The message was low fat was better for you. The FDA's Douglas Balentine says it reflected the thinking of the day.

DOUGLAS BALENTINE: Yes. Back then, low fat was a key component⁵ so that the dietary guidelines was advising diets be low in total fat.

AUBREY: But the fat-free boom has come and gone, and now it's recognized that some fats are good for us. We need them.

BALENTINE: Today, we're now looking at the quality of fat, rather than the amount of fat.

AUBREY: Take for instance nuts - such as almonds and walnuts⁶. They're quite high in fat, but now we're encouraged to eat them.

BALENTINE: Dietary guidelines recommends that consumers include nuts and seeds, and nuts naturally contain quite a bit of healthy fats.

AUBREY: Given this new thinking, shouldn't some snacks that contain a lot of nuts be allowed to be labeled as healthy? The makers⁷ of Kind bars think so. Under the old rule, they didn't make the cut, but this year, the company petitioned the FDA to begin this process of redefining healthy. The modernized⁸ definition is also likely to address sugar content, given all of the newer evidence linking excessive sugar to heart disease and obesity⁹.

BALENTINE: Our thinking about sugars has changed, so I would think the amount of sugar is something that we will have to take into account.

AUBREY: This may also work in favor of snacks such as Kind bars because they don't have much sugar. Now, in an ideal world, we wouldn't need labels to tell us what foods are healthier. People wouldn't eat so much processed food. They just know that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains is healthier. But this is not the world we're living in. Balentine says Americans buy lots of packaged foods.

BALENTINE: Well, you know, the typical consumer makes a purchase decision in about three to five seconds.

AUBREY: And he says an up to date label will give people a quick way to make healthier choices. Allison Aubrey, NPR News.

1 browser   

n.浏览者

参考例句：

• View edits in a web browser.在浏览器中看编辑的效果。
• I think my browser has a list of shareware links.我想在浏览器中会有一系列的共享软件链接。

2 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

5 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

6 walnuts   

胡桃（树）( walnut的名词复数 )； 胡桃木

参考例句：

• Are there walnuts in this sauce? 这沙司里面有核桃吗？
• We ate eggs and bacon, pickled walnuts and cheese. 我们吃鸡蛋，火腿，腌胡桃仁和干酪。

7 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 modernized   

使现代化，使适应现代需要( modernize的过去式和过去分词 )； 现代化，使用现代方法

参考例句：

• By 1985 the entire railway network will have been modernized. 等到1985年整个铁路网就实现现代化了。
• He set about rebuilding France, and made it into a brilliant-looking modernized imperialism. 他试图重建法国，使它成为一项表面华丽的现代化帝业。

9 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。