Shelves of vegetables in a grocery store with labels

What Food Labels Really Mean

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With health conciousness all the rage, food companies are making as many claims as they can about the quality and value of their product. But not all of these claims are made equal- some are highly regulated with specific meanings, while others mean virtually nothing. To get the actual scoop on what's in a product, you have to know what to look for.

Various healthy products with claims on their labels such as organic and non gmo

Unregulated or Misleading

Natural: There is no set certification process or defined regulations for this label. It generally means minimal processing and free of artificial dyes and preservatives, but can still include GMOs and ingredients like high fructose corn syrup.

Locally Grown: There is no specific regulation on what this means. If you see it at a farmers market or small business you can always ask about their growing practices.

Superfood: There is absolutely no set meaning or regulation to this label. Look instead at the nutritional profile.

Made With Real Fruit: While there may be some real fruit, the amount used can be extremely low.

Made With Whole Grains: Again, can be a very small percentage of whole grains. Look for “100% whole grain” instead.

Regulated

Organic: Standards for organic produce are highly regulated by the USDA. They must be grown in safe soil (free of synthetic pesticides and petroleum or sewer sludge based fertilizers), not modified, and stay entirely separate from non-organic crops. They are also grown using methods that promote the conservation of natural resources.

It should be noted that there are four types of organic claims with different regulations:

100% organic - completely organic or made with only organic ingredients. Can use USDA Organic seal.
Organic - at least 95% organic. Can use USDA Organic seal.
Made with organic ingredients - at least 70% of ingredients are organic

Another note is that smaller and more local businesses may use organic standards but not be able to afford organic certification. Talk to them about their practices.

Healthy: Surprisingly, this term is regulated! However, the specifics of what it means a product contains are complicated. A food using this label must contain a certain amount of a recommended food group, such as fruits or vegetables, or subgroup, such as low-fat proteins, and must contain below specific limits for added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium. Those requirements vary by product type, so there’s no universal standard to it.

Calorie Free: Less than 5 calories

Low calorie: Less than 40 calories

Light or Lite: Has less than ⅓ the calories or ½ the fat of the standard product

Reduced: At least 25% less than the standard product

Fat Free or Sugar Free: Less than ½ gram of fat or sugar

Low Fat: Less than 3 grams of fat

Low Cholesterol: Less than 20mg of cholesterol and less than 2 grams of saturated fat

Low Sodium: Less than 140 mg of sodium

Good Source of: At least 10% of Daily Value

High In: At least 20% of Daily Value

High Fiber: At least 5 grams of fiber

Misleading Claims

A person holding a can and examening the label with the nutrition facts visible

Just because a product is making a verified claim doesn’t automatically make it a healthy choice. Manufacturers can manipulate perception in many ways. One is highlighting something that sounds good, like low fat, while the product actually has high sugar to compensate. Another is to state unrealistic serving sizes like half a cookie to make the calories, fat, sugar, or sodium of a product sound lower than they are.

The best way to make an informed decision is simply not going solely off claims made on the front of a package. Take a look at the nutrition facts and ingredients and decide for yourself if it meets your nutritional needs.

Here at Sensible Bakery, we strive for transparency in the contents of our products, both in nutritional profile and in how they’re made. If you have any questions that aren’t addressed, ask us! We take pride in providing treats that our customers can feel confident aren’t trying to play tricks with their health.

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