Myth: Some of the information on food packages isn’t very clear.

Answer: YOU’RE RIGHT!

But, help is on the way. Like you, about 42% of adults look at the label while shopping, according to a USDA study. Unveiled today were proposed changes to the Nutrition Facts panel you see on food packages. If these changes are made, the information on your food label would get a reality check. How so?

• Serving sizes would be more realistic. A bottle of 20-ounce soda would be considered as one serving instead of two. No more having to do the math to get the total calories in a bottle. That pint of ice cream? 4 servings? Really? No, in the real world we serve ourselves one cup so a pint would be two servings.
• Added (refined) sugars would be new information provided on the label because Americans consume too much sugar and there is much evidence linking high sugar in the diet to heart disease.
• There will be no hiding from the calorie information on the label. The number of calories will be bigger and bolder. Calories from fat would no longer be on the label next to the total calories.
• Vitamins and minerals that appear on the label will change. Vitamins A and C will be dropped. Vitamin D and potassium will be added. Americans aren’t getting enough vitamin D for good bone health. Potassium is also an important part of our diets as it may help to lower blood pressure. Calcium and iron will remain on the label.
• In addition to the proposed new format with the changes above, an alternative label format is provided. The amount of various nutrients is presented differently in sections. There’s a ‘Quick Facts’ section that includes fats, carbohydrates and protein, an ‘Avoid too much’ section for saturated and trans fat, cholesterol, sodium and added sugars, and a ‘Get enough’ section with fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium.

The public is asked to provide comments for the next 90 days. For more information, go to www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm387418.htm. There is a button at the top of the page for the Spanish version of this announcement.

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Contributor: Ellen Schuster, M.S., R.D., Associate State Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schusterer@missouri.edu, 573-882-1933

Myth: If a food has the word ‘simple’ in the name, it’s a healthy food choice.

Answer: BUSTED!

If you’ve been following food labeling as I have been, you have probably noticed how many manufacturers use the word ‘natural’ on packaging to attract consumers to their products. Natural sells. Consumers assume a food labeled ‘natural’ is healthy. The problem? What does natural mean? The Food and Drug Administration’s take on natural is this: It’s OK for manufacturers to use the term if the food doesn’t have "added color, artificial flavors or synthetic substances." The United States Department of Agriculture says that meat and poultry can be labeled ‘natural’ if they are minimally processed and have no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

As you might expect, some lawsuits have arisen from the use of the vague term ‘natural’ on foods. The result? Some companies are not using this on foods anymore. Some have replaced ‘natural’ with the words ‘simple’ or ‘simply.’ What does it mean? There’s no standard definition as with ‘natural.’ But you can be sure that the word likely resonates well with consumers who see it on the label and think the product is a healthy food choice. It might be. Or it might not be.

Check the Nutrition Facts label & ingredients list

How can you tell whether or not the item is actually healthy? The Nutrition Facts label will tell you the amount of calories, fat, sodium, sugar and fiber that is in the product. And skim the ingredient list to see where certain ingredients land on the list (the higher up the list, the more there is in the product). In the case of sugar, you might see several types of sugar or sweetener on the list meaning that the product has more sugar than you think.

Read more at missourifamilies.org/features/nutritionarticles/nut300.htm

Contributor: Ellen Schuster, M.S., R.D., Associate State Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schusterer@missouri.edu, 573-882-1933

Myth: You can tell if a food is healthy or not by the look of the package.

Answer: BUSTED!

A recent study found that green labels make foods appear healthier or lower in calories.

This ‘halo effect’ may also be in play when you see certain buzzwords on food packages. Does the word “organic” on a food package make it seem like a healthy food? A study found that foods labeled organic were perceived to be lower in calories and rated highly with regard to taste. In spite of the fact that the organic and non-organic labeled foods in the study were identical! Although a limited variety of foods was involved in this study, it’s not hard to imagine that this halo effect may extend to a wider variety of foods.

