If you’ve ever bought groceries then you’ve probably seen a nutrition facts panel before. Whether or not you were able to decipher it is another question. How would you know how much fat or sugar is considered healthy or unhealthy unless you’ve taken a basic nutrition course or somehow read up on it from a credible (non-wikipedia) source? On top of containing dozens of numbers, one major issue with current nutrition panels is that there is no context—no way of knowing what you should be avoiding or having more of.
The
Nutrition Facts label was introduced to food products in the US about 20 years ago. Its purpose was to help consumers make informed food choices and maintain healthy dietary practices. But how could this ever happen if people didn’t understand it in the first place? In 2014, the FDA finally proposed changes and updates to the panel in hopes of making it easier to understand and apply. However, legislation on these changes has yet to pass.
Until then, here is a brief (and hopefully clear) explanation of
Daily Value (DV) and the percentages listed next to each nutrient. Most (but not all) nutrients have a
daily value. Simply put, the daily value (which is not listed on nutrition labels) is the amount of each nutrient that an
average person (above age 4) needs for basic health—assuming the average person also requires about 2,000 calories per day. The percentage shows the amount of the DV that the food provides per serving. For example, the DV for calcium is 1000 milligrams. If the label says “calcium….40%” then that food provides 40% of 1000 mg per serving, which is 400 mg
.
The problem is many people are not
average and many may not require 2,000 calories per day. In fact, true nutrient requirements are very specific to factors like age group, gender, pre-existing conditions, level of physical activity, etc. But if the FDA made a separate nutrient label for each sub-group of people (e.g. women age 21-30, men 50+, etc.), then the entire packaging might be covered in numbers, making it even more confusing to consumers. To minimize confusion, the FDA created DVs so that consumers got a general idea of the nutrients provided by that food.
Not all vitamins and minerals are required to be listed on a label. Most are actually voluntary except for Vitamin A, C, sodium, iron and calcium. These nutrients are ones that the FDA has determined most Americans don’t get enough of (except for sodium) and thus need to be listed. On the contrary, Americans typically get too much sodium, so it there for awareness. If a product does not list additional nutrients it is either not provided by that food or the manufacturer has not tested the amount.
Based on the percentages provided by a certain nutrient, a manufacturer can make a “high source of…” or “good source of…” claim. These claims are usually found on the front of the packaging (rather than on the back where the nutrition label is) to grab consumers attention about a nutrient--mainly beneficial vitamins and minerals. That is, you'd probably never see a product claiming they had a "high" source of fat or carbs, because those are things Americans typically get more than enough of. But for example, if you know you needed more fiber in your diet (because who doesn't?), you may consider looking for products that were a
good or
high source of fiber.
Wouldn't it be great if all produce sections had this type of advertising? 
According to FDA standards:
- A “Good source of…” claim may be made when a serving of a finished food product provides 10-19% of the DV of a nutrient.
- A “High source of…” claim may be made when a serving of a finished food product provides 20% of the DV or more of a nutrient.
- A serving of product providing less than 10% DV of a nutrient is a poor source (albeit still a source) of that nutrient.
| |
Amount Provided per Serving* |
| Nutrient |
DV
|
Good Source
10 - 19% DV
|
Excellent Source
20% DV or more
|
| Total Fat |
65 grams (g)
|
n/a |
n/a |
| Saturated Fat |
20 g
|
n/a |
n/a |
| Cholesterol |
300 mg
|
n/a |
n/a |
| Sodium |
2,400 mg
|
n/a |
n/a |
| Potassium |
3,500 mg
|
350 – 665 mg
|
>665 mg
|
| Total Carbohydrate |
300 g
|
n/a |
n/a |
| Dietary Fiber |
25 g
|
2.5 – 4.75 g
|
> 4.75 g
|
| Protein |
50 g
|
5 – 9.5 mg
|
> 9.5 g
|
| Vitamin A |
5,000 International Units (IU)
|
500 – 950 IU
|
> 950 IU
|
| Vitamin C |
60 mg
|
6 – 11.4 mg
|
> 11.4 mg
|
| Calcium |
1000 mg
|
100 – 190 mg
|
> 190 mg
|
| Iron |
18 mg
|
1.8 – 3.4 mg
|
> 3.4 mg
|
| Vitamin D |
400 IU
|
40 – 76 IU
|
> 76 IU
|
| Vitamin E |
30 IU
|
3 - 5.7 IU
|
> 5.7 IU
|
| Vitamin K |
80 micrograms (mcg)
|
8 - 15.2 mcg
|
> 15.2 mcg
|
| Thiamin (B1) |
1.5 mg
|
0.15 - 0.29 mg
|
> 0.29 mg
|
| Riboflavin (B2) |
1.7 mg
|
0.17 - 0.32 mg
|
> 0.32 mg
|
| Niacin (B3) |
20 mg
|
2 - 3.8 mg
|
> 3.8 mg
|
| Vitamin B6 |
2 mg
|
0.2 - 0.38 mg
|
> 0.38 mg
|
| Folate |
400 mcg
|
40 – 76 mcg
|
> 76 mcg
|
| Vitamin B12 |
6 mcg
|
0.6 - 1.14 mcg
|
> 1.14 mcg
|
| Biotin |
300 mcg
|
30 - 57 mcg
|
> 57 mcg
|
| Pantothenic Acid |
10 mg
|
1 - 1.9 mg
|
> 1.9 mg
|
| Phosphorous |
1000 mg
|
100 – 190 mg
|
> 190 mg
|
| Iodine |
150 mcg
|
15 - 28.5 mcg
|
> 28.5 mcg
|
| Magnesium |
400 mg
|
40 – 76 mg
|
> 76 mg
|
| Zinc |
15 mg
|
1.5 - 2.85 mg
|
> 2.85 mg
|
| Selenium |
70 mcg
|
7 - 13.3 mcg
|
> 13.3 mcg
|
| Copper |
2 mg
|
0.2 - 0.38 mg
|
> 0.38 mg
|
| Manganese |
2 mg
|
0.2 – 0.38 mg
|
> 0.38 mg
|
| Chromium |
120 mcg
|
12 - 22.8 mcg
|
> 22.8 mcg
|
| Molybdenum |
75 mcg
|
7.5 - 14.25 mcg
|
> 14.25 mcg
|
*Amounts shown were calculated from the DV for each nutrient as presented in this
FDA document last updated on 8/20/15.
By:
Scarlett Blandon, in-house Registered Dietitian
October 29, 2015
