1. Food Label Claims and Terms Fall 2014

2. “Free” Less than 1/2 (0.5) gram of fat in a serving.

3. “Calorie Free Less than 5 calories per serving.

4. “Low Fat” 3 grams of fat (or less) per serving

5. “Less” Contains 25 percent less of a nutrient or calories than another food.

6. “Reduced” A nutritionally altered product that contains at least 25 percent fewer calories, sodium, or sugar than the regular one.

7. “Light” Contains 1/3 fewer calories or no more than 1/2 the fat of the higher-calorie, higher- fat version; or no more than 1/2 the sodium of the higher-sodium version

8. “Natural” From a food science perspective, it is difficult to define a food product that is 'natural' because the food has probably been processed and is no longer the product of the earth. That said, FDA has not developed a definition for use of the term natural or its derivatives. However, the agency has not objected to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances.

9. “Organic” The U.S. Department of Agriculture has specific guidelines that food producers must comply with if they want to use the "organic" label. Animal products cannot be given antibiotics or growth hormones, and plants cannot be grown with conventional pesticides or fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage. Genetic engineering and irradiation, exposing crops to radiation to kill bacteria and other pests, are also prohibited for plants to be considered organic. There are three levels of organic to look for in stores. – "One hundred percent organic" means products are made entirely from organic ingredients – “Organic" means that at least 95 percent of a product's ingredients are organic – “Made with organic ingredients" indicates that at least 70 percent of ingredients are organic

10. “Fresh” According to the FDA, food items labeled "fresh" must be raw or unprocessed, and never have been frozen or heated. They also cannot contain any preservatives. However, "fresh" does not mean that fruits and vegetables have been picked recently, or that animals were killed at a certain time.