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Lecture Presentation Outline
I.
Nutrition Labeling
 Misleading messages led to nutrition labeling laws
 Consumers wanted content information
 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act
 By 1993 rules for nutrition labeling were published
 Implementation and revisions of standards are ongoing
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Instructor Resources: Unit 4 Nutrition Scoreboard transparency master; Unit 4 PowerPoint
presentation on Multimedia Manager
A. What Foods Must Be Labeled?
1. Multiple-ingredient foods must be labeled
2. Labeling of fresh vegetables and fruits and raw meats is voluntary
3. Supermarkets should make nutrition information available to consumers
4. Nutrition labeling is not required on foods sold by local bakeries
5. Nutrition labeling is not required on foods with packaging that is too small to fit label
6. Not required on restaurant menus unless a nutrition claim is made
a. When an item is labeled “low fat” or “low calorie,” restaurants required to display
nutrition information for the nutrient for which the claim is made
B. What’s on the Nutrition Label?
 Instructor Resources: transparency #15: The Nutrition Facts Panel
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Nutrition Facts panel shows content of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, dietary fiber,
vitamins A and C, and calcium and iron
Trans fat became required on Nutrition Facts Panels in 2003
a. Food companies have until January 1, 2006 to implement this requirement
b. Trans fats are found primarily in shortenings, margarines, frying oils used in fast food
restaurants, and bakery goods
c. High intake of trans fat is related to the development of heart disease and consumers are
being urged to consume as little of it as possible
Content of these nutrients is based on standard serving size defined by FDA
Standard serving sizes are established for 131 types of food
II. Nutrition Facts
 If package makes claim about the food’s content of a particular nutrient not on the “mandatory”
list, then information about that nutrient must be added to the Nutrition Facts panel
 Nutrition labels contain a column headed % Daily Value
 Figures in this column help consumers compare products

Instructor Resources: transparency #15: The Nutrition Facts Panel
A. Daily Values
1. Levels for nutrients developed specifically for nutrition labels
2. Based on the Recommended Dietary Allowances
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%DV figures are nutrient amounts in one serving
Values for total fat, saturated fat, and carbohydrate based on intake of 2000 calories
%DV for total fat based on 30% of total calories from fat
a. Saturated fat based on 10% of total calories
6. Carbohydrate based on 60% of total calories
B. Food Labels
1. Nutrition Facts panel provides details of nutrient content and ingredients in food inside
2. Simplifies comparison of similar foods
III. Claims
 If food labels make claims about a nutrient or ingredient they must include nutrient or ingredient
on label
 Other rules for including nutrition and health claims exist
 40% of food products sold make a nutrition claim on packaging
 Claims trustworthy if approved by FDA

Instructor Resources: transparency #16: Nutrition Claims on Food Labels; Activity 4-5: “Front of
the Package” Nutrition Terms
A. Nutrition Claims
1. Terms used must conform to standard definitions
a. “Low fat” must contain 3 grams of fat or less per serving
b. “_ % fat free” says the product contains [100 – that] % fat on a weight basis
c. “Lean” meat products contain less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat and
trans-fat combined, and 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving
2. Approved nutrition claims list is growing
3. Approved claims cannot make foods appear healthier than they are
4. Foods have to meet standards for nutritional value to qualify for a claim
5. Terms like “pure,” “10% fat,” or “all natural” have not been approved
a. They do not represent benefits and have no standard definition
b. These claims are hard to trust
B. Health Claims
1. Foods or components with benefits to disease prevention can be labeled with a health claim
2. Health claim must be based on the FDA’s “model claim” statements
a. Diets high in fruits and vegetables may lower the risk of cancer, so this health claim is
allowed
b. FDA’s model claim for labeling fruits and vegetables is “Low fat diets rich in fruits and
vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, a disease associated with many
factors.”
c. Foods high in fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, or sodium and low in certain vitamins,
minerals, or fiber cannot be labeled with a nutrition claim.
