The United States Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday and in the coming next few years, food manufacturers have to put nutritional labels on the front of packaged foods. This proposal by FDA comes in the content of chronic diseases and the need for combating the same. The front-of-package labels are required for "most packaged foods", said the announcement.

Nutrition Info Box

The labels will be called the "Nutrition box info", which would show customers whether products have low, medium, or high levels of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.

Saturated Fat

They are solid at room temperature and found in animal products like pork, milk, and cheese. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limited saturated fats to less than 6% of total calories. It is one of the unhealthy fats and too much of it in your diet could lead to heart diseases and other health problems.

Sodium

As per FDA, diets higher in sodium are associated with an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, which is also the major cause of stroke and heart attack. Sodium attracts water, which increases the volume of blood in your body and can lead to high blood pressure, and damage your heart, kidneys, brain and eyes.

Added Sugars

Added sugars are added to foods and drink during processing or preparation and they do not occur naturally. They add calories but little nutrition. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), added sugars can contribute to health problems such as weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart diseases.

What happens with the proposal?

If the proposal is approved, food manufacturers who make $10 million or more in annual food sales will have three years to add the labels to their packaging. While businesses with less than $10 million in annual food sales will have four years to comply.

Chronic Diseases

FDA said that saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars have been "directly linked with chronic diseases". The FDA highlights that chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are the leading causes of disability and death in the U.S., with 60% of Americans living with at least one chronic condition. These illnesses also account for much of the $4.5 trillion spent annually on healthcare in the country.

According to FDA, a major factor contributing to the issue is also the overcompensation of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar. There are many store-brought foods that are highly processed and also contain excessive amounts of these ingredients. In 2023, the FDA also conducted a study that involved 10,000 adults to evaluate how different types of nutritional labels influence consumer choices.

The research revealed that a black-and-white nutrition label displaying the percent daily value was the most effective in helping people select healthier options.

This is why the Nutritional Info Box will also come in the same color. If reports are to be believed, it will soon become part of the White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health to reduce diet-related diseases by 2030.

Researchers have developed a form of Spirulina containing biologically active vitamin B12 at levels comparable to beef. By carefully controlling the light used during cultivation, they overcame a key limitation of conventional Spirulina, which mainly contains a form of B12 that the human body cannot use.

The carbon-neutral system could offer a more sustainable, vegan-friendly source of vitamin B12, particularly for people who avoid meat and dairy.

A New Source Of Active Vitamin B12

Researchers from Reichman University in Israel, along with scientists from Iceland, Denmark and Austria, found a way to grow Spirulina that produces biologically active B12.

Published in Discover Food, the study used biotechnology and controlled light conditions to produce nutrient-rich, carbon-neutral Spirulina biomass. The researchers say this is the first reported production of biologically active B12 in Spirulina.

The cultivated biomass contained 1.64 µg of active B12 per 100 grams, compared with 0.7–1.5 µg per 100 grams in beef.

Spirulina, a blue-green cyanobacterium, is already valued for its protein and nutrient content and can be cultivated with a relatively small environmental footprint.

Why Conventional Spirulina Falls Short

Vitamin B12 is essential for functions including red blood cell formation and normal nervous system function. More than a billion people worldwide are estimated to have low levels of the vitamin.

Although Spirulina has long been promoted as a sustainable food source, conventional varieties largely contain pseudo-vitamin B12. While chemically similar to the vitamin humans need, this form is not bioavailable and cannot be effectively used by the body.

That has limited conventional Spirulina as a reliable alternative to animal-derived sources of B12.

Using Light to Change Spirulina’s Nutrition

The researchers studied a biotechnology platform developed by VAXA Technologies in Iceland. Its key feature is photonic management, which involves precisely adjusting the light environment in which Spirulina grows.

The controlled conditions encouraged the production of biologically active B12 while generating carbon-neutral biomass. The cultivated Spirulina also contained other bioactive compounds associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immune-related properties.

Potential for Large-Scale Production

The researchers modelled possible large-scale production scenarios. In one scenario, reallocating electricity currently used by heavy industry in Iceland could support the production of 277,950 tonnes of Spirulina biomass annually.

They estimate this could contain about 4,555 grams of active B12—enough, based on their calculations, to provide the recommended dietary allowance for more than 13.8 million children aged 1–3.

More ambitious scenarios could potentially meet the B12 RDA for more than 26.5 million children aged 1–3 and more than 50 million infants aged 0–6 months.

These figures are projections rather than current production levels.

A Sustainable B12 Alternative

The findings suggest that photosynthetically controlled Spirulina could become a sustainable, vegan-friendly source of active vitamin B12, potentially reducing some reliance on animal-based foods.

However, further research, validation and large-scale production are needed to determine whether the technology can become a practical dietary solution for vitamin B12 deficiency.

piece of sugar-free chewing gum may seem like a healthier choice. But new research is putting one of its most excessively used ingredients under the microscope: xylitol. It is a sugar alcohol used in sugar-free chewing gum, mints, toothpaste, jam, yoghurt, and other products.

The sugar-free sweetener has been linked with a significantly higher risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death in a large new study.

Researchers found that people with the highest blood levels of xylitol had a 57% higher risk of a major cardiovascular event over six years than those with the lowest levels.

The findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2026. It was based on 17,710 people from two long-running population studies. The researchers also found an 18% higher risk over 30 years in the European group.

