• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, January 25, 2011

The new front-of-pack labeling system unveiled yesterday by the Grocery Manufacturers Association and Food Marketing Institute, "Nutrition Keys," quickly drew criticism from consumer nutrition watchdogs and legislators. 

Critics characterized the system as a self-serving attempt by the industry to pre-empt or influence a widely expected introduction by the FDA of a voluntary but agency-regulated labeling system in the months to come.

Some maintain that Nutrition Keys' inclusion of the ability to highlight beneficial nutrients--rather than highlight only calories, fats and sodium as recommended by the Institute of Medicine--will confuse and even mislead consumers, by diverting focus from the nutrients that most contribute to obesity and other health issues.