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June 2000; Updated July 2003 and November 2004

How to Understand
and Use the Nutrition Facts Label

PDF format = |=20 Food = Label=20 video

People look at food labels for different reasons. But whatever the = reason,=20 many consumers would like to know how to use this information more = effectively=20 and easily. The following label-building skills are intended to make it = easier=20 for you to use nutrition labels to make quick, informed food choices = that=20 contribute to a healthy diet.

The Nutrition Facts Label - An Overview:

The information in the main or top section (see #1-4 and #6 on the = sample=20 nutrition label below), can vary with each food product; it contains=20 product-specific information (serving size, calories, and nutrient = information).=20 The bottom part (see #5 on the sample label below) contains a footnote = with=20 Daily Values (DVs) for 2,000 and 2,500 calorie diets. This footnote = provides=20 recommended dietary information for important nutrients, including fats, = sodium=20 and fiber. The footnote is found only on larger packages and does not = change=20 from product to product.

In the following Nutrition Facts label we have colored certain = sections to=20 help you focus on those areas that will be explained in detail. You will = not see=20 these colors on the food labels on products you purchase.

The = Serving Size

3D"Serving (#1 on sample label):
The first place to start when = you look at=20 the Nutrition Facts label is the serving size and the number of servings = in the=20 package. Serving sizes are standardized to make it easier to compare = similar=20 foods; they are provided in familiar units, such as cups or pieces, = followed by=20 the metric amount, e.g., the number of grams.

The size of the serving on the food package influences the number of = calories=20 and all the nutrient amounts listed on the top part of the label. Pay = attention to the serving size, especially how many servings there are in = the=20 food package. Then ask yourself, "How many servings am I consuming"? = (e.g., 1/2=20 serving, 1 serving, or more) In the sample label, one serving of = macaroni=20 and cheese equals one cup. If you ate the whole package, you would eat=20 two cups. That doubles the calories and other nutrient numbers, = including=20 the %Daily Values as shown in the sample label.

Example
	Single Serving	%DV		Double Serving	%DV
Serving Size	1 cup (228g)		2 cups (456g)
Calories	250		500
Calories from Fat	110		220
Total Fat	12g	18%	24g	36%
Trans Fat	1.5g		3g
Saturated Fat	3g	15%	6g	30%
Cholesterol	30mg	10%	60mg	20%
Sodium	470mg	20%	940mg	40%
Total Carbohydrate	31g	10%	62g	20%
Dietary Fiber	0g	0%	0g	0%
Sugars	5g		10g
Protein	5g		10g
Vitamin A		4%		8%
Vitamin C		2%		4%
Calcium		20%		40%
Iron		4%		8%

Calories = (and Calories=20 from Fat)

Calories provide a measure of how much energy you get from a serving = of this=20 food. Many Americans consume more calories than they need without = meeting=20 recommended intakes for a number of nutrients. The calorie section of = the label=20 can help you manage your weight (i.e., gain, lose, or maintain.) = Remember:=20 the number of servings you consume determines the number of calories you = actually eat (your portion amount).

3D"Calories =20 (#2 on sample label):
In the example, there are 250 calories in = one=20 serving of this macaroni and cheese. How many calories from fat are = there in ONE=20 serving? Answer: 110 calories, which means almost half the calories in a = single=20 serving come from fat. What if you ate the whole package content? Then, = you=20 would consume two servings, or 500 calories, and 220 would come from = fat.

General Guide to Calories

40 Calories is low=20
100 Calories is moderate=20
400 Calories or more is high

The General Guide to Calories provides a general reference for = calories when you look at a Nutrition Facts label. This guide is based = on a=20 2,000 calorie diet.

Eating too many calories per day is linked to overweight and=20 obesity.

The=20 Nutrients: How Much?

(#3 and 4 on sample label):
Look at the top of the nutrient = section in the=20 sample label. It shows you some key nutrients that impact on your health = and=20 separates them into two main groups:

Limit These Nutrients

3D"Label =20 (#3 on sample label):
The nutrients listed first are the ones = Americans=20 generally eat in adequate amounts, or even too much. They are identified = in=20 yellow as Limit these Nutrients. Eating too much fat, saturated = fat,=20 trans fat, cholesterol, or sodium may increase your risk of = certain=20 chronic diseases, like heart disease, some cancers, or high blood = pressure.