IV. Enriched or Fortified
A. Vitamin and mineral content of food is increased by enrichment and fortification
B. Definitions established more than 50 years ago
C. Enrichment pertains only to refined grain products where thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and iron
lost in milling are added
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By law, producers of bread, cornmeal, pasta, crackers, and white rice from refined grains
must use enriched flours
2. 1998 law requires folate to be added to refined grain products
D. Enrichment and fortification prevents deficiency diseases such as rickets, pellagra and goiter
E. Increasingly foods are fortified to reduce risk of chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, cancer,
and heart disease
1. Energy bars, sports drinks and hydration fluids, and margarines are fortified with vitamins
and minerals for sales appeal
2. Consumption of fortified foods increases risk of exceeding ULs of nutrients
3. Regular use of multiple vitamin and mineral supplements and liberal intake of fortified foods
raises chance that excessive amounts of some nutrients will be consumed
V. The Ingredient Label
 Instructor Resources: transparency #17: Mysterious Ingredient Label Terms
A. All ingredients must be listed in descending order of amount present
B. Ingredient in greatest portion of product’s weight is listed first
C. Ingredients causing allergic reactions [milk solids, peanuts, sulfites, egg whites] must also be
listed on the ingredient label
D. Food Additives on the Label
 Instructor Resources: Activity 4-1: Bread Staling and Mold Growth; Activity 4-2: Color Additives;
Activity 4-3: Food Additives Labeling; Handout 4-1: Food Additives Labeling
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Food additives must be listed
3000 chemicals are added to food to enhance its flavor, color, texture, cooking properties,
shelf life, or nutrient content
Food additives on FDA’s “GRAS” list can be used without pre-approval
New additives must be approved by the FDA prior to use
Common food additives are sugar and salt
Polysorbate, potassium benzoate, many other additives also included
Traces of pesticides, hormones and antibiotics, fragments of plastic, wax, aluminum, or tin,
very small fragments of bone, and insects can be found in foods
a. These are considered “unintentional additives” and not included on the label
VI. Dietary Supplement Labeling
 Dietary supplements must be labeled
 Regulated by common rules
 Not drugs, so no vigorous testing
 Dietary supplement labels cannot claim the products treat, cure, or prevent disease
A. Supplement Facts
1. Dietary supplements must include a “Supplement Facts” panel
2. Panel lists serving size, ingredients, and percent Daily Value (%DV) of essential nutrient
ingredients
3. Products can be labeled with a claim, such as “high in calcium” or “low fat,” if product
qualifies according to nutrition labeling regulations
B. Structure or Function Claims
1. “Structure or function” health claims such as “improves circulation,” “supports the immune
system,” and “helps maintain mental health” must acknowledge that the FDA does not
support the claim
2. “This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to
diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease” is printed on labels of dietary supplements
3. Structure and function claims are not approved before they appear on product labels
4. Dietary supplements labeled with misleading or untruthful information, and those that are
not safe, can be taken off the market and the manufacturers fined
5. Manufacturers of dietary supplements are allowed to label products with health claims
supported by scientific studies
6. EPA, DHA, and omega-3-fatty acid supplements (types of fat found primarily in fish and fish
oils) can be labeled with a claim that these substances reduce risk of heart disease
VII. Irradiated Foods
 Food irradiation is called a food additive
 It is a process that doesn’t add anything to foods
 Irradiation uses x-rays, gamma rays, or electron beams to kill insects, bacteria, molds, and other
organisms in food
 Food irradiation enhances shelf life of food products and decreases the risk of food-borne illness
 It must be performed according to specific federal rules
 There is no evidence that irradiation adversely affects food quality, flavor, or safety
A. Irradiated foods retain no radioactive particles
B. Process leaves no evidence of having occurred
1. No evidence creates inspection and detection problems
2. Agencies cannot determine if a food has been irradiated or not
C. All irradiated foods require the “radura” symbol and say food has been irradiated
D. Irradiated products face resistance
1. Desire to ban radioactive processes is strong
2. People fear anything involving radioactivity
3. Acceptance of irradiated foods develops when consumers learn more about safety and
benefits
E. Irradiation approved for chicken, turkey, pork, beef, eggs, grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and
other foods in the United States
F. Process is used to sterilize food for astronauts and hospital patients, paper and plastic medical
supplies, tampons, and germ-free surgical products
VIII. Organic Foods
 Congress set criteria for the use of the term “organic” on food labels
 Consumers want assurance that foods were organic, producers wanted the business honest
 Standards are needed to distinguish organically produced foods from others
 USDA developed and is implementing standards for organic foods
A. Organic Food Rules
1. Plants
a. Must be grown in soils not treated with synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides for
at least three years
b. Cannot be fertilized with sewer sludge
c. Cannot be treated by irradiation
d. Cannot be grown from genetically modified seeds, or contain genetically modified
ingredients
2. Animals
a. Cannot be raised in “factory-like” confinement conditions
b. Cannot be given antibiotics or hormones to prevent disease or promote growth
B. Labeling Organic Foods
1. Organically grown and produced foods labeled other ways
2. “100% Organic” if they contain entirely organically produced ingredients
3. “Organic” if they contain at least 95% organic ingredients
4. “Made with organic ingredients” if they contain at least 70% organic ingredients
5. “Some Organic Ingredients” if the product contains less than 70% organic ingredients
C. Most organic foods are not free of agricultural chemicals
1. ‘Pesticide drift’ from sprays, past use of pesticides, and leaching of chemicals into ground
water means organically grown plants probably contain traces of pesticides
2. But, conventionally grown crops are 6 times more likely to have traces of several pesticides
than organic crops
IX. Beyond Labels
 Instructor Resources: Activity 4-4: Sugar in Breakfast Cereals; Activity 4-6: Label Identification; Handout
4-2: Label Identification Worksheet
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Understanding and applying nutrition information demands nutrition knowledge
You need to know about nutrition before understanding of nutrition labels is possible
Good diets include more than nutrition labels
You need to know the composition of unlabeled foods to fit them into a healthy diet
Nutrition labels list only two vitamins and two minerals; many more are required
Use of Food Guide Pyramid should go hand-in-hand with label reading
Healthy diets have many foods
1. Restricting children to low-fat and low-calorie foods might have unhealthy effects
2. If diets are severely restricted, growth and development will be impaired
H. Nutrition labels are an important tool for helping people make informed food-purchasing
decisions
I. Labels will never provide all the information needed to make wise decisions about food
J. Only people who are well-informed about nutrition can do that