As required by the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990, most foods contain a "Nutrition Facts" label. The law applies to packaged foods with the exception of raw poultry, meat and eggs; foods sold in bulk; foods with insignificant amounts of nutrients; infant formula and foods sold by retailers with total sales of less than $500,000. The labels were designed to help consumers follow the Dietary Guidelines developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Understanding these food labels can help consumers make informed decisions about the foods they purchase and eat.
Serving Size
When reading the label, start at the top with the serving size and number of servings per container. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the serving size refers to the cooked, ready-to-eat part of the food, unless otherwise specified. The number of servings per container explains how many total servings, based on the serving size, that particular package of food contains. All of the nutrition information on the label is based on one serving, but you may consume more or less than the listed serving size.
Calories
Underneath serving size, total calories in one serving of the food are listed. A calorie is simply a measurement of energy. According to the American Dietetic Association, a surplus of energy leads to weight gain. On the contrary, consuming fewer calories than your body uses leads to weight loss.
Nutrients
Nutrient information is described in quantities such as g (grams) or mg (milligrams) and also in percentages of daily values. The "% Daily Value" tells you what percentages of your daily needs are met by one serving of this food for each nutrient listed, based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
The nutrients required to be listed on the label include total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugars, protein; as well as vitamins A and C, calcium and iron.
The Dietary Guidelines
The Dietary Guidelines were created to help Americans choose a nutritious diet within their energy requirements. According to HHS, most people should limit their intake of total fat to no more than 20 to 35 percent of total daily calories, limit saturated fat to less than 10 percent of total calories per day and limit trans fat as much as possible. Cholesterol should be limited to fewer than 300 mg each day. HHS recommends that most people should consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium each day. People with high blood pressure, African Americans, and people who are middle-aged or older should aim for no more than 1,500 mg. Carbohydrate should make up about one-half of total daily calories for most people, and protein should make up about 10 to 20 percent. Most adults need about 25 g of dietary fiber each day and should limit foods high in added sugar. While there are no amounts listed next to the vitamins and minerals, the percentage of these nutrients that the food provides as part of your daily needs is listed.
Ingredients
The single ingredients in each food are listed in descending order based on their weight in the food. Some people may need to eat less of a certain nutrient; therefore a food that lists this nutrient as the first, second or third ingredient is not a good choice.
Nutrient Content Claims
Nutrient content claims are words or statements that say something about the nutritional value of the food. These statements are regulated by the FDA and must have the same meanings for all foods. For example, items described as having "reduced" or "less" calories must contain at least 25 percent less calories per serving when compared to a similar food. A full list of the approved nutrient content claims definitions can be found on the FDA website.
References
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Food and Drug Administration: How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
- U.S. National Library of Medicine: Medline Plus Health Information:: Medical Encyclopedia: Food labeling
- American Dietetic Association. Nutrition Care Manual®. Overweight & Obesity: disease process.
- Food Safety and Inspection Service. Food Labeling.
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