Regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, and the Department of Agriculture, or USDA, nutrition facts labels are required to be placed on processed and commercial foods. Every nutrition label serves as a nutritional guideline and must provide specific information regarding calories, serving size, ingredients and carbohydrates, vitamins and other nutrients.
Function
Nutrition labels are placed on food products as a tool for consumers to make informed decisions on what foods to buy and eat. After purchasing a food item, the nutrition label can be used to determine serving size and the number of calories per serving. Nutrition labels don't tell you what to eat but they provide the information needed for a well-balanced healthy diet.
Features
Every nutrition label must contain certain information regulated by the FDA. One of the main areas of the nutrition label contains information on the serving size and the number of calories per serving. Macronutrients--carbohydrates, fat and protein--are also included on the nutrition label with the amounts of each displayed in grams. Carbohydrate information includes total carbohydrates, dietary fiber and sugars. Fat includes total fat, saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. Vitamins and minerals that must be included on a nutrition label include sodium, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron. Other features of the nutrition label include daily recommended percentages based on a 2,000 calorie diet and the list of ingredients used to make the product.
Considerations
Nutrition labels provide the amounts of macronutrients and the daily recommended percentages so you can easily track your nutrition throughout the day. Reading the nutrition labels, however, can be difficult at times. The daily recommended percentages are based on a 2,000 calorie diet that may require you to adjust the percentages to match your individual daily caloric intake. For example, a male athlete requires more than 2,000 calories per day and will need to calculate for an adjusted daily recommended percentage of carbohydrates, protein and fat.
Benefits
Nutrition labels are placed on foods as a resource for individuals with health conditions such as diabetes, allergies or cardiovascular problems. The ingredient list, for example, can be used to identify foods that may cause an allergic reaction while diabetics can use the carbohydrate and sugars information to help control insulin levels. Other benefits of nutrition labels include calorie control to optimize fitness and weight loss.
Considerations
Focus on the entire food label instead of focusing on one area. If you focus your attention on the carbohydrates, for example, you can overlook other important factors such as protein, vitamins and sodium. Also, be aware that foods labeled "USDA organic" are only required to use at least 95 percent organic ingredients.
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