Download Consumer Corner: Checking Out Food Labels

Chapter 2: Nutrition Tools –
Standards and Guidelines
Don’t let the “alphabet
soup” of nutrient intake
standards confuse you
PowerPoint Lectures for
Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies, eleventh edition
Frances Sizer and Ellie Whitney
Lectures by Judy Kaufman, Ph.D.
Copyright © 2008 Thomson Wadsworth Publishing
Introduction
Eating well is easy in theory
– Just choose a selection of foods that supplies
appropriate amounts of the essential nutrients,
fiber, phytochemicals, and energy, without
excess intakes of fat, sugar, and salt.
• Be sure to get enough exercise to balance the foods you
eat!!
Introduction
In practice, eating well proves harder than it
appears
– Many people are overweight, or undernourished,
or suffer from nutrient excesses or deficiencies
that impair their health
• They are malnourished
Nutrient Recommendations
The Dietary Reference Intakes are nutrient
intake standards set for people living in the
United States and Canada.
The Daily Values are U.S. standards used on
food labels.
Question??
I know my diet needs improvement.
a.
Agree
b.
Disagree
c.
I never think about it.
Nutrient Recommendations
Nutrient Recommendations
The DRI committee has set values for:
– Vitamins
– Minerals
– Carbohydrates
– Fiber
– Lipids
– Protein
– Water
– Energy
Goals of the DRI Committee
Goal #1 - Setting Recommended Intake
Values - RDA and AI
– Both are nutrient goals
– RDA – Recommended Dietary Allowance
– AI – Adequate Intake
Goals of the DRI Committee
Goal #2 – Facilitating Nutrition Research
and Policy – EAR
– EAR – Estimated Average Requirements
Goals of the DRI Committee
Goal #3 – Establishing Safety Guidelines
– UL – Tolerable Intake Levels
– To identify potentially hazardous levels of
nutrient intakes
Goals of the DRI Committee
Goals of the DRI Committee
Goal #4 – Preventing Chronic Diseases
–
Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR) for
energy nutrients
• 45 to 65 percent from carbohydrates
• 20 to 35 percent from fat
• 10 to 35 percent from protein
Understanding the DRI Intake Recommendations
Separate recommendations for men,
women, pregnant, lactating women, infants,
and children
Specific age ranges
Understanding the DRI Intake Recommendations
The DRI in perspective
–
The values are based on available scientific research and
updated periodically in light of new knowledge.
–
The values are based on the concepts of probability and
risk.
–
The values are recommendations for optimal intakes, not
minimum requirements. Include a generous margin of
safety.
–
The values are set in reference to specific indicators of
nutrient adequacy, rather than prevention of deficiency
symptoms alone.
Understanding the DRI Intake Recommendations
The DRI in perspective
–
The values reflect daily intakes to be achieved, on
average, over time. The values are set high enough to
ensure that body stores will beet nutrient needs during
periods of inadequate intakes.
–
The recommendations apply to healthy persons only.
Why Are Daily Values Used on Labels?
One set of values that applies to everyone
found only on food labels.
Reflect the needs of an “average” person –
someone eating 2,000 to 2,500 calories a
day.
Enable consumers to compare the nutrient
values among foods.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The Dietary Guidelines suggest that physical activity should be
part of a healthy lifestyle
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Diet Planning with the USDA Food Guide
A major recommendation of the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans is to choose a diet
based on the USDA Food Guide.
USDA provides a food group plan – the
USDA Food Guide.
Other food planning tools:
Exchange lists - appendix D
Canada’s Beyond the Basics – appendix B
How Can The USDA FOOD Guide Help
Me to Eat Well?
In the U.S., we eat
– too few of the foods that supply key nutrients
and
– too many calories and fats
Achieving Adequacy, Balance, & Variety: The
Food Groups and Subgroups
If you design your diet around the USDA
Food Guide, you will achieve adequacy,
balance, and variety.
Divides food groups into subgroups
– Example: vegetables
• Orange and deep yellow
• Dark green
• Starchy
• Legumes
Controlling Calories: The Discretionary Calorie
Allowance
Controlling Calories: The Discretionary Calorie
Allowance
A person may choose to consume the
following within the limits of the allowance:
1.
Extra serving of the same nutrient-dense foods that
comprise their diet
2.
Fats
3.
Added sugars
4.
Alcohol
5.
Omit the discretionary calories
Achieving Moderation: Nutrient Density
Choose the most nutrient-dense foods from
each group to prevent overweight or obesity
How Much Food Do I Need Each Day?
How Much Food Do I Need Each Day?
How Much Food Do I Need Each Day?
Question??
Would you be happy eating like this?
