Definitions of Food Labeling Terms

Learning the labeling terms will help you choose the kinds of foods you want your family to eat.

Calorie Terms:

  • Reduced calorie: at least 25% fewer calories than in the product’s regular form.
  • Low calorie: 40 calories or fewer per serving or less than 0.4 calories per gram of food.
  • Calorie Free or No Calories: less that 5 calories per serving
  • Light or Lite: 1/3 fewer calories than in the product’s regular form or less than 50% fat per serving. (Note: if over ½ the calories are from fat, the fat content must be reduced by at least 50 %.)

Fat Terms:

  • Reduced Fat: at least 25% less fat than in the product’s regular form.
  • Reduced Saturated Fat: same as “reduced fat” but in reference to saturated fat only.
  • Low Fat: 3 grams or less fat per serving
  • __% Fat Free: can only be used for “low fat” product with the percentage bases on the amount, by weight of fat in 100 grams of food. (In a 100 gram serving of food marked 98% fat free, that serving has 2 grams of fat.)
  • Low in Saturated Fat: 1 gram or less of saturated fat per serving with no more than 15% of the calories coming from saturated fats.
  • Fat Free: less than .5 grams of fat per serving provided that there are no added fats or oils in the product’s ingredient list.
  • Saturated Fat Free: same as “Fat Free,” but in reference to saturated fats only.

Cholesterol Terms:

  • Reduced Cholesterol: at least 25% less cholesterol than in the product’s regular form and 2 grams or less saturated fat per serving.
  • Low in Cholesterol: 20 milligrams or less cholesterol per serving and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving.
  • Cholesterol Free: less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol per serving and 2 grams or less of saturated fat.

Sugar Terms:

  • Reduced Sugar: at least 25% less sugar than found in the products regular form.
  • No Added Sugars: no sugar or ingredients contained sugar is added during the processing, and that processing does not increase the sugar content above the amount naturally found in the ingredients prior to processing.
  • Sugar Free: less than .5 grams per serving.

Sodium Terms:

  • Reduced Sodium: at least 25% less sodium than found in a similar food’s original form.
  • Light in Sodium: 50% less sodium per serving, referring only to foods with more than 40 calories or 3 grams of fat per serving.
  • Low Sodium: 140 milligrams or less per serving
  • Very Low Sodium: 35 milligrams or less sodium per serving.
  • Unsalted or No Added Salt: no salt was used during processing, this does not mean it is sodium free.
  • Sodium Free or Salt Free: less than 5 milligrams per serving

Fiber Terms:

  • High Fiber: 5 grams or more per serving. Food must meet a “low fat” definition or state the total fat level on the label.
  • Good Source of Fiber: 2.5 – 4.9 grams per serving
  • More Fiber or Added Fiber: at least 2.5 grams more per serving that in a similar or original form of the same food.

Other Labeling Terms:

  • Enriched or Fortified: contains 10% or more of the per serving Daily Value for protein, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber or potassium.
  • Fresh: raw food. Food that has not been processed, frozen, dried or heated.
  • Fresh Frozen: Food that has been quickly frozen from its fresh state.
  • Good Source of: contains 10% – 19% of the listed ingredient’s Daily Value per serving.
  • Rich in, High in or and Excellent Source of: contains 20% or more of the Daily Value per serving.
  • Lean: packaged meat, poultry or seafood with less than 10 grams of total fat, less than 4 grams of saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 100 grams.
  • Extra Lean: packaged meat, poultry or seafood with less than 5 grams of total fat, less than 2 grams of saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 100 grams.
  • Natural: a general term typically meaning that the product has no artificial ingredient or intentional additives; minimally processed. There are no legal parameters to this term.
  • Natural Flavorings: A wide range of flavorings that are derived from a spice, fruit, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, egg, dairy product, including hydrolyzed protein and hydrolyzed vegetable protein, both of which contain monosodium glutamate (MSG).
  • RDA: Recommended Dietary Allowance refers to the government recommended daily amounts of protein, vitamins and mineral for healthy adults and children. These are ball park figures and vary based on gender, age, and medical conditions.
  • % Daily Values: shows how a food fits into the overall daily diet; usually written for a 2000 calorie per day diet. The % value listed is the overall amount one serving will fulfill in your daily goal of certain nutrients. Nutrients important to your health are listed on the packaging label along with the amount of fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, protein, fiber and sugars.
  • Calories per gram:
    • Fat = 9
    • Carbohydrate = 4
    • Protein = 4
    • Sugar = 4

Reading Organic Labels

All products labeled as "organic" must be certified by a USDA-accredited certifying agency. Here's a quick reference:

100% Organic

  • The product must contain ONLY organically produced materials, excluding water and salt. The name of the certifying agent must appear on packages. The use of the USDA "organic" seal is optional.

Organic

  • The product must be at least 95% organically produced ingredients.
  • Remainder must consist of nonagricultural substances approved on the USDA's National List of non-organically produced agricultural products that are not commercially available in organic form. There are 38 of these substances allowed.
  • The label may also state the percentage of organic ingredients.
  • The name of the certifying agent must appear on packages. The use of the USDA "organic" seal is optional.

Made with Organic Ingredients

  • The product must contain at least 70% organic ingredients.
  • Remainder can consist of conventionally grown agricultural ingredients or approved nonagricultural substances from the USDA's National List.
  • The product may display the term "Made With Organic..." and then list up to three of the organic ingredients. For example: "Made with organic apples, oats and raisins”. The label may also state the percentage of organic ingredients.
  • The name of the certifying agent must appear on packages. The use of the USDA "organic" seal is prohibited.

Other Labeling Provisions

  • Products made with less than 70% organic ingredients may make no claim other than designating specific organic ingredients in the ingredients list.
  • No restrictions are made upon the use of labeling claims, nor are there any measures to insure the integrity of such claims, as "pesticide free," "no drugs or growth hormones used," or "sustainably harvested."
  • "Transitional" products are those grown in accordance with the “Organic Rule” regulations on farms that are in transition from conventional to organic. A certified three-year transitional period must be completed before the products from these farms can use the word "organic" on their label.