Food Labeling

Do you really know how to read a food label? Interpreting information on food labels is a key step in choosing which foods are best for your nutritional needs.

In 1990 the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) revolutionized food labeling. It was a massive undertaking-the FDA dealt with most foods except fresh and frozen meat and poultry, which fell under the jurisdiction of the USDA. So currently, voluntary labeling of foods purchased raw-fruits, vegetables, and fish-is done by supplying nutrition information at the point of purchase.

Under NLEA many changes were made to the panel on the label now called "Nutrition Facts."

Serving Size

Serving size appears in both household measures, such as cups or pieces, followed by a metric amount, typically the number of grams. You'll also see the number of servings in the package.

Mandatory Nutrients

Food manufacturers are required to provide information about certain mandatory nutrients, while others can be included or omitted. The "mandatory nutrients" are listed below in bold.

Total calories
Calories from fat
Calories from saturated fat
Total fat
Saturated fat
Polyunsaturated fat
Monounsaturated fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Potassium
Total carbohydrate
Dietary fiber
Soluble fiber
Insoluble fiber
Sugars
Sugar alcohol (such as xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol) Other carbohydrates (total carbohydrate minus sugars, dietary fiber, and sugar alcohols, if declared)
Protein
Vitamin A
Percent of vitamin present as beta-carotene
Vitamin C
Calcium
Iron
Other essential vitamins and minerals

Percent Daily Value

In addition to listing the grams or milligrams of a nutrient, the label must also provide the percent Daily Value (%DV) for most nutrients listed. The %DV is a reference value used on labels that helps put the amount of a nutrient into perspective by showing you how it relates to your total intake for the day.

For example, how can you tell whether the 160 mg of sodium on this food label is a large amount? When you look at the %DV, you find that one serving of this food provides 7% of the maximum recommended milligrams of sodium for the day. As a general rule, most people need to limit their intake of total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. With fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron, the emphasis is on getting enough.

The DVs for energy producing nutrients and fiber are based on your calories and change as your intake goes up or down:

• Total fat is based on 30% of calories.
• Saturated fat is based on 10% of calories.
• Carbohydrate is based on 60% of calories.
• Protein is based on 10% of calories (applies to adults and children over age 4).
• Fiber is based on 11.5 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories consumed.

Some nutrients have a recommended upper limit of intake per day:

• Total fat should be less than 65 grams, no matter what the caloric intake.
• Saturated fat should be less than 20 grams, no matter what the caloric intake.
• Dietary cholesterol intake should be less than 300 mg.
• Sodium should be less than 2,400 mg.

The DVs for vitamins and minerals are still based on the RDAs published in 1989.

• Vitamin A is 5,000 IU (International Units), or 875 RE.
• Vitamin C is 60 mg.
• Calcium is 1,000 mg.
• Iron is 18 mg.

% DVs Based on Caloric Intake

This part of the label tells you that %DVs are based on recommendations for a 2,000 calorie diet. Some labels provide the same information for someone consuming 2,500 calories. At different calorie levels, the amounts of some nutrients, like fat, change, while others, such as cholesterol and sodium, do not. Labels may also indicate that fat provides 9 calories per gram, while carbohydrate and protein each provide 4 calories.

Nutrient Content Claims

Before the new labeling regulations started in 1993, it was difficult to understand nutrient content claims like "low fat" or "reduced sugar." Now these terms have precise meanings. Some nutrient content claims— "more," "less," "reduced," and "light" —even use a reference food as a basis for comparison.

Sugar Free, High In Fiber, Extra Lean – what do such descriptive words on food labels really mean? Here we explain them all.

Free
When you see "sugar free" or "fat free" on a label, the food contains either none of the nutrient or such a small amount that it doesn't have a significant effect on your body. "Calorie free" means fewer than 5 calories per serving. A food labeled "fat free" or "sugar free" contains less than 1/2 gram of that nutrient per serving.

Low
A food labeled "low" can usually be eaten pretty often without exceeding the recommended limit of calories or of a particular nutrient.

