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Choosing Your Fuel!
Using the Nutrition Facts Label

The Nutrition Facts Label was developed in response to the Food Labeling Act of 1990 which was passed by the United States Congress. The label was developed by the USDA and the FDA and is found on all packaged foods and must be available for all unpackaged foods. It contains key pieces of information about the food which helps you to know how it fits into the Dietary Guidelines and the Food Guide Pyramid. It also tells you such things as how much of the food counts as one serving, total calories, calories from fat, and information about how much of each nutrient is in one serving.

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is the amount of a nutrient (remember these are fat, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals) that the Dietary Guidelines suggest should be included in each person's daily diet. The % Daily Value represents the amount of that nutrient found in one serving of the food. This helps you to use the Nutrition Facts Label to:

Select foods for a healthy diet
Select foods for restricted diets
See what nutrients a new food can supply
Compare cost per serving of similar types of foods

Check out the bulletin, "The Food Label" at the website from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for more important information about the Nutrition Facts Label: http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fdnewlab.html

Another great link about the Nutrition Facts label is from KidsHealth:

http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay/_healthy/food/labels.html

nutrition facts label

There is more news on the package!
The Food Labeling Act also gave specific guidelines as to what claims manufacturers could make of the package about nutrient claims and about health claims. This means that if one brand of cereal claims to be high in fiber, it must meet a standard set by the FDA. You will need more information on each of these ideas to complete the next stage of you mission to better nutrition - Label Logic. Label Logic is a study guide you can print off and complete either by yourself or with a group of friends. It can be used to compare the nutrtional value of three to four of your favorite breakfast cereals.

For more information on nutrient claims, visit the FDA bulletin, "The Food Label" as linked above.

For more information on the current health claims approved by the FDA, visit the bulletin, "Staking a Claim to Good Health" at:

http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fdhclm.html

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Updated: May, 2000