Food Labels: Their Importance, Requirements, and How to Understand Them

Food labeling is a vital communication tool that manufacturers use to make sure their customers know what they are eating. Food labels are important because they let consumers understand what nutrients a food contains and the specific portions of the nutrients, allowing them to make an informed choice.

As you walk down the aisle in your neighborhood grocery store, taking a few seconds to understand the ingredients that go into making your favorite cereal or beverage may go a long way in keeping you healthy. Of course, doing so may not be easy, as trying to decipher what a food label means may leave you more confused than informed.

Still, food labeling is a vital communication tool that manufacturers use to make sure their customers know what they are eating. This is one of the primary reasons why food labels are required by law to be clear and transparent. 

Still confused? Don’t worry. This article explains the importance of food labels and how to understand them.

Depending on the packaging, you can find vital information about the processed products you wish to buy on the front, back, or side of a package. The Nutrition Facts label is a section that’s been closely monitored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 1990, when the Nutrition Labeling and Information Act was created to help U.S. citizens make informed decisions about the food they eat.

Of course, since then, the FDA has made a few revisions, with the latest one passed in 2016, based on the latest scientific findings and feedback from the population regarding ease of use. 

Some of the notable changes in the latest update are listed below:

Serving size information

One of the first things you’ll notice on the Nutrition Facts label is the number of servings in the container and the size of each serving. The FDA has standardized food servings by using similar units such as cups or pieces to make it easier for you to compare foods in the same group. The label then mentions the serving quantity in terms of metric amounts (such as grams and milligrams).

The idea behind including serving sizes is to identify the average intake of a particular food item and its nutritional value, including the calories it contains. For example, if the serving size for a type of cheese mentions a specific number of nutrients per cup, eating two cups means you’ve had two servings of the product. This also means you’ve had two times the number of nutrients mentioned in the Nutrition Facts label. 

Typically, serving sizes are formatted in bold and in larger fonts.

Calories

Calorie counts indicate the energy you get after eating a single serving of the labeled food product. Along with the serving size, calories are also bolded and listed in larger fonts than other items on the Nutrition Facts label. 

Your ideal calorie intake depends on your age and the amount of physical activity you do. For example, an 18-year-old male leading a sedentary lifestyle (simply engaging in normal movements involved with independent living) needs roughly 2,400 calories daily. On the other hand, an 18-year-old male who does regular physical activity will need more.

Nutrients

The third section in the Nutrition Facts label lists all the nutrients in a food product and their quantities. You can check this to understand which food is good for you depending on your nutritional requirements. 

When choosing food, you should:

• Choose foods containing lower amounts of sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars. The average American diet contains high amounts of sodium, which, according to research, is unhealthy. Sodium intake from processed foods is linked to high blood pressure and heart attack.
• Total sugar is a measure of the amount of sugar naturally found in a product such as milk or fruit. The added sugar value indicates sugars such as glucose and dextrose that are included in the food during the processing stage.
• Previously, the Nutrition Facts label included information about specific nutrients such as vitamin A and vitamin C, as many Americans had vitamin deficiencies. However, recent research suggests that more Americans are getting adequate amounts of these nutrients. Consequently, the latest Nutrition Facts label includes other nutrients that are now deemed necessary for a majority of the population — such as vitamin D, phosphorus, calcium, iron, and fiber.

The percent daily value

The percent daily value (%DV) figure indicates the percentage of the daily value of a particular nutrient in a single serving of the product. These values are usually mentioned in grams, milligrams, or micrograms and will help you understand whether the food is rich or low in a specific nutrient.

• A 5% DV or less is considered low. So, if you’re trying to follow a healthy diet, you may aim for a low %DV value for ingredients like saturated fat, cholesterol, and added sugars.
• 20% DV or more is considered high. For example, if you’re trying to improve bone health, you can choose foods that contain 20% DV or more of calcium and vitamin D.

Some food manufacturers use specific terms such as “light” or “reduced fat or sugar,” without mentioning anything specific, which can be confusing. Here’s a list of some of these terms and what they mean.

• USDA organic. This label indicates that at least 95% of the ingredients in the food product are organic and don’t contain any growth hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, or synthetic ingredients.
• Light. This means the product contains 50% less fat or a third of the calories compared to a regular product of the same brand.
• Reduced fat or sugar. This implies that the product contains 25% less fat or sugar than a regular product of the same brand.
• Free. This means the product doesn’t contain (or contains very little) amounts of a specific ingredient such as sugar, gluten, or fat.

Food labels are a vital way to:

• Make sure consumers know what they’re eating
• Prevent consumers from eating food products that may not agree with them and avoid foods they’re allergic to
• Let consumers understand what nutrients a food contains and the specific portions of the nutrients, allowing them to make an informed choice

According to the FDA, manufacturers are bound to list all the ingredients in their products in descending order by weight, starting with the one that weighs the most. Keep in mind that some ingredient names may be unfamiliar to you, though, especially those that refer to added preservatives, colors, and emulsifiers.

The FDA also requires all manufacturers to list any of eight major food allergens — tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish, wheat, eggs, soybeans, milk, and fish — near the top of the ingredients list. 

Starting on 1st January 2023, manufacturers will also be required to add one more ingredient — sesame — to the standard list of allergens.