Nutrition & Food Labels

The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of 1990 required standardized labeling of all packaged food sold to consumers. Before that, figuring out food values required persistence and reference books. Reading labels is easy if you understand the format.

History

• The NLEA capped a century of progress in package labeling that included the 1906 Food and Drugs Act, the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938 and the 1965 Fair Packaging and Labeling Act.

Identification

• A standardized American nutritional label is a two-color square or rectangle titled "Nutrition Facts," usually found on the side or bottom of the package.

Features

• The nutrition label may contain only information about the contents of the package and does not contain any advertising comparative claims (such as "low-fat").

Title Section

• The size of one serving in metric units and number of servings in the container are printed under the heading.

Main Section

• The amount, type and percentages of fat and carbohydrates and amounts of cholesterol, sodium, and protein are listed. The percentage of recommended daily consumption in a 2,000-calorie diet is listed for one serving.

Supplementary Section

• The third section lists percentages of vitamins and minerals. It may include additional data for 2,500-calorie diet requirements or other required data. Ingredients are listed outside of the nutrition label box, generally beneath or beside it.