Important: Health experts recommend that you keep your intake of = saturated=20 fat, trans fat and cholesterol as low as possible as part of a=20 nutritionally balanced diet.

Get Enough of These

3D"Label =20 (#4 on sample label):
Most Americans don't get enough dietary = fiber,=20 vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron in their diets. They are = identified in=20 blue as Get Enough of these Nutrients. Eating enough of these = nutrients=20 can improve your health and help reduce the risk of some diseases and=20 conditions. For example, getting enough calcium may reduce the risk of=20 osteoporosis, a condition that results in brittle bones as one ages (see = calcium section = below).=20 Eating a diet high in dietary fiber promotes healthy bowel function.=20 Additionally, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and grain products that = contain=20 dietary fiber, particularly soluble fiber, and low in saturated fat and=20 cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Remember: You can use the Nutrition Facts = label not=20 only to help limit those nutrients you want to cut back on but = also to=20 increase those nutrients you need to consume in greater = amounts.

= Understanding the=20 Footnote on the Bottom of the Nutrition Facts Label

3D"Foootnote (#5 on sample label)
Note the * used after the = heading=20 "%Daily Value" on the Nutrition Facts label. It refers to the Footnote = in the=20 lower part of the nutrition label, which tells you "%DVs are based on = a 2,000=20 calorie diet". This statement must be on all food labels. But the = remaining=20 information in the full footnote may not be on the package if the size = of the=20 label is too small. When the full footnote does appear, it will always = be the=20 same. It doesn't change from product to product, because it shows = recommended=20 dietary advice for all Americans--it is not about a specific food = product.

Look at the amounts circled in red in the footnote--these are the = Daily=20 Values (DV) for each nutrient listed and are based on public health = experts'=20 advice. DVs are recommended levels of intakes. DVs in the footnote are = based on=20 a 2,000 or 2,500 calorie diet. Note how the DVs for some nutrients = change, while=20 others (for cholesterol and sodium) remain the same for both calorie = amounts.=20

How the Daily Values Relate to the %DVs

Look at the example below for another way to see how the Daily Values = (DVs)=20 relate to the %DVs and dietary guidance. For each nutrient listed there = is a DV,=20 a %DV, and dietary advice or a goal. If you follow this dietary advice, = you will=20 stay within public health experts' recommended upper or lower limits for = the=20 nutrients listed, based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet.

Examples of DVs versus %DVs
Based on a 2,000 Calorie=20 Diet

Nutrient	DV	%DV	Goal
Total Fat	65g	=3D 100%DV	Less than
Sat Fat	20g	=3D 100%DV	Less than
Cholesterol	300mg	=3D 100%DV	Less than
Sodium	2400mg	=3D 100%DV	Less than
Total Carbohydrate	300g	=3D 100%DV	At least
Dietary Fiber	25g	=3D 100%DV	At least

Upper Limit - Eat "Less than"...

The nutrients that have "upper daily limits" are listed first on the = footnote=20 of larger labels and on the example above. Upper limits means it is = recommended=20 that you stay below - eat "less than" - the Daily Value nutrient amounts = listed=20 per day. For example, the DV for Saturated fat (in the yellow section) = is 20g.=20 This amount is 100% DV for this nutrient. What is the goal or dietary = advice? To=20 eat "less than" 20 g or 100%DV for the day.<=20

Lower Limit - Eat "At least"...

Now look at the section in blue where dietary fiber is listed. The DV = for=20 dietary fiber is 25g, which is 100% DV. This means it is recommended = that you=20 eat "at least" this amount of dietary fiber per day.

The DV for Total Carbohydrate (section in white) is 300g or 100%DV. = This=20 amount is recommended for a balanced daily diet that is based on 2,000 = calories,=20 but can vary, depending on your daily intake of fat and protein.

Now let's look at the %DVs.

