Patrick Nycz is President of NewPoint, a full-service food and beverage marketing agency, and author of Moving Your Brand Up the Food Chain.

The U.S. government is being pressured to mandate front-of-package (FOP) food labels, providing nutritional and dietary information to consumers as conveniently and directly as possible. According to an article in Food Policy: "FOP label policies have been implemented internationally that could serve as policy models for the U.S. However, the First Amendment poses a potential obstacle to U.S. government-mandated FOP requirements." Self Adhesive Labels

Experts are attempting to navigate around this obstacle by using "interpretive" labeling requirements, such as specific colors, shapes and design elements for food and beverage products. So far, there has been no breakthrough policy change, but the day may soon come when food and beverage brands are forced to adapt to this new legislation.

As a food and beverage marketing and branding agency, we stay up to date on food packaging requirements and often help our clients prepare for potential food policy shifts like FOP labels.

Currently, there are no strict requirements for FOP food labels. However, the FDA issues guidance to the industry as follows: "[the FDA] recognizes that point of purchase labeling can be a way of promoting informed food choices and helping consumers construct healthier diets following the Dietary Guidelines for Americans." However, the FDA also warns that FOP labeling could give people a false sense of confidence in what they're buying, causing them to neglect reading more specific, informative back-of-package labels.

Now, health officials (including members of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, or CSPI) are pushing for the U.S. to expand requirements for package labeling to remain in step with other developed countries. It's clear that Americans are overeating in many categories, including total calories, added sugars, sodium and saturated fat, while undereating in healthy categories, like fruits and vegetables. Scientists believe that more informative and present FOP labels could help change that.

FOP labels wouldn't be as strictly descriptive as current back-of-package labels. For example, a food may be required to have a small emblem that identifies it as being "high in sugar/sodium/saturated fat" if it meets a certain threshold. In addition, foods low in these ingredients may have a green label to advise customers that the food is generally good to consume. In contrast, foods with a yellow label should be consumed in moderation, and foods with a red label should mostly be avoided.

The biggest motivation for introducing these FOP food labels:

• Improve public health nutrition choices: There is evidence that informative labeling does have a positive impact on public health choices. For example, suppose a consumer sees, at first glance, that a product is exceptionally high in something like added sugars or saturated fats. In that case, they may be immediately less likely to buy that product. Conversely, if they see a product low in all these potentially harmful ingredients, they might be incentivized to purchase it. Over enough time, this can lead to meaningful improvements in public health.

Less realistic motivations we've heard voiced in the debate around FOP labels:

• Discourage the production of unhealthy foods: Consumption of unhealthy snack foods is on the rise for various reasons. But if the number of unhealthy snack foods suddenly plummeted, this momentum could easily reverse. In addition, forcing food manufacturers to label their unhealthy products as harmful could incentivize them to make healthier products in greater abundance, shifting the distribution of healthy and unhealthy foods on store shelves.

• Preserve the U.S.'s reputation: To a degree, this change may also be motivated by a desire to keep the United States in high international standing. Experts frequently refer to the U.S. as "falling behind" other nations, so the country's reputation is somewhat at stake.

What should you do now to prepare for these potential changes if you own a food and beverage business?

• Keep a close eye on legal developments. It's hard to tell exactly when or how this legislation will be introduced, so keep a close eye on legal developments. You're probably already used to complying with new laws as they're introduced, but the sooner you get the jump on these new requirements the better. In the meantime, consider how various new laws could affect your production, distribution and sales.

• Explore healthy options in your product innovation programming. It's clear that food and beverage businesses that focus on developing and promoting healthy products are going to have an edge over the ones producing only unhealthy products (if and when FOP labels become the norm). Accordingly, consider exploring healthier options for your customers. For example, is there a way to reduce added sugars, saturated fats or other unhealthy ingredients in your best-selling products? Could you consider rolling out a new, healthy alternative product?

• Be prepared for a shift in marketing. You may also need to undergo a significant shift in your marketing campaigns. If some of your products are unhealthy, you'll need to make up for the detriment of red warning labels. If some of your products are healthy, you'll need to brainstorm creative ways to promote their health value and emphasize their attractive green labels.

It's not an absolute certainty that the United States will eventually introduce and enforce these new standards for FOP labeling. However, with ample objective evidence to prove the value of these labels and the rest of the developed world in line with them, it may only be a matter of time before these new rules and regulations are instated. The sooner you start preparing for them, the better you'll perform once they become mandatory.

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Zack O'Malley Greenburg is senior editor of media & entertainment at Forbes and author of four books, including A-List Angels: How a Band of Actors, Artists and Athletes Hacked Silicon Valley and the Jay-Z biography Empire State of Mind. Zack's work has also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Billboard, Sports Illustrated, Vibe, McSweeney's and the Library of Congress. In over a decade at Forbes, he has investigated topics from Wu-Tang Clan's secret album in Morocco to the return of tourism in post-conflict Sierra Leone to the earning power of Hip-Hop's Cash Kings, writing cover stories on subjects ranging from Richard Branson to Ashton Kutcher to Katy Perry. A former child actor, Zack played the title role in the film Lorenzo's Oil (1992) and arrived at Forbes in 2007 after graduating from Yale with an American Studies degree. For more, follow him on Twitter, Facebook, newsletter and via www.zogreenburg.com. Got a tip on a music, media & entertainment story? Send it over via SecureDrop. Instructions here: www.forbes.com/tips

I’m a digital media executive recognized for building engaging content experiences that delight and inspire audiences. As Chief Product Officer of Forbes, I lead a team of world-class product managers, designers, e-commerce leaders, and other experts focused on building the products that shape the Forbes brand across the web, mobile, social, and emerging platforms.

I'm Managing Director, Europe at Forbes,  responsible for growing and managing Forbes' business in Europe, both editorially and commercially.

My passions include entrepreneurship, education and great food. I joined Forbes in 2018 as Europe Editor after the company acquired The Memo, my startup which I founded in 2015. I'm also proud to train the next generation of journalists at City, University of London where I've been a visiting lecturer since 2011.\nYou will also find me on TV & radio as a regular pundit covering tech and future business trends.

Thanks for reading. Follow me on Twitter and connect on LinkedIn.

I'm Managing Director, Europe at Forbes,  responsible for growing and managing Forbes' business in Europe, both editorially and commercially.

My passions include entrepreneurship, education and great food. I joined Forbes in 2018 as Europe Editor after the company acquired The Memo, my startup which I founded in 2015. I'm also proud to train the next generation of journalists at City, University of London where I've been a visiting lecturer since 2011.\nYou will also find me on TV & radio as a regular pundit covering tech and future business trends.

Thanks for reading. Follow me on Twitter and connect on LinkedIn.

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