Making sense of the new food label

 

Feature Articles: Food, Fitness and Eating Well

 

Making sense of the new food label

Lydia Kaume, Ph.D., RDN, LD, Nutrition and Health
Education Specialist, Jackson County, University of Missouri Extension

 

Today’s consumers are fortunate to have widespread information and
sophisticated tools available that enable us to make healthy, well-informed
food and beverage choices. Jonathan
Foley, former director of the Institute on the Environment at the University
of Minnesota, suggested a few years ago that consumers need to know
not only all of the ingredients, but also where ingredients are grown
and under what conditions. Recently, United Kingdom’s Royal Society
of Public Health announced that in an effort to combat obesity they
will change their food labels to include how much exercise is needed
to burn off calories associated with the food. Their initiative is getting
a lot of attention worldwide and is known as “activity equivalent” calorie
labeling.

 

Generally, today’s consumer is more aware of the environmental and
social issues surrounding our food system as well. This may not be what
you would expect to find on a food label, however, issues such as deforestation,
drainage of rivers to grow food, fertilizer and pesticide use, and status
of farm workers, may influence a consumer’s choice. Therefore, to serve
a variety of needs, our food labels include technical and non-technical
terms and claims including non-GMOs, natural, no high fructose corn
syrup, heart healthy, light, no toxic pesticides, no artificial flavors,
GMO fed, organic, gluten free, etc.

 

On May 20, 2016, the FDA published a new Nutrition Facts label for
packaged foods. Manufacturers will need to comply on or before July
26, 2018. This change is important in helping consumers make healthier
choices to prevent chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease.

 

The changes to the new nutrition facts label include:

• Larger print/type making it easier to read


• Updated serving sizes


• Updated daily values (% DV)


• Added sugars will be included on the label in grams and as % DV


• Actual amounts of nutrients (listed at the bottom of the
  label) will be included, specifically for vitamin D, calcium,
  iron and potassium


• Dual-column labels will be used on certain products that are
  larger than a single serving to indicate the amount of calories
  and nutrients if the entire item is consumed at one time (columns will be “per serving” and “per
  container” amounts).

 

Nutrition and health educators often get the question, “Which of
these factors on a food label is most important for me to watch?”
This is not a simple question, and the answer may vary with individual
need. Nonetheless, based on the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans,
the most important nutrients to watch on a food label are in two categories:

 

• Nutrients that we should have less of or avoid
  — those that have negative effects on health. Take away points for
  foods high in calories from fat, cholesterol, saturated fat, trans
  fats, added sugars and sodium.
  
   


• Nutrients that we need more of and/or have no negative
  effects on health when eaten in correct amounts. Give points
  to foods high in fiber, vitamins and minerals and low in all or most
  of the negative nutrients above.

 

A great tool to use in determining high and low amounts of these
nutrients is the percent Daily Value (% DV), which will be updated on the
new nutrition facts label. The rule of thumb is 20% is high and 5% is low
for any nutrient on the label, based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

On an individual level, making healthy choices is complex and requires
us to consider our values, health status, lifestyle, budget and health
goals. When faced with the myriad of options in a food aisle, our choices
will also be influenced by our understanding of tools and resources
available to us as consumers. Check out these resources
that can boost your understanding of foods and beverages to ensure you
are better equipped for your next food and beverage decision.

 

• Grocery store tours: These are a great way to
  get cutting-edge information on labeling and food choices. Tours
  are usually led by nutritionists or dieticians virtually or at the
  grocery store. Around the country, stores are providing this service
  to customers. In addition, the MU Extension nutrition and health
  education specialists often partner with local stores to conduct
  such educational tours for free. Contact your
  
  local MU Extension office to inquire about grocery store tours
  in your area.
  
   


• Food Point System: Certain stores, including
  Price Cutter, Price Chopper and Hy-Vee, use the NuVal system which
  scores food on a scale of 1-100. According to NuVal, “The higher
  the NuVal Score, the better the nutrition.” The NuVal system reports
  that they use the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Dietary
  Reference Intakes to create their algorithm for measuring the nutritional
  quality of foods and beverages.

 

 

Sources:

Last update:
Tuesday, June 28, 2016