But before you throw every packet of sugar-free gum into the bin, remember that the study only found an association, not definitive proof that consuming xylitol directly increases the risk of heart attacks or strokes.

What Is Xylitol?

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol, also known as a polyol. It occurs naturally in tiny amounts in some foods and is also produced by the human body during glucose metabolism.

Xylitol tastes almost the same as sugar but contains fewer calories, and it does not promote tooth decay in the same way ordinary sugar does. That's why it has become a popular ingredient in sugar-free gum, mints, and other oral-care products.

According to the ESC, the concerning part is that commercially added amounts of xylitol can be more than 1,000 times higher than the tiny quantities naturally present in foods and the body.

Also read: FSSAI Proposes Red Front-Of-Pack Warning Labels On Junk Food: How Will This Benefit Consumers’ Health?

How Was Study Conducted?

Researchers divided participants according to their blood xylitol levels and compared the highest quarter with the lowest quarter.

In the Canadian cohort, those with the highest levels had a 57% greater risk of major adverse cardiovascular events over six years after adjusting age, sex, smoking, diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol.

In the European cohort, the association remained visible over a much longer period, with an 18% higher risk over 30 years.

One of the most important findings is that 57% does not mean that eating a piece of xylitol gum makes your personal risk of a heart attack jump by 57%. The researchers measured xylitol circulating in the blood, rather than asking participants how much xylitol-containing food they consumed.

Also read: Everest Hing Sale Prohibited By FSSAI; 3 Other Masalas Flagged For Violations

Xylitol May Enable The Formation Of Blood Clots

The researchers had previously investigated how xylitol might influence blood clotting. Their laboratory work suggested that xylitol can make platelets more reactive, equipping them to form clots.

Dr Marco Witkowski of Charité University Hospital in Berlin, who presented the research, said, "Xylitol can enhance the ability of platelets to form clots."

When a blood clot blocks an artery supplying the heart, it can trigger a heart attack. If a clot blocks blood flow to part of the brain, it can cause an ischaemic stroke.

Witkowski added, "Our long-term findings highlight how little we know about the cardiovascular safety of xylitol."

The study does not establish that ordinary consumption of products containing xylitol causes heart attacks or strokes, and it does not mean that replacing sugar with xylitol is automatically dangerous.

Food choices play an important role in overall health, and reproductive health is no exception. Eating junk or highly processed foods occasionally is unlikely to directly cause infertility. However, regularly consuming foods that are high in added sugar, unhealthy fats, salt and refined carbohydrates, while being low in essential nutrients, may affect the body in several ways.

Poor dietary patterns can contribute to weight gain, insulin resistance, inflammation and hormonal changes, all of which may influence fertility. Both men and women can be affected, although the impact may differ depending on individual health, age and other factors.

The Link Between Diet, Weight And Hormonal Health

It can affect healthy body weight: Regular intake of calorie-dense foods such as fried snacks, fast food, sugary beverages and packaged foods can contribute to weight gain. Being significantly overweight or underweight can affect reproductive hormones. In women, excess weight may interfere with ovulation and menstrual regularity, while in men it may affect testosterone levels and sperm production.

It may influence blood sugar and insulin: A diet high in refined carbohydrates and added sugars can contribute to insulin resistance, particularly when combined with excess weight and low physical activity. Insulin resistance can worsen hormonal imbalance and may contribute to irregular ovulation in women, especially those with conditions such as PMOS (earlier known as PCOS).

Nutrient deficiencies can matter: Highly processed foods may provide calories without supplying enough important nutrients. Fertility and reproductive health require adequate amounts of proteins, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals such as folate, iron, zinc, selenium and vitamin D. A diet lacking variety may therefore not provide the nutritional support needed for healthy reproductive function.

Also read: For The First Time, Study Links 'One Sugary Drink A Day' To Higher Stomach Cancer Risk

Why Sperm Health And Overall Diet Matter Too

Sperm health can also be affected: In men, a consistently poor-quality diet may be associated with poorer sperm concentration, movement and quality. Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, fish and other nutrient-rich foods are generally considered more supportive of reproductive health.

Inflammation and oxidative stress may play a role: Frequent consumption of highly processed foods, particularly those rich in unhealthy fats and added sugars, may contribute to inflammation and oxidative stress. These processes can affect overall health and may potentially influence egg and sperm quality.

Also read: Can What You Eat Before 9 AM Shape Your Blood Sugar For The Rest Of The Day?

Small Dietary Changes Can Support Reproductive Health

Small changes can make a difference: Improving fertility-supportive nutrition does not mean completely avoiding favourite foods. The focus should be on balance. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, dairy or suitable alternatives and adequate protein should form a regular part of the diet. Processed snacks, sugary drinks and deep-fried foods can be limited rather than consumed frequently.

Lifestyle matters along with diet: Diet is only one part of fertility. Regular physical activity, adequate sleep, stress management, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol, and maintaining a healthy weight are also important. Existing conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, or PMOS (earlier known as PCOS) should be properly managed.

Regular consumption of junk and highly processed foods does not automatically mean that a person will become infertile. However, when such foods form a large part of the daily diet, they may contribute to obesity, metabolic problems, nutritional deficiencies and hormonal changes that can affect reproductive health.

A balanced and nutrient-rich diet, combined with healthy lifestyle habits and timely management of medical conditions, can help create a healthier environment for fertility. If a couple is having difficulty conceiving, dietary changes should not replace a proper medical evaluation.