What Food Labels Mean—and Don't
We all want healthier foods, but reading labels won't always help you spot them. Many terms are defined and regulated by the Food and Drug Administration or the Department of Agriculture, depending on the type of food. But similar-sounding terms might not be.
And even when a term has a clear definition, using it on a package can give the impression that a food is healthy overall when it might not be. For example, a study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that shoppers gravitate toward labels such as "low sodium," "low fat," and "reduced sugar," but foods and drinks with these claims weren't significantly healthier than similar products without the claims and in some cases were less healthy. How can that be? Because a low-sodium soup may well fall within the FDA guidelines of 140 mg or less per serving but could still be high in calories, fat, or sugars.
Here, then, are pairs of terms to keep distinct in your mind:
Editor's Note: This article also appeared in the July 2017 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
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