The = Percent Daily=20 Value (%DV):

The % Daily Values (%DVs) are based on the Daily Value = recommendations for=20 key nutrients but only for a 2,000 calorie daily diet--not 2,500 = calories. You,=20 like most people, may not know how many calories you consume in a day. = But you=20 can still use the %DV as a frame of reference whether or not you consume = more or=20 less than 2,000 calories.

The %DV helps you determine if a serving of food is high or low in a=20 nutrient. Note: a few nutrients, like trans fat, do not have a = %DV--they=20 will be discussed later.

Do you need to know how to calculate percentages to use the %DV? No, = the=20 label (the %DV) does the math for you. It helps you interpret the = numbers (grams=20 and milligrams) by putting them all on the same scale for the day = (0-100%DV).=20 The %DV column doesn't add up vertically to 100%. Instead each nutrient = is based=20 on 100% of the daily requirements for that nutrient (for a 2,000 calorie = diet).=20 This way you can tell high from low and know which nutrients contribute = a lot,=20 or a little, to your daily recommended allowance (upper = or=20 lower).

Quick Guide to %DV:

5%DV or less is low and 20%DV = or more is=20 high
(#6 on = sample=20 label):
This guide tells you that 5%DV or less is low for = all=20 nutrients, those you want to limit (e.g., fat, saturated fat, = cholesterol, and=20 sodium), or for those that you want to consume in greater amounts = (fiber,=20 calcium, etc). As the Quick Guide shows, 20%DV or more = is=20 high for all nutrients.

Example: Look at the amount of Total Fat in one serving = listed on=20 the sample nutrition label. Is 18%DV contributing a lot or a little to = your=20 fat limit of 100% DV? Check the Quick Guide to %DV. 18%DV, = which is=20 below 20%DV, is not yet high, but what if you ate the whole package = (two=20 servings)? You would double that amount, eating 36% of your daily = allowance=20 for Total Fat. Coming from just one food, that amount leaves you with = 64% of=20 your fat allowance (100%-36%=3D64%) for all of the other foods = you eat=20 that day, snacks and drinks included.

1 serving	=
2 servings	=20

Using the %DV for:

Comparisons: The %DV also makes it easy = for you to=20 make comparisons. You can compare one product or brand to a similar = product.=20 Just make sure the serving sizes are similar, especially the weight = (e.g. gram,=20 milligram, ounces) of each product. It's easy to see which foods are = higher or=20 lower in nutrients because the serving sizes are generally consistent = for=20 similar types of foods, (see the comparison = example=20 at the end) except in a few cases like cereals.

Nutrient Content Claims: Use the %DV to help = you=20 quickly distinguish one claim from another, such as "reduced fat" vs. = "light" or=20 "nonfat." Just compare the %DVs for Total Fat in each food product to = see which=20 one is higher or lower in that nutrient--there is no need to memorize = definitions. This works when comparing all nutrient content claims, = e.g.,=20 less, light, low, free, more, high, etc.

Dietary Trade-Offs: You can use the %DV to = help you=20 make dietary trade-offs with other foods throughout the day. You = don't have=20 to give up a favorite food to eat a healthy diet. When a food you like = is high=20 in fat, balance it with foods that are low in fat at other times of the = day.=20 Also, pay attention to how much you eat so that the total amount = of fat=20 for the day stays below 100%DV.

Nutrients With a %DV but No Weight = Listed -=20 Spotlight on Calcium:

Calcium: 3D"Label Look at=20 the %DV for calcium on food packages so you know how much one serving=20 contributes to the total amount you need per day. Remember, a = food with=20 20%DV or more contributes a lot of calcium to your daily total, while = one with=20 5%DV or less contributes a little.

Experts advise adult consumers to consume adequate amounts of = calcium, that=20 is, 1,000mg or 100%DV in a daily 2,000 calorie diet. This advice is = often given=20 in milligrams (mg), but the Nutrition Facts label only lists a = %DV for=20 calcium.

For certain populations, they advise that adolescents, especially = girls,=20 consume 1,300mg (130%DV) and post-menopausal women consume 1,200mg = (120%DV) of=20 calcium daily. The DV for calcium on food labels is 1,000mg.

