Nutrition Labels 12-2

Objectives Identify types of information found on food labels Explain how to interpret nutrition information found on food labels Explain what is meant by product dating

Basic Information What is in the container How much is in the container Who manufactures, packed, or distributed the food and location of the company What ingredients are in the food

Nutrition Information Serving Size –Based on the amount of food customarily eaten at one time –The rest of the nutrition label information is based on one serving size

Nutrition Information Calories –Total calories per serving as well as the number of calories from fat per serving Nutrient Amounts and Daily Values –Fat –Cholesterol –Sodium –Total Carbohydrates –Dietary fiber –Sugars –Protein

Nutrition Information Daily Value (DV) –Most of these nutrients list a “% of daily value” –Designed to help you put information about nutrient content into perspective

Label Language Low –Food could be eaten frequently without exceeding recommended amounts of the indicated nutrient –Examples: Low fat, Low saturated fat, Low cholesterol, Low sodium or Low Calories

Label Language Reduced Less Fewer –The product must have at least 25% less of something (such as fat or calories) than when the product has been nutritionally altered Example: –Reduced fat cheddar cheese has at lest 25% less fat than regular cheddar cheese

Label Language High in… –This means that one serving of the food provides at least 20% pf the Daily Value for the specified nutrient Example: –Orange juice label may state “High in Vitamin C”

Label Language “Good Source Of...” –One serving of the food contains 10 to 19% of the Daily Value for a particular nutrient “... Free” –Amount of the ingredient in question so small that it is not likely to affect your body Example –Fat Free »Indicates that the product has no fat or an insignificant amount of fat

Label Language “Organically grown” –Describe the manner in which a fresh or processed food was grown or processed, typically without synthetic pesticides of fertilizers. –To display this claim, a processed food must be at least 95% organically produced

Product Dating –“Sell by” Date Indicates the last day the product should remain on the store shelf Allows reasonable amount of time for home storage and use after the date –“Use by” Date Product may still be safe to eat after the date has passed but the quality will start to go down If a date alone appears on baked goods, such as breads and rolls, it is usually a “use by” date

Product Dating Code dating –Series of numbers of letters that indicates where and when the product was packaged –Used by manufacturers –Products with long shelf life –If recall is necessary, the products can be racked quickly ad removed from the marketplace –Federal law requires code dating on most canned food

Other Information US Grade A –Grading is voluntary for identifying the quality of foods Directions for using the product Special handling instructions –Examples Refrigerate after opening Keep Frozen

UPC Pattern of black stripes Universal Product Code Bar code that can be read by a scanner Numeric equivalent –First 5 digits = identify the manufacturer –Second 5 = Product size and flavor (if relevant) Uses –Checkout counters read for price –Store able to keep automatic inventory of the product

Applying Your Knowledge Around the Labs you will find nutrition labels. With a partner, identify the parts of the nutrition label. Compare three different labels What did you learn? How often do you pay attention to nutrition labels while shopping or deciding what to eat?