U.S FOOD LABEL CLAIMS

The federal Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 provides that manufacturers can make certain claims on processed food labels only if they meet the definitions specified here:

Sugar
Sugar free: less than 0.5 g per serving
No added sugar; Without added sugar; No sugar added:
No sugars added during processing or packing, including ingredients that contain sugars (e.g., fruit juices, apple sauce, or dried fruit). Processing does not increase sugar content above the amount naturally in the ingredients. (A functionally insignificant increase in sugars is acceptable from processes used for purposes other than increasing sugar content.) Food for which it substitutes normally contains added sugars.
Reduced sugar: at least 25% less sugar than reference food

Fat
Fat free: less than 0.5 g of fat per serving
Saturated fat free: less than 0.5 g of saturated fat per serving, and the level of trans fatty acids does not exceed 1% of total fat
Low fat: 3 g or less per serving and, if the serving is 30 g or less or 2 tbs or less, per 50 g of the food
Low saturated fat: 1 g or less per serving and not more than 15% of calories from saturated fatty acids
Reduced fat; Less fat: at least 25% less per serving than reference food

Fiber
High fiber: 5 g or more per serving (must also meet low-fat definition or state level of total fat)
Good source of fiber: 2.5 g to 4.9 g per serving
More fiber; Added fiber: at least 2.5 g more per serving than reference food

Sodium
Sodium free: less than 5 mg per serving
Low sodium: 140 mg or less per serving and, if the serving is 30 g or less or 2 tbs or less, per 50 g of the food
Very low sodium: 35 mg or less per serving and, if the serving is 30 g or less or 2 tbs or less, per 50 g of the food
Reduced sodium; Less sodium: at least 25% less per serving than reference food

Calories
Low calorie: 40 calories or less per serving; if the serving is 30 g or less or 2 tbs or less, 40 calories or less per 50 g of food
Calorie free: under 5 calories per serving
Reduced calories; Fewer calories: at least 25% fewer calories than reference food

Cholesterol
Cholesterol free: less than 2 mg of cholesterol and 2 g or less of saturated fat per serving
Low cholesterol: 20 mg or less and 2 g or less of saturated fat per serving and, if the serving is 30 g or less or 2 tbs or less, per 50 g of the food
Reduced cholesterol; Less cholesterol: at least 25% less than reference food

Other Food Label Claims

The FDA allows food producers and marketers to use language on their packaging that advertises the health benefits and production methods of their products. Products marked certified have been formally evaluated for class, grade, or other quality characteristics by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service. Below are some common packaging terms and their meanings.

Organic: Produced by farmers who use environmentally friendly methods to raise their crops or animals. Before a product can be labeled organic, the farm where the food is grown must pass a special inspection by a USDA official. Organic foods must be produced without conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. The official USDA organic label may appear on vegetables, fruit, packages of meat, cartons of milk, eggs, cheese, and other single-ingredient foods. Foods with more than one ingredient can place the official seal on their packaging if at least 95% of the ingredients are organic. Products with at least 70% organic ingredients may advertise prominently on the front of the package that the item contains organic ingredients. Products with less than 70% organic ingredients may not make any organic claims on the front of the package but may list organic ingredients on the side panel. Foods that contain 100% organic ingredients may advertise that fact on the front of the packaging along with the organic seal.

Natural: A minimally-processed product that does not contain any artificial ingredient or added color. The label must explain the specific use of the term natural with regard to the product, such as “no added colorings,” “no artificial ingredients,” or “minimally processed.”

Free range or free roaming: The product comes from an animal that was given access to the outdoors for an unspecified amount of time each day. Animals raised in slaughterhouses are not considered free range. Free range products do not necessarily mean healthier or more disease-free.

Halal and Zabiah Halal: Produced in federally inspected meat packing plants and handled in accordance with Islamic law and under Islamic authority.

Kosher: Meat and poultry products prepared under Rabbinical supervision.

Minimal processing: Produced using traditional physical processes that do not fundamentally alter the raw products in order to make food edible, to preserve it, or to make it safe for human consumption. Includes smoking, roasting, freezing, drying, and fermenting. Applies mostly to meat and poultry.

No hormones: Hormones are not allowed in raising hogs or poultry, so those products may not make this claim. If sufficient documentation is provided to the USDA proving that hormones were not used, this term may appear on packages of beef.

No antibiotics: Claim may be made on a package (red meat and poultry) if sufficient documentation is provided to the USDA showing that the animals were raised without being administered antibiotics.

Sources: Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Admin., U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services and Food Safety and Inspection Service, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Apud The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 2011', World Almanac Books, New York, 2011. Adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.