Define Food Packaging Labels

The labels on food packaging can be confusing. Aside from the nutrition facts panel and ingredients list, some food manufacturers may add labels that have ambiguous meanings or no real meaning at all.

Nutrition Facts Label

• The current nutrition facts label lists serving size, calories per serving, calories from fat, amount of fat, carbohydrates and protein, as well as certain nutrients such as Vitamin C and calcium.

Percent Daily Value

• The column on the right of the nutrition facts label lists the percent daily value from each nutrient in a food. Foods that contain 20 percent or more of the daily value of a certain nutrient are considered high in that nutrient, while less that 5 percent is considered low.

Ingredients

• Ingredients are listed in order of the most prominent ingredient. If sugar is listed first, that means the food contains more sugar than any other ingredient.

Organic

• Foods labeled organic or 100 percent organic were produced following the standards of the USDA for organic production. Foods labeled "made with organic ingredients" contain at least 70 percent but less than 95 percent organic ingredients.

Ambiguous Labels

• Some food producers will add labels to their food packaging to make the food sound healthier. However, some of these labels have no clear meaning. For instance, the phrase "all natural" has not been defined by the USDA or FDA, nor has the phrase "lightly sweetened."