“Nutrition Labels for Better Health” Sue Zevan, RD Arizona Nutrition Network

SPOT THE BLOCK “Spot the Block - Get your food facts first” –Brand concept created by FDA –Announced June 2007 "The Block" = Nutrition Facts Label

SPOT THE BLOCK Designed for Tweens (9-13 years) Read the Nutrition Facts – make decisions and choices based on the information

PARTNERSHIP FDA is partnering with Time Warner's Cartoon Network to promote “Spot the Block” to tween audiences

NATIONWIDE –Deliver the brand to tweens across the U.S. –Cartoon Network is delivering the messages broadcast on-air spots integration with existing Cartoon Network characters Cartoon Network's Web site

TELEVISION Spot the Block messages are integrated with Cartoon Network's nationwide Get Animated health and fitness initiative

INTERNET Web ‘sitelet’ on Cartoon Network animated spots interactive nutrition messages nutrition label game

Spot the Block! Yo! Serving Size! Yo!

GOALS Urge tweens to look for the Nutrition Facts Label on the food package Encourage tweens to read and think about the Nutrition Facts ("food facts") before making food choices

OBJECTIVE To combat childhood obesity by empowering "tweens" to look for and use the Nutrition Facts on the food label.

INFORMATION Check out the serving size –one package isn't necessarily one serving! Use serving size information –to discover the total number of calories and nutrients per package Consider the calories 40 = low 100 = moderate 400 = high

CHOOSE NUTRIENTS WISELY When making daily food choices: Get less of trans fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugars –5% Daily Value (DV) = low Get more of potassium, fiber, vitamins A & C, iron, calcium –20% Daily Value (DV) = high

PARENT COMPONENT FDA to launch a Parent Component this Spring, 2008 Parent Outreach Objective: Help parents help their children as they learn to use the Nutrition Facts label. For updates on Spot the Block Parent Outreach, visit

HOW CAN PARENTS GET INVOLVED? Urge tweens to look for the Nutrition Facts Panel on the Food Label Encourage tweens to read and think about the Nutrition Facts ("food facts") before making food choices Use mealtime and grocery shopping as a teachable talking time to read labels together and discuss healthy eating Invite tweens to check out

How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label

DVs (Daily Values) A guide to amount of nutrients needed daily based on a 2000 Calorie diet Found in the footnote of the Nutrition Facts label and do not change from product to product

%DVs (Percent Daily Values) percentage of the daily values found in a serving of a food helps determine if a serving of food is high or low in a nutrient

PROPS, GAMES, ETC. Use empty food boxes with labels Make up games –What food has the most/least fat? –What food has the most calcium? “The New Food Label-There’s Something in it for Everybody” - sample at exhibit area Use videos, games, etc. from product catalogs –See catalogs at exhibit area

ALLERGENS Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 Domestic and imported foods regulated by FDA and labeled on or after January 1, 2006 To help consumers allergic to foods identify and avoid them easier

LISTING ALLERGENS Unless the food source of a major food allergen is part of the ingredient's common or usual name (or is already identified in the ingredient list), it must be included in one of two ways.

LISTING ALLERGENS In parentheses following the name of the ingredient. Examples: "lecithin (soy)," "flour (wheat)," and "whey (milk)" – OR – Immediately after or next to the list of ingredients in a "contains" statement. Example: "Contains Wheat, Milk, and Soy."

The Eight Major Food Allergens Identified by the Act Milk Eggs Fish (e.g., bass, flounder, cod) Crustacean shellfish (e.g. crab, lobster, shrimp) Tree nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans) Peanuts Wheat Soybeans

MORE INFORMATION For more information visit FDA’s food allergy page alrgy.htmlhttp:// alrgy.html

MyPyramid MyPyramid for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding MyPyramid Menu Planner- –Plan food choices to meet your MyPyramid goals-available March, 2008

MORE MyPyramid MyPyramid Podcasts –show how taking small steps can add up to real changes in your weight and health. Public Service Announcements (PSA’s) “Good Nutrition Can Lead to Great Things” –Ad Council and Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment –Refers to MyPyramid.gov