Salmon can’t be labeled a “healthy” food under existing federal regulations, because it contains high levels of fat.
But sweetened cereals can bear the “healthy” label on their packaging if they tick specific boxes related to individual nutrients — even though they might be loaded with added sugars.
These contradictions fly in the face of modern nutrition science and common sense, so the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on Wednesday that it is updating the marketing term “healthy” to reflect what has been learned about what makes a wholesome diet.
