17.6 Interpreting Food Labels

The Purpose of Food Labeling

The purpose of food labeling is to educate consumers about what they are buying, and, of course, for marketing purposes. Food labels include:

• any claims made on the product packaging,
• the information on the nutrition facts panel, and
• the list of ingredients.

Food label requirements differ by food product. For example, many whole foods do not have food labels, and only certain nutrition information is required for beer, wine, and liquor, though manufacturers have the option of including more. All food labels are regulated by government organizations.

Using the Food Label to Determine Nutrient Density

While regulated, sometimes claims made on a product’s packaging can be misleading. For example:

• A product may be labeled as a low-fat or fat-free food, but this doesn’t mean it is nutrient dense:
  • Many candies contain no fat, but they contain high amounts of simple sugar and offer no nutritional value.
  • Some low-fat or fat-free foods also have higher amounts of other ingredients like sodium or added sugars to make up for the flavor lost without fats.
• Cereals may be labeled as a “good source of protein,” but upon closer inspection, this is only the case when the cereal is served with milk.

Know that the most accurate and complete information about nutrient density will be found on the nutrition facts panel and list of ingredients. Using these two sections in conjunction with one another can help us make informed decisions about what we eat by providing a snapshot of the nutrient density of that food. For instance, if the nutrition facts panel shows that the food provides ample amounts of fiber, protein, vitamins A and C, iron, and calcium, and it is fairly low or moderate in calories, then it’s probably nutrient dense. Overall, when comparing similar food items, we recommend choosing those relatively low in added sugars, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium, but high in fiber and protein.

Nutrition Facts Panel

The nutrition facts panel lists percent daily values which are based upon a 2000-calorie-a-day diet. Your calorie needs may be higher or lower than this. Thus, focusing on the actual nutrient amounts on the left side of the label—as opposed to the percent daily values on the right side—might make more sense for you personally. If you do use percent daily values as a guide, know that any amount listed as 5% or less is generally considered low, while any amount listed as 20% or more is considered high.

The information on the nutrition facts panel is per serving. When using this panel, it’s important to determine what the serving size is and then figure out your actual intake compared to the serving size. For example, eating an entire box of macaroni and cheese isn’t one serving; it’s probably more like three or four. The grams and percentages on the nutrition facts panel will need to be multiplied depending on the number of servings consumed.

List of Ingredients

Ingredients are listed in order of prevalence from most to least. For example, if the first ingredient in a jar of strawberry preserves is sugar and the second ingredient is strawberries, then it actually contains more sugar than berries. The ingredients list will also include seasonings, added vitamins and minerals, as well as any preservatives or artificial coloring.

The list of ingredients will tell you far more about whether a food is minimally, moderately, or heavily processed compared to other labels on a food item. In an effort to eat whole foods over processed foods, prioritize products that have a relatively short list of ingredients, or at least mostly ingredients you recognize as whole foods.

Food Labels and Carbohydrates

The carbohydrates section of the nutrition facts panel includes total carbohydrates and the proportion of carbohydrates from sugar, as well as fiber. To prioritize complex carbohydrates over simple carbohydrates, look for foods that say they are made from 100% whole grains and low in added sugars. A food’s packaging might include terms like multi-grain, rye, or seven grain or the food might appear brown in color versus lighter, but this does not necessarily mean that it contains whole grains. Reading the ingredient list can help you determine what kinds of carbohydrates the food contains; products like cereal, bread, pasta, noodles, and tortillas are made from grains—be it whole grains, refined grains, or a combination of the two. The ingredients list of whole grain products will include things like whole wheat, whole oats, brown rice, or other whole grains. Determining whether a food contains complex carbohydrates, you can also reference the fiber content on the nutrition facts panel. When possible, try to choose grain products that have at least three grams of fiber per serving or a carbohydrate to fiber ratio of less than 10:1.

Sugars will be listed on the ingredients section of a nutrition label and can be listed as: sucrose, glucose, fructose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, agave syrup, fruit juice concentrates, invert sugar, cane sweetener, maltose, malt syrup, dextrose, and dehydrated cane juice. Since ingredients are listed in order of prevalence, if forms of sugar appear near the top of an ingredient list, this would be an indicator that the food is high in added sugars. Added sugars can also be identified on the “Added Sugars” line of the nutrition facts panel. To determine the amount of sugar that occurs naturally in any food or drink, subtract added sugars from total sugars. If you eat cereal, try to choose versions that have less than five grams of added sugar per serving. If you eat canned fruits, choose fruits canned in their own juice or water as opposed to syrup, or at least choose extra light syrup as opposed to heavy syrup. Check the label on dried fruits, too, as many of them contain added sugar.

Food Labels and Types of Fats

The fats section on the nutrition facts panel includes total fat, as well as the proportion that’s from saturated fats or trans fats. By deducting the amount of saturated fats and trans fats from total fats, you’re left with the amount of unsaturated fats. Some labels also indicate how much of the total fat is from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. One way to prioritize healthy fats over unhealthy fats is to look on the ingredients label for hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil; these foods contain trans fats. Food manufacturers are no longer allowed to add artificial trans fats to foods, but foods produced before this rule took effect in 2018 were still able to be sold in stores through 2020 (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018). Further, foods that contain .5 g or less of trans fat per serving can actually report their trans fat content as 0 g on the nutrition facts panel (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2011), so be sure to check the ingredients list for hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.

Learning Activity: Exploring a Nutrition Facts Panel and List of Ingredients

In this interactive assessment, click on each star to explore where to find certain information on a nutrition label and how it can help guide decision making around nutritious eating.