Nutrition Claims & What They Mean
Have you ever picked up something from the grocery store & start reading the label and think, what the ??? do these words even mean? Me too - so we’re going to break down common labels that you are likely to find on the packaging. That way, you can make the best decisions for yourself & your health!
Calorie Free
Contains less than 5 calories per serving
Low Cholesterol
Contains 20 milligrams or less per serving & 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving
Cholesterol Free
Contains less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol per serving
Low Fat
Contains less than 3 grams of fat per serving
Reduced Fat
Contains at least 25% less fat per serving than the regular product (for a similar serving size)
Low Saturated Fat
Contains one gram of fat or less of saturated fat per serving and no more than 15% of calories from saturated fat
Saturated Fat-Free
Contain less than 0.5 grams of saturated per serving and no greater than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving
Fat Free
Contains less than 0.5 gram of total fat per serving
x% Fat Free
Contains x% non-fat macronutrients by weight (ex: 98% fat-free)
No Trans Fat
Contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving (does not mean completely free of trans fats)
No Sugar
Contains less than 0.5 gram of sugar per serving
No Added Sugar
Contains no added sources of sugar (but may still contain a certain, or large, amount of natural sugar (ex: dried fruit)
Low Sodium
Contain less than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving
Very Low Sodium
Contains less than 35 milligrams of sodium per serving
No Added Salt
Contains no added salt (may still contain sodium if naturally in the food) and must state that it is not sodium free
Sodium Free
Contains less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving
Light/Lite
Contains 50% less fat or sodium or 1/3 fewer calories than the regular product (for an equal serving size)
Gluten Free
Contains less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten*
*The FDA allows products to be labeled Gluten-Free if they are inherently free of gluten, meaning they do not contain wheat, rye, barley, or any hybrids of these grains. Gluten-free products may still contain less than 20 p of gluten (AND, 2017; Celiac Disease Foundation, n.d.).
Certified Gluten Free
Certified by an independent organization to contain less than 10 ppm of gluten per serving
Cage-Free
Chickens had access to roam outside the cage; there is no guarantee that they did
for poultry products
Grass-Fed
Fed grass vs grain or corn for primary source of food, no government standards or regulations
for beef products
Natural
No true definition/real meaning and not regulated by the FDA; meat and poultry cannot contain artificial ingredients, colors, or preservatives
Pasture Raised
Spent time on pasture or outdoors for a period of time, no clear indication of how much time and no government standard or regulations
100% Organic
The product contain only organic ingredients
organic - produced without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers; for animal products - produced without antibiotics or growth hormones
Organic
Product contains at least 95% organic ingredients
Made with Organic Ingredients
The product contains at least 70% organic ingredients. The remaining 30% are still subject to various standards, including the use of non-GMO ingredients
As you can see, some of these labels are misleading (“calorie free” when they still contain calories!!) and/or just marketing tactics (see “natural”) to lead you to think their products are a healthier choice over another brands. Keep this information in the back of your mind. the next time you head to the grocery store, so you can truly be an informed consumer!
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Veronica
Photo by Pharma Hemp Complex on Unsplash