Food Package Labels
By Jennifer Turley and Joan Thompson
© 2013 Cengage
Presentation Overview
• Nutrition Labeling & Education Act
• Anatomy of a Food Label
• Daily Values: DRVs & RDIs
• Assessing fat content in foods
• Nutrient density in foods
• Understanding Ingredients, Terms,
and Health Claims on food labels
Legislation Overview
• 1990: Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990.
• 1994: >300,000 packaged foods relabeled. Mandatory
compliance was required by food manufacturers.
• Package Size: Packages smaller than 12 square inches
in surface area require a phone number.
• Serving Size: The FDA established set serving sizes for
>100 food categories making product comparison easier.
• 2003: Legislation passed for trans fatty acids to appear
on a separate line under SFAs in the nutrition facts panel
starting January 1, 2006.
• 2004: The Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer
Protection Act of 2004 passed. Manufacturers must
plainly list milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts,
peanuts, wheat, and soybeans ingredients starting
January 1, 2006.
Other legislation is described in table 2.1
Anatomy of a food package label
Daily Reference Values
• Daily Reference Values (DRV).
• Are based on a 2000 Calorie diet.
• Are used exclusively on Food
Package labels.
• Are applicable to adults and children
4 years or older.
• See Appendix.
DRV’s
Based on a 2000 Calorie Diet
• Fat (29% of Calories or 65 g)
• Saturated Fat (9% of Calories or 20 g)
• Cholesterol (300 mg)
• Carbohydrate (60% of Calories or 300 g)
• Fiber (12.5 gm/1000 Calories or 25 g)
• Protein (12% of Calories or 50 g high
quality Pro, 65 gm low quality Pro)
• Sodium (Na; 2400 mg)
• Potassium (K; 3500 mg)
Classifying Foods by Fat Content
• High-fat: >35% of Calories come
from fat.
• Moderately-fat: 25-35% of
Calories come from fat.
• Low-fat: <25% of Calories come
from fat.
Calculating % Fat by Calories
Sample Nutrition Facts
Food Serving size 1/3 cup in shells (41 g)
Servings per container about 5
Label Amount per serving
Calories 150 Calories from Fat 100
% Daily value
Total Fat 12 g 19%
Saturated Fat 1.5 g 9%
Trans Fatty Acids 0 g --
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Sodium 380 mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 5 g 2%
Dietary Fiber 2 g 6%
Sugars 1 g --
Protein 6 g
• Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 0%
• Calcium 0% • Iron 4%
Calculating % Fat by Weight
Hamburger Example
NET WEIGHT (48 oz) 3 LBS (1.36 Kg)
Hamburger Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 patty (112 g)
Example Servings per Container 12
Amount per serving
Calories 240 Calories from Fat 150
% Daily value
Total Fat 17 g 26%
Saturated Fat 7 g 34%
Trans Fatty Acids 0 g --
Cholesterol 75 mg 24%
Sodium 75 mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 0 g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0 g 0%
Sugars 0 g --
Protein 22 g
• Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 0%
• Calcium 0% • Iron 10%
Whole Milk Example
• 244 g/cup
• 8 g Fat X 9 Calories/gram = 72 Cals
• 9 g Pro X 4 Calories/gram = 36 Cals
• 12 g Carbs X 4 Calories/gram = 48 Cals
– Amount of total Calories?
• 72+36+48 = 156 Calories
– Amount of fat based on weight?
• 8 g ÷ 244 g x 100 = 3.3%
– Amount of fat based on Calories?
• 72 cals ÷ 156 Cals x 100 = 46%
• Classification: whole milk is a high fat food.
Energy Producing Nutrients
looking deeper
• The nutrition facts panel provides total Calories,
Fat Calories, grams carbohydrate, protein, and fat.
– Subcategories are given for fat and carbohydrate.
• Total fat is the sum grams of all the type of fatty
acids found in the food. Manufacturers only show
component gram amounts of SFA & TFA.
• Total carbohydrate is the sum grams of simple
and complex carbohydrate. Manufacturers only
show component gram amounts of sugars & fiber
(which is non-caloric).
• % of Calories from simple sugar, SFA, protein etc
can be determined as follows:
– Grams x Calories/gm ÷ total Calories x 100 = % Calories
Energy Producing Nutrients
looking deeper examples
• Corn Taco shell example: Total Calories
110, protein grams 2.
– % Calories from Protein: 2 x 4 Cal/gm ÷ 110
x 100 = 7.3%
• Raspberry Jam example: Total Calories
60, total CHO grams 11, Sugars grams 9.
– % Calories from Carbohydrate: 11 x 4
Cal/gm ÷ 60 x 100 = 73%
– % Calories from Sugars: 9 x 4 Cal/gm ÷ 60 x
100 = 60%
Applying Knowledge
Given your understanding of the nutrients … let’s apply it.
• Is the protein in the ____ example HBV or LBV?
– Cereal
– Hamburger
– Corn Taco Shells
– Peanuts
• Is the majority of carbohydrate in the _____simple or
complex?
– Cereal
– Corn Taco Shells
– Peanuts
– Raspberry Jam
– Whole Milk
• What kind of fatty acids are in the ________?
