Question

III - I chose question 2. What do you think of the labels on food products? Are they informative? How often do you read food labels? What do you look for in a food label? Are they user friendly?

Answer 1

Food labeling regulations are designed to ensure a consumer has all the information about the product he or she needs to make an informed buying decision. More specifically, the regulations ensure a consumer can reliably find accurate information on a food product label regarding product identity, quality, nutrition, and relevant health and safety information.

A food label today is the result of many years of laws and regulations including the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938 the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1966 the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 and the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2006. All of these laws have led to a complicated and sometimes confusing set of standardized labeling requirements. Fortunately, breaking down the requirements into a basic set of guidelines makes it easier to design food product labels that are compliant with all the relevant regulations while still being eye-catching.

There are five pieces of information that are required on all food labels with few exceptions:

a statement of identity

a net weight or contents statement

the Nutrition Facts panel an ingredients statement

a statement that gives the name

Place of business of the product’s manufacturer, packer or distributor.

Food labels provide more than just nutrition facts, though. They also tell us what's in a packaged food (the ingredients).These agencies require that all food labels show the same nutrition and health information. This allows consumers to compare different foods and make the choices that are right for them.

The first thing to look for on label is the number of calories per serving. The FDA's new Calories Count program aims to make calorie information on labels easier to find by putting it in larger, bolder type. Serving size and number of servings per container.

Food labels carry useful information to help us make good choices about food. The food label will tell us if the food contains an additive that we may want to avoid. The nutrition information panel helps us to compare the nutrient profile of similar products and choose the one that suits our needs.

Food labels are friendly.

A food label serves three primary functions:

• It provides basic product information including: common name.
• It provides health safety and nutrition information (allergen).
• It acts as a vehicle for food marketing, promotion and advertising .