So what does this mean for you, the consumer? It’s always been a ‘buyer beware’ world, perhaps now even more so. More and more products are introduced each year. Although some food claims or labels are regulated, many labels, such as “natural” or “artisan,” aren’t regulated. These buzzwords come and go. What can you do to avoid the lure of buzzwords?

1. Read the label! The Nutrition Facts panel will tell you about the nutrient content of the food. A food may be organic, but it could still be high in fat. The panel tells all!


2. Read the ingredient list. If more than one source of sugar is listed, the product may not be a good choice, even if it looks healthy.


3. Be wary of pictures on food packages. You may see a picture of fruit on the cover but the product may contain little or no fruit.

For more tips about healthy eating, visit MissouriFamilies.org.

Contributor: Ellen Schuster, M.S., R.D., Associate State Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schusterer@missouri.edu, 573-882-1933

Myth: The Nutrition Facts label is never updated.

Answer: BUSTED!

The FDA just announced that they plan to publish a proposed rule to update the Nutrition Facts label by the end of 2012. This rule will reflect the FDA’s ideas about how to change the Nutrition Facts label. It is expected that the FDA will look at serving sizes, daily values and format changes. In addition, they might add new nutrients to the label.

The Nutrition Facts panel began appearing on foods in 1991. Since then there has only been minor tweaking of the label, including the addition of trans fat information.

Remember that the Nutrition Facts label is a requirement by the government for manufacturers. This information differs from various front-of-packaging labels that groups of manufacturers and other entities have added to packages recently. One example of this type of labeling is Facts Up Front. This front-of-packaging labeling is not required by the government and is voluntary.

For more information about making healthy food choices, visit MissouriFamilies.org

Contributor: Ellen Schuster, M.S., R.D., Associate State Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schusterer@missouri.edu, 573-882-1933

Myth: I can use front-of-package labels to make healthier food choices.

Answer: BUSTED! (for now)...

If you’ve looked closely at food packages recently, you’ve seen that many products now have additional nutrition information on the front. Some food companies have been voluntarily using different nutrition labels on food packages based on different criteria. The lack of a consistent approach leads to confusion and makes it difficult for a consumer to compare products using the labels.

The government has stepped into the fray. The IOM (Institute of Medicine) issued a report last week calling for a standardized point system that would use levels of saturated and trans fats, sodium and sugar to evaluate foods. These front-of-package labels would also include calories. Why only calories, saturated and trans fats, sodium and sugar? They are most closely tied to disease. This labeling would be much like the Energy Star® system that identifies products that meet certain standards.

One system will be used by all companies. It will be a rating system that will interpret the nutrition information of a product using symbols to represent each level of the rating system. These symbols will become easily recognized by consumers after a period of time and will act as a quick reference guide to help consumers compare products and make the best decision. When you consider that the average consumer spends less than 30 seconds making choices in the grocery store you can see that a rating system like the one recommended would be helpful.

What are the drawbacks? The recommended rating system wouldn’t include other information about food like the vitamin, mineral or fiber content. Likely, this information would continue to be available on the Nutrition Facts label found elsewhere on a food package. (FDA is working to update and improve the Nutrition Facts label required on food packages.) Additionally, it is possible that some foods that aren’t “best” choices could get high ratings. As with any system, it would not be perfect.

Don’t expect to see what the IOM has recommended on packages just yet. If such a rating system is approved (rules have to be developed and there is a period of public comment), the system would need to be developed and tested first.

For more information, check out the 4-page brief of the IOM report's recommendations.

Contributor: Ellen Schuster, M.S., R.D., Associate State Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schusterer@missouri.edu, 573-882-1933

Myth: Food packages continue to shrink.

Answer: YOU’RE RIGHT!

