Petition for better food labels

Is there a petition we could support that demands that macronutrients be displayed with more significant figures? An example is trans fat: despite all the opinions and debate in nutrition, no one argues that this is okay in moderation. It's just horrible for you. And yet, companies can say zero grams trans fat if there's less than .5 g in a serving, and servings can be really small. When I was in Cozumel, where they don't have drinkable tap water, I first learned that Oreos have trans fat. I wouldn't know that because in America the numbers are rounded and there's no hydrogenated oil in oreos. 😟

Answer

You should read the labeling guidance from FDA because you are severely misinformed.

For the fat sub-lines, they can only say 0g of trans fat if it’s less that 0.5g. From 0.5-5g, you have to express to the nearest 0.5g. Then for >5g, you round to the nearest gram. Servings sizes are also regulated. Whether they are accurate for how much you consume or not, manufacturers have little flexibility in what they list as the serving size.

Also, companies have different formulations for different markets. For their major markets where they sell enough in that country/region to substantiate a unique formula, they formulate the product to maximize taste appeal to people in that country while meeting minimal compliance guidelines. Coke is very famous for doing this and has dozens of unique recipes for classic Coca Cola around the world.