Ch 19: Food Labels Flashcards
FDA requirements: Labels
Display a label that identifies the name of the product, the quantity of product in the package, the name and address of the manufacturer, the ingredient list, the nutrition facts label, and a statement on any common allergens in the food
Name and net quantity of the product are usually the first pieces of information that consumers look at when selecting a product. They are generally displayed on the front of the packaging
Primary Display Panel (PDP).
Two important tools in determining the nutritional value of a product in an individual’s diet
The nutrition facts label and the ingredient list
The standard nutrition facts label, as it appears on most packaged food products, was finalized in 1993 after passage of the:
Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) in 1990
NLEA specifies exactly:
Which nutrients were required to be listed on nutrition labels, the order of listing, and the exact terminology to be used.
Revised Nutrition Fact Labels
- The revised nutrition facts label displays the calorie information in larger and bolder font.
- Calories from fat are no longer required on the revised label.
- The revised label includes both total and added sugars.
- Vitamins A and C are no longer required on the revised label.
- Potassium and vitamin D have been added to the new label.
The Nutrition Label is required to display:
The number of servings per container
Serving size
Total calories per serving
Amount of total fat per serving (in grams), saturated fat (in grams), and trans fat (in grams)
Cholesterol (in milligrams)
Sodium (in milligrams)
Total carbohydrates (in grams)
Dietary fiber (in grams)
Total sugars and added sugars (in grams)
Protein (in grams)
Amounts and the Percent Daily Value for the following vitamins and minerals: vitamin D (in micrograms), calcium (in milligrams), iron (in milligrams), and potassium (in milligrams)
Three categories for organic labeling
100% organic means the product contains only organic ingredients– in other words, ingredients produced using organic standards, not including water and salt. “Organic,” this product contains at least 95% organic ingredients, not including water and salt.
A product that contains at least 70% organic ingredients may be labeled “made with organic ingredients.”
Two key features to look at first on a nutrition label are:
Servings per Container and Serving Size.
The number of servings of a food or dietary supplement provided in a package, based on the specified serving size.
Servings per container
Reference amount for a food or dietary supplement for which nutrition/supplement information is provided.
Serving Size
The amount of food an individual chooses to serve themselves.
Portion Size
The amount in a serving contributed toward the recommended daily value for a nutrient, based on a 2000-calorie diet.
Percent Daily Value
Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed (RACCs)
Serving sizes for the nutrition facts label were recently updated by the FDA to more accurately reflect what individuals eat in one sitting
-Intended to serve as reference amounts for food manufacturers to list on the nutrition label.
Tools to indicate if a product is particularly high or low in a listed nutrient.
Percent daily values
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) recommends:
Products that provide 5% or less of total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium and 20% or more for fiber, vitamins, and minerals
Percent daily values are provided for all listed nutrients on the nutrition facts panel except:
Trans fat, total sugar, and protein
The main micronutrients required on the nutrition facts label include:
Sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, and vitamin D
Food Companies are required to be listed on the nutrition facts label.
If the food has been fortified with any nutrients, or if the food product makes a claim about any nutrient(s)
The new nutrition facts label includes nutrient listings for:
The amount of vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium provided in one serving of a food product.
These four micronutrients are required to be listed on the nutrition label as they are considered to be the ones for which most U.S. adults fail to consume the recommended amounts.
Nutrient listings no longer required on food labels
Vitamins A and C
A reference recommended amount of a nutrient for healthy individuals.
Reference Intakes (In the EU, serves a similar purpose as the percent daily values on a U.S.)
Important tool for evaluating the nutritional value and the contribution of a particular food or food product in an individual’s diet.
Ingredient List
The following are some questions to ask when looking at the ingredients list:
What is the primary ingredient in this product?
Which item is listed first?
Does this correspond with what the product actually claims to be providing?
