Full Description
This book provides an approachable introduction to food labels. While aimed primarily at teens and young adults, it is a valuable tool for anyone who wants to better understand what food labels are really saying and make healthy food choices.
How accurate is the Nutrition Facts Panel, and who decides what information goes on it? Why don't all foods have nutrition or ingredient information? How can you tell if a product is organic, non-GMO, or ethically produced? Are words such as "all-natural" and "light" on packaging meaningful or just clever marketing? Food Labels: Your Questions Answered, a part of Greenwood's Q&A Health Guides series, provides clear, concise answers to these and many other questions readers may have about the labels and health claims found on food packaging.
Each book in this series follows a reader-friendly question-and-answer format that anticipates readers' needs and concerns. Prevalent myths and misconceptions are identified and dispelled, and a collection of case studies illustrates key concepts and issues through relatable stories and insightful recommendations. The book also includes a section on health literacy, equipping teens and young adults with practical tools and strategies for finding, evaluating, and using credible sources of health information both on and off the internet—important skills that contribute to a lifetime of healthy decision-making.
Contents
Series Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Guide to Health Literacy
Common Misconceptions about Food Labels
Questions and Answers
Regulation of Food Labels
1. How are food labels regulated in the United States?
2. What is the history of food label regulations in the United States?
3. What foods are not required to have nutrition facts labels, and why?
4. What information is required on food labels?
5. How accurate is the information on food labels?
6. What is the process for updating the food label?
Nutrition Facts Panel
7. Who regulates the Nutrition Facts panel, and why is it so important?
8. How do food manufacturers figure out the nutrient values for the Nutrition Facts panel on their product labels?
9. What are Daily Values, and what does % Daily Value mean?
10. How is serving size determined?
11. With over 40 nutrients needed in the human diet, why are only a few on the label, and how are these chosen?
12. What are calories, and why are calories important on the Nutrition Facts panel?
13. What is meant by total fat, and why is total fat listed on the Nutrition Facts panel?
14. What is saturated fat, and why is a food's saturated fat content included on the Nutrition Facts panel?
15. What is trans fat, and why is trans fat content listed on the Nutrition Facts panel?
16. What is cholesterol, and why is cholesterol content included on the Nutrition Facts panel?
17. What is sodium, and why is sodium content listed on the Nutrition Facts panel?
18. What are carbohydrates, and why is carbohydrate content listed on the Nutrition Facts panel?
19. What is dietary fiber, and why is dietary fiber content listed on the Nutrition Facts panel?
20. What is meant by the term "total sugars," and why is the amount of total sugars listed on the Nutrition Facts panel?
21. What is the difference between added sugars and total sugars, and are the health effects different between added sugars and sugars found naturally in food?
22. What is protein, and why is protein content listed on the Nutrition Facts panel?
23. What is vitamin D, and why is vitamin D content required on the Nutrition Facts panel?
24. What is calcium, and why is calcium content required on the Nutrition Facts panel?
25. What is iron, and why is iron content required on the Nutrition Facts panel?
26. What is potassium, and why is potassium content required on the Nutrition Facts panel?
27. What is vitamin A, and why is vitamin A no longer required on the Nutrition Facts panel?
28. What is vitamin C, and why is vitamin C no longer required on the Nutrition Facts panel?
Ingredients and Allergens
29. How can the ingredient list be useful to consumers?
30. What are allergens, and what allergens are required to be listed on food labels?
31. What is gluten, and how does a food label get to use a "gluten-free" claim?
Other Label Information and Claims
32. Why is country of origin required on some food labels?
33. What are nutrient content claims, and what do they mean?
34. What health claims are allowed on food labels, and who decides whether a product label can include that claim?
35. What are structure/function claims?
36. What does the wording "USDA Organic" on a food label indicate?
37. How are label claims about animal treatment regulated?
38. What are GMOs, and what are the labeling rules for GMO foods or food products made with GMO ingredients?
Case Studies
Glossary
Directory of Resources
Index
About the Author
