Encyclopedia of Diets - A Guide to Health and Nutrition

Monique Laberge, Ph.D.

Food labeling
Definition
Food labeling tells consumers about the, ingre-
dients, and nutritional composition of packaged food
for sale. Labels may also contain information about
the conditions under which the food was produced. In
the United States, food labeling is regulated by several
federal agencies. Some labeling information is manda-
tory, while others is voluntary.

Purpose
Food labeling is designed to protect the health and
well being of consumers. It allows them to:

know what ingredients are in the food

determine the relative amounts of each ingredient

determine how much of selected vitamins, minerals,

and other nutrients a food contains. This informa-

tion may be given either by weight OR as a percent-

age of a daily requirement value.

examine foods for potential allergens, additives, or

ingredients that they wish to avoid

learn about the conditions under which certain ingre-

dients were produced (e.g. organic, free-range)

compare the price per unit volume or weight of sim-

ilar products

determine if nutrients have been added or removed

from the base food (e.g. enriched, reduced fat)

Description

In the United States, food labeling is regulated by

a great deal of very specific, complex, ever-evolving

legislation. The United States Department of Agricul-

ture (USDA) and the United States Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) are the federal agencies most

involved with food labeling issues and enforcement of

food labeling laws. The USDA is responsible for the

labeling of meat, poultry, and egg products. The FDA

regulates the labeling most other foods, including sea-

food andbioengineered foods. The FDA also regu-

latesdietary supplementsand nutraceuticals. States

also may regulate food labeling. For example, some

states require sell-by or use-by information of food

labels. When state and federal laws conflict, federal

laws must be followed.

Different types of food have different labeling

requirements. For example, canned or frozen foods

are required to have different information on their

labels than fresh meat, poultry, and fish. Fresh vegeta-

bles are usually subject to voluntary labeling unless they

are being sold as ‘‘organic’’ produce. Legislation covers

things as specific as the definitions of certain words

used on the label (e.g. low fat), to the size of the print

used on the label, to where certain information must be

placed on the package. Milk and milk products are

often subject to additional regulation by state dairy

boards. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire-

arms, and Explosives regulates alcoholic beverages.

The United States Customs Service requires certain

information on processed foods that are imported

into the U.S. This entry discusses general aspects of

food labeling, with the understanding that there are

complications and exceptions to almost every aspect

of food labeling requirements.

Basic mandatory information

Both the FDA and the USDA require certain

information to be listed in English on the label of

Food labeling