Combatting Food Label Claims With Confidence

Like most people, you WANT to eat healthy and make knowledgeable food decisions that SUPPORT your health, but knowing what the countless claims on food labels and packages mean can often be CHALLENGING to understand and feel OVERWHELMING to filter through.

According to the FDA, defined by statute and FDA regulations, there are THREE categories of claims, that can be used on food and dietary supplement labels: HEALTH CLAIMS, NUTRIENT CONTENT CLAIMS, and STRUCTURE or FUNCTION CLAIMS.

HEALTH CLAIMS describe the relationship between a FOOD SUBSTANCE, meaning a food, food component or dietary supplement ingredient, and RISK of a disease or health-related condition. By definition, a health claim must have these two essential components. If a statement is made that lacks either one of these components it does not meet the regulatory definition. Therefore, statement that address a role of dietary PATTERNS or of general CATEGORIES of foods, such as fruits or vegetables, in maintaining good health are simply considered to be DIETARY GUIDANCE rather than health claims. Dietary guidance statements used on food labels, in effect, must be truthful and non-misleading.

NUTRIENT CONTENT CLAIMS refer to the LEVEL of a NUTRIENT in the product. To do this, nutrient content claims typically use terms such as “free,” “high,” and “low,” or they compare the amount of a nutrient in a food to that of another food using words like “more,” “reduced,” and “light.” Given the relativity and subjective nature of these claims, requirements exist that govern the use of a nutrient content claim and aim to ensure that descriptive terms are used consistently for all types of food products, therefore, making them more meaningful to consumers. PERCENTAGE CLAIMS for dietary supplements are another form of nutrient content claims. These claims are used in order to describe the percentage level of a dietary ingredient in a dietary supplement.

STRUCTURE or FUNCTION CLAIMS specify the ROLE of a NUTRIENT or dietary ingredient intended to affect the normal structure or function of the BODY. Additionally, they may characterize the way by which a nutrient or dietary ingredient ACTS to MAINTAIN such structure or function. The two related types of dietary supplement labeling claims include general wellbeing claims and claims related to a nutrient deficiency or disease. GENERAL WELLBEING CLAIMS describe general wellbeing from the consumption of a nutrient or dietary ingredient, while NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY DISEASE CLAIMS refer to the benefit or harm related to a nutrient deficiency disease.

Generally speaking, avoiding processed foods and opting for natural, whole foods will enable you to make better choices that nourish your body, resulting in higher energy levels and increased confidence.

Some experts believe that organic food is pricey and unnecessary, while others think it is safer and more nutritious than conventional food. While the research is not conclusive, there is support for both sides.

NON-NUTRITIONAL REASONS to consider ORGANIC and LOCAL PRODUCE:

+ organic produce may be significantly higher in antioxidants, particularly in terms of polyphenols

+ conventionally cultivated product may have up to four times more pesticide residue

+ organic foods and practices help nourish the soil and keep it viable for future harvests

+ conventional methods tend to be more taxing on the environment

+ even if not labeled organic, locally produced foods have less of an impact on the environment since they don’t need to travel as far and are not being shipped long distances to get to you

If you tend to purchase most of your produce at the supermarket, price lookup codes (PLU) can help you determine whether a food is organic or conventional. Foods that are produced organically typically have five-digit PLU codes that begin with the number 9, whereas, conventional produce usually has a four-digit code that starts with a 3 or 4. Keep in mind, however, that this system is optional and not all produce will have this signifying label.

Although there is some level of controversy surrounding the QUALITY of different types of food, for example organic vs. conventional, knowing how to navigate the various types of health claims being made can help to reduce confusion, know where your food comes from and determine how it was produced.

FOOD LABEL CLAIMS and WHAT THEY REALLY IMPLY:

+ ANTIBIOTIC-FREE: an animal was not given any antibiotics during its lifetime - in the U.S., this label is not allowed on meat or poultry products but may be used for dairy products (other phrases used include no antibiotics used, raised without antibiotics)

+ BIOENGINEERED: a food contains detectible genetic material that has been modified through certain lab techniques - this label must be used on foods that contain one of the 13 bioengineered foods throughout the world, but is not required if the amount cannot be measured(13 bioengineered foods include alfalfa, apples, canola, corn, cotton, eggplant, papaya, pineapple, potatoes, salmon, soybeans, squash and sugar beets)

+CAGE-FREE: birds are raised without cages - what this doesn’t explain, however, is whether the birds were raised outdoors at pasture or indoors in overcrowded conditions (if you are looking to buy eggs, poultry or meat from animals raised outdoors, then look for a label that says pastured or pasture-raised)

+CERTIFIED NATURALLY GROWN: this label means food was grown using responsible soil management techniques, without the use of synthetic pesticides on plants or hormones and antibiotics on animals and without genetically engineered seeds - an alternative to organic for farmers who may find it expensive or time-consuming to get or maintain the USDA label (shares many of the same standards as USDA organic, however, there is no yearly review of the records, and in some cases, there may be more stringent requirements)

