Do YOU Know What You Are Eating Read the Labels

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Do YOU Know What You Are Eating? Read the
Labels!

• 02421- 16.3
• Ardith R. Brunt, PhD RD LD
• Tennessee Tech
• Revised by Billy Moss and Rachel Postin

GA Ag Ed Curriculum Office To accompany Georgia
Agriculture Education Curriculum Lesson June, 2002
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Regulating agencies

• Federal Drug Administration
• labeling and processors
• US Dept. Agriculture
• meats and poultry inspections
• National Marine and Fisheries Bureau
• Fish grading and inspection
• Federal Trade Commission
• Advertising of packaged food products

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Why new standards developed?

• Clear confusion
• Help consumers to make healthy choices
• Choose foods that are lower in calories, fat,
  saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium
• Choose foods that meet nutritional needs
• Encourage product innovations
• Same rules and size

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Key features of NLEA (1993) (Nutrition Labeling
and Education Act)

• New title--Nutrition Facts
• Required on almost all foods
• Standardized serving sizes-usual amt. consumed
• Not necessarily the serving size on food guide
  pyramid
• Standardized, easy-to-read format
• Nutrient reference values ( Daily Value)
• Uniform definitions and claims
• Informative ingredient list

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Whats not covered by NLEA?

• Foods of no nutritional significance (tea,
  coffee)
• Food service products
• Restaurant foods
• Foods served for immediate consumption
• hospital deli bakery mall vendors
• Foods sold in bulk form
• Specialized foods for certain diseases
• Fresh produce, meat and poultry (voluntary)

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Whats on principal display panel?

• Legal name of the product
• Food picture
• Artificial colors and flavorings
• Quantity of contents-net wt.
• Date by which product must be sold
• Name and address of producer, distributor
• Special handling instructions (Keep frozen)

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Other parts of the label

• The ingredient list--even on standardized foods
• Listed in order descending order of weight
• Required on all processed foods
• Adjectives (free, good source, more, low)
• Health claims
• Standardized format based on 1 serving of
  commonly consumed foods
• Nutrition Facts label

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Closer look at Nutrition Facts

• Serving based on standardized portion size
• Number of servings in container
• Calories per serving
• Fat calories per serving
• daily value based on 2000 calorie diet
• Maximum amount- for fat, sat. fat, sodium, chol
• Minimum amount-fiber, vitamins minerals

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Serving size- standardized Nutrition info based
on these number of servings per can Calories
from total fat Calories per serving 5 gram of
fat1 tsp.
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Food labels

• Daily Values (DV)
• set adequacy and moderation according to the
  Dietary Guidelines
• Reference Daily Intakes (RDI)
• based on the RDA
• Daily Reference Values (DRV)
• set for things that do not have an RDA
• fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, total
  carbohydrate, fiber, sodium, potassium, protein

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Daily Reference ValuesTerm not on the label

• Total fat 65 g 30 of total calories
• Saturated fat 20 g 10 of total calories
• Cholesterol 300 mg (not total calorie
  dependent)
• Sodium 2400 mg (not total calorie dependent)
• Carbohydrate 300 g 60 of total calories
• Dietary fiber 25 g 11.5 g/1000 calories
• Protein 50 g 10 of total calories

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Reference Daily Intakes

• Vitamin A 5000 IU
• Vitamin C 60 mg
• Calcium 1000 mg
• Iron 18 mg
• Others based on 1989 RDAs

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Daily value expressed as a

• Based on 2000 calorie diet
• Quick estimate of how much 1 serving of the food
  contributes to overall daily intake
• See how your diet fits current recommendations
• Compare to other food products
• Not important to remember the exact daily values,
  but how food meets overall dietary needs.
• Vitamin mineral needs not calorie dependent

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Total Carbohydrates--based on 60 of total
calories (2000)
Fiber--11.5/1000 calories or 25 g/2000 calories
Sugars--includes all monosaccharides and
disaccharides, but no difference between refined
and naturally occurring sugars (4 gm1 tsp)
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Vitamin A based on 5000 IU / day
Vitamin C based on 60 mg /day
Calcium based on 1000 mg/day
Iron- based on 18 mg/day
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?The same on all labels, unless not a significant
source of calories.
? For 1600 calorie diet, DV lt 80 for fat, sat.
fat, CHO, and protein
?Provides information to help calculate personal
nutrient needs
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Nutrient content descriptorsCharacterizes the
content of a nutrient in the food

