The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that many foods carry approved FDA labeling on the outside of the product packaging. This is mandated by the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (and amendments). But what does that labeling mean? This will answer some of your questions.
The labels are required on almost all prepared foods including cereals, breads and snacks. It also includes frozen and canned foods, drinks and dessert foods. There is currently no requirement to label fish or fresh produce such as vegetables and fruit. There are also separate labeling requirements for labeling vitamins and dietary supplements.
The purpose of the FDA label is to educate the consumer about the nutritional value of what's inside the package. It consists of a box-chart broken down into different categories relating to nutrition. The box is headed 'Nutrition Facts', under which you'll find the manufacturer's recommending serving size and how many servings this package contains.
Based on the recommended serving size, total number of calories are then outlined, including how many of these calories come from fat. Next comes the listing for total fat, broken down into the two types - unsaturated and saturated. These numbers are shown as both weights (metric) and percentages compared to the total in each serving.
Below the lines explaining the fat content will be the amounts of sodium and cholesterol. This is followed by total carbohydrate amount, also broken down into two classes - fiber and sugar. Last in the box-label is the amount of protein contained in one serving and a listing for various vitamins and/or minerals.
At the end, as a footnote, there is a listing of the 'Percent Daily Values' as they relate to a person on a restrictive diet of 2,000 or 2,500 calories per day. This takes into account sodium, dietary fiber, fats, cholesterol and carbohydrates. This gives a dieter help in determining what portion of his daily allowance of certain aspects are present in one serving of the particular food being labeled.
There have been some challenges for the FDA with the required labeling and different versions have been tried and are currently being considered. The aim of the Department is to have FDA labeling on food items which accurately and easily describe the true nutritional value of what's in each package. It's easy for a company to try to make an item of theirs appear healthier than it is by what they advertise on the front of the package. The FDA has been cracking down on some of these cases and has put the industry on notice that they're looking into some of the truth in advertising issues. It's an ongoing job for a very busy governmental Department.
The labels are required on almost all prepared foods including cereals, breads and snacks. It also includes frozen and canned foods, drinks and dessert foods. There is currently no requirement to label fish or fresh produce such as vegetables and fruit. There are also separate labeling requirements for labeling vitamins and dietary supplements.
The purpose of the FDA label is to educate the consumer about the nutritional value of what's inside the package. It consists of a box-chart broken down into different categories relating to nutrition. The box is headed 'Nutrition Facts', under which you'll find the manufacturer's recommending serving size and how many servings this package contains.
Based on the recommended serving size, total number of calories are then outlined, including how many of these calories come from fat. Next comes the listing for total fat, broken down into the two types - unsaturated and saturated. These numbers are shown as both weights (metric) and percentages compared to the total in each serving.
Below the lines explaining the fat content will be the amounts of sodium and cholesterol. This is followed by total carbohydrate amount, also broken down into two classes - fiber and sugar. Last in the box-label is the amount of protein contained in one serving and a listing for various vitamins and/or minerals.
At the end, as a footnote, there is a listing of the 'Percent Daily Values' as they relate to a person on a restrictive diet of 2,000 or 2,500 calories per day. This takes into account sodium, dietary fiber, fats, cholesterol and carbohydrates. This gives a dieter help in determining what portion of his daily allowance of certain aspects are present in one serving of the particular food being labeled.
There have been some challenges for the FDA with the required labeling and different versions have been tried and are currently being considered. The aim of the Department is to have FDA labeling on food items which accurately and easily describe the true nutritional value of what's in each package. It's easy for a company to try to make an item of theirs appear healthier than it is by what they advertise on the front of the package. The FDA has been cracking down on some of these cases and has put the industry on notice that they're looking into some of the truth in advertising issues. It's an ongoing job for a very busy governmental Department.
About the Author:
There is tons you should learn about FDA food labeling and cosmetic labeling. If you have a store selling food, you should make sure all labeling on all products tell you everything you should learn about whats in the product.
