Understanding a nutritional facts label
- 1. UNDERSTANDING A NUTRITIONAL FACTS LABEL FOR NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT An Academic presentation by Dr. Nancy Agnes, Head, Technical Operations, FoodResearchLab Group: www.foodresearchlab.com Email: info@foodresearchlab.com
- 2. Introduction Study the ingredient list Other common labels Today's Discussion OUTLINE
- 3. Introduction The secret to understanding a food label is knowing what exactly to look for. Once you to see the label jargon, it is no longer difficult to make your healthy purchases The front label often lures customers into buying products based on health claims. Manufacturers often tend to use misleading health claims. Terms such as "fresh natural", “no additives”, “no cholesterol” are causing serious confusion among consumers. Contd...
- 4. The nutrition facts label is a label required on most packaged food in many countries, showing what nutrients (to limit and get enough of) are in the food. Labels are usually based on official nutritional rating systems. Most countries also release overall nutrition guides for general educational purposes. In some cases, the guides are based on different dietary targets for various nutrients than the labels on specific foods.
- 5. Study the Ingredient List A good rule of thumb is to scan the food ingredients list, as the product is made up. Food Product ingredients are often listed by quantity from highest to the lowest amount by weight. The ingredient list will include refined grains, sugar and hydrogenated oils, which can be used to screen healthy and unhealthy options. Contd...
- 6. The ingredient list that is longer than 2-3 lines also will suggest that the product is highly processed. This information will be crucial for consumers with allergies and wise consumers who would like to know how much of their product is diluted with water or contains preservatives and artificial additives. Contd...
- 7. Contd...
- 8. Serving size and number of servings is the first information you can find on the nutritional facts label after nutrient analysis . Consumers need to compare the amount they normally consume to the serving size listed on the label. The food ingredient supplier normally lists this information in common household measurements, such as in pieces, cups or ounces. Consuming larger portions might lead to weight gain, as you are consuming twice the amount of calories and nutrients. Contd...
- 9. U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agency had made it mandatory to print the calorie count in largerand bolder in the label, making it easier for the average consumer during food product development. The nutritional information label also provides a column of values called per cent % Daily Value (% DV). It denotes how much of a nutrient is present in one serving of food which needs to be consumed one day. This value is based on an average daily diet of 2000 calories. Contd...
- 10. However, this value varies from person to person based on gender, age and activity levels. Generally, a serving size of 5% or lower daily value is low, and a serving size with 20% is considered high. Contd...
- 11. Contd... Figure 2. An example of Nutritional facts label
- 12. Dietary Fiber aids in the digestion of food that one consumes. Fiber reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes and even a few types of cancer. A fiber rich food will contain more than 5 grams per serving of food. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are usually rich in fiber content. Men under the age of 50 should consume at least 38 grams per day, and women under this category should become consumer at least 25 grams. Contd...
- 13. "Healthy" foods must contain very little fat, with limited cholesterol and sodium. Fat contains more calories than carbs or protein per gram of food. Consumers should choose unsaturated fatty acids and limit saturated and trans-fat. Saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease and could lead to high cholesterol. The average consumer should not consume more than 20 grams of saturated fat per day. Contd...
- 14. Partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated also indicates that the product contains trans-fat. Trans-fat is also unhealthy and leads to an increased risk of heart disease. The average consumer should get 0 grams of trans-fat per day. Trans-fat is often present in fried foods, snacks, margarine and hydrogenated vegetable oils. For instance, "trans-fat free" products should only contain 0.5 mg of trans fats and "cholesterol-free" foods can contain up to 2 milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams of saturated fat. Contd...
- 15. Overall, anyone should not consume more than 200 milligrams of cholesterol per day. Sodium should be restricted to less than one teaspoon of salt per day (2300 mg) for healthy individuals. Consumers with high blood pressure should not consume more than 1500 mg per day. Packaged foods with a serving label “low-sodium” may contain up to 140 milligrams of sodium. Contd...
- 16. Sugar adds plenty of calories and is often listed on the label in different terms, such as high fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, dextrose, turbinado et. These days artificial sweeteners are added to provide sweetness with fewer calories. It will be healthy to choose foods with less than 5 grams of sugar per serving. Packaged foods with a serving label “low-calorie” can have a maximum of 40 calories. Some products are naturally rich in sugar. Contd...
- 17. The fact that the manufacturer claims “no added sugar”, doesn’t necessarily make it healthy. Fortified Vitamins and minerals include vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium, which are added to give a wholesome balanced diet meal. 14 vitamins could be included in a product based on the end product. Some of the uncommon labels might include, biotin, choline, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin and thiamin.
- 18. Other Common Labels Products declared under these categories should not contain any conventional pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and organic animal products should not contain hormones or antibiotics. Organic or natural food does not necessarily have to be better than the conventional foods. It depends on growing conditions, food storage and nutritional composition. ORGANIC/NATURAL/FRESH: Contd...
- 19. Organic foods do contain the same or similar amount of carbohydrate, fat, protein and calories. Fruits and vegetables grown without chemicals or pesticides would be ideal and may contain higher levels of antioxidants. However, not everyone can afford it. Normal produce still contains the same nutrients, so wash them well and keep your budget to a minimum. Multigrain or made with whole grains may contain more than one type of grain and contain very little whole grains. Contd...
- 20. The grains could also be refined for further processing. Similarly, gluten-free indicates the absence of gluten in the product, which could be concerning for some individuals. Flavors are not generally obtained from actual fruits, such as the natural strawberry flavour in a yoghurt. Chemicals designed to taste like fruit are added to the product mix. Contd...
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