Browsing the aisles in the grocery store, you’re hit from all sides
with nutrient claims – “Now with More Fiber,” “Reduced-Calorie,” and
“99% Fat Free.” Are these foods really as good as they sound?
It's important to know what these health claims really mean. Otherwise,
it's easy to get duped into believing foods are something that they are
not.
We've done the legwork for you by compiling our dictionary of the most
common health claims you'll spot on the food labels in your local
supermarket.
DICTIONARY OF HEALTH CLAIMS
Calorie-free: contains less than 5 calories per serving.
Cholesterol-free: contains less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving.
Extra-lean:
contains less than 5 grams of fat, less than 2 grams of saturated fat,
and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving of a single food
or per 100 grams of a meal. This term is used to describe the fat
content of meat, poultry, seafood and game meats.
Fat-free: contains less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving.
Good source: contains 10 to 19% of the Daily Value per serving of a particular nutrient.
Healthy*:
low in total fat and saturated fat with limited amounts of cholesterol
and sodium. In addition, if it's a single-item food, it must provide at
least 10% of one or more of vitamins A or C, iron, calcium, protein or
fiber.
If it's a meal-type product, such as frozen entrees
and multi-course frozen dinners, it must provide 10% of two or three of
the vitamins or minerals or of protein or fiber, in addition to meeting
the other criteria. The sodium content cannot exceed 360 milligrams per
serving for individual foods and 480 milligrams per serving for
meal-type products.
High: contains 20% or more of the Daily Value for a particular nutrient per serving.
Lean:
contains less than 10 grams fat, 4.5 grams or less saturated fat and
less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving of a single food or
per 100 grams of a meal. This term is used to describe the fat content
of meat, poultry, seafood and game meats.
Less:
contains 25% less of a nutrient or 25% fewer calories than the
reference food. For example, pretzels that have 25% less fat than
potato chips could carry a "less" claim.
Light or Lite:
a nutritionally altered product that contains one-third fewer calories
or half the fat of the reference food. If the food derives 50% or more
of its calories from fat, the reduction must be 50% of the fat. Light
also means the meal or main dish is low-fat or low-calorie. Note that
the term "light" still can be used to describe such properties as
texture and color, as long as the label explains the intent, such as
"light brown sugar" and "light and fluffy."
Light in Sodium: a food in which the sodium content has been reduced by at least 50%.
Low-cholesterol:
contains 20 milligrams or less of cholesterol and 2 grams or less of
saturated fat per serving of a single food or per 100 grams of a meal.
Low in saturated fat: contains 1 gram or less in a serving size OR no more than 10% of calories coming from saturated fat.
Low-calorie:
the food contains 40 calories or less for most food items; 120 calories
or less per 100 grams for main-dish products (lentil soup, turkey
burger, chicken breast, etc.).
Low-fat: contains 3 grams of fat or less per serving.
Low-sodium: contains 140 milligrams or less of sodium per serving of a single food or per 100 grams of a meal.
More: contains a nutrient that is at least 10% more of the Daily Value (in one serving) than the reference food.
No Sugar Added:
no additional sugar was added in manufacturing, but the product label
may list some sugar because most products contain ingredients that
contain naturally occurring sugars.
% Percent fat-free:
reflects the amount of fat present in 100 grams of the food. Thus, if a
food contains 2.5 grams fat per 50 grams, the claim must be "95 % fat
free." This claim is only found on low-fat or fat-free products
Reduced:
contains at least 25% less of some nutrient or calories than the
original version. For example, a reduced sodium food has 25% less
sodium than the original food. Other examples include reduced saturated
fat, reduced calorie, reduced fat, and reduced sugar.
Saturated fat-free: contains less than 0.5 grams of saturated fat per serving.
Sodium-free: contains less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving.
Sugar-free: contains less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving.
Very low sodium: contains 35 milligrams or less per serving.
*Certain raw, canned or frozen fruits and vegetables and cereal/grain
products are exempt from this 10% rule. These foods can be labeled
healthy if they do not contain ingredients that change the nutritional
profile, and, in the case of enriched grain products, conform to
standards of identity, which call for certain required ingredients.
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