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Grocery Shopping: Reading Labels

Nutrition Label | Label Definitions

New regulations define what terms may be used to describe the level of a nutrient in a food and how they can be used.

FREE Containing no amount of or only negligible amounts
Calorie Free

Less than 5 calories per serving

Cholesterol Free Less than 2 mg of cholesterol & 2 g or less of saturated fat per serving
Fat Free Less than 0.5 g of fat per serving
Sodium Free Less than 5 mg per serving
Sugar Free Less than 0.5 g per serving
 
IMITATION Not "the real thing"-may be nutritionally inferior (lower in protien, vitamins or minerals)
 
LOW May be used on foods that can be eaten frequently without exceeding dietary guidelines
Low Fat 3 g or less per serving
Low Saturated Fat No more than 1 g per serving
Low Sodium Less than 140 mg per serving
Very Low Sodium Less than 35 mg per serving
Low Cholesterol Less than 20 mg per serving
Low Calorie 40 calories or less per serving
 
REDUCED Nutritionally altered and containing 25% less of a nutrient (such as fat) or 25% less calories than the regular version
Reduced/Less Cholesterol Exception to above: At least 25% less and 2 g less of saturated fat per serving than regular version
 
LEAN and
EXTRA LEAN
Used to describe the fat content of meat, poultry, seafood, and game meats
Lean Less than 10 g of fat, less than 4 g of saturated fat, and less than 95 mg of cholesterol per serving
Extra Lean Less than 5 g of fat, less than 2 g of saturated fat, and less than 95 mg of cholesterol per serving
 
LITE or LIGHT The calories in nutritionally altered food have been reduced by at least a third of what they were in the regular product or the fat by at least half. Also the sodium content of a low-calorie, low-fat food has been reduced by at least 50%.
 
PERCENT FAT FREE The product must be a low-fat or fat-free product. The claim must accurately reflect the amount of fat present in 100 g of the food. For example, if a food contains 2.5 g of fat per 50 g, the claim must be "95% Fat Free".

 

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The information on this Website is for general informational purposes only and SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, evaluation or care from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. If you have a medical problem or a health-related question, consult your physician or call Health On-Call at 336-716-2255 or 1-800-446-2255.

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Last Modified: 5/16/2008