Food labeling plan on hold

Industry leaders launched the “Smart Choices’’ program in August to identify foods that meet certain nutritional standards and then highlight them for consumers with package labeling.

But the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that there are so many labeling programs with different criteria that they may mislead consumers about the health benefits of certain foods.

Smart Choices, which includes Kellogg Co., Kraft Foods Inc., and General Mills Inc., has been criticized for handing its green seal to processed foods that are high in sugar, such as Froot Loops cereal and Cracker Jack snack food.

Officials with Smart Choices in Washington, D.C., said yesterday the group will “postpone’’ active operations. Smart Choices stood behind its nutritional criteria, saying the criteria are based on federal dietary guidelines.