• You can believe the claims on the package
• Calories
• Free- lt 5 calories/reference labeled serving
• Low- ? 40 calories/ reference
• Reduced/less --At least 25 fewer calories than
  ref serv.
• Fat Saturated fat
• Cholesterol Sodium

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Nutrient content claims

• Free--insignificant amts of fat, cholesterol,
  sodium, sugar, calories
• Low-- ? 3 gm fat per serving
• Lean -- ? 10 gm fat, ? 4 gm sat. fat, ? 95 mg
  chol
• Extra lean ? 5 gm fat, ? 2 gm sat. fat, ? 95 mg
  chol
• Reduced, less, fewer- 25 less of a nutrient or
  calories
• Light/lite--gt 1/3 fewer calories or 1/2 original
  fat
• More--gt 1 serv has at least 10 of Daily Value

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Nutrient content descriptorsCharacterized the
content of a nutrient in the food

• Good source--10-19 of daily value/serving
• High gt 20 of daily value/serving
• Healthy Low in fat, sat. fat, lt480 mg sodium,
  lt 60 mg cholesterol, 10 daily value for
  vitamin A, C, or iron, calcium, protein, or
  fiber
• Fresh Raw foods never frozen, or heated
  foods with no preservatives

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Health claimsDescribes relationship between a
nutrient or other substance in a food and a
disease or health-related condition

• Calcium osteoporosis
• Sodium hypertension
• Dietary fat cancer
• Dietary sat. fat and cholesterol risk of CHD
• Fiber-containing grain pdts, fruit and veg
  cancer
• Fruits, vegetables, and grain pdts containing
  fiber, particularly soluble fiber coronary
  heart disease
• Fruits vegetables cancer

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Health claimsDescribes relationship between a
food and a disease or health-related condition

• 3 more claims
• Folate and neural tube birth defects
• Dietary sugar alcohol and dental caries
• Dietary soluble fiber (whole oats and psyllium
  seed husk coronary heart disease
• Most foods cant make health claims
• Disqualifying nutrient levels (fat, sat. fat,
  chol., sodium)
• Specific nutrient levels
• 10 daily value level of 1 protein, fiber, vit
  A, vit C, calcium or iron

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How to use the label Diabetes

• Nutrition Facts serving size not always the same
  as the diabetes meal plan (exchange list) serving
  sizes.
• OJ (.5 cup vs. 1 cup) pasta (.5 cup vs. 1
  cup)
• Look at fat, sugar, sodium
• use daily value to find foods low in these
• Nutrient content claims low fat, calorie free,
  sugar-free
• Look at ingredient list to find added sugars

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Reduce risk of heart disease

• Understanding the relationship between diet and
  heart disease risk
• High blood cholesterol due to high total fat,
  sat. fat diet
• Excess body weight
• Diet low in fat, sat. fat, chol, and high in
  fruits, veg. and grain products that contain
  fiber reduce risk
• Understanding the claims on the label
• Use daily value to find foods low in fat, sat.
  fat, chol.

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Reduce cancer risk

• Dietary intake is part of a healthy lifestyle
• Check label claims --strict govt regulation
• Use daily value to reduce cancer risk
• low fat diet (lt 75 DV)
• diet high in dietary fiber, vitamin A and C
• (100 DV)

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Estimating fiber content
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Estimating good choices for fat(check serving
size)

• Smart Snacks
• High total fat gt 5 gm.
• Crackers (Better Cheddars)
• High saturated fat lt3 gm
• Medium total fat lt 3 gm
• graham crackers
• Medium saturated fat lt 1 gm
• Low total fat lt 1 gm
• rice cake, angel food cake saltine crackers,
  pretzels
• Low saturated fat lt0.5 gm

• Healthy Entrees
• High fat gt 20 gm
• gt 30 DV
• Medium fat lt 12 gm
• lt 18 DV
• Low fat lt 5 gm
• lt 8 DV

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Facts messages for consumers

• All foods can fit into a healthy diet
• Variety
• Balance
• Moderation
• A high fat food can be eaten, and not increase
  risks BUT frequency, quantity and other foods
  consumed influence risk

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Chili with beans 1. How big is a serving? 2. How
many servings? 3. If I eat half the can, how many
calories will I eat? 4. What is the of calories
from fat? 5. Is this a good source of vitamin A?