Don't be fooled -- always check the label for calcium = because you=20 can't make assumptions about the amount of calcium in specific food=20 categories. Example: the amount of calcium in milk, whether skim or = whole, is=20 generally the same per serving, whereas the amount of calcium in the = same size=20 yogurt container (8oz) can vary from 20-45 %DV.

Equivalencies

30% DV =3D 300mg calcium =3D one cup of milk

100% DV =3D 1,000mg calcium

130% DV =3D 1,300mg = calcium

Nutrients Without a %DV: = Trans Fats,=20 Protein, and Sugars:

Note that Trans fat, Sugars and, Protein do not list a %DV on = the=20 Nutrition Facts label.

Plain Yogurt
3D"Sample

Fruit Yogurt
3D"Sample

Trans Fat: Experts could not provide a = reference=20 value for trans fat nor any other information that FDA believes = is=20 sufficient to establish a Daily Value or %DV. Scientific reports link=20 trans fat (and saturated fat) with raising blood LDL ("bad") = cholesterol=20 levels, both of which increase your risk of coronary heart disease, a = leading=20 cause of death in the US.

Important: Health experts recommend that you keep your intake of = saturated=20 fat, trans fat and cholesterol as low as possible as part of a=20 nutritionally balanced diet.

Protein: A %DV is required to be listed if a = claim is=20 made for protein, such as "high in protein". Otherwise, unless the food = is meant=20 for use by infants and children under 4 years old, none is needed. = Current=20 scientific evidence indicates that protein intake is not a public health = concern=20 for adults and children over 4 years of age.

Sugars: No daily reference value has been = established=20 for sugars because no recommendations have been made for the total = amount to eat=20 in a day. Keep in mind, the sugars listed on the Nutrition Facts label = include=20 naturally occurring sugars (like those in fruit and milk) as well as = those added=20 to a food or drink. Check the ingredient list for specifics on added = sugars.

Take a look at the Nutrition Facts label for the two yogurt = examples. The=20 plain yogurt on the left has 10g of sugars, while the fruit yogurt on = the=20 right has 44g of sugars in one serving.

Now look below at the ingredient lists for the two yogurts. = Ingredients are=20 listed in descending order of weight (from most to least). Note that = no added=20 sugars or sweeteners are in the list of ingredients for the plain = yogurt, yet=20 10g of sugars were listed on the Nutrition Facts label. This is = because there=20 are no added sugars in plain yogurt, only naturally occurring sugars = (lactose=20 in the milk).

Plain Yogurt - contains no added sugars

Fruit=20 Yogurt - contains added sugars
3D"Ingredients:

If you are concerned about your intake of sugars, make sure that = added sugars=20 are not listed as one of the first few ingredients. Other names for = added sugars=20 include: corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, = maltose,=20 dextrose, sucrose, honey, and maple syrup.

To limit nutrients that have no %DV, like trans fat and = sugars,=20 compare the labels of similar products and choose the food with the = lowest=20 amount.

Comparison Example

REDUCED FAT MILK 2% Milkfat	NONFAT MILK
Below are two kinds of milk- one is "Reduced Fat," = the other=20 is "Nonfat" milk. Each serving size is one cup. Which has more = calories=20 and more saturated fat? Which one has more calcium?

Answer: As you can see, = they both=20 have the same amount of calcium, but the nonfat milk has no = saturated fat=20 and has 40 calories less per serving than the reduced fat=20 milk.

Also available:

The Food = Label and=20 You (1996)
Video demonstrates how consumers can quickly and = easily use=20 the food label.

Printer friendly version of this document in PDF = format

High = resolution=20 Nutrition Facts Label Images for Download (EPS format, as = compressed EXE=20 file)

(Help for PDF and EXE=20 files)

This document was issued in June 2000 and updated July = 2003 and=20 November 2004.
For more recent information on Food Labeling
See http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/lab= el.html=20

Food = Labeling and=20 Nutrition

FDA/Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition
Hypertext = updated by dav/dms/cjm=20 July 7, 2006

How to Understandand Use the Nutrition Facts Label