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Food label definitions

Certain terms crop up time and again on food labels. Here are some definitions.
Free-range: The poultry was provided shelter in a building, room or area with unlimited access to food, fresh water and continuous access to the outdoors during their production cycle.
Cage-free: The flock was able to freely roam a building, room or enclosed area with unlimited access to food and fresh water during their production cycle.
Natural: Meat, poultry and egg products with this label must be minimally processed and contain no artificial ingredients. However, the natural label does not include any standards regarding farm practices and only applies to processing of meat and egg products.
Grass-fed: Animals receive a majority of nutrients from grass throughout their life, while organic animals’ pasture diet may be supplemented with grain. The grass-fed label does not limit the use of antibiotics, hormones or pesticides.
Calorie free: Less than five calories per serving.
Reduced/less calorie, fat, sodium, cholesterol, sugar: At least 25 percent fewer of the item than an appropriate reference food.
Light or lite: If 50 percent or more of the calories are from fat, fat must be reduced by at least 50 percent.  
Fat free: Less than half a gram of fat per serving.
Low fat: Three grams or less per serving and not more than 30 percent of calories from fat .
Organic: Indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods that integrate cultural, biological and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used.
Sources: FDA and USDA

Related Photos

  • Michelle Richart, community educator/diabetes educator for St. Vincent Anderson Regional Hospital, with some food items she uses to teach how to read food labels to help make healthy food choices. John P. Cleary/The Herald Bulletin

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January 21, 2013

The mystery of food labels

Nutritionists educate residents on the basics of serving information

CNHI News Service

ANDERSON, Ind. — Reading food labels can be intimidating, but by keeping a few things in mind those labels can help consumers lead a healthier life, experts say.

Michelle Richart, community and diabetes educator at St. Vincent Anderson Regional Hospital, said they do a lot of label education with patients undergoing diabetes care.

There are four different parts to a label — serving information, the raw numbers, the recommended daily intake and the vitamins and minerals. Richart said the serving size is one of the most critical pieces to that puzzle stressing that it is important to know what an actual serving size is as it impacts the rest of the label.

Jenny Martin, Community Hospital Anderson nutrition coordinator and registered dietician said most people are getting significantly more than what a typical serving is.

“I think they would be absolutely surprised to see what an actual serving size is,” she said.

The “raw numbers” give consumers the number of grams or milligrams of things like fat, calories, carbohydrates and other items, Richart explained. And often next to that raw number is a percentage that shows what portion of the recommended daily intake is for someone consuming a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet.

But she stressed if you aren’t following that particular diet then that number essentially is pointless.

“When you look at a label, focus on what is most important to you,” Richart said. “We teach our patients to look at that thing first. If you have a heart condition it may be the sodium. If you have diabetes you look at something different.”

Martin said that labels have changed over the years and what is included on them is mandated by the Food and Drug Administration.

“Know what you are looking for before you look at the label,” she said. “It can be confusing if you don’t understand what you are targeting. People can make things more difficult than they actually are. Look at the grams and milligrams over the percentages.”

Ingredients on labels are listed in the order of what the item contains, ranging from the most to the least, Richart said.

Organic foods are regulated by the USDA. Items labeled as organic must demonstrate that producers are protecting natural resources, conserving biodiversity and using only approved substances, according to the USDA.

Details for this story were provided by The Herald Bulletin.

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