1. THE NUTRITION LABEL Easy Ways to Use the Label For Healthy Eating
Good morning, I’m delighted to talk to you about one of my favorite subjects—Food Label Education
You have likely heard about the New Dietary Guidelines and the new Food Guide Pyramid. Today, I’d like to discuss the third jewel in the government’s nutrition crown—The food label and ways to educate consumers on how to use it.
One the most important messages I’d like to leave with you today is that effective consumer label education requires active, not passive learning. Getting consumers to maximize the health benefits of their choices by helping them apply label information is what counts. Defining terms & providing explanations is passive learning & rarely translates into behavior change.
FDA’s goal is to teach label-building SKILLS that affect the quality of consumer’s eating and food purchasing behaviors. Instead of guessing, we help them INTERPRET the label facts, PUT THEM IN a health CONTEXT, THEN TEACH SKILLS THEY CAN QUICKLY APPLY.
We believe that the SIMPLER THE SKILLS, the MORE LIKELY CONSUMERS WILL BE MOTIVATED TO USE THEM.
For more information, please contact:
Food and Drug Administration
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements

2. Key Label Questions
How many calories am I actually eating? Is that number low, medium, or high?
What nutrients should I limit or get enough of and why?
What’s relevant about the footnote?
How can I tell if a %DV is high or low?
Which nutrients have no %DV?
As I said, I’m only going to give you a snapshot—so here are some key questions that I will address. They represent the framework for our skill-building approach to label education.
If time allows, I will briefly show you what other food labeling education resources we have on our Web site or which are in development.

3. The Nutrition Facts Label
Let’s begin by looking at the label most people see. Consumers use the label for different reasons—how do you use it?
If you’re like most people I speak to, you probably look at calories and “fat grams” first.
Whatever your reason—does the Nut. Facts label educate the onlooker? Clearly it doesn’t.. And it was never meant to.
It’s goal was to provide information, i.e. Nutrition Facts, but not to teach people how to interpret them; they need more guidance and context to make informed decisions .
The label doesn’t teach nutrition but is a valuable nutrition education tool.
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4. Now, take a look at this educational version of the Nutrition Facts label. It identifies the 6 basic messages/skills we seek to communicate to health professionals, educators and consumers.
But Before going into details, let’s just look at this label as if it only had two sections, not 6. Can you identify the two parts and how they differ? The colored section on top (all but #5) contains product-specific information (serving size, calories, and nutrient information) that can vary with each food product.
Now look at the footnote at the bottom of the label. It contains the Daily Values for the nutrients listed and dietary advice generally consistent with the DGA. The footnote, which is not found on smaller product labels, never changes from product to product. I’ll discuss it more later.
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OK; Now for the first question: How Many Calories Am I actually Eating?
Many people answer this question by simply looking at the calories listed on the label ? (Not you of course)
So the first thing you want to tell consumers is to look at the serving size AND the number of servings per container: then determine the calories actually consumed.

5. One or Two Servings? Single % Double % Serving DV Serving DV
Serving Size 1 cup (228g) 2 cups (456g)
Calories
Calories from Fat
Total Fat 12g 18% 24g 36%
Trans Fat 1.5g 3g
Saturated Fat 3g 15% 6g 30%
Cholesterol 30mg 10% 60mg 20%
Sodium 470mg 20% 940mg 40%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 10% 62g 20%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0% 0g 0%
Sugars 5g 10g
Protein 5g 10g
Vitamin A 4% 8%
Vitamin C 2% 4%
Calcium 20% 40%
Iron 4% 8%
In this example, one serving of macaroni and cheese equals one cup. If you ate the whole package, you would eat two cups, which doubles the calories and other nutrient numbers, including the % DVs.
As you can see-The number of servings you consume will determine the number of calories and nutrients you actually eat.
BOTTOM LINE: YOU NEED TO COMPARE HOW MUCH YOU ACTUALLY EAT—NOT ONLY TO THE SERVING SIZE ON THE LABEL BUT ALSO TO THE # OF SERVINGS YOU EAT, TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY CALORIES (AND NUTRIENTS) YOU ARE CONSUMING.
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Next Question: IN TERMS OF CALORIES, WHAT AMOUNT IS LOW, MODERATE OR HIGH?

6. General Guide to Calories*
40 Calories is low
100 Calories is moderate
400 Calories is high
Here’s our GENERAL GUIDE TO CALORIES. Notice how it gives consumers a context for determining calorie amounts based on 2000 calories.
40 calories is low-- is actually a nutrient content claim.
100 calories is moderate is--5% of 2000 calories
400 calories is high-- is 20% of 2000 calories.
Next question: Which nutrients should I limit and why?
*Based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

7. Limit These Nutrients
The goal is to stay BELOW 100% of the DV for each of these nutrients per day.
In answer to the question: Eating too much fat, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol, or sodium may increase your risk of certain chronic diseases, like heart disease, some cancers, or high blood pressure.
So when we say, “Limit These Nutrients,” the goal is to stay BELOW 100% of the DV for each one of these nutrients per day.
Note: Trans fat doesn’t have a %DV: message: Health experts recommend that you keep your intake of saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol as low as possible as part of a nutritionally balanced diet.
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So, which nutrients do I need to get in adequate amounts?

