Public Urged to Use New, Simpler Labels on Food : Health: Manufacturers must list calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, proteins and certain vitamins and minerals in each serving.
The federal government, joined by an array of health and consumer groups, unveiled an education campaign Monday to encourage Americans to use the new, simpler nutritional labels that soon will be on all processed foods--from potato chips and candy to salad dressing and processed meat and poultry products.
“The new food label represents nothing less than an enormous public health opportunity that comes only rarely,” said David A. Kessler, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. “Using the new label, Americans will be able to make truly informed choices about the food they eat.”
The labels, mandated by the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, represent the most sweeping revision of food labels since they were introduced in 1973.
Starting Sunday, manufacturers must place the new labels on all processed foods, with the exception of meat and poultry products, which do not have to be in compliance until July 6. Stores, however, may continue to sell inventories of products made without the labels before those deadlines.
The labels must follow a strict format showing calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, proteins and certain vitamins and minerals in each serving.
In addition, foods must meet certain criteria before makers can make such claims as “cholesterol free” or “low calorie.” Thus, Kessler said, “when the label says, ‘low fat,’ or ‘high fiber,’ you can be confident that the phrase . . . means something.”
Together, those rules represent a departure from the old labels, which were voluntary and allowed manufacturers wide latitude in characterizing ingredients.
Consumers may have noticed the new labels in stories for months because many manufacturers adopted them before the deadline. Some 70% of processed foods already carry the new labels, said John Cady, president of the National Food Processors Assn., which represents the $400-billion-a-year industry.
Kessler emphasized what he referred to as the simple way nutritional information is shown. He pointed out that the type is larger than on the previous labels and the most important information appears in bolder type.
The quantities of nutrients are listed not only in absolute amounts--grams or milligrams--but also as a percentage of “daily value,” based on a 2,000-calorie diet, roughly the average daily adult intake.
Holding a package of a microwaveable cheeseburger as an example, Kessler said: “Look next to saturated fat. Fifty-one percent of your saturated fat for the day is included in one serving. Eat two of these and you are maxed out for the day.”
The new rules for labeling products as “low” or “high” or “free” of certain ingredients follow simple standards. Any ingredient listed at 5% of daily value or less means the food can be labeled “low” in that nutrient, according to Kessler and Jacobson.
Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1/2 cup (114g). Servings per container: 4
Amount per serving Calories: 90 Calories from fat: 30 % Daily Value* Total fat: 3g (5%) Saturated fat Og (0%) Cholesterol: 30mg (10%) Sodium: 660mg (28%) Total Carbohydrate: 31g (10%) Dietary fiber Og (0%) Sugars: 5g Vitamin A: 4% / Vitamin C: 2% Calcium 15% / Iron 4% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
