Fat Free, Light, Reduced Sodium – What Does It Mean?

June 28, 2009 by Mohamed
Filed under Weight Loss

Food labels can be very confusing – fat free, light, reduced sodium. What can you believe?

If any of these words are used on a product, the product must meet their standard definitions. A word of warning: the words “right,” “smart” and “natural” are not regulated and therefore have no guaranteed meaning.

Reduced or Less Fat. At least 25% less fat per serving than the “regular” full-fat food cited on the label.
Low Fat. No more than 3 grams of fat per serving.
Fat Free. Less than 1/2 gram of fat per serving.
Light or Lite. At least 50% less fat or 1/3 fewer calories per serving than the “regular” full-fat food cited on the label.
Reduced or Less Sodium. At least 25% less sodium per serving than the “regular” full-sodium food cited on the label
Free. This means the food contains no fat or insignificant amounts of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugar, or calories per serving.
Low Saturated Fat. The food contains one gram or less of saturated fat per serving.
Low Sodium. This means that the foot contains l40 milligrams or less of sodium per serving.
Low Cholesterol. This means that the food contains 20 milligrams or less of cholesterol and two grams or less of saturated fat per serving.
Low Calorie. This means that the food contains 40 calories or less per serving.
Reduced. This means the food contains at least 25 percent less of a nutrient (such as fat, cholesterol, or sodium) or calories than the regular product.
Light. This means the food contains one-third fewer calories or half the fat of the regular product, or the sodium content of a low-calorie, low-fat food and that these have been reduced by at least 50 percent.
Healthy. This means the food must be low in fat and saturated fat and contains limited amounts of cholesterol and sodium. In addition, single-item foods (like bread) must provide at least l0 percent of one or more of the following nutrients: vitamins A or “C, iron, calcium, protein, or fiber. Even stricter guidelines apply for frozen-dinners and meal-type products, like macaroni and cheese.
Good Source. This means that the food provides l0 to l9 percent of the Daily Value for a particular nutrient per serving.
High. This means the food provides 20 percent or more of te Daily Value for a particular nutrient per serving.