8. Get Enough of These Nutrients
Try to get 100% of the DV for each of these nutrients each day.
Consumers can USE the food label not only to help them limit those nutrients they want to cut back on, but also to help them increase those nutrients they need to consume in adequate or greater amounts.
Americans often don't get enough dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron in their diets.
EATING ENOUGH OF THESE NUTRIENTS CAN BENEFIT YOUR HEALTH AND HELP REDUCE THE RISK OF SOME DISEASES AND CONDITIONS.
For example, getting enough calcium may REDUCE THE RISK OF OSTEOPOROSIS, a condition that results in brittle bones as one ages (More on this later). You can also address the benefits of a HIGH-FIBER DIET: FOR EXAMPLE, IMPROVED LAXATION, INCREASED SATIETY, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF REDUCED RISK OF HEART DISEASE , particularly when the fiber is soluble and the diet is low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
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Now let’s look at the footnote—Why is it relevant? You don’t have to know this information but frankly, understanding what the %DV is based on increases the chance people will use it.

9. The Footnote
This is the footnote that you see on the bottom of larger food packages.
Can you tell which column lists the Daily Values? Maybe you can tell, but most people can’t.
What are these DVs? They represent expert advice for upper daily limits (for total fat, sat fat, cholesterol, and sodium), based on a a 2,000 calorie diet.— But for Total Carbohydrates and dietary fiber, they represent lower daily limits— Public health experts advise us to stay within these limits, ie dietary recommendations, per day for a 2,000 calorie.
Still confused?

10. Examples of DVs versus %DVs*
Here’s another way of looking at the footnote.
Hopefully, it’s now easier to see which column represents the Daily Value for each nutrient listed; how the DVs relate to the %DVs; and what is the dietary advice, i.e., the daily goal for each of these nutrients
The first 4 nutrients, which are in yellow, represent upper daily limits—that means your goal is to stay BELOW the amount for the day. Example: look at saturated fat: the DV is 20g= 100%DV. The goal for Sat fat, is to stay below 20g per day (100%DV) whereas for Total fat the DV is 65g.
Now look at dietary fiber, in blue—the DV is 25g, which represents the minimum for the day. Therefore the goal is to get at least 100%DV every day. The DV for Carbohydrates ( in white) is 300g or !00%DV. This amount is recommended for a balanced 2,000 calorie daily diet but can vary, depending on your daily intake of fat and protein.
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Now let’s talk more about the %DV– What is the %DV and how do you know if it’s high or low??

11. The Percent Daily Value
The % DV is based on 100% of the daily value for each nutrient.
The %DV tells you IF A SERVING OF FOOD IS HIGH OR LOW IN A NUTRIENT. THE % DV COLUMN DOES NOT ADD UP VERTICALLY TO TOTAL 100%.
INSTEAD, EACH NUTRIENT WITH A % DV (e.g.,, fat, cholesterol sodium, vitamin c, calcium etc.) IS BASED ON A 100% OF THE DAILY REQUIREMENTS (OR THE DV) FOR THAT NUTRIENT for a 2,000 calorie diet
HOW CAN YOU TELL IF the %DV IS HIGH OR LOW?

12. What’s High? What’s Low? Do You Have to Calculate to Know?
Footnote
Look at the example on the left, we’ve listed the metric amount but not the %DV.. Can you tell if 12g of Total Fat is high or low? What about the 3g of saturated fat? What about the 470mg of sodium?
Without the %DV can YOU QUICKLY ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS WITHOUT GUESSING?
Do you have to calculate to know?

13. The % DV Does the Math for You
Look here for highs and lows!
No, THE % DV DOES THE MATH FOR YOU BY PUTTING ALL THE NUMBERS (GRAMS AND MILLIGRAMS) ON THE SAME SCALE ( %).
On this sample label: 12g fat equals 18% DV
Is 18% DV for Total fat or 20% DV for Sodium high or low? Do these nutrient amounts contribute a lot or a little to the daily limit of 100% DV?
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Here’s an easy way to know: Check the Quick Guide to % DV for context.

