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Latest news
Trans
fat is now a requirement on all nutritional labeling
Allergen statement is now a requirement on all packaging.
Do you know
there are companies as well as certain products that are exempt from a
nutrition facts label. To find out if your exempt
contact us.
Did you know
there are several different types of nutrition labels;
Infants (less
then 2yr old)
Toddlers (2-4yr
old)
Adults (4yr old
and up)
Lactating Women
Pregnant Women
Each must have it's own calculations, by law !
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 Understanding Food Labels and Nutrition Facts Labels
The nutrition facts label (also known as the nutrition information
panel, and various other slight variations) is a label required on most
pre-packaged foods.
In the U.S., the nutritional facts label lists the percentage supplied required
in one day of human nutrients based on the average 2000 calorie a day diet.
The label was mandated for most food products under the provisions of the
1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA), per the recommendations of the
United States Department of Health and Human Services' Food and Drug
Administration. It was one of several controversial actions taken during the
tenure of FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler. The law required food companies to
begin using the new food label on packaged foods beginning May 8, 1994. Foods
labeled before that day could use the old label. This appeared on all products
in 1995. The old label was titled "Nutrition Information Per Serving" or simply,
"Nutrition Information".
The label begins with a standard serving measurement, calories are listed
second, and then following is a break down of the constituent elements. Always
listed are total fat, sodium, carbohydrates and protein; the other nutrients
usually shown may be suppressed if they are zero. Usually all 15 nutrients are
shown: calories, calories from fat, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol,
sodium, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C,
calcium, and iron.
Products containing less than 5g of fat show amounts rounded to the nearest
.5g. Amounts less than .5g are rounded to 0g. For example, if a product contains
.45g of trans fat per serving, and the package contains 18 servings, the label
would show 0g of trans fat, even though the product actually contains a total of
8.1g of trans fat.
Important: 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.
Products that claim to be classified as low-fat and high-fiber must achieve
uniform definitions between products of similar labels.
Remember: You can use the Nutrition Facts label not only to help
limit those nutrients you want to cut back on but also to increase
those nutrients you need to consume in greater amounts.
For instance: The
Institute of Medicine offers these daily fiber recommendations:
38 grams for men and 25 grams
for women 50 and younger
30 grams for men and 21 grams
for women 51 and older
Which are above what the
nutrition label calculation are based on, which is 25grams.
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