Transcript Food Labels - Kaci Thompson Fitness and Nutrition

Food Labels
By: Kaci
Thompson
Food Labels
• Appear on virtually all processed foods
• Posters or brochures provide similar nutrition
information for fresh meats, fruits, and
vegetables.
• Some things such as coffee, tea, and spices
don’t require labels, however, producers
voluntarily use labels.
The Ingredient List
• ALL packaged foods must list ALL ingredients
– Including additives used to preserve or enhance
foods, such as vitamins and minerals added to
enrich or fortify products.
– Listed on the label in descending order of
predominance by weight
The Ingredient List: Which is better?
• Beverage powder that contains “sugar, citric
acid, natural flavors” OR “water, tomato
concentrate, concentrated juices of tomato”
• A cereal that contains “puffed milled corn,
sugar, corn syrup…” OR “100 percent rolled
oats”
Serving Sizes
• The FDA has established specific serving sizes
for various foods and requires that all labels
for a given product use the same serving size.
• Example: Standard serving size for ice cream is
½ Cup; beverages is 8 fluid ounces.
• Always look at servings per container for that
serving size. Some packages could have more
than 1 serving per package.
Nutrition Facts
• FDA also requires that the Nutrition Facts
panel on food labels present nutrient
information in two ways:
– In quantities (ie grams)
– As Percentages of standards (Daily Values)
Nutrition Facts Panel
• Must provide nutrient amount, percent daily value, or
both for:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Total food energy (kcal)
Food energy from fat (kcal)
Total fat (g and %DV)
Saturated Fat (g and %DV)
Trans Fat (g)
Cholesterol (mg and %DV)
Sodium (mg and %DV)
Total Carbohydrate (g and %DV)
Dietary Fiber (g and %DV)
Sugars, natural and added (g)
Protein (g)
- Vitamin A (%DV)
- Vitamin C (%DV)
- Iron (%DV)
- Calcium (%DV)
Daily Values
Nutrient Claims
• Nutrient claims are basic statements that
characterize the quantity of a nutrient in a
food.
• Some descriptions imply that a food contains,
or does not contain, a nutrient.
• Implied claims are prohibited unless they
meet specified criteria.
– Ex: A box can’t claim “no oil” if there is another fat
source such as butter/margarine present
Health Claims
• These are statements that characterize the
relationship between a nutrient or other
substance in a food and a disease or healthrelated condition.
• FDA has a report card (A-D) to rate the level of
confidence in the health claim.
– A is High: Significant scientific agreement
– D is Very Low: Little scientific evidence supporting
this claim
Structure-Function Claims
• Unlike health claims, which require food
manufacturers to collect scientific evidence
and petition the FDA, structure-function
claims can be made without any FDA approval
• Criteria: Must not mention disease or
symptom
Summary
• Food labels provide consumers with
information they need to select foods that will
help them meet their nutrition and health
goals. When labels contain relevant
information presented in a standardized, easyto-read format, consumers are well prepared
to plan and create healthful diets.