The Skinny on Understanding Food Labels
Nutrition labeling is mandatory for
most packaged food in the United States, and is regulated by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Unfortunately for many, what
The Skinny on Understanding Food Labels
Nutrition labeling is mandatory for
most packaged food in the United States, and is regulated by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Unfortunately for many, what is on the labels can be difficult to understand for many. Additionally many companies legally and deliberately mislead consumers. With our help, learn how to read the labels and minimize your chances for being misled.
Labeling Terms & Their Meanings
In order to
understand food labels completely it is important to be familiar with,
and understand key terms used on food labels. Here are some of the
according to government mandated definitions:
Key Food Nutrition Label Terms and Their Meanings
Means that it has less than 0.5g
Indicates that the product has at
least 25% less sugar per serving.
No Sugar Added
Products are those that have had
no sugar added during processing or packing. They do include products that
already contain natural sugar such as dried fruit and juice.
Means that the product is fewer
than 5 calories per serving.
Is an item that contains 40
calories or less per serving.
Is less than 0.5g of fat per
Saturated Fat Free
Tells you that the product
contains less than 0.5g per serving and the level of trans fatty acids is no
more than 1% of the total fat.
Is 3g or less of fat per serving
and if the serving is 30g or less or 2 tablespoons or less, per 50g of the
Low Saturated Fat
Informs the consumer that 1g or
less per serving and not more than 15 percent of the total calories are from
Reduced Or Less Fat
Can be used on the label if at
least 25 percent less per serving than the original reference food.
Reduced Or Less Saturated Fat
Is at least 25 percent less per serving.
Means that the product has 50%
less fat than the same regular product. Can also be used to mean one third
fewer calories or 50% less sodium.
Means less than 10 grams of fat 4 grams saturated fat and 95 mg of
Means less than 5 grams of fat, 2
grams saturated fat and 95 mg of cholesterol
Is any product that contains less
than 2 mg of cholesterol and 2g or less saturated fat.
Refers to an item that is 20mg or
less and 2g or less of saturated fat per serving; and if the serving is 30g
or less or 2 tablespoons or less, per 50g of the product.
Reduced Or Less Cholesterol
Indicates a product has at least
25 percent less and 2g or less of saturated fat per serving.
Is less than 5mg per serving.
Means the product is 140mg or less
Very Low Sodium
Is an item with 35mg or less per
Reduced Or Less Sodium
Requires that the product be at
least 25 percent less per serving.
Is any product that contains 5 or
more grams per serving. High fiber claims must also meet the criteria for low
fat or the level of total fat must be shown next to the high fiber claim.
Good Source Of Fiber
Refers to products with 2.5 to
4.9g per serving.
More Added Fiber
Products must contain at least
2.5g more per serving than the original reference food.
Label Nutrition Claims
understanding the food label, consumers should understand the terms
above because many food manufacturers make several health claims using
the terms above. Studies show consumers are often confused or actually
misunderstand the terms. Many manufacturers actually use this confusion
to their advantage when marketing their products.
special diets because of allergies or other special health conditions need to be aware of nutrition claims posted on foods.
Failure to understand the labels could put their health at risk. For
instance, some food labels make claims that they're low in cholesterol or low in fat. But these claims have very specific meanings that most of
us aren't aware of. However, although these claims can only be used if a food
meets strict government definitions, you have to be careful you don't
misunderstand them. For example, the standard for "reduced or less"
is always at least 25 percent lower than the reference or original food.
Although a label may say that the food is reduced fat or reduced sodium that only means that the amount of fat or sodium has been reduced by 25% from the original
product. So if the original product was high in fat or
sodium the reduced product will be a notch lower but will likely still be
Even if a food is low in fat, the food may not necessarily be nutritious. Even a low-fat
food can be high in sugar. Food companies also may make claims such as "no
there is no animal fat used in making the product), but that does not necessarily
mean the product is low in fat.
Nutritional Food Labeling- The Nutrition Facts Panel
The nutrition facts panel typically
consists of the following components:
- Serving size information
- Calorie information
- Percent daily value (based on a 2000-calorie diet)
- Nutrient information, and
- A footnote of recommended daily values for standard
2000- and 2500-calorie diets
Unfortunately as simple as this panel appears to be, many consumers do
not know how to read it, and determine what the information on it
truely means. All is not lost however, st