It’s a very good habit that many of us feel obligated to undertake: checking out the nutritional information in food labels when grocery shopping. Finding out the best foods for our own health and the health of family members has become much easier over the years, as federal regulations have required that companies provide detailed information on caloric totals as well as the amount of fat, carbohydrates, sugar, and sodium in their food products.
Still, decoding the nutritional content in food labels is hard, and ubiquitous messages such as “fat free,” “sugar free,” “non-GMO,” and “organic” further add to the confusion, especially when the foods in question turn out to be not nearly as healthy as advertised.
In this episode of Kentucky Health, host Dr. Wayne Tuckson talks with a professor of nutrition from Kentucky State University about the ways people can use food label guidelines to improve their diet and overall health. They also discuss a revised and improved food label released by the Food and Drug Administration earlier this year, which will become the standard by 2018.
Dr. Kristopher Grimes is the state specialist for nutrition and nutrition education, and an assistant professor in the College of Agriculture, Food Science, and Sustainable Systems at Kentucky State University in Frankfort.
“Back many years ago, as we were growing our own food and producing our own food, we knew what was in our food, we knew what we were eating. But as foods have become more prepackaged, more processed, more tightly run by different companies, and we see these foods on our shelves, we don’t always know what’s in our foods,” he says. “So, the FDA has developed a system, requirements for companies to list the basic ingredients of those foods and the different nutritional benefits of those foods. It’s important to look at, so we know what we’re actually ingesting.”
Tips for Getting the Most Out of the Label
Grimes examines the food labels on several cereal boxes, breakfast bars, and juices, and points out some of the most vital guidelines for consumers. The label information is organized in a top-down list, with calories first, and then macronutrients such as fats, sodium, carbohydrates and sugars, and protein. These are followed by micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals. Below the charts on each label is the list of ingredients.
Here are some of Grimes’ points of emphasis for savvy food label readers and consumers:
● First, check the serving size, and calculate total calories, fat, carbohydrates, etc. in each serving, and then make total estimates on the nutritional value based on how many food servings you plan to eat. “The box may tell us what’s in there, but it can’t control how much we’re going to actually eat.”
● Understand the percentages. The percentage column for fat, carbohydrates, protein, etc. in the food label is based on a 2,000 to 2,500 calorie per day diet, Grimes says, with the 2,500 per day ceiling reserved for teenagers and active adults.
● Know the difference between saturated fat, trans fat, and the comparatively “good” polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Grimes says the FDA is regulating the amount of trans fat in many food products, as this artificially produced fat is recognized as being more harmful than other fats.
● Order is important when analyzing the ingredient list. “When we look at the ingredients, what we find is that the most prevalent ingredient is listed first,” he says. Scanning the first several ingredients can lead to important findings that may contradict a product’s marketing. “A lot of times with our fat-free foods, we look at the label and it screams, ‘Low Fat,’ and we may say, ‘Oh, we’re going to lose weight by eating this,’” he says, “and what we don’t realize is that there’s tons of added sugar, which is being looked at as one of the major contributors to obesity in our nation.”
● The advertising labels “Organic” and “Non-GMO” are more tightly regulated than is the “Natural” label. The FDA tightly controls what can be labeled “Organic,” Grimes says. Produce labeled as such cannot have any pesticides or herbicides sprayed on it, and animals raised organically can’t eat any feed that was treated with chemicals. Food labeled “Non-GMO” (genetically modified organism) means that the food has not been altered to add nutrients or to make it resistant to pests or pesticides, and this information is valuable to consumers wary of genetic engineering. As for the third label, Grimes says that “the FDA is soliciting comments right now about what the term ‘Natural’ should imply – if something says ‘Natural,’ how natural is it, really?”
● Understand that just because a food is labeled as “Organic,” “Non-GMO,” or “Natural” does not necessarily mean it is healthy. Many of these foods are loaded with calories, fat, and/or sugar. “You could eat something that’s non-organic that actually may be half the calories of something that is organic,” he says. “And so you really have to look at, what is your main goal? Is your main goal to eat something that is low calorie and still fairly healthy? Or is your main goal to make sure you’re eating something that’s organic and free from any pesticides?”
New Revisions Will Empower Consumers
Last May, the FDA released a revised food label that reflects new scientific findings about nutrition, adjusts recommended servings and percentages to reflect contemporary eating habits, adds data about several valuable nutrients, and improves the label design. Manufacturers are required to use the new label by July 2018.
Grimes says that changing the serving size recommendations was long overdue, and will help consumers make more realistic diet plans. “The new nutrition labels are required to put down a serving size that is typically eaten by individuals,” he says. “For instance, take ice cream. What we have now in the label, the serving size would be half a cup. Well, most individuals, including myself, will be eating more than half a cup of ice cream. We just can’t stay away from it. Now, the manufacturers will be required to put three quarters of a cup as the recommendation to meet what is generally eaten.”
Another change expands the list of vitamins and minerals required in the food label. Two important ones, Grimes says, are Vitamin D and potassium. He notes that vitamins currently on the label, such as A and C, are ones that most people in the U.S. get enough of throughout their lives. He says the FDA wants to emphasize Vitamin D deficiency because it is becoming more common in the United States.
Potassium amounts are very important for people with renal disease, Grimes says. A person with kidney failure risks having too much potassium in the blood, and would need to avoid foods that contain the mineral.
Perhaps most importantly, the new FDA label will require manufacturers to provide accurate measurements for the amount of added sugar in a food product. Grimes says this will help people better understand how common it is to find added sugars in everyday food and drink choices. For example, fruit juices often contain added sugar, and are deficient in the fiber and nutrients that are consumed when eating a piece of fruit. Grimes always prefers eating fresh fruit rather than drinking juice.
“Whenever I’m speaking to individuals about getting their daily source of fruit and vegetables, I really promote having a habit of eating fresh fruit, eating the actual fruit or the actual vegetable,” he says. “As you eat them, there’s not added sugar, there’s not additives, it is natural. And you also have a lot of fiber in there. As soon as you start removing the juice from the fruit or from the vegetable, you’re removing some of those benefits.”
With the revised label, “The FDA is taking into account and realizing that added sugar is playing a major role in health crises,” Grimes says.
