Why Are Nutrients Identified On Food Labels?

You may read food labels when you want to plan a healthy diet or compare foods. Food labels tell you what's in the food you eat and list its main ingredients. Food labels show you if a food has a little or a lot of specific nutrients so you can select foods that will help you meet your nutrition and health goals.

Identification

The Nutrition Facts label appears on the outside of packaged foods, usually on the side of the box or package. Food labels include the ingredient list and nutrition facts and may also contain nutrient claims or health claims. You will find food labels on nearly all processed foods. Foods containing few nutrients such as coffee, tea and spices legally need not carry nutrition labels.

By examining the food label, you can select foods with less saturated fat, cholesterol or sodium, or seek those with more complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber. The ingredients are listed in descending order, starting with the most abundant ingredient. Nutrition facts include serving size and number of servings per container, calories and amount of nutrients per serving, and as a percent daily value based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

The nutrition facts include the total food energy in calories, calories from fat, grams of fat, grams of saturated fat, milligrams of cholesterol, milligrams of sodium, grams of total carbohydrates, grams of dietary fiber, grams of natural and added sugars, and grams of protein. Labels must also include vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and calcium content.

Comparison

On each food label, nutrient amounts are compared against a standard such as the percent daily values to make them more meaningful. You can also compare the food labels on two or more different food products to select the one that best meets your needs.

Health Claims

The FDA has approved several health claims and defines the criteria required for nutrient claims such as "cholesterol-free." For instance, the terms "free," "without," "no" and "zero" mean nutritionally insignificant. The term "healthy" means low in fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium and containing at least 10 percent of the daily value for vitamin A, vitamin C iron, calcium, protein or fiber.

Specific health claims approved by the FDA involve a nutrient or food related to a disease or health condition for which most people or specific groups of people are at risk and for which the relationship between diet and health has been scientifically established. For example, health claims can say foods high in calcium may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Considerations

Food labels can help you select foods appropriate for your health goals and avoid foods that contain ingredients you may be allergic to or that have adverse effects on your health. The practical value of food labels depends on the ability of people to use them and the convenience of comparing food labels while shopping. Consider the serving size vs. the amount you will likely consume. Serving sizes on food labels might differ from those on the USDA MYPyramid Food Guide and the serving size on exchange lists for diabetes or other chronic diseases. These discrepancies can cause confusion when considering or comparing food products.