Test Your Knowledge

The nutrition facts panel provides information on many nutrients that have an impact on overall health. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the nutrition facts panel. The nutrients required on the nutrition facts panel were selected because they address health concerns relating to illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

Although the FDA regulates the information that appears in the nutrition facts panel, it is up to the manufacturer to determine the food’s content. For this reason, inaccuracies may occur.

Nutrient information and the order in which it must appear on the label are as follows:

The accompanying diagram and information, How to Read a Nutrition Facts Label, is provided as guidance on how to understand and use the nutrition facts panel in order to make quick and informed food choices.

The nutrition facts panel is intended to help consumers gain insight into what they are eating. It is divided into two parts:

• Specific information about the food. This makes up most of the panel and includes details about the serving size, calories and nutrient information. Not all nutrients are listed. Instead, the panel highlights those nutrients that specifically relate to important health issues. Other nutrients may be listed on a voluntary basis.
  
  
• General nutrition information. This is located in the footnote at the bottom of the panel. It includes information about the dietary daily reference value (DRV) that appears on the label as daily value (DV). The percent daily value (% daily value) is provided for each nutrient (except for sugars and protein). It represents the percentage of a nutrient’s recommended daily amount that is contained in one serving. This amount is based on either a 2,000-calorie or 2,500-calorie diet. A 2,000-calorie diet is generally recommended for most moderately active women, teenage girls and sedentary men. Many men, teenage boys and active women are advised to consume 2,500 calories daily. This portion of the nutrition facts box enables a person to determine the level of nutrients in a food.

The individual components of the label include:

• Serving size. Serving size may represent a common household measure (1 cup) and its metric equivalent (227 grams) or a count (two cookies, for example). It varies from package to package and does not always reflect the typical amount of a food that an adult would likely consume in a single meal. However, the FDA mandates that all labels for a given product contain the same serving sizes. This helps consumers to compare products from different manufacturers. It is important to remember that the serving size listed in the nutrition facts panel does not necessarily correspond to serving sizes in the USDA’s Food Guide Pyramid.
  

  

• Servings per container. The number of servings per container is based on the total volume or weight of the product as well as the serving size. All of the nutrient information on the nutrition facts panel is based on the size of one serving of that food. People who eat one-half of a serving have consumed only one-half of the calories, saturated fat, trans fat and other nutrients listed. People who eat two servings double their intake of the nutrients listed.
  
  
• Calories. Total calories and calories from fat are required to be listed on food labels. Some labels may also voluntarily include calories from saturated fat. Fat, carbohydrates and protein are the three nutrients in foods that are sources of calories. About 30 percent of total daily calorie intake should come from fats, 45 percent to 65 percent from carbohydrates and the rest from protein. For this reason, the nutrition label lists how many calories from fats are in a food product.
  
  
• Total fat. Total fat, saturated fat and trans fat content are required to be listed in grams. Some labels may voluntarily include levels of unsaturated fat (broken down into polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat). The daily value is based on a daily intake of 2,000 calories, where total fat is 30 percent of daily calories and saturated fat makes up 10 percent of daily calories.
  
  The nutrition facts panel requires that only total fat, saturated fat and trans fat be listed because unsaturated fats tend to have a positive effect on blood cholesterol levels. Trans fat is the newest ingredient to be included on a food label. A consumer uses this information to determine the “lowest combined amount” in a product. Food labels will list the grams (g) of trans fats separately from saturated fats and the two must be added to determine the total combined amount. For example, a product listing 2 g of saturated fat and 3 g of trans fat has a combined amount of 5 g. The product with the lowest combined amount will be a healthier choice.
  
  
• Cholesterol. Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance (lipid) that is carried through the bloodstream. Cholesterol from animal products such as meat, eggs and dairy products is required to be listed in milligrams.
  
  
• Sodium. Salt (sodium) can occur naturally in foods, or may be added during the food production process. It is listed in milligrams on the nutrition facts label.
  
  
• Total carbohydrates. Total carbohydrates, total sugars and total dietary fiber are required to be listed in grams. Some labels may also list levels of sugar alcohol, soluble fiber, insoluble fiber and/or other carbohydrates. Total carbohydrates on the nutrition facts panel include three types of carbohydrates – simple sugars, complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber. They are also listed in grams.
  
  
• Proteins. Proteins are essential to overall health and are listed in grams on the nutrition facts label. They provide what are called essential amino acids – substances that the human body needs, but cannot produce and thus are available only through the diet.
  
  
• Vitamins and minerals. Vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron levels must be listed on the nutrition facts panel. Some labels also voluntarily list Potassium and other vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients. That is, the human body needs a small amount of these naturally occurring chemicals to maintain health. Nevertheless, those small amounts are vitally important.
  
  
• Daily values. The nutrition facts panel includes percent of daily values (DV). The DV represents the percentage of a nutrient in one serving of a food product, compared with the total amount of that nutrient a person should have in one day, based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

The nutrition facts panel and the percent of daily values can help people gauge how much of certain nutrients they consume daily. These labels enable people to reduce the amount of total fats, saturated fats, cholesterol and sodium they eat. So, a low DV for these foods is preferred. For other nutrients – such as vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, fiber or iron – people should strive to reach 100 percent each day.