Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. PowerPoint® Lecture Slide Presentation Created by Susan Tripp, MS, RD, LDN UMass Memorial Medical Center Food Labels: Cracking the Code Concept 5

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Pop Quiz True or False? 1.All packaged foods must contain a food label. 2.Food manufacturers decide what information to list on a food label. 3.Food labels must identify the name and address of the manufacturer or distributor. 4.A health claim on a label must state the beneficial component that the food contains and the disease or condition that it can improve. 5.Foods with labels bearing claims about the food’s role in health or body function are better choices than the same foods without these claims. ANSWER

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. What Makes Food Labels So Important?  The Food Label Tells You What’s in the Package  The Nutrition Facts Panel Provides a Nutritional Snapshot of the Food  The Daily Values Help You See How the Food Fits into Your Diet

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. What Makes Food Labels So Important?  Food labels are helpful tools that serve three important functions: 1.Tell you what is inside the package 2.Contain a Nutrition Facts panel that identifies calories and nutrients in a serving of the food 3.List Daily Values, which helps you determine how those calories and nutrients would fit into your overall diet

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. The Food Label Tells You What’s in the Package  The FDA mandates that every packaged food be labeled with:  The name of the food  The net weight  The name and address of the manufacturer or distributor  A list of ingredients in descending order by weight  Nutrition information for the amount of specific nutrients obtained in one serving of the food

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. The Food Label Tells You What’s in the Package  The FDA mandates that every packaged food be labeled with:  Serving sizes that are uniform among similar products  An indication of how a serving of the food fits into an overall daily diet  Uniform definitions for descriptive label terms such as light and fat-free  Health claims that are accurate and science based  The presence of any of the eight common allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. The Food Label Tells You What’s in the Package  Foods exempt from carrying a Nutrition Facts panel are limited, and include:  Plain coffee and tea  Spices, flavorings, and other foods providing an insignificant amount of nutrients  Deli items, bakery foods, and other ready-to-eat foods  Restaurant meals  Foods produced by small businesses (total annual sales of <$500,000)

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Animation: Reading Labels

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Out with the Old and In with the New  A cereal box from the 1920s carried vague nutrition information. Figure 5.1a

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Out with the Old and In with the New  Today, manufacturers must adhere to strict labeling requirements mandated by the FDA. Figure 5.1b

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. ABC News: “Food Labels and Portion Size” Discussion Questions  Have you ever consumed several servings’ worth of a food or beverage thinking it was only one serving? What was the food or beverage? How did it make you feel when you realized that you had consumed more than one serving?  Do you think food manufacturers should modify their labels or “warn” consumers about serving sizes? Is this the responsibility of the food company or the consumer?  Do you think the public is generally confused about determining how many servings are in a food item? If so, what should be done to help clear up the confusion? Are food labels helpful or are they merely confusing? ABC News: “Food Labels and Portion Size”

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. The Nutrition Facts Panel Provides a Nutritional Snapshot of the Food  The Nutrition Facts panel provides a uniform listing of specific nutrients obtained in one serving of the food  By law, it must list:  Calories and calories from fat  Total fat, saturated fat, and trans fat  Cholesterol  Sodium  Total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, and sugars  Protein  Vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. The Nutrition Facts Panel Provides a Nutritional Snapshot of the Food  If a nutrient is added or if the product makes a claim about a nutrient, that nutrient must be listed.  Inclusion of additional nutrition information is voluntary.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Understanding the Nutrition Facts Panel  Specific features of the Nutrition Facts panel:  Serving size listed by weight in grams and in common household measures  Calories per serving and number of servings per container  Amounts of nutrients that you should limit or add to your diet  Limit foods high in fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium.  Choose foods rich in dietary fiber, vitamins A and C, and iron.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. The Daily Values Help You See How the Food Fits into Your Diet  Daily Values (DVs) are ballpark reference levels to see how nutrients in foods fit into your overall diet.  Used only on food labels  Reference levels based on a 2,000-calorie diet  Based on older reference values and not as current as the DRIs  No DVs for trans fat, sugars, and protein  If a serving provides 20 percent or more of the DV, it is considered high in that nutrient.  If a serving provides 5 percent or less of the DV, it is considered low in that nutrient.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Understanding the Nutrition Facts Panel Figure 5.2

