Labels On Food Items and Their Meaning
Apart from the nutrition information and ingredient list, there are certain terms written on food items that catch our eyes. Here’s what they actually mean (per serving).
No fat or fat free | Contains less than 0.5 g of fat |
Lower or reduced fat | Contains at least 25 percent less fat than the original food |
Low-fat | Contains less than 3 g of fat |
Light or Lite | Contains 1/3 of the calories or half the fat of the original |
Saturated Fat Free | Contains less than 0.5 grams of saturated fat and 0.5 grams of trans-fatty acids |
Cholesterol-Free | Contains less than 2 mg cholesterol and 2 grams or less saturated fat |
Low Cholesterol | Contains 20 mg or less cholesterol and 2 grams or less saturated fat |
No calorie or calorie free | Contains less than 5 calories |
Low calorie | Contains less than 1/3 calories of the original |
Sugar free | Contains less than 0.5 g of sugar |
Reduced sugar | Contains at least 25 percent less sugar than original |
No preservatives | Contains no chemical or natural preservatives |
No preservatives added | Contains no added chemical preservatives; however, natural preservatives like salt or vinegar may be present |
Low sodium | Contains less than 140 mg of sodium |
No salt or salt free | Contains less than 5 mg of sodium |
High fiber | Contains 5 g or more fiber |
Good source of fiber | Contains 2.5 g to 4.9 g fiber |
More fiber or added fiber | Contains at least 2.5 g more fiber per serving than the original |