Major change at Costco, Walmart and Target in 2025 to sell food, what do you need to know?

Thanks to new rules implemented by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), shoppers at major retailers, including Costco, Walmart, and Target, may begin to see changes in the foods labeled ‘healthy.’ All of these store have their own brands that offer cheaper alternatives to customers. To use the healthy label, they will have to work with their distributors to ensure they meet the standards set by the FDA. Companies will have three years to comply, at which point they could face sanctions if they mislabel their products.

The federal agency’s move to ensure the labels on foods are reflective of their nutritional value is motivated by the negative impact diets are having on the health of the public. “Diet-related chronic diseases in the U.S. are the leading causes of death and disability,” reports the FDA, adding that households living in poverty suffer from these diseases at higher rates. While the new rules are a step in the right direction, they ignore the fact that the cost of healthier food might still be a barrier. In addition to making it easier to identify healthy foods, efforts must be made to integrate cooking and nutrition into the public school systems so that those who pass through are equipped with knowledge that can help them live healthier lives.

The FDA has revised its regulations to help shoppers better navigate product labels. Despite terms like “healthy” and “natural” often being used, there is minimal regulation governing their use by marketing departments. However, a standard has been established regarding which products can use the term ‘healthy’ on their labels. All the final details of the new rules are still being ironed out, and the government will make the complete definition of ‘healthy’ available to the public later this month.

The US government hopes that the change will help households have more information at the grocery store. The foods that will be able to carry the new standard label will be fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and proteins like meat and legumes. Regarding oils and fats, the FDA has said that it will allow cooking oils–olive and canola–to carry the label. Studies have shown that cooking with these fats, compared to those with saturated fats, can lower cholesterol.

Which foods can be labeled healthy?

A product labeled healthy will have to meet two standards starting in February. The first is that it must “contain a certain amount of food (food group equivalent) from at least one of the food groups or subgroups (such as fruits, vegetables, fat-free and low-fat dairy etc.) recommended by the Dietary Guidelines.”

This is to ensure that not all foods can be listed as healthy. The second is that the product must “adhere to specified limits for the following nutrients: saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.”

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