14. Quick Guide to % DV 5% DV or less is Low Limit these Nutrients
Get Enough
of these
Nutrients
Now take a look at the The Quick Guide--it gives you a FRAME OF REFERENCE for deciding if a food is high or low in a nutrient.
5% DV or less is low and 20% DV or more is high for all nutrients, including those you want to limit (e.g., fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium) or those you want to get enough of, like fiber and calcium.
Notice how easy it is to apply the 5/20 Quick Guide to % DV for determining highs and lows.
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YOU CAN USE THE %DV NOT ONLY FOR HIGHS AND LOWS, but also TO COMPARE CLAIMS and to MAKE DIETARY TRADE-OFFS so that if you like a food that’s high in a nutrient like saturated fat, you can balance your remaining choices for the day with foods low saturated fat.
We come to the last question: Which nutrients have no %DV?
20% DV or more is High

15. No % Daily Value Trans Fat Sugars Protein
As you can see, there are three nutrients that have no % DV (for TRANS & SUGARS, THERE ARE NO DAILY VALUES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THEM.)
For Protein: Unless a claim is made, or the food is meant for use by infants and children under 4 years old, there is no requirement for a % DV for protein. Current scientific evidence indicates that protein intake is not a public health concern for adults and children over four years old.
Trans fat: Scientific reports link trans fat (saturated fat and cholesterol) with raising LDL (“bad”) blood cholesterol, which increases your risk of coronary heart disease, a leading cause of death in the US. However, experts could not provide a reference value for trans fat nor any other information that FDA believes is sufficient to establish a DV or % DV.
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Now let’s discuss sugars, including added sugars.

16. Read the Nutrition Facts Label For Total Sugars
Plain Yogurt
Fruit Yogurt
Although sugars have no % DV, you can know how to limit your intake by comparing two products and choosing the one with the lowest amount.
To compare, look at the Nutrition Facts label to determine the TOTAL amount of sugars in a food. THE TOTAL AMOUNT INCLUDES BOTH NATURALLY-OCCURRING SUGARS AND THOSE SUGARS ADDED TO THE FOOD.
In this case, the plain yogurt on the left has 10g of sugar in one serving; the fruit yogurt on the right has 44g of sugars, 2-3 times the amount of sugar found in most candy bars.
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So how can you tell if either of these yogurts has added sugars?

17. Look at the Ingredient List for Added Sugars
Plain Yogurt
INGREDIENTS: CULTURED PASTEURIZED GRADE A NONFAT MILK, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, PECTIN, CARRAGEENAN.
Fruit Yogurt
INGREDIENTS: CULTURED GRADE A REDUCED FAT MILK, APPLES, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CINNAMON, NUTMEG, NATURAL FLAVORS, AND PECTIN. CONTAINS ACTIVE YOGURT AND L. ACIDOPHILUS CULTURES
To find if sugars and caloric sweeteners have been added, you need to look at the ingredient list. Notice that ingredients are listed in descending order, so that those ingredients listed first weigh the most, while those weighing the least come last.
What is the difference between these two lists of ingredients regarding sugars? For the plain yogurt listed on top, No added sugars or sweeteners are listed in the ingredients, yet 10g of sugars were listed on the Nutrition label. This is because, there are no added sugars, only naturally-occurring ones in plain yogurt.
If you are concerned about your intake of sugars, especially added sugars, make sure that they are not one of the first two or three ingredients listed. Some other NAMES FOR ADDED SUGARS INCLUDE: corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, maltose, dextrose, sucrose, honey, and maple syrup.
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The last nutrient I would like to bring to your attention is calcium.

18. Calcium In Your Daily Diet
NOTICE CALCIUM IS AN EXAMPLE OF A NUTRIENT THAT HAS A %DV BUT NO WEIGHT AMOUNT LISTED. Experts advise consumers to get adequate amounts of calcium in their daily diet – at least 1,000 milligrams daily. But this advice is most often given in milligrams (mg), and the Nutrition Facts panel does not list mg, only a % DV for calcium.
For consumers who want to know how the calcium they consume in mg relates to expert advice, they need to Know the following

19. Calcium Calculation 100% DV = 1,000mg calcium
30% DV = 300mg calcium = one cup of milk
130% DV = 1,300mg calcium = daily goal for teens
Expert advice on calcium consumption varies:
For adolescents, especially girls, experts advise consuming 1,300mg of calcium—this corresponds to 130%DV
For post-menopausal women it’s 1,200mg of calcium daily—120%DV.
(The DV for calcium on food labels is 1,000mg).
It is important to look at the % DV for calcium on Facts panel so you know how much one serving contributes to the total amount of calcium you need for the day.
--Don't be fooled -- always check the label for calcium because you can't make assumptions about the amount of calcium in specific food categories. Example: the amount of calcium in milk, whether skim or whole, generally is the same per serving, whereas the amount of calcium in the same size 8 oz yogurt container can vary from %DV.
Remember, a food with 20% DV or more contributes a lot of calcium to your daily total, while one with 5% DV or less contributes a little.

20. For More Information www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/lab-gen.html
Guidance on How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Panel on Food Labels (also available in Spanish)
Test Yourself! Test Your Food Label Knowledge!
Food Label Education Video
Calcium! Do You Get It?
Here are additional educational resources that FDA has on its website. This talk is a short version of the newly updated Guidance on How to Understand and Use the NFP.
The Food label Quiz is short, fun, and instructive. There are 5 interactive questions—if you can answer all 5, you pretty much know how to use the label skills.
What’s coming
The updated guidance on how to use the food label—in Spanish;
A new food label brochure—in Spanish too; and
A healthy weight management interactive web piece—coming but can’t say when.