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Reading Food Labels
Food
labeling has come of age. The first comprehensive
legislation against deceptive food labeling was
introduced more than 40 years ago. Since then,
improvements have been made to help consumers make
wise food choices.
Present Regulations
Common Food Labels
Ingredients
must be listed in descending order according
to weight. Therefore, beware if salt or sugar is
listed first!
Nutritional Claims
 If
a manufacturer makes a nutritional claim or adds
nutrients to a food, complete nutritional
information must be listed. Generally these include
cholesterol, polyunsaturated and saturated fats, as
well as dietary fiber.
What's in a Name?
Some terms on labels can be very
confusing and misleading, such as:
Low
fat:
for
dairy products, they must contain between 0.5% and
2% fat. For meats to be labeled low fat, they must
contain no more than 10% fat.
No cholesterol:
Many foods have this on their label
as if to suggest that the cholesterol was removed
from the food, for example vegetable oils. Remember,
only foods that contain animal products of any kind
contain cholesterol. Foods from vegetable
sources never do unless they are mixed with animal
products like eggs, cheese, or meats.
Sugar
Free:
Refers
only to a lack of sucrose. Other sweeteners like
honey, molasses, fructose, corn syrup contain
calories from carbohydrates.
% Daily Values
This
information is designed to show the contribution the
food in the package makes to your total daily
recommended limits of certain nutrients negatively
or positively associated with heart disease, high
blood pressure, etc. The percentages are valid
if you are consuming a diet of 2000 or 2500
Calories. If you are trying to follow a weight
loss diet or your total Calorie needs are lower
(most small, older women), the percentages are not a
good guideline to use. Instead, use total gram
listed.
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Recipes
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