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Essential Question. What is a food label? How can nutritional facts label help you make healthy choices? How do I process nutritional labels?. The History of Nutritional Labels.
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Essential Question • What is a food label? • How can nutritional facts label help you make healthy choices? • How do I process nutritional labels?
The History of Nutritional Labels • Food label is a panel of nutrition information required on all processed foods regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) • 1990Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) • Labels Required • Bread, cereal, canned and frozen food, snacks, desserts, drinks, and etc. • Labels on fresh fruits, vegetables, food served in restaurants, fresh meats, foods sold by vendors, bakery & deli products are voluntary.
Nutrition Labeling &Education Act (NLEA) of 1990 • Required nutrition labeling for most foods by 1994 – Exceptions: meat, poultry, seafood, bulk foods, deli items • Authorized use of nutrient content claims and FDA approved health claims. • Purpose: – to make it easier for consumers to plan healthy diets. • FDA rule on trans fats (2003): – Required trans fat labeling on January 1, 2006
Food Allergen Labeling &Consumer Protection Act of 2006 • Requires complete ingredient label information on all major food allergens: – Milk – Egg – Wheat – Soy – Peanuts – Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashew, walnuts) – Fish (such as bass, cod, flounder) – Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp)
Food Allergen Labeling &Consumer Protection Act of 2006 • Ingredients are listed in terms that are understandable to the average consumer. – If a product contains casein, a milk derived protein, the product's label must list the term "milk" in addition to the term "casein."
What to know about food labels • Nutrition facts • Serving size • Serving per container • Calories listing • Calories from fat • Percent daily value
Nutrition facts: title of information panel that is required on most foods. • Serving size: listing of the amount of food that is considered a serving. • Servings per container: listing of the number of servings in the container or package. • Calories listing: listing of the number of calories in one serving of the food. • Calories from fat: listing of the number of calories from fat in one serving of the food. • Percent daily value: portion of the daily amount of a nutrient provided by one serving of food.
How to be food label savvy • CHECK THE DATES • “Sell By” is the last date by which the product should be sold (although it can be stored past this date). • “Best If Used By” is the date by which the product should be used to ensure quality. • “Expiration Date” is the date after which the product should not be used.
Front Label • Nutrient Claims – “Fat Free”, “Low Fat” “High Fiber” “Sugar Free” – What do they mean? • Health Claims – “Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease” – Only allowed if supported by scientific evidence.
Front Label • Food Label Symbols – Several different companies have them – Overload to consumer: confusing and complicated • Examples – AHA Heart Check Mark – Kellogg’s Diabetes Friendly Seal – PepsiCo Smart Spot • USDA looking for a universal system to make nutrient info on labels simpler.
Food Health Claims • Healthy A food product that must be low in fat, low in saturated fat, and have no more than 60 mg of cholesterol per serving • Fat free A product that must have less than .5 g of fat per serving • Low fat A food that must have 3 g of fat or less per serving • Lean A product that must have less than 10 g of fat, 4.5 g of saturated fat, and no more than 95 mg of cholesterol per serving • Light A product that must have one-third the calories or no more than half the fat or sodium of the regular version • Cholesterol free A product that must have less than 0.5 mg of cholesterol and 2 g of fat or less of saturated fat per serving
5 Keys to Understandingthe Food Label 1. Front Label 2. Serving Size 3. Nutrient List 4. Percent Daily Value (DV) 5. Ingredient List
Nutrition Labels • Include: • Nutrition information per serving • Percentage of Daily Values based on 2000 calories a day diet • List of ingredients • Presented from highest to lowest content
Understanding Food Labels http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3908513n • How to Read a Food Label Video http://www.oprah.com/health/How-to-Read-a-Food-Label-Video