Product Nutrition Claims: Low Calorie
Contains 40 calories or less per serving
Product Nutrition Claims: Calorie Free
Contains less than 5 calories per serving
Product Nutrition Claims: Low Cholesterol
Contains 20 milligrams or less per serving and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving
Product Nutrition Claims: Cholesterol Free
Contains less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol per serving
Product Nutrition Claims: Low Fat
Contains less than 3 grams of fat per serving
Product Nutrition Claims: Reduced Fat
Contains at least 25% less fat per serving than the regular product (for a similar serving size)
Product Nutrition Claims: Low Saturated Fat
Contains 1 gram or less of saturated fat per serving and no more than 15% of calories from saturated fat
Product Nutrition Claims: Saturated Fat-Free
Contains less than 0.5 grams of saturated fat per serving and no greater than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving
Product Nutrition Claims: Fat Free
Contains less than ½ gram of total fat per serving
Product Nutrition Claims: % Fat Free
Contains X% non-fat macronutrients by weight (e.g., 98% fat-free)
Product Nutrition Claims: No Trans Fat
Contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving (does not mean completely free of trans fats)
Product Nutrition Claims: No Sugar
Contains less than ½ a gram of sugar per serving
Product Nutrition Claims: No Added Sugar
Contains no added sources of sugar (but may still contain a large amount of natural sugar, e.g., dried fruit)
Product Nutrition Claims: Low Sodium
Contains less than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving
Product Nutrition Claims: Very Low Sodium
Contains less than 35 milligrams of sodium per serving
Product Nutrition Claims: No Salt Added
Contains no added salt (may still contain sodium if naturally in the food) and must state that it is not sodium free
Product Nutrition Claims: Sodium Free
Contains less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving
Product Nutrition Claims: Light/Lite
Contains 50% less fat or sodium or 1/3 fewer calories than the regular product (for an equal serving size)
Gluten Free
Contains less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten*
Certified Gluten Free
Certified by an independent organization to contain less than 10 ppm of gluten per serving
Approved Health Claims include statements related to the following:
Calcium and vitamin D intake and a reduced risk of osteoporosis
Dietary fats and cancer
Fruits and vegetables and cancer
Folic acid and a reduced risk of neural tube defects
Sodium and hypertension (high blood pressure)
Soluble fiber and a reduced risk of heart disease
Additional Nutrition Terms Seen on Food Labels
Natural, Non-GMO, Cage-Free, Organic, or Certified Organic
Use of the term organic is regulated by
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which defines three categories for organic labeling:
Three categories for organic labeling
100% Organic: The product contains only organic ingredients, i.e., those produced using organic standards (not including water and salt).
Organic: The product contains at least 95% organic ingredients (not including water and salt).
Made with Organic Ingredients: The product contains at least 70% organic ingredients. The remaining 30% are still subject to various standards, including the use of non-genetically modified organism (Non-GMO) ingredients.
Cage-Free (on poultry products)
Chickens had access to roam outside the cage; there is no guarantee that they did.
Grass-Fed (on beef products)
Fed grass versus grain or corn for primary source of food, no government standards or regulation.
Natural
No true definition, meat and poultry cannot contain artificial ingredients, colors, or preservatives.
Pasture Raised
Spent time on pasture or outdoors for a period of time, no clear indication of how much time, and no government standards or regulation.
Dietary supplements
Any products that contain a dietary ingredient. They are taken by mouth to supplement an individual’s diet. This includes vitamins, minerals, amino acids, protein powders, herbs, enzymes, and other botanical products
The Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 By law,dietary supplement labels:
-Must display the name of the supplement,
-The net quantity (amount) of the supplement,
-The nutrition labeling (supplement facts label),
-The ingredient list,
-The name and place of business of the manufacturer or distributor (FDA, 2005).
The supplement facts label must include:
The serving size and servings per container.
Nutrient Listing on Supplement Labels
Total Calories
Calories from Fat
Total Fat
Saturated Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Carbohydrates
Dietary Fiber
Sugars
Protein
Vitamins A and C
Calcium and Iron
Other things that must be listed on Supplement Labels
Must be listed if the supplement includes any claims about them or if they were added to the product
The percent daily value is omitted for certain nutrients
total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, carbohydrates, fiber, and various vitamins and minerals) if the supplement is intended for use by children under 4 years of age or pregnant or lactating women (FDA)
If the percent daily value for a nutrient has not been established
A symbol and note stating “Daily Value Not Established” is listed in the %DV column for that nutrient
By law in the United States, which components are required to be displayed on all supplement packaging?
