The Bethlen Home Messenger, 1992-1993 (1-4. szám)
1993-06-01 / 3. szám
New Food Label Easier to Digest Low, lite or lean? What do they really mean? Finally, you can digest these and other food labeling lingo — such as “fat free” or “saturated fat” or “no calories” or “low cholesterol” — because of new federal laws. And you can trust what you read. New food labels, scheduled to appear on most foods in your supermarkets in 1994, can include nutritional claims only if the food meets government standards. By this summer, many companies are expected to start switching to labels that will provide detailed and clearer information about the content of foods. Meanwhile, the American Heart Association and the Food and Drug Administration have produced a brochure, “How To Read Food Labels.” According to the brochure: • Calories per serving will be listed along with amount of calories derived from fat. The AHA suggests cutting back on calories and fat if you’re overweight. • Fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, fiber and protein will be listed in grams per serving. • Cholesterol and sodium amounts will be listed in milligrams (mg) per serving. The AHA recommends that you eat no more than 300 mg of cholesterol and 3,000 mg of sodium per day. • The percent of daily values will be listed for all of the above. For nutrients like fat and cholesterol, the daily value percentage tells your upper limit, based on a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet. For example, if a product contains three grams of fat, the daily value column will tell you that the fat in the product is 5 percent of your recommended maximum daily fat intake. The label will include total daily value numbers for both a 2,000- calorie and 2,500-calorieper-day diet. But not everyone needs to eat that many calories per day. And those who don’t should eat less fat and cholesterol. • Vitamins and minerals will be listed in their percentage of daily values per serving. The goal is 100 percent of vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. These should be derived from a combination of foods throughout the day. The new label is strict concerning food claims. For example, “fat-free" means less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving and no added fat or oil. “Low-fat” is restricted to three grams of fat, or less, per serving. The description “light” or “lite” is restricted to products that have one-third fewer calories or no more than one-half the fat of the higher-calorie, higher-fat version. To earn a “cholesterol-free” label, the product must contain fewer than two milligrams of cholesterol and two grams or less of saturated fat per serving. For more information about healthy eating made easier, contact your local AHA or call 1-800-AFLA-USA1 (1-800-242-8721). ©1993, American Heart Association