• "Low fat" means 3 grams or less per serving.
• "Low saturated fat" means 1 gram or less per serving.
• "Low sodium" means 140 mg or less per serving of a single food or per 100 grams of a meal-type product.
• "Very low sodium" means 35 mg or less per serving.
• "Low cholesterol" means 20 mg or less and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving of a single food or per 100 grams (about 3-1/2 ounces) of a meal-type product.
• "Low calorie" means 40 calories or less per serving of a single food or 120 calories or less per 100 grams (about 3-1/2 ounces) of a meal-type product.

Lean and Extra Lean.
The terms "lean" and "extra lean" are used to describe the fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol contents of meat, poultry, seafood, and game meats.

• "Lean" means less than 10 grams of fat, 4-1/2 grams or less of saturated fat, and less than 95 mg of cholesterol per serving and per 100 grams (about 3-1/2 ounces).
• "Extra lean" means less than 5 grams of fat, less than 2 grams of saturated fat, and less than 95 mg of cholesterol per serving and per 100 grams (about 3-1/2 ounces).

High
The term "high" can be applied to a food that contains 20% or more of the Daily Value for a particular nutrient in a serving.

Good Source
A food is considered a "good source" of a nutrient when one serving provides from 10-19% of the Daily Value for that nutrient.

Reduced
When you see a food labeled as being "reduced" in a nutrient, it means that the food has been nutritionally altered to contain at least 25% less of a nutrient or of calories when compared with a reference food. "Reduced" can't be used if the reference food qualifies for the "low" claim.

Less
The term "less" means that a food, whether altered or not, provides 25% less of a nutrient or calories than the reference food.

More
"More" means that one serving of a food, whether altered or not, contains the specified nutrient at a level at least 10% of the Daily Value more than the reference food.

Percent Fat Free
A food labeled as being a particular "percent fat free" must qualify as a low-fat or fat-free food. The percent is calculated based on 100 grams of the food. So, a food containing 2-1/2 grams of fat per 50 grams could carry the claim "95% fat free."

Light
"Light" can be used in several ways.

• "Light" describes a nutritionally altered food containing one-third fewer calories or half the fat of the reference food. However, if the food gets 50% or more of its calories from fat, the reduction must be half the fat.
• "Light" can mean the sodium has been reduced by 50% in a low-calorie, low-fat food.
• "Light in sodium" means a food has had the sodium content reduced by at least 50%.

The term "light" can also be used to describe properties of a food, such as texture and color. When you see "light brown sugar" or "light and fluffy" on a label, for example, "light" isn't being used to make a nutrient content claim.

Healthy
To be labeled "healthy," a food must be low in fat and saturated fat and contain limited amounts of cholesterol and sodium. Single-item foods must also provide at least 10% of one or more of vitamins A or C, iron, calcium, protein, or fiber. Certain raw, canned, and frozen fruits and vegetables and certain cereal-grain products are exempt from this "10% rule." Meal-type products (frozen entrees and dinners) must provide 10% of two or three of the nutrients listed above in addition to meeting the criteria for fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Sodium can't exceed 360 mg per serving for individual foods and 480 mg per serving for meal-type products.

Fresh
When "fresh" is used to suggest that a food is raw or unprocessed, it can only be used on foods that are actually raw, that is, have never been frozen or heated, and contain no preservatives. (Low levels of irradiation are allowed.) Foods that are quick-frozen while fresh can be labeled "freshly frozen" or "fresh frozen." Blanching (brief scalding before freezing to prevent the breakdown of nutrients) is allowed. It's still okay to use terms such as "freshly baked bread" or "fresh milk."

Labeling Ingredients

Any food that contains more than one ingredient must have a listing of ingredients on its label. The ingredients are listed in order, starting with the ingredient present in the largest weight.

Some people are allergic to certain additives. Therefore, when they are present, the following substances must be included in the ingredient list—

• FDA-certified color additives by name, such as FD&C Blue No. 1.
• sources of protein hydrolysates, which are used as flavorings or flavor enhancers in many foods
• identification of caseinate as a milk derivative in foods claiming to be non-dairy, such as coffee whiteners