Why food labels are important for consumers?

Consumers often compare prices of food items in the grocery store to choose the best value for money. But comparing items using the food label can help us choose the best value for our health. The food label is one of the most valuable tools we as consumers have. For example, someone with high blood pressure who needs to watch salt (sodium) intake may have a choice of five different types of tomato soup on the rack.  One can quickly and easily compare the sodium content of each product by looking at the part of the label that lists nutrition information to choose the one with the lowest sodium content.

Most nutrients are defined on the basis of 2,000 calorie intake a day for women and 2,200 calories intake a day for men, but one does not need to memorize these numbers. As per the regulation the nutrients must be declared on the Nutrition Facts Label as "percent Daily Value" (%DV), which tells the percent of the recommended daily intake to help the consumer create a balanced diet.

As the saying goes "You are what you eat". These days most items contain food preservatives and food colour. Youngsters eat cereal and consume sports drinks that are blue, green and multicolored. Research shows that colour is not good for the body and may even have carcinogenic - inducing cancer- properties. Younger kids eat lollipops and cotton candy which is pure sugar and colour. Checking out food labels can help one choose the right amount of natural Vitamin A & C, calcium and iron for kids and avoid the junk.

In general, while reading the read Nutrition Facts Labels, one is looking for foods that are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals and low in sugar, sodium, cholesterol, and fats (especially saturated fat and trans fat). The diet mantra is to choose foods that are low in fat, low in calories, low in cholesterol and high in fiber.

Typically the Food Labels cover the following information.  Serving Size - Located at the top of the label, this refers to the amount of food; Servings Per Container: About 2. This tells us how many servings are there in the bag. In this case, it says about 2. Calories: One Serving, 170 (Whole Bag, 340); this specifies that consuming half the bag will give an intake of 170 calories. Calories from Fat: One Serving, 110 (Whole Bag, 220). This refers to how many of the food's calories come from fat.

The next section of the label lists the amount of fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins and minerals that the food item offers.

* 5% or less of a nutrient, it's considered a poor source of that nutrient.
*10-20% of your daily recommended amount of a nutrient, it's a good source of that nutrient. 
* More than 20%, it's high in that nutrient.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US, requires that all packaged food items including fruits vegetables and poultry carry the complete nutritional information. The European Union is making food labeling compulsory across 27 nations in an effort to check obesity, parents in Australia are demanding that food labeling becomes compulsory so that children get the right and balanced diet. In India however food labeling standard is still in its infancy and suppliers only provide very limited information towards product quality, safety and food value.

The new age design of food labels are easy to read and are so friendly that even young children understand them. Following the labels helps one in creating balanced lunch boxes for kids, picking up the right nutrients for ailing or elderly people or selecting the right dietary mix for the fashionable.