+ CONVENTIONAL: describes a system of growing that uses technology and synthetic chemicals to help increase yields - conventional farming may include growing the same crop in the same plot each year (monocropping), genetically modified organisms (GMOs), confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), and synthetic chemicals that target insects and weeds (conventional is also known as industrial agriculture)

+ FAIR TRADE: farmers and workers, often in developing countries, have received fair wages and worked in acceptable conditions while growing and packaging the product

+ FREE-RANGE or FREE_ROAMING: can be used as long as the producers allow birds access to the outdoors to that they can engage in natural behaviors - does not necessarily mean that the products are cruelty-free or antibiotic-free or that the animals spent the majority of their time outdoors (is only defined by the USDA for egg and poultry production, and while the claims are defined by the USDA, they are not verified by third-party inspectors)

+ GMO-FREE, NON-GMO, or NO GMOs: plants or animals that have not been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses, or other plants and animals

+ GRAIN-FED: animals raised on a grain diet - check the label for a claim of “100% vegetarian diet” to ensure that the snails were given feed containing no animal by-products

+ GRASS-FED: animals were fed grass, their natural diet, rather than grains, animal by-products, synthetic hormones, or antibiotics to promote growth or prevent disease (they may, however, have been given antibiotics to treat disease) - a grass-fed label doesn’t mean that the animal necessarily ate grass its entire life, as some grass-fed cattle are grain-finished, meaning they ate grain from a feedlot prior to slaughter ("grass-fed and grass finished" meat is more humane, and it is also leaner and lower in fat and calories than grain-fed meat)

+ HEALTHY: must be low in saturated fat and contain limited amounts of cholesterol and sodium - certain foods must also contain at least 10% of vitamin A and C, iron, calcium, protein and fiber

+ HERITAGE: a rare and endangered breed of livestock or crops, where these breeds are traditional livestock that were raised by farmers in the past (before industrial agriculture drastically reduced breed variety) - these animals are prized for their rich taste and usually contain a higher fat content than commercial breeds (production standards are not required by law, but true heritage farmers use sustainable production methods, saving animals from extinction and preserving genetic diversity)

+ HORMONE-FREE: USDA has prohibited the use of the term “hormone-free” for certain animals, but those raised without added growth hormones, such as cows, can be labeled “no hormones administered” or “no hormones added” - by law, hogs and poultry cannot be given any hormones (if meats you buy are not clearly labeled, ask your farmer or butcher if they are free from hormones)

+ LOCAL: refers to food that is grown within 100 miles of where it is being purchased (though some may prefer food grown closer, others have an even more strict definition and believe local refers only to food directly from a farm or farmers markets) - local food can be conventional or organic and may or may not contain GMOs (local food is fresher, often tastes better, and provides clarity for where the food is sourced)

+ NATURAL: USDA guidelines state that meat and poultry products labeled “natural” can only undergo minimal processing and cannot contain artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or other artificial ingredients - natural foods are not necessarily sustainable, organic, humanely raised, or free of hormones and antibiotics (no standards currently exist for this label except when used on meat and poultry products)

+ NONIRRADIATED: the food has not been exposed to radiation - meat and vegetables are sometimes irradiated, meaning exposed to radiation energy, in order to kill disease-causing bacteria and reduce the incidence of food borne illness (no thorough testing has been done to know if irradiated food is safe for human consumption)

+ PASTURE-RAISED: the animal was raised on a pasture where it was able to eat grasses and other plants rather than being fattened on grain in a feedlot or barn - pasturing livestock and poultry is a traditional farming technique that allows animals to be raised in a humane manner, moving around freely and carrying out their natural behaviors (very similar to grass-fed, but pasture-raised more clearly indicated that the animal was raised outdoors at pasture)

+ rBGH-FREE or rBST-FREE: milk produced by dairy cows that have never received injections of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) or recombinant bovine somatotrophin (rSBT), which are genetically engineering growth hormones injected into dairy cows to artificially increase their milk production - the hormone has not been properly tested for safety and is not permitted in the European Union, Canada and other countries (organic milk is rBGH-free)

+ ORGANIC: if a product contains the USDA organic seal, it means that 95%-100% of its ingredients are organic, whereas products with 70%-95% organic ingredients can still advertise “organic ingredients” on the front of the package and products with less than 70% can identify them on the side panel (organic foods prohibit the use of hydrogenation and trans fat)

All organic agricultural farms and products MUST meet the following guidelines and be verified by a USDA-approved independent agency:

• abstain from the application of prohibited materials (including synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and sewage sludge) for three years prior to certification and then continually throughout their organic license

• prohibit the use of GMOs and irradiation

• employ positive soil building, conservation, manure management and crop rotation practices

• refrain from antibiotic and hormone use in animals

• sustain animals on 100% organic feed

• avoid contamination during processing of organic products

• keep records of all operations
  

While this is OBVIOUSLY an extensive list of food label claims, familiarizing yourself and increasing your awareness of them can help simplify the shopping process and equip you with the necessary tools for making conscious choices that are both HEALTHY and SUSTAINABLE.

Xx, Leah Kutsch P.S. Keeping IIN Touch