The New Labeling Laws Thanks to the FDA's new food labeling rules, for the first time ever, consumers will be able to directly compare the nutritional value of every packaged food in the grocery store. By May of 1994, under the provisions of the 1990 Nutrition, Labeling and Education Act, straightforward, instructive labeling will serve to clear up the confusion that has prevailed on supermarket shelves for years. A New Look The contents and design of the nutrition information panel have been completely revamped to reflect the switch in nutritional focus from concerns about vitamin/mineral deficiency to the relationship between nutrition and chronic disease. Starting with its new title, "Nutrition Facts", the rules require that labels on all processed foods show: total calories, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. Other nutritional information, such as the breakdown of soluble and insoluble fiber as well as the amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in the product, may be listed but is not required. To help consumers see how the particular food fits in the overall daily diet, the amount of fat, carbohydrate, fiber, protein, cholesterol and sodium found in the food must then be declared as a percentage of the "Daily Value", a new label reference tool. Assuming a daily intake of 2000 calories, representative of the amount consumed by most adults and children over the age of four, calculation of the Daily Value is based on our country's dietary goals: 60% calories from carbohydrates, 10% calories from protein, and 30% calories from fat, with no more than 10% calories from saturated fat, and at least 11.5 grams of fiber per 1000 calories. Maximum limits for total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium are also suggested on the label. In a concession to the Department of Agriculture, a more hefty 2500 calorie Daily Value listing was added to the label design. The Department, along with ranchers and the meat industry in general, were concerned that when comparing a serving of meat to a diet based on 2000 calories and 65 grams of fat, consumers might consider it too high in fat. Despite the obvious self interest involved, the addition of another calorie option will be a helpful reference for athletes and other individuals who need more calories than the average person. Exceptions to the nutrition panel format are allowed on labels of foods made specifically for children under the age of four. The FDA has not established the Daily Value for this age group. You won't find any information about fats or cholesterol on labels of foods made for children under the age of two. Adequate fat intake is vitally important during these years to ensure satisfactory growth and development. The exclusion of information concerning fat on the labels is to prevent parents from assuming that infants and toddlers should restrict their fat intake. Apples to Apples The new standardized serving sizes make nutritional comparisons of similar products much easier. Rather than leaving it up to the discretion of the manufacturer who may be tempted to finagle the serving sizes to make their product look nutritionally superior, the serving sizes now reflect the amounts that people actually eat at one time. Under the provisions of the label reform, manufacturers will now be speaking the same language. Nutrient content descriptors like "low fat", "low cholesterol", "good source of", "reduced", and "light" will mean the same for any product on which they appear. Even the term "healthy" has regained believable status. To be used on a label to describe a product, a "healthy" food must be low in total fat, low in saturated fat, and contain no more than 60 mg. cholesterol per serving. Food & Health A welcome surprise in the new labeling laws is the approval to label seven relationships between a nutrient or a food and the risk of a disease or health related condition. A useful tool for those who are concerned about eating foods that may help keep them healthier longer, allowable nutrition-disease relationship claims include: calcium and osteoporosis, fat and cancer, fat and heart disease, fiber-containing foods and cancer, fiber-containing foods and heart disease, sodium and hypertension, and the beneficial relationship of fruits and vegetables that are a good source of vitamins A and C in prevention of cancer. Criteria for use is quite strict. For example, to carry the claim linking a product that contains calcium with helping prevent the occurrence of osteoporosis, a food must contain 20% or more of the Daily Value for calcium (200 mg.) per serving. The form of calcium must also be readily absorbed (good-bye Tums) and equal to or exceed the amount of phosphorus found in the foo d. Along with the claims, teens and young adult white and Asian women, who are most in need of adequate calcium intakes must be named as the target population. The need for exercise and a healthy diet must also be implicated as key in the fight against osteoporosis. Likewise, claims for the beneficial relationship of fruits, vegetables and grains with preventing cancer and heart disease can only be used if the food containing these ingredients meet the descriptor qualifications for "low fat" and are a "good source" of high fiber and/or antioxidant rich without fortification. Full Disclosure Equally exciting is the full disclosure required under the new regulations. All FDA certified color additives must now be listed by name rather than the nondescript, all-inclusive term "color". In memory of the MSG and hydrolyzed protein controversy a couple of years ago, sources of protein hydrolysates which are used in many foods as flavors and flavor enhancers are required to be specifically named. Foods that claim to be non-dairy such as coffee whiteners and soy cheese but include caseinate as an ingredient must now indicate that caseinate is derived from milk. And beverages that claim to contain juice are required to declare their total percentage of juice on the information panel. Exemptions But don't expect everything you eat to wear a label. Food served in restaurants, cafeterias, airplanes; purchased from vending machines, sidewalk vendors, mall cookie and candy counters; or ready-to-eat food prepared and sold primarily on-site such as bakery, deli, and candy store items are not required to be sold with a nutritional label. Foods produced by small businesses with food sales of less than $50,000 per year or total sales of less than $500,000 are also exempt. Packages with less than 12 square inches available for labeling can skip printing the nutritional data but must provide an address or phone number to enable consumers to obtain the information if so desired. Hats off! It took over two years of resisting pressure from the food industry, listening to consumer groups, and condensing nutritional suggestions from health practitioners for the FDA to come up with their final food labeling regulations. We can only commend them for their work and hope that the easy to read, detailed nutritional information now provided on labels will serve to help all Americans choose more healthful diets. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Whole Foods Market web pages (http://www.wholefoods.com/wf.html) are maintained by The Whole Foods Market Communications Team Copyright Whole Foods Market, 1995, wfm@wholefoods.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Reprinted (October 1995) with permission from Whole Foods Market