– Peanuts
– Whole Milk
– Hamburger
Reference Daily Intakes (RDI’s)
• Are set for vitamins & minerals essential
in human nutrition.
• Use the highest RDA value from the 1968
RDA table for men or women.
• Are expressed as percentages.
• Are mandatory on every food package
label for Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Calcium
and Iron.
• Other nutrients may appear on the label.
• See Appendix for values.
The RDI’s
Nutrient Amount Units Nutrient Amount Units
Thiamin 1.5 mg Calcium 1,000 mg
Riboflavin 1.7 mg Iron 18 mg
Niacin 20 mg Zinc 15 mg
Biotin 300 µg Iodine 150 µg
Pantothenic Acid 10 mg Copper 2 mg
Vitamin B6 2 mg Chromium 120 µg
Folate 400 µg Selenium 70 µg
Vitamin B12 6 µg Molybdenum 75 µg
Vitamin C 60 mg Manganese 2 mg
Vitamin A 5,000 IU1 Chloride 3,400 mg
Vitamin D 400 IU1 Magnesium 400 mg
Vitamin E 30 IU1 Phosphorus 1,000 mg
Vitamin K 80 µg
1
IU: International Units
g (gram), mg (milligram), µg (microgram)
Nutrient Density
• Nutrient Dense Foods: A food is
nutrient dense if it provides at least 20%
of the RDI for a nutrient per serving.
• Nutrient Density: The amount of
nutrient in reference to the Calories or
serving of food.
Nutrient Density:
Cereal Example
What does 25%
Vitamin C mean?
How many mg of Vit
C are in 1 serving of
food?
The RDI for Vit C is
60 mg. (see appendix)
60 mg x 25% ÷ 100
= 15 mg Vit C per
serving.
Ingredients List
INGREDIENTS: Whole oats, milled corn,
enriched wheat flour, dextrose, maltose,
high-fructose corn syrup, brown sugar,
coconut oil, walnuts, salt, natural
flavors, sodium ascorbate, vitamin A
palmitate, and iron.
Terms
• Free: Negligible amounts of fat, cholesterol,
sodium, sugar, or Calories. <0.5 grams of
TFAs per serving.
• Reduced or Less: 25% less of a nutrient
compared to the original product.
• Light or Lite: 1/3 fewer Calories; 1/2 the fat
or sodium; color or texture (compared to the
original product).
Terms
• Low:
– Sodium (≤140 mg per serving)
– Cholesterol (≤20 mg per serving)
– Calorie (≤40 Calories per serving)
– Fat (≤3 g fat per 3.5 ounce serving)
• Lean: ≤10 g fat; ≤4.5 g SFA & TFA; ≤95 mg
cholesterol per 3.5 ounce serving
• Extra lean: ≤5 g fat; ≤2 g SFA & TFA; ≤95
mg cholesterol per 3.5 ounce serving
3.5 ounces = 100 grams
Health Claims
• A statement linking the nutrition profile
of the food to a reduced risk of a
particular disease.
• To make a claim that a food supplies a
good source of a nutrient, usually the
food must provide at least 20% of the
RDI or DRV.
Health Claims
• Careful phrasing is required.
• For example, if a product provides a good
source of calcium [at least 20% of the RDI
for calcium (200 mg)] per serving, then the
health claim “this product may prevent
osteoporosis” can be legally used.
• The company must also mention that other
factors like exercise may prevent
osteoporosis.
FDA Approved Health Claims
1. Calcium & Osteoporosis
2. Low Fat & Cancer
3. SFA and TFA, cholesterol, and heart
disease
4. Fiber containing fruits, vegetables, and
whole grains and cancer
5. Fiber containing fruits, vegetables, and
whole grains and heart disease
6. Sodium and high blood pressure
FDA Approved Health Claims
7. Fruits and vegetables (vitamin C and
beta-carotene) and cancer
8. Sugar alcohols and dental caries
9. Folic Acid and Neural Tube Defects
10. Soluble fiber from oats and barley and
heart disease
FDA Approved Health Claims
11. Soy and heart disease
12. Potassium and blood pressure and
stroke
13. Plant sterol/stanol esters and heart
disease
14. Fluoridated water and dental caries
Knock it down Disease Wise
• Heart Disease: Low fat, SFA & TFA,
cholesterol, a good source of fiber especially
soluble fiber from oats and barley, soy, and plant
sterols/stanols.
• Blood Pressure & Stroke: Food must be low in
sodium and a good source of potassium.
• Cancer: Food must be low fat, and a good
source of fiber, fruits and/or vegetables. Meat
must be extra lean.
• Osteoporosis: Food must be high in calcium.
• Neural Tube Defects: Food must provide 40 µg
per serving or more of folic acid.
• Dental Caries/Tooth Decay: Food must be
sugar free and may contain sugar alcohols.
Summary
• Food Package labels use the nutrition facts panel
that contains DRV’s & RDI’s.
• Determining whether a food is high fat is done
best by calculating percent of Calories from fat.
• A food is nutrient dense if ≥20% of the RDI for a
nutrient is provided per serving.
• Ingredients are listed in descending order, by
weight or volume.
• There are specific definitions for terms used on
food labels.
• There are specific FDA approved health claims
for food package labels.
References for this presentation are the same as those for this topic found in module 2 of the textbook