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Using the Nutrition Facts Panel to Comparison Shop  Standardized serving sizes make comparisons easier.  Compare total calories and calories from fat.  Use the % Daily Values to assess whether the food is considered “high” or “low” in a given nutrient.  Look for foods that are lower in total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.  Compare remaining nutrients, including calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C, to make sure that lower fat foods are actually healthier.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Using the Nutrition Facts Panel to Comparison Shop Figure 5.3

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Can Claims on a Food Label Be Trusted?  Nutrient Content Claims Identify the Level of a Nutrient in the Food  Health Claims Identify a Food-Health Relationship  Some Claims Link Food to Body Structure or Function

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Can Claims on a Food Label Be Trusted?  The FDA allows the use of three types of claims on food products: 1.Nutrient content claims 2.Health claims 3.Structure/function claims  All foods displaying these claims must meet specified criteria.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Nutrient Content Claims Identify the Level of a Nutrient in the Food  Nutrient content claims describe the level or amount of a nutrient in a food product.  The FDA designates strict criteria for descriptive terms such as:  Free “fat-free yogurt”  High “high-fiber crackers”  Low “low saturated fat cereal”  Reduced“reduced sodium soup”  Extra lean“extra lean ground beef”

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Soup’s On Figure 5.4 (a) Because this can of chicken noodle soup displays the “low- sodium” nutrient claim, it can’t provide more than 140 milligrams of sodium in a serving. (b) This can of soup has more than 25 percent less sodium than the classic version, so the term less may be displayed on its label. (c) The classic variety of chicken noodle soup has the most sodium per serving.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

What Does That Labeling Term Mean?

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Health Claims Identify a Food-Health Relationship  Health claims must contain two components:  A food or dietary compound, such as fiber  A corresponding disease or condition associated with the claim  The three types of health claims depend on the amount of supporting research and strength of the food-health relationship. 1.Authorized health claims 2.Health claims based on authoritative statements 3.Qualified health claims

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Some Claims Link Food to Body Structure or Function  Structure/function claims describe how a nutrient or dietary compound affects body structure or function.  Example: “Calcium builds strong bones”  More limited than health claims  Don’t need to be preapproved by the FDA  Must be truthful and not misleading, but the manufacturer is responsible for making sure the claim is accurate  Can be marketed as “functional foods”

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. A Structure/Function Label Claim Figure 5.5

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. The Top Five Points to Remember 1.The FDA regulates all packaged foods to ensure that they are accurately labeled. The Nutrition Facts panel must list serving size, calories, and specific nutrients. If a food product makes a claim about a nutrient, it must be included. 2.The Daily Values are reference levels that allow you to assess how the nutrients in the foods you buy can fit into your overall diet. 3.A food product label can carry a nutrient content claim using descriptive terms such as free, high, or reduced as long as it meets the strict criteria designated by the FDA.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. The Top Five Points to Remember 4.A health claim must contain a food compound or dietary ingredient and a corresponding disease or health-related condition associated with the claim. Health claims must be approved by the FDA. 5.Structure/function claims describe how a food or dietary compound affects the structure or function of the body. Such claims do not need FDA approval, but must be truthful and accurate. They cannot be tied to a disease or health-related condition.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Answers to the Pop Quiz 1.TRUE. The FDA requires a food label with specific information included. BACK TO QUIZ

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Answers to the Pop Quiz 2.FALSE. There are strict guidelines about the information that must be listed on a food label. BACK TO QUIZ

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Answers to the Pop Quiz 3.TRUE. The FDA requires that this information be on the food label. BACK TO QUIZ

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Answers to the Pop Quiz 4.TRUE. There are several types of health claims that food manufacturers may use. BACK TO QUIZ

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Answers to the Pop Quiz 5.FALSE. For instance, milk provides calcium and vitamin D for healthy bones, but usually does not proclaim that on the label. BACK TO QUIZ