Yeah, yeah…it’s been while since I posted last, I know. Long story short, both the kids and I are back in school and it’s taken a while to recalibrate.

Well, truth be told, I’m still recalibrating…but I wanted to pass along a few things I learned about nutrition labels in—wait for it—my nutrition class.

Standardized food labeling, as we know it, is a product of the Nutrition Labeling & Education Act, established in 1990 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and contains 5 components:

• Name of product
• The net contents
• An ingredient list
• Contact information of food manufacturer, packer or distributer
• Nutrition data

Meat and poultry are exempt from this particular format as they are under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).   The USDA developed its own standardized labeling in 2012, though as the label is usually located on the bottom of the packaging, it doesn’t have the visual impact of the FDA’s. Heck, if you weren’t looking for it, you might not even be aware of its existence. Additionally, while the labels require the inclusion of saturated fat content, disclosure of the product’s trans fat content is voluntary.   In defense of the USDA, the trans fat levels in meat are traditionally low and they are of the naturally occurring variety, which shouldn’t be confused with the industrially produced trans fats found in margarine and processed foods.

Coffee and most spices are also exempt from labeling given that they contain insignificant amounts of the nutrients covered by the FDA’s labeling guidelines.

The ingredients list, usually located at the bottom of the Nutrition Facts graphic, is a list of all the ingredients in their common names in descending order according to weight.   Is this an earth-shattering revelation? Hardly, though it was news to me.

There are three kinds of claims that can be found on packaged food labels: nutrient claims, health claims, and structure-functioning claims—the first two requiring FDA approval.

Nutrient Claims like “High in fiber” or “low fat” correlate with the data on the Nutrition Facts graphic, which is based on a daily diet of 2000 Calories. According to Nutrition: An Applied Approach, which distilled data from the FDA’s Food Labeling Guide, nutrient claims must adhere to the following guidelines:

Energy:

• Calorie Free – Less than 5 kcal per serving
• Low Calorie – 40 kcal or less per serving
• Reduced Calorie – At least 25% fewer kcal than reference (or regular) food

Fat and Cholesterol:

• Fat Free – Less than 0.5 g of fat per serving
• Low Fat -3 g or less fat per serving
• Reduced Fat -At least 25% less fat per serving than reference food
• Saturated fat free-Less than 0.5 g of saturated fat AND less than 0.5 g of trans fat per serving.
• Low Saturated Fat- 1 g or less saturated fat and less than 0.5 g trans fat per serving AND 15% or less of total kcal from saturated fat
• Reduced Saturated Fat – At least 25% less saturated fat AND reduced by more than 1 g saturated fat per serving as compared to reference food
• Cholesterol free -Less than 2 mg of cholesterol per serving AND 2 g or less saturated fat and trans fat combined per serving
• Low Cholesterol – 20 mg or less cholesterol AND 2 g or less saturated fat per serving
• Reduced Cholesterol – At least 25% less cholesterol than reference food AND 2 g or less saturated fat per serving

Fiber and Sugar

• High Fiber – 5 g or more fiber per serving*
• Good source of fiber – 2.5 g to 4.9 g fiber per serving
• More or added fiber – At least 2.5 g more fiber per serving than reference food
• Sugar Free – Less than 0.5 g sugars per serving
• Low Sugar – Not defined; no basis for recommended intake
• Reduced/less sugar – At least 25% less sugars per serving than reference food
• No added sugars or without added sugars – No sugar or sugar-containing ingredient added during processing

Sodium:

• Sodium Free – Less than 5 mg sodium per serving
• Very low sodium – 35 mg or less sodium per serving
• Low Sodium – 140 mg or less sodium per serving
• Reduced Sodium – At least 25% less sodium per serving than reference food

Relative Terms:

• Free, without, no zero – No or a trivial amount of given nutrient
• Light (or lite) – This term can have three different meanings: (1) A serving provides 1/3 fewer kcal than or half the fat of the reference food; (2) a serving of a low-fat, low-Calorie food provides half the sodium normally present; or (3) lighter in color and texture, with the label making this clear (for example, light molasses)
• Reduced, less, fewer – Contains at least 25% less of a nutrient or kcal than reference food
• More, added, extra, or plus – At least 10% of the Daily Value of a nutrient as compared to reference food (may occur naturally or be added); may be used only for vitamins, minerals, protein, dietary fiber, and potassium
• Good source of, contains, or provides – 10% to 19% of Daily value per serving (may not be used for carbohydrate)
• High in, rich in, or excellent source of – 20% or more of Daily value per serving for protein, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, or potassium (may not be used for carbohydrates)

*High fiber claims must also meet the definition of low fat; if not, then the level of total fat must appear next to the high fiber claim

Health Claims frame aspects of a product’s nutritional data in the context of heath concerns. For example, the box of a whole-grain cereal might indicate, “Low fat diets high in whole-grain fiber may reduce the risks of certain cancers.”   Given the qualitative nature of such claims, the FDA grades all health claims on a scale of A through D–all but “A” requiring the addition of some form of disclaimer:

Table 1. Standardized Qualifying Language for Qualified Health Claims.

Scientific Ranking*	FDA Category	Appropriate Qualifying Language**
Second Level	B	“…although there is scientific evidence supporting the claim, the evidence is not conclusive.”
Third Level	C	“Some scientific evidence suggests … however, FDA has determined that this evidence is limited and not conclusive.”
Fourth Level	D	“Very limited and preliminary scientific research suggests… FDA concludes that there is little scientific evidence supporting this claim.”
*From Guidance for Industry and FDA: Interim Evidence-based Ranking System for Scientific Data. **The language reflects wording used in qualified health claims as to which the agency has previously exercised enforcement discretion for certain dietary supplements. During this interim period, the precise language as to which the agency considers exercising enforcement discretion may vary depending on the specific circumstances of each case.

Structure-Function Claims describe how specific nutrients within a product theoretically apply to functions and structure within the body. For example, a milk carton may contain the claim “Builds Stronger Bones.” It is important to remember that such claims do not require FDA approval. At worst, they can be factually inaccurate or misleading. At best, they’re claims made in a vacuum, devoid of context. For example, while it’s true that milk contains calcium and calcium is an integral nutrient in the maintenance of healthy bones, if you are unable to properly absorb calcium due, for example, to an undiagnosed Vitamin D deficiency, then the claim is technically inaccurate.

Long story short: caveat emptor.  The more you know, the better decisions you can make.

Want to know even more?  Click here.