Chapter 5 Nutrition Guidelines 117 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Product Claims You may be swayed by words used on food packaging to make products sound healthful. Manufacturers use claims on their labels to convince you to buy their products. In addition to regulating nutrition labeling, the FDA requires any food labels that make product claims to meet specific criteria. There are four types of claims that may be used on food labels—nutrient content claims, health claims, qualified health claims, and structure/function claims. • Nutrient Content Claims. A nutrient content claim either directly states or implies a level of nutrient in a food. For example, a cereal label that reads “Low-fat granola” is stating that the cereal contains a low level of the nutrient fat. Labels may use terms that can be confusing. For instance, light whipped topping sounds more healthful than regular whipped topping. You need to know what the term light means before you can decide if eating light foods will improve the quality of your diet. Products must meet specifi c defi nitions for manufacturers to use terms, such as light, low sodium, and fat free on labels (Figure 5.9). Nutrient Content Claims Nutrient Content Claims Claim Definition (per serving) Calorie free Fewer than 5 calories Low calorie 40 calories or fewer Reduced or fewer calories At least 25% fewer calories Light or lite One-third fewer calories or 50% less fat Sugar free Fewer than 0.5 grams sugars Reduced sugar or less sugar At least 25% less sugars No added sugar No sugars added during processing or packing, including ingredients that contain sugars, such as juice or dry fruit Fat free Fewer than 0.5 grams fat Low fat 3 grams or fewer of fat Reduced or less fat At least 25% less fat Saturated fat free Fewer than 0.5 grams saturated fat and less than 0.5 grams trans fatty acids Low saturated fat 1 gram or less saturated fat and 15% or less calories from saturated fat Reduced/less saturated fat At least 25% less saturated fat Cholesterol free Fewer than 2 milligrams cholesterol and 2 grams or fewer saturated fat Low cholesterol 20 milligrams or fewer cholesterol and 2 grams or fewer saturated fat Reduced or less cholesterol At least 25% less cholesterol and 2 grams or fewer saturated fat Sodium free Fewer than 5 milligrams sodium Very low sodium 35 milligrams or fewer of sodium Low sodium 140 milligrams or fewer of sodium Reduced or less sodium At least 25% less sodium Light in sodium At least 50% less sodium Figure 5.9 Food that includes a nutrient content claim on its label must meet the FDA’s requirements for that claim.