Facts About Food Labels

Food labeling was first legislated in 1906 with the Food and Drug Act, which required proper identification of a manufacturer's product on the label and made it illegal to sell contaminated foods. There has been a steady succession of laws since then that have dealt with the information that should be included on the packaging of food products intended for sale.

History of Food Labels

• Several key laws and regulations have established food label standards in the U.S. The Gould Amendment of 1913 required the quantity of contents to be stated on the label while the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938 replaced the 1906 law and required that all processed and packaged food products carry labels stating the name of the food, its net weight, a list of ingredients for certain products and the manufacturer's name and address. It also prohibited false or misleading claims on food packaging. Food and Drug Administration regulations took effect in 1974 and required the identification of foods containing additives and the inclusion of supporting information if claims are made about a food's nutritional value. The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 took effect in 1994 and prescribed a standard format for food labels to include extensive information about the product. As of Jan.1, 2006, an FDA ruling requiring the amount of trans fats in the product to be listed on the Nutrition Facts label.

Features of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990

• Anyone who has bought groceries in the last 15 years will recognize the Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods, including, for example, cereal boxes, soup cans, ice cream cartons, frozen peas and potato chips (see label illustration). The NLEA mandated use of a uniform Nutrition Facts label by manufacturers on which are listed the product's serving size, number of servings per container, calories, ingredients, nutrition information and the recommended daily allowance of nutrients for which daily values have been established.

Benefits of the 1990 NLEA

• According to the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. is the first country in the world to have mandatory food labeling laws, rather than just encouraging voluntary compliance with certain standards. NLEA labeling ensures consumers that products labeled "light," "lite," "low-fat" and "fat-free" meet government guidelines for use of the terms. Product claims regarding links between nutrients and diseases, e.g., calcium and osteoporosis or fiber and heart disease must be based on generally accepted scientific conclusions. This is because those with food allergies and dietary restrictions and those concerned about caloric, sugar, fat, cholesterol and fiber intake must have sufficient information to make safe choices. For example, those interested in or concerned about a food's calcium, iron or vitamin C content can have the information they need from the label. Another result of the NLEA has been that manufacturers are more responsive to consumer demand and have also improved the nutritional quality of their products. Consumer pressure is having an effect on grocery shelves today with low-fat, low-salt, whole grain, organic, less-sugary, and MSG-free foods, just to name a few.

Serving Size Information

• You may glance at a label to see how many calories are in a candy bar or in a serving of ice cream. But check more than the calorie count; portion size is just as important. You may be happy to see that a cookie has only 350 calories, until you notice that the label states a single serving is one-half of the cookie, or that a serving of ice cream is only ½ cup. The Department of Agriculture has determined portion sizes based on reference amounts that were established following nationwide surveys of food consumption.

How Ingredients Are Listed

• Ingredients are listed in order of their amounts. For example, if sugar is listed first, it means there is more sugar in the product than anything else. Bread can legally be called "whole wheat" even if it has only a small amount of the whole grain mixed in with processed white flour; if you check the list of ingredients on "whole wheat bread," the first item is simply flour, or enriched flour, and whole wheat flour is further down the list. If you want bread that is made only from whole wheat, look for "100% whole wheat" on the label or check the ingredients to make sure whole wheat flour is listed first. Fruit juice products can be called juice, juice cocktail, juice beverage, juice drink, juice punch or fruit punch. If you're not sure whether a product is pure juice or a drink with juice in it, check the ingredients. If sugar or artificial coloring is listed, you'll know it's not 100 percent juice.