Nutrition information on food labels
Nutrition information on food labels
What is new?
What does it mean?
How do you use it?
#1
Nutrition information on food labels
#2
#3
What food products have Nutrition Facts?
Almost all prepackaged foods have Nutrition Facts
some exceptions:
• fresh fruit and vegetables
• raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood
• foods prepared or processed at the store
bakery items, sausage, salads
• foods that contain very few nutrients
coffee beans, tea leaves, spices
• alcoholic beverages
#4
Use Nutrition Facts to make informed food choices
• to help you choose foods that meet your needs
• to easily compare similar foods
• to look for foods with more or less of a specific nutrient
• to select foods for special diets
#5
Serving size
• the specific amount of food
listed under the “Nutrition
Facts” title
• all nutrient information is
based on this amount of
food
• listed in common measures
you use at home
#6
Nutrition Facts are based on a specific amount of food
Compare this to the amount you eat and Canada’s Food Guide
Example: Breakfast Cereal
Food Label
bran cereal with raisins
1 cup (59 g)
Food Guide
30 g
At home
1 ½ cups bran cereal
with raisins
#7
% Daily Value
• can make it easier to compare foods
• helps you see if a food has a lot or a
little of a nutrient
• provides a context to the actual amount
of a nutrient
#8
Use % Daily Value to see if a food has a lot or a
little of a nutrient
The actual numbers can be confusing, for example:
• 2 mg of iron seems small but it is 15 % of the Daily Value for iron
• 110 mg of sodium seems large but it is only 5 % of the Daily
Value for sodium
% Daily Value makes it easy to see if there is a lot or a little of a
nutrient without having to do any math.
#9
Use Nutrition Facts to make informed food choices
• Increasing or decreasing a specific nutrient...
• Choosing between two similar products...
#10
List of ingredients
• all of the ingredients for a food are listed by weight, from the
most to the least (the ingredient that is in the largest amount is
listed first)
• is present on prepackaged foods
• is a source of allergy information
• is a source of certain nutrient information
#11
Nutrition claims
They are:
• regulated statements made when a food meets certain
criteria
• optional, so may be found only on some food products
• often on the front of food packages
• a quick and easy way to get information about a food
#12
Nutrition claims
When you want to decrease the amount of certain nutrients...
Free
• none or hardly any of this nutrient
• an example is “sodium free”
Low
• a small amount
• an example is “low fat”
Reduced
Light
• at least 25% less of the nutrient than a similar product
• an example is “reduced in Calories”
• can be used on foods that are reduced in fat or
reduced in Calories
#13
Nutrition claims
When you want to increase the amount of certain nutrients...
Source
• contains a useful amount of the nutrient
• an example is “source of fibre”
High or good • contains a high amount of the nutrient
source
• an example is “high in vitamin C”
Very high or • contains a very high amount of the nutrient
excellent
• an example is “excellent source of calcium”
source
#14
Nutrition claims
“A healthy diet low in saturated and trans fats may
reduce the risk of heart disease. (Naming the food) is
free of saturated and trans fats.”
#15
Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating
#16
Nutrition labelling: a tool to support healthy eating
Food Guide Message
Enjoy a variety of foods from
each group every day
Label Information
• check your grocery cart to
ensure foods from all the food
groups are included – with and
without labels
Choose lower fat foods more
often
• Nutrition Facts - % DV
• Nutrition claims such as “lower
in fat”
#17
Nutrition labelling: a tool to support healthy eating
Food Guide Message
Choose whole grains and
enriched products more often
Label Information
• List of ingredients
• Nutrition Facts
• Nutrition claims
Choose dark green or orange
vegetables and orange fruit
more often
• List of ingredients
• Nutrition Facts
#18
Nutrition labelling: a tool to support healthy eating
Food Guide Message
Choose lower fat milk products
more often
Label Information
• Nutrition claims
• Nutrition Facts
• List of ingredients
Choose leaner meats, poultry
and fish, as well as dried peas,
beans and lentils more often
• Nutrition claims
• Nutrition Facts
• List of ingredients
#19
A healthy you!
Enjoy eating well, being active and
feeling good about yourself.
#20