Which "Light" is Lighter?
by Amy Magnuson, MS, RD

A client once asked me jokingly if "Fat Free" meant they just threw in the fat at no extra charge. We all know advertisers will throw common phrases on food packages such as "Light" or "Reduced Fat" to persuade us to make a purchase. It surprised him to learn that there are advertising restrictions in food labeling aimed at protecting the public from misinformation. If you want to keep it simple, remember the following rules:

  • "Free" has the least amount.
  • " Very Low" and "Low" have a little more.
  • " Reduced" or "Less" always means that the food has 25% less of that nutrient than the reference (or standard) version of the food.

Here are some popular terms and their actual meanings. All terms are based on standard serving sizes:

Calories

Calorie Free - Fewer than 5 calories per serving
Light (Lite)* - 1/3 less calories or no more than 1/2 the fat of the higher calorie, higher fat version; or no more than 1/2 the sodium of the higher sodium version

Fat

Fat Free - Less than 0.5 gram of fat per serving
Low Fat - 3 grams of fat (or less) per serving
Reduced or Less fat* - At least 25% less fat per serving than the higher-fat version of the same product
Lean - Less than 10 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat and 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving
Extra Lean - Less than 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, and 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving
Low in Saturated Fat - 1 gram saturated fat (or less) per serving and not more than 15% of calories from saturated fatty acids

Cholesterol

Cholesterol Free - Less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams (or less) of saturated fat per serving
Low Cholesterol - 20 milligrams of cholesterol (or less) and 2 grams of saturated fat (or less) per serving
Reduced Cholesterol - At least 25% less cholesterol than the higher-cholesterol version, and 2 grams (or less)of saturated fat per serving

Sodium

Sodium Free (No sodium) - Less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving, and no sodium chloride (NaCl) in ingredients
Very Low Sodium - 35 milligrams of sodium (or less) per serving
Low Sodium - 140 milligrams of sodium (or less) per serving
Reduced or Less Sodium - At least 25% less sodium per serving than the higher-sodium version

Sugar

Sugar Free - Less than 0.5 gram of sugar per serving

Fiber

High Fiber - 5 grams of fiber (or more) per serving
Good Source of Fiber - 2.5 to 4.9 grams of fiber per serving

* Be aware that these food items may still be high in fat and calories.


For more on labeling authorities and laws:
www.safefood.org

 

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