New food label to help make healthy choices

LOS ANGELES The Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute on Monday announced the industry's voluntary new "Nutrition Keys," which will list calories, saturated fat, sodium and sugars per serving.

Manufacturers may choose to use only one or two of the figures in small, package-front icons, or all four.

Most U.S. food makers and sellers are backing "Nutrition Keys," which the industry is launching with a $50 million marketing campaign.

The new label will replace the former "Smart Choices" label, which the /*FDA*/ said was confusing and misleading.

Most food makers will add Nutrition Keys icons to most of their packaging by the end of 2011 but will also keep the mandatory black-and-white nutrition labels on package backs.

The Associated Press contributed to this article