I wonder how many people take time to read the nutrition label of packed foods that they buy. Food labeling is mandated for consumer education purposes. Because it is food, whatever is written there – ingredients, net weight, price, expiration/best before date, and the nutrition facts – form part of the label.
There is a standard format for the Nutrition Facts. It starts with the number of servings in the pack or can followed by the serving size then the calorie (kcal) per serving. Compare that with the 2000 kcal estimated needed energy per day by adults in general. If one serving provides 250 kcal, then consuming one serving of the product provides ¼ of what adults need in general. The nutrients and non-nutrients follow – total fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, protein and in some, selected vitamins and minerals. Under fat, there is total fat, saturated fat and in some products, transfat. Under carbohydrates, there is added sugar, and a non-nutrient, fiber. The vitamins and minerals that follow, if there is, may vary depending on the product, the company and cost. In the Philippines, the content should be within 80-120% of what is claimed or indicated in the label for energy, carbohydrates and fat (www.fda.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Administrative-Order-No.-2014-0030.pdf).
In rich countries, the items under the Nutrition Facts may be colored either black/blue or yellow. The more colors in a label, the more costly. This somehow explains why most if not all Philippine products are simply labeled in black and white.
If the Nutrition Facts is colored, yellow means caution, that is, those nutrients or food components are to be limited in our intake – cholesterol, saturated fat, transfat, sodium. Blue indicates we should get enough of those nutrients. Nevermind if not colored, for as long as we know which ones need to be limited for health’s sake.
The last column in the Nutrition Facts is % Daily Value (DV). % Daily Value (DV) tells you the percentage of each nutrient in a single serving in terms of the daily recommended amounts which are the same for all packages worldwide to enable us to compare products. These are: fat = 65g, saturated fat = 20g; cholesterol and total carbohydrate = 300mg; sodium = 2400mg; fiber = 25g.
How is the nutrition label used? If you want to consume less of saturated fat, transfat, cholesterol, all of which are implicated in diseases of the heart and blood vessels; or sodium which plays a role in hypertension, choose foods with a lower % DV (5% or less). If you want to consume more of a nutrient (such as fiber), choose foods with a higher % DV (20% or more).