- Supplement’s Name
- Net quantity of the supplement
- Ingredient List
- The Supplement Facts label
Serving size for a food or food product
- Typically a specific quantity that serves as a reference amount for the nutrition content and value of that food
- It is not necessarily the amount of food that an individual should eat in one sitting as the latter depends on multiple factors such as an individual’s needs, activity level, current weight status and goals, health status, and any medical issues
Portion size for a food or food product
Amount of food or food product that an individual chooses to put on their plate or consume in a sitting.
Portion Distortion
Phenomenon where increasingly large portion sizes are normalized
Can play an important role in managing weight
Portion control, along with managing overall diet quality and the energy density of foods consumed
One approach to managing portions promoted by the USDA and supported by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) as well as various educational organizations
MyPlate Guide
Provides a visual guideline to appropriate portion sizes for the food groups protein, grains, vegetables, and fruit by indicating how each group should ideally be structured on a plate
The USDA MyPlate
MyPlate recommends that grains and vegetables comprise
Just over a quarter of a plate
Fruits and protein foods each take up
Just under a quarter of the plate
Fruits and Vegetables should take up how much of the plate
Proteins and Grains?
Half; Protein and grains/starch should make up a quarter each.
Uses the image of a plate to convey appropriate portion sizes for the different food groups but it differs in a few important ways. The Harvard Healthy Eating Plate recommends a larger portion for vegetables and a slightly larger portion for protein compared to the USDA MyPlate.
Harvard Healthy Eating Plate
Other differences of Harvard Healthy Eating Plate
Also provides more-specific nutrition guidelines for each food group. For example, the grains group is labeled Whole Grains to reinforce the recommendation for consuming mostly whole-grain products. The protein group is labeled Healthy Protein to denote healthier sources of protein versus more processed and fattier sources.
Harvard plate includes recommendations to include healthy oils, water, and physical activity as part of an overall healthy-eating plan.
Plate Size
Help with overall portion control is to use smaller plates at meals. Using a 7- or 9-inch plate instead of one that is 11 or 12 inches in diameter will limit the total amount of food that can be placed on the plate and may also make food portions appear larger, creating the illusion of a larger serving size
Portion Size
Another solution for managing portions is to learn how to approximate appropriate portion sizes of foods using common visual cues such as the palm of a hand, a fist, a tennis ball, etc. This strategy can be used to estimate portion sizes regardless of plate size.
Portion size depends on:
Size, gender, and activity level of each individual.
Protein Portions
Open Palm = 3 oz (85g), two open palms 6 oz (170g)
Large Smartphone in Restaurant
Fruit and Vegetable Portions
Closed Fist (1 cup, 128 g), 1 piece of fruit, 2 Closed fists (2 cups, 256g)
A Baseball
Carbohydrate Portions
Cupped Palm (1/3 cup, 43g), 2 cupped palms (2/3 cup, 86g)
Solid Fat Portions
Whole Thumb (1.5 - 2 Tablespoons, 21 - 28g), 2 whole thumbs (3 - 4 Tablespoons, 42 - 56g)
Oil Portions
1 Fingertip (1 teaspoon, 4g), 2 Fingertips (2 teaspoon, 8 g), 1/2 Thumb (1 Tablespoon, 14g)
Dairy Portions
1 Finger Length (1 ounce of cheese, 28g), 1 Fist (1 cup of milk) 245g
A client is looking to buy a high-fiber brand of cereal but is not sure how to tell if a brand is high in fiber. What would a Nutrition Coach recommend that they look at to determine this?
Look for a brand that has a percent daily value of 20 or more for dietary fiber.
Percentage of calories for Added Sugar
Less than 20%
If a food label in the EU and UK mentions a dietary ingredient in the product name or on the primary display panel, what must be included in the ingredients list in addition to the name of the dietary ingredient?
The percentage (%) by weight of the dietary ingredient in the product
What is an appropriate portion (in ounces) of protein at a meal for an adult, average woman who requires approximately 1500-1800 calories per day?
3 - 4 Ounces
Which of the following is an appropriate visual approximation for a typical large serving of protein at a restaurant?
Large Smartphone
What is an appropriate visual approximation for starch at a meal for an average adult male who requires approximately 2200-2800 calories per day?
2 cupped palms
What is the recommended portion size for meat/poultry in the UK according to the British Dietetic Association?
A Deck of Cards
Nutrition Information labels in the EU and UK do not indicate a serving size on food labels. Instead, they provide nutrient information for what standard amount?
100 grams of dry or 100 milliliters of fluid product
