Brown Rice Included in 5% of Foods Eligible for New FDA “Healthy” Definition

 
Woman in grocery store full of stocked shelves looking at back of box ingredient list
Checking for that good U.S.-grown brown rice
Jan 22, 2025

WASHNGTON, DC – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently published an updated definition that provides guidance on what food products can claim to be “healthy” under federal rules.  Whole grain rice was identified as part of the estimated five percent of foods that meet the new definition and now qualify to use the healthy claim on packaging and marketing materials.

The release of this definition follows a lengthy process of comment collection and review by the agency going back to 2016 when the FDA originally floated its intent to revise the 1994 definition.  Currently, only three percent of manufactured foods are qualified to use the outdated term in marketing and on packages.

In 2022, an official proposal was published on the need to update the definition to be better aligned with the most recent dietary guidelines and modernize the approach to nutrition and reduce the societal burden of diet-related diseases.  In response to that proposal, USA Rice submitted industry comments advocating for rice in all forms to be qualified to use the “healthy” claim.

The comments highlighted the range of nutritional benefits associated with rice consumption across all life stages and focused on the affordability, accessibility, cultural significance, and broad acceptance of a staple food like rice with U.S. consumers.  In addition, USA Rice encouraged member companies to submit feedback to the FDA and worked with the Grain Chain, a grain industry advocacy coalition, to craft and submit comments.

Under the FDA proposal, manufacturers can only label products as “healthy” if they contain a meaningful amount of food from at least one of the main food groups recommended by the Dietary Guidelines (vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, proteins) along with meeting certain nutrition levels and adhering to specific limits for added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.  The new definition emphasizes whether a food fits into a healthy dietary pattern overall, as opposed to just focusing on a food’s individual nutrients.

As a result of USA Rice’s advocacy along with the FDA’s recognition of the importance of whole grain rice as a foundational component to healthy eating patterns, all forms of whole grain rice fall under the new definition and are qualified to utilize the “healthy” claim.

“While we are disappointed that white rice was not included in FDA’s definition of healthy, we appreciate the agency’s recognition of the totality of benefits of foods in a healthy diet and inclusion of brown rice into this slim category of eligibility,” said USA Rice President & CEO Peter Bachmann.  “Rice is a sodium-free, gluten-free, cholesterol-free vital source of calories for billions of people each day and provides key nutrients for Americans, many of which are deemed under-consumed by experts.  It is important to maintain access for this affordable, widely available food that is also safely and sustainably-grown here at home.

The updated definition will take effect within two months and food manufacturers will have until February 2028 to comply.

In addition to the new definition, there are also plans to debut a “healthy” Front of Package (FOP) logo based on the guidance and comes as the FDA is working on a new rule for front-of-package nutrition facts.