Understanding the FDA's Nutrition Labels

Decoding food labels and product health claims can be a challenge. Here's the key to choosing the most nutritious foods and beverages.

When shopping the grocery store for healthy foods, the Nutrition Facts panel and other health claims on packaged food can be helpful tools. But how do you know these labels are guiding you to make the healthiest and most nutritious choices for you and your family?

Government Regulation of Nutrition Facts and Claims in America
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is responsible for setting the guidelines for healthy eating in America. This includes the regulation of the FDA's Nutrition Facts panel and of any nutrition claims that manufacturers display on the packaging of food and beverages sold in the US.

The Nutrition Facts panel was initially developed by the FDA to make consumers aware of the nutrients and calories in the foods and beverages they buy and, ultimately, to help shoppers make more-healthful choices for themselves and their families. The panel is required to list the amount of calories, fats, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber, sugars, protein, vitamins, and minerals per serving, as well as the serving size and number of servings per container. Still, food labeling at the FDA and USDA remains a work in progress, with revisions being made as scientists uncover important nutritional revelations.

Revising Nutrition Facts
To help protect consumers from misleading claims, the FDA and USDA made a significant change to the Nutrition Facts panel requirements in 1994. The departments created guidelines for the use of such terms as “healthy,” “light,” “reduced sodium,” and “low fat” (and variations on these terms) as part of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act. Before this provision, a food or drink that contained no fat or sodium could have been labeled as “healthy” — even jelly beans or soda.

In 1994, the FDA declared that in order to be deemed “healthy,” a food or beverage must be low in fat (including saturated fat), sodium, and cholesterol, and also contain at least 10 percent of the recommended daily value of either vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, protein, or fiber. Even big brands with the word “healthy” in their names, such as Healthy Choice, were obliged to conform to the FDA’s new labeling laws. The FDA also currently regulates terms — including "low," "reduced," "high," "free," "lean," "extra lean," "good source," "less," "light," and "more" — that may be used to describe a given nutrient.

In January 2006, in an effort to help consumers make more heart-healthy choices, the FDA began requiring manufacturers to list trans fat — that is, trans fatty acids — on the Nutrition Facts (and some Supplements Facts) panels. This addition was the result of scientific research showing that consuming trans fat can increase the risk of coronary heart disease by raising low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, often referred to as “bad cholesterol.” Saturated fat and dietary cholesterol also increase LDL, but they have been listed on food labels since 1993.

Global Nutrition Labels
In a September 2008 Consumers and Nutrition Labeling global report by the Nielsen Company, Deepak Varma, senior vice president of Nielsen Customized Research, concluded that both the rise in obesity and the fact that heart disease is the number-one killer worldwide puts increasing pressure on governments and the food industry to better educate people about what they’re eating. “The urgent need for clear and educational labeling has become one of the most debated and controversial topics in recent years,” says Varma.

To be continued...