A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

How reliable are nutrition labels in American packaged food?

Best Answers

However, recent data have created doubts on label accuracy. Therefore we tested label accuracy for energy and macronutrient content of prepackaged energy-dense snack food products. We measured “true” caloric content of 24 popular snack food products in the U.S. read more

With regard to calories, in the US the FDA allows a +/- 25% variance in packaging labels. The logic is that over the long haul they will average out. Makes accurately counting calories difficult at best and impossible at worse. read more

Nearly all packaged foods in the USA are required to display a Nutrition Facts label. Exceptions are packaged foods that are sold locally and not across state lines. Examples would be breads from local bakeries, honey from the farmers market, etc. read more

In 1996, it found that 91 percent of tests on sample food products correctly listed nutrition information. If any infractions are found, fines and product seizures can result, depending on the severity. Food companies, especially larger ones, have a lot to lose from inaccurate labels -- the penalties can be hefty. read more

Encyclopedia Research