Cruise up and down the aisles of any grocery store and you will find that most of the packaged foods have food labels. Many also carry some kind of nutrition or health-related claim such as “Good source of calcium” or “Reduced-fat.”As you shop, you may see more such claims about the value of particular foods--“fat-free,” “reduced calorie,” “extra lean.” What do all of these labels and claims mean?

The food labels and nutritional claims are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food Safety and Inspection Service in the Department of Agriculture. Some foods are not required to have food labels. If you eat lunch on an airplane, grab a hotdog from a sidewalk vendor, or purchase a brownie at the mall’s cookie counter, you are not likely to get any nutritional information with your food. Those types of vendors are not required to provide food labeling.

Other exempted foods are deli and bakery items and candy, plain coffee and tea, and some spices, as well as medical foods that must provide the specific nutrients people with some diseases need. Some small businesses also are exempt.

On many food packages you will find a box titled “Nutrition Facts,” with specific information on things like the calories, fat, and cholesterol content of a certain size serving. On very small food packages, the “Nutrition Facts” may look more like a traditional list of ingredients, but it should carry the same information. The “Nutrition Facts” label is designed for foods consumed by people four years of age and older. Foods specifically for children younger than four years have different labeling requirements.

Food manufacturers are required to include some information in “Nutrition Facts.” Ingredients must be listed, with the largest ingredient listed first, the second largest listed second, and so on. Serving size is required and must be the first piece of information on the label. This is important because the rest of the label is based on serving size. If you buy a box of crackers, the serving size will probably be about five or six crackers. For soup, the serving size is approximately one cup. Serving size also is expressed as a unit of food, such as one or two slices of bread.

The food label lists nutrients like fat and also lists nutrients that are often lacking, such as calcium and fiber. For each of the nutrients listed, a percentage is given under the heading “% Daily Value” or “% DV.” The “% DV” tells what percentage of your daily recommended allowance of a nutrient the serving of the food provides if you eat 2,000 calories a day.

For example, if one serving of nuts has a % DV of 23 percent, that means the serving contains almost one quarter of the maximum fat intake recommended for a 2,000 calorie daily diet. A five percent or less Daily Value is considered “low,” while a 20 percent or greater Daily Value is considered “high.”

If the package is large enough, there also is a “footnote” at the bottom of the food label. The “footnote” gives recommended dietary guidelines based on both 2,000 and 2,500 calorie diets. This chart gives you another way to understand what the % Daily Values on the food label mean. For example, if you look at this footnote you will see that total fat recommended for a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet would be 65 grams, while a 2,500 diet should contain no more than 80 grams of fat.

Besides understanding the food label, consumers, especially those on special diets, also need to be aware of nutrition claims posted on foods. If you see a box that says “fat free,” it means the product contains no fat or only a tiny bit of fat. A food meets the definition for “low” if a person can eat a large amount of the food without exceeding the Daily Value for the nutrient. If a food package says the food is a “good source” of a particular nutrient, that means it should contain 10-19 percent of the Daily Value for that nutrient.

“Light” can be a confusing term on food packaging. It can refer to a food with either one-third fewer calories or half of the fat of a similar “reference food.” It also could mean that the sodium in a low-calorie, low-fat food has been reduced by 50 percent. Light also can refer to the food’s color or texture.

There also is a standard for “fresh.” According to the FDA, “fresh” means the food must be raw, never frozen or heated, and preservative-free. A “healthy” food must contain only small amounts of cholesterol and sodium and be low in fat and saturated fat. Except for some fruits, vegetables, and cereal-grain items, “healthy” foods must also provide some vitamin A or C, iron, calcium, protein, or fiber.

You may see a health claim that links a food or nutrient to a disease or other condition. These may be statements or symbols, like a heart. These claims must be phrased to help the consumer understand the relationship between the nutrient and the disease. Commonly accepted claims link calcium to osteoporosis, folic acid to neural tube defects, and sodium with high blood pressure.

Marna Holland, Parent Educator, Asheville, NC, City Schools Preschool

North Carolina State University, Understanding Food Labeling, www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/foodsci/ext/pubs/Ag-503/AG-503.html

U.S. Food and Drug Administration, The Food Label, www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/foodlabel/newlabel.html

U.S. Food & Drug Administration, How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label, www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html