Defining the terms on food labels:
“Free”
- Calorie-free – less than 5 calories
- Cholesterol-free – less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol
- Fat-free – less than .5 grams of fat
- Sodium-free or salt free – less than 5 milligrams of sodium
- Sugar-free – less than .5 grams of sugar
“Low”
- Low calorie – less than 40 calories
- Low in cholesterol – less than 20 milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat
- Low fat – 3 grams or less of fat
- Low in saturated fat – contains one gram or less of saturated fat
- Low sodium – less than 140 milligrams of sodium
- Very low sodium – less than 35 milligrams of sodium
“Light/Lite”
- Products with 1/3 fewer calories or 50% less fat and sodium content reduced 50%.
“Reduced/Less/Fewer”
- These products must contain 25% or less of a nutrient or calories than the regular product, as well as 2 grams of less of saturated fat.
“Percent Fat Free”
- “Percent Fat Free” refers to a low-fat or fat-free product that must accurately state the amount of fat per 100 gram serving.
“High/Rich In/Excellent Source”
- Product contains 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value (RDV) of a given nutrient.
“Good Source”
- Product contains 10%-19% of the Recommended Daily Value (RDV) of a given nutrient.
“Lean”
- A term used to describe the fat content of meat, poultry and seafood. A “lean” product must contain less than 10 grams of fat, less than 4 grams of saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving and per 100 grams (about 3 1/2 oz.).
“Extra Lean”
- A term used to describe the fat content of meat, poultry and seafood. An “extra lean” product must contain less than 5 grams of fat, less than 2 grams of saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving and per 100 grams (about 3 1/2 oz.).
“Healthy”
- A product can be labelled “healthy” if it is low in fat and saturated fat, has 480 milligrams or less of sodium per serving, and contains at least 10% of the Recommended Daily Value (RDV) for one of the following nutrients: vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, protein or fiber
Resource: Jamie Eason
Posted on November 8, 2011, in Daily Post and tagged food labels, healthy living, nutrition. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.
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