Health claims printed on food labels are an important tool in determining what is in a food and how it differs from other products. There are rules the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have implemented for these claims. When a food has these claims on their packaging, they must meet the strict standards set by the FDA.
Some of the most common claims are:
“Low calorie” -- 40 calories or less per serving.
“Low cholesterol”-- less than 20mg of cholesterol and less than 2g of saturated fat per serving.
“Reduced” such as “reduced fat” -- 25 percent or less of a certain nutrient than the regular product.
“Good source of”-- contains 10 percent or more of the daily value for a certain nutrient per serving.
“Calorie Free” -- a product that is less than 5 calories per serving.
“Fat Free” and “sugar free” -- less than .5g of fat or sugar per serving.
“Low sodium” -- 140mg or less of sodium per serving.
“High in”-- the product provides 20 percent or more of the daily value of a certain nutrient per serving.
“High Fiber” -- a product contains 5g or more of fiber per serving.
These definitions can help you quickly determine what is, and what is not, in the food you are buying. These are all strategies to empower you, the consumer, to purchase the best food to improve your health. For more information visit http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/label.html
