Have
you ever returned from buying what you thought was
a “Light” or “Fat-Free” product, only to find out
it was loaded with calories, sodium, and sometimes
even fat? Statistics show that nearly 60% of Americans
always try to check the nutrition label of a food
to determine the fat content. The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) has created these labels to regulate how food
companies should provide nutrition information to
help consumers make informed food choices. Sometimes,
however, these labels end up being more confusing
than they were meant to be.
What Does “Light” Really
Mean?
A “light” food must
be reduced in the given nutrient (such as fat, calories,
cholesterol, sodium, etc.) when compared to what the
FDA calls a “reference food”. This is a representative
value of a broad base of similar foods, such as the
average of the top 3 national or regional brands for
the specified food. For instance, regular potato chips
would be the reference food for a light potato chip.
If the reference food used is already considered “low”
in the designated nutrient (for example, 3 grams of
fat or less per reference amount), then the “light”
claim cannot be used.
According to the FDA,
if a food product is labeled as “light” with no other
explanation on the label, here is what you can know
for sure:
-
If
reference the food derives more than 50% of calories
from fat, then the “light” product is reduced
by fat by 50%; or
-
If
the reference food derives less than 50% of calories
from fat, then the “light” product is either reduced
in calories by one-third or reduced in fat by
at least 50% when compared with the reference
food; or
-
For
foods with modified sodium content, the “light”
product must be reduced in sodium by at least
50%.
Sound confusing? It
is to most consumers. A “light” product can still
be very high in either calories, fat, cholesterol,
or sodium (or all four!) because it is being compared
to other foods which have large values in these areas.
Wait, there is more…
“Light” also may be
used to describe certain physical attributes of a
food, such as texture or color which have no reference
to calories, fat, or sodium. However, if light is
used in this manner at all, then the food label must
state that the “light” refers to the particular attribute
(such as “light in color” or “light in texture”).
Be careful then about reading “light” labels and
do not assume it always refers to nutrients!
“Light” is not the only
word that can appear on a food label. According
to the FDA, the terms “reduced” and “fewer” can also
be used as long as the product contains at least a
25% reduction in calories, fat, or sodium when compared
to the reference food.
Other labels as defined
by the FDA include:
Fat-Free:
Less than 0.5 grams of total fat for a given reference
amount (notice that 0.5 is not 0!)
Calorie-Free:
Less than 5 calories for a given reference amount
Cholesterol-Free:
Less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol for a given
reference amount and 2 grams or less of saturated
fat for a given reference amount
Saturated
Fat-Free:
Less than 0.5 grams of saturated fat for a given reference
amount and no more than 0.5 grams of trans fatty acids
Low-Fat:
3
grams or less of total fat for a given reference amount
Low-Calorie:
No
more than 40 calories for a given reference amount
(except sugar substitutes)
Low-Cholesterol:
20 milligrams or less cholesterol and 2 grams or less
of saturated fat for a given reference amount
Low-Saturated
Fat: 1
gram or less of saturated fat for a given reference
amount and no more than 15% of calories from saturated
fat
It seems as though the
FDA is allowing food companies to be quite liberal
in their use of the word “free”. Fat-free, calorie-free,
and cholesterol-free do not mean zero. Instead,
they mean a number close to zero.
The morale of the story
is to make sure you read all labels carefully and
eat a well-balanced diet which includes plenty of
fruits and vegetables which don’t need food labels
at all!
Source:
The Calorie Control Council
Nicole Niemiec is founder
of http://www.healthy-insights.com
, a site containing reliable health information for
improving your quality of life.
