The nutritional facts label on packaged food is based on a 2,000 calorie diet, and outlines several key facts. Information contained on the label includes what is considered a serving size and how many servings are in a package, how many calories are in a serving, amounts of vitamins and minerals, and how this relates to your daily recommended values. Knowing how to read the nutritional facts label can help you make healthier food choices.
History
In 1990 the Nutritional Labeling and Education Act was passed, requiring all packaged foods to bear nutrition labeling that detailed the contents of the food. The Secretary of Health and Human Services also defined the terms allowed on the labels, such as "low fat" and "light." As part of a concession to food manufacturers, the Food and Drug Administration authorizes some health claims for foods.
Significance
The nutritional facts label on your food contains two types of consumer information required by the FDA. The nutrition facts label defines what a serving size is, the weights of the macronutrients in a serving, and the percentages of the daily recommended value of the macronutrients. The second type of information listed is the ingredients. The ingredients are listed in decreasing order of weight, and ingredients composed of several components must list all components in parenthesis.
Nutrition Label Features
The information contained on your nutrition label is provided to help you make healthier selections. The first section on the label tells you the serving size, and underneath it how many calories are included. Reading further down the label you will find total fat content, how much and of which type. Cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates and protein make up the rest of the nutrients in this section. In the next section vitamins are listed. The last section is a footnote, and tells you how the items in your food relate to the recommended daily values in your diet.
Types
The label uses two types of measurements to identify nutritional facts. The first unit refers to weight of macronutrients contained in the food, and is listed in grams or milligrams. The percentage measurements explain how the food contributes to your recommended daily value goals. Nutritional specialist help to make these labels accurate.
Considerations
The nutritional labels also help to inform a consumer of several other important facts. These facts may tell you that it contains certain ingredients known to cause allergies, or those under scrutiny such as labels proclaiming "no trans fat." The label may also indicate any ingredients related to added color or flavor. Reading the nutritional facts label may prevent you from ingesting ingredients that may be dangerous to your health.
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