1. Yes
2. NO
3. Maybe
MyPyramid: Steps to a Healthier You
Flexibility of the USDA Food Guide
Allows for substitutions according to
– personal preferences
– national and cultural food choices
Flexibility of the USDA Food Guide
Flexibility of the USDA Food Guide
Portion Control
People wishing to avoid overconsuming
calories must pay attention to portion sizes
Portion Control
A serving of grain is
1 oz., yet most
bagels today
weight 4 oz. or
more--meaning
that a single bagel
can easily supply
more than half of
the grains that
many people need
in a day.
A Note About Exchange Systems
Exchange lists facilitate calorie control by
providing an understanding of how much
carbohydrate, fat, and protein are in each
food group.
Appendix D (appendix B for Canada)
Consumer Corner:
Checking Out Food Labels
Food labels provide clues for nutrition
detectives
Consumer Corner:
Checking Out Food Labels
What Food Labels Must Include
The Nutrition Education and Labeling Act of
1990.
Every packaged food must state:
–
The common name of the product.
–
The name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or
distributor.
–
The net contents in terms of weight, measure, or count.
–
The nutrient contents of the product (Nutrition Facts
panel).
–
The ingredients, in descending order of predominance by
weight.
The Nutrition Facts Panel
The following are found on all labels:
–
Serving size
–
Servings per container
–
Calories/calories from fat
–
Nutrient amounts and percentages of Daily Values for:
• Total fat
• Cholesterol
• Sodium
• Total carbohydrate/sugars/dietary fiber
• Protein
The Nutrition Facts Panel
In addition, the label must state the
contents of these nutrients expressed as
percentages of the Daily Values:
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Calcium
• Iron
More About Percentages of Daily Values
The calculations used to determine the “% Daily
Value” figures for nutrient contributions from a
serving of food are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
–
Example: If a food contributes 13 milligrams of vitamin C
per serving, and the DV is 60 milligrams, then a serving
of that food provides about 22 percent of the DV for
vitamin C.
What Food Labels May Include
So far, we have looked at the accurate and
reliable facts on nutrition labels.
Let’s look at more reliable claims but also
unreliable, but legal claims that can be
made on food labels.
Nutrient Claims on Food Labels
If a food meets specific criteria, the label may display certain
approved nutrient claims.
Health Claims: The FDA’s “A” Through “D” Lists
The FDA can no longer demand that only
health claims with the highest degree of
scientific support appear on food labels.
The FDA allows claims that are supported
by weak evidence.
Reliable claims receive an “A” and the
manufacturer needs to submit scientific
evidence and petition the FDA for
permission.
“Qualified” claims are “B” through “D”
claims.
Health Claims: The FDA’s “A” Through “D” Lists
Health Claims: The FDA’s “A” Through “D” Lists
Structure/Function Claims
No prior approval for the Grade A health
claim.
Structure/Function claims can be on a food
or supplement.
For claims on a supplement, the
manufacturer must notify the FDA after
marketing, and the label has to have a
disclaimer stating that the FDA has not
evaluated the claim.
Structure/Function Claims
Consumer Education
Conclusion
Nutrition Facts panels and ingredients
provide reliable information on which you
can base your food choices.
More and more of the health-related claims
printed on labels are based on less-thanconvincing scientific evidence.
In the world of food and supplements, “Let
the buyer beware.”
Food
Feature:
Getting A Feel
For the
Nutrients in
Foods
Question??
Which day is more nutritious?
1. Monday’s
2. Tuesday’s
3. They are the same.
Monday is more nutrient dense. Tuesday’s meals oversupply calories and
saturated fat while undersupplying fiber and critical vitamins and minerals.
Controversy: Are Some Foods “Superfoods”
for Health?
What do they promise?
What do they deliver?
Controversy: Are Some Foods
“Superfoods” for Health?
A Scientific View of Phytochemicals
A Scientific View of Phytochemicals
Phytochemical Supplements
Foods deliver 1000’s of phytochemicals in
addition to nutrients.
Supporters of phytochemical supplements
say:
–
Evidence is good enough to recommend supplements.
–
People have been eating them forever and so they must
be safe to consume as supplements.
Phytochemical Supplements
Detractors of phytochemical supplements
say:
–
The body is not used to handling them in large
concentrations.
–
They alter body functions in ways not yet understood
fully.
–
Evidence for the safety of isolated phytochemicals in
humans is lacking.
–
No regulatory body oversees their safety. No studies are
required to prove they are safe or effective before
marketing them.
–
They make claims that are unproven.
The Concept of Functional Foods
Manufactured functional foods consist of
processed foods that are fortified with
nutrients or enhanced with phytochemicals
or herbs.
– E.g. Calcium-fortified orange juice
– E.g. Margarine blended with a phytosterol that
lowers blood cholesterol
The Concept of Functional Foods
Functional foods currently on the market promise to “enchance
mood,” “promote relaxation and good karma,” “increase
alertness,” and “improve memory,” among other claims
The Final Word