The nutrition
facts panel is designed to encourage health eating. It
gives consumers a way to compare the nutritional value
of products and to see how specific products can meet
their dietary needs.
The nutrition facts panel consists of several sections.
The serving size is given in both a familiar units
such as cups or ounces and in metric units.
Serving sizes
are standardized for similar foods, so that consumers
can make easy comparisons. If the package contains a
single serving, the serving size is not required.Under the
serving size the servings per container lists the total
number of servings contained in the package.
The next section of the nutrient facts panel deals
with specific nutrients. The information is given by
weight in metric units (grams or mg) and as a percent
daily value. The percent daily value shows how much
of each nutrient the food contributes toward meeting
the daily recommended amount of each specific
nutrient.
Percent daily values are based on the recommended
dietary allowances (RDAs) of the nutrient for
a person who is eating a 2,000-calorie diet. Percent
daily values of 5% or less are considered low and
values of 20% or greater are considered high.
The nutrient panel also lists total carbohydrates,
dietary fiber, sugars, and proteins. Americans should
try to increase the amount of dietary fiber they consume.
A percent daily value for protein is not required
unless the food makes the claim ‘‘high in protein.’’
In that case, the daily value must be 20% or greater. No
recommendations have been made about how much
sugar should be consumed in a day, so no percent daily
value can be calculated.
At the bottom of the label, percent daily values,
but no weights, are listed for four nutrients: vitamin A,
Vitamin C, calcium, and iron. These percentages give
consumes an idea how low or high the food is in these
particular nutrients.
Larger labels have a footnote at the very bottom.
The information in this footnote is the always same
regardless of the type of food in the package.
The
footnote explains that the percent daily values are
calculated based on a 2,000 calorie diet, and that an
individual’s needs may be greater or less than the listed
percent daily value depending on the individual’s
energy (calorie) needs.
The footnote then gives dietary
guidance by showing the maximum recommended
grams of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium,
and the minimum grams of carbohydrates and dietary
fibers a person on a 2,000 or 2,500-calorie diet should
consume.
By using all the information available on food
labels, consumers can make informed decision about
the nutritional content of what they eat and maintain a
healthy diet.