With the cost of ingredients such as corn, soybeans, wheat and sugar rising, food companies have two choices – increase the price of their products or make their food packages smaller. Some companies are continuing to shrink their food packages, yet the price of their foods stays the same or increases. Pasta used to come in 16-ounce boxes, now some brands only offer 13¼ ounces. Canned vegetables used to be 16 ounces, now they are 15 ounces or less. You might find canned tuna in 6-ounce cans but you will also find them in 5-ounce cans. And the good old days of 64-ounce containers of orange juice are gone as it has now been downsized to 59 ounces.

What’s a consumer to do?

• Choose a lower priced store brand. Quality, taste and appearance may be just as good. And if you are using the product in a recipe like a casserole where appearance is not a concern, then you will definitely benefit by saving money and no one will know the difference.
• Read the unit price labels on store shelves. They tell you the price per unit such as the price per ounce, pound, etc. You can use these labels to compare packages. Check to make sure these labels are up-to-date.
• Check out the article Squeezed by rising food prices? for other cost saving ideas.

Contributor: Ellen Schuster, M.S., R.D., Associate State Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schusterer@missouri.edu, 573-882-1933

Myth: There's no reason for a lot of the food packages I buy at grocery stores to be half empty.

Answer: BUSTED!

There may be good reasons for that half empty package. Actually, the empty space in a package is called “slack fill.” That space may be there to keep the product from breaking. In the case of potato chips, which break easily, the empty space can provide cushioning when bags are stacked. However, sometimes companies keep packages the same size (with the resulting empty space) because they don’t want to change their machinery to make a different size package. In the case of grocery stores, a standard package size is used to base the cost of shelf space that a company pays for.

In this environmentally conscious world, many consumers value a company that reduces packaging thus reducing the carbon footprint of their products. So, many companies are now aiming for less packaging and trying to avoid packages with a lot of empty space.

The federal Fair Packaging and Labeling Act protects consumers from the abuse of “slack fill” by companies, to some extent.

If you have a complaint about a food package with empty space, contact your state’s FDA complaint coordinator at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/ReportaProblem/ConsumerComplaintCoordinators/default.htm.

Visit the MissouriFamilies website for more information about nutrition and health.

Contributor: Ellen Schuster, M.S., R.D., Associate State Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schusterer@missouri.edu, 573-882-1933

Myth: Specific words on a food package help me make better food choices.

Answer: BUSTED!

Does the word “farmer” on a food label influence your decision to choose one food over another? Is a food marketed with “farmer” on the label an indication that the food is a healthy choice? Not necessarily. Consider two frozen lasagna options from the same company – one labeled as “farmers’ harvest” and one “lasagna.” Comparing the Nutrition Facts panels from each package you see that the “farmers’ harvest” lasagna has 360 calories, 12 grams of fat, 810 mg of sodium and 5 grams of fiber (it’s made with whole grain pasta). The other lasagna is similar when you look at the information on the Nutrition Facts panel: 350 calories, 11 grams of fat, 930 mg of sodium and 3 grams of fiber. It’s true that you get 2 more grams of fiber with the “farmers’ harvest” lasagna and 120 less mg of sodium but you also get a bit more calories and 1 additional gram of fat. So what’s a consumer to do?

Try to avoid being influenced by the marketing hype. Instead take the time to read the Nutrition Facts panel. When choosing frozen entrees, seek those that are about 300-500 calories with 10-18 grams of fat, 800 or less mg of sodium and 3 to 5 grams of fiber. These are not hard and fast rules, just guidelines. Remember that the frozen entrée you are choosing is only one of the many food choices you are making on any given day. If your allotted calories are 2000 calories for the day, 500 calories or more will leave you with only 1500 calories left for the day. And if you are seeking to get the 20-35 grams of fiber most of us need each day you will need to choose vegetables, fruits, beans and other whole grains for the rest of the day to get the fiber you need.

For quick and easy meal choices and other tips to help you choose frozen meals, visit the MissouriFamilies website at http://missourifamilies.org/features/nutritionarticles/nut332.htm.

Contributor: Ellen Schuster, M.S., R.D., Associate State Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schusterer@missouri.edu, 573-882-1933