Understanding Food Labels: Terms Defined by the FDA

Food packaging has become quite complicated in recent decades. Many terms used on food labels today can confuse and even mislead consumers. Understanding what words are regulated and what they mean facilitates informed decision making and healthier food choices.

The FDA regulates the use of the following words and phrases on food packaging:

Light or Lite 1/3 fewer calories or 1/2 the fat of original product
Reduced Fat At least 25% less total fat than the original product
Low-Fat (Less Fat) 3 grams or less of total fat per serving size
Fat Free (Zero Fat, No Fat, Without Fat) Less than 0.5 grams of total fat per serving size
% Fat-Free Products that are labeled as __% fat free must contain 3 grams or less of total fat per serving size.
       100% Fat-Free may be used only on foods that meet the criteria for “fat free” and also contain less than 0.5 grams of fat per 100 grams and contain no added fat.

       Reduced Saturated Fat At least 25% less saturated fat than the original  
       Low-Saturated Fat (Less Saturated Fat) 1 gram or less of saturated fat per serving size and not        more than 15% of calories from saturated fat
       Saturated Fat-Free (Zero or No Saturated Fat) less than 0.5 grams saturated fat per serving           size and no more than 0.5 grams of trans fats

Reduced Cholesterol At least 25% less cholesterol than original product
Low-Cholesterol (Less Cholesterol) 20 milligrams or less cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving size
Cholesterol-Free (Zero or No Cholesterol) Less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving size

Light or Lite 3 grams of fat or less and 40 calories or less per serving size
Reduced Calorie 25% less calories than original product
Low-Calorie 40 calories or less per serving size
Calorie-Free (Zero or No Calories) less than 5 calories per serving

       Lightly Salted 50% less sodium added during the processing than normally added to original                  product. These products may or may not be low sodium.
       No Salt, Unsalted No additional salt was added during processing, may or may not be sodium free.
       Very Low Sodium 35mg of sodium or less per serving
       Light or Lite in Sodium At least 50% less sodium than the original
       Reduced Sodium, Less Sodium At least 25% less sodium than the original
       Low in Sodium 140mg or less per serving size
       Sodium Free (Salt Free, Zero or No Sodium, Without Sodium) Less than 5mg per serving

       Sugar Free (Zero or No Sugar) Less than 0.5 g sugar per serving size

       Reduced Sugar (Less or Lower Sugar) At least 25% less sugar than original   

       No Sugar Added, Without Sugar No sugar or ingredients containing sugar were added during                    processing. These products must indicate that they are NOT low or reduced calorie.

           High in... products labeled high in a certain nutrients like vitamin c must contain 20% or more of Daily Value (based on a 2000 calorie diet)
           High Fiber products must contain 5g or more of fiber per serving

If products are high in a certain item that could have a negative health impact, packaging must include a label that says “See Nutrition Facts for (nutrient in high amounts) Content”....

        “See Nutrition Facts for Fat Content”

       High Fat products contain more than 13g of fat per serving

       “See Nutrition Facts for Saturated Fat Content”

       High Saturated Fat products contain more than 4g of saturated fat per serving

       “See Nutrition Facts for Cholesterol Content”

       High Cholesterol products contain more than 60mg of cholesterol per serving

       “See Nutrition Facts for Sodium Content”

       High Sodium products contain more than 480mg of sodium per serving

The FDA also regulates Health Claims, for example Cherrios claim they are "clinically proven to help reduce cholesterol". They are allowed to use this label as long as they include somewhere on the box that "Studies show that three grams of soluble fiber daily from whole grain oat foods, like Cheerios cereal, in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. Cherrios cereal provides 1 gram per serving." (in picture below: this quote printed under the heart shaped bowl, next to net wt)

For more information, visit the FDA's Food Labeling Guide

If you really want to be an informed consumer, you should always check the nutrition facts and read through the ingredients list. Remember to pay attention to serving sizes.