Download Nutrition Facts Labels

Get the Facts
Amy fuller RD, LD/N
Dietitian Specialist
September 11, 2014
Serving Size
• Serving sizes are standardized
• Provided in familiar units followed by
metric amount
• Cups or pieces (gram or g)
• Pay attention to serving size & how
many servings are in the package
Calories (and calories from fat)
• Calories provide a measure of how
much energy you get from one
serving of food
• Must be in bold print
• General Guide to Calories:
•
•
•
•
Calorie Free = <5 calories per serving
40 Calories = Low
100 Calories = Moderate
400 Calories or more = High
The Nutrients: How Much?
• Total Fat must be Bold & listed in grams (g)
• “Fat Free” = ½ g per serving
• Cholesterol & Sodium must be Bold &
listed in milligrams (mg)
• “Low Cholesterol” = 20 mg per serving or less
• “Low Sodium” = 140 mg or less per serving
• Does not have to be on the label IF it has
<0.5 g per serving:
• Saturated Fat
• Trans Fat
• Cholesterol
• “Not a significant source of_________”
The Nutrients: How Much?
• Carbohydrate must be Bold & listed in grams
(g)
• Dietary Fiber
• “High Fiber” = 5 g. or more/serving
• Sugars
• “Sugar Free” = ½ g or less per serving
• “No Added Sugar” –still contains natural sugars
• Starches - not included
• Protein must be Bold & listed in grams (g)
• Iron & Calcium required
• Vitamin A & Vitamin C voluntary
Footnote
• Required to be on all labels:
• “% Daily Values are based on a 2,000
calorie diet.”
• Information on full footnote may not
appear on package
• Will depend on size of label
• Does NOT change from product to
product
Percent Daily Value
• % Daily Values based on recommendations for
key nutrients
• Based on a 2,000 calorie diet
• Helps determine if a serving is high or low in a
nutrient
• Comparisons
• Trans Fat & Sugar do not have a Daily Value
established
• Protein %DV is required IF a claim has been
made
• “High Protein”
• General Guide to % DV
•
•
•
•
5% DV or less = Low
20% DV = High
“Good Source of” = at least 10% of the DV
“Reduced” = 25% of less of the nutrient
Proposed Change
• FDA proposing change
• Greater understanding of nutrition science
• Added Sugars
• Updated DV for sodium, fiber, Vit. D
• Require Potassium, Vit. D on label
• Updated serving size requirements
• Reflect how people eat and drink today
• New labeling requirements
• Packaged foods typically eaten in single serving
• Larger packaged items – “duel columns”
• Refreshed design
• Calories & Serving size larger
• Mixture of proteins that occur naturally in wheat, rye, barley &
crossbreeds of these grains (ie: oats)
• FDA allows “Gluten-Free” if it does not contain:
• wheat, rye, barley or crossbreeds of these grains
• an ingredient derived from these grains
OR
• Foods that inherently do not have gluten (ie: bottled spring water, fruit,
vegetables & eggs)
OR
• Limits the presence of gluten to less than 20 ppm
• No formal definition for the use of “natural” has been issued by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA)
• USDA has not objected to the use of “Natural” provided its truthful
and not misleading
• Product can not contain added color, artificial flavors or synthetic substances
• “Natural” is not permitted in the ingredient list, with the exception of
natural flavoring
• Label must explain the use of the term natural (ie: no added coloring)
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines
• Meat, poultry, eggs & dairy products come from animals that are given no
growth hormones.
• Plant foods are produced without using conventional pesticides, fertilizers
made with synthetic ingredient or sewage sludge, bioengineering or ionizing
radiation
• Government-approved certifier must inspect the farm to ensure compliance
• 3 levels of Organic
• 100% Organic- made of only organic ingredients
• “Organic” – ingredients in products are at least 95% organic
• “Made with organic ingredients” – at least 70% of ingredients are certified
• Whole Grains use entire kernel – bran, germ & endosperm
• Whole Grain Council categorizes grains
• Basic Stamp: “Whole Grain”
• Mixture of grains
• Contains at least 8 g of whole grains
• 100% Stamp: “100% Whole Grain”
• All grain ingredients are whole grains
• Contains a minimum of 16 g of whole grains
• Multigrain
• Contains multiple types of grain
• Whole Grains not necessarily one of them