Learning how to read and understand food labels can help you make healthier choices. Follow these tips for making the most of the information on the Nutrition Facts label. Learn more.

Learning how to read and understand food labels can help you make healthier choices. Follow these tips for making the most of the information on the Nutrition Facts label. Learn more.

Not necessarily. Foods labeled “trans fat-free” may be high in saturated fats, which also raise your bad cholesterol levels and your risk of heart disease. Consider eating these types of foods only occasionally.

Not necessarily. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows food companies to list the amount of trans fat as “0 grams” on the Nutrition Facts panel if the amount of trans fat is less than 0.5 grams per serving.

FDA regulations state that the label value should be zero if a fat is contained at less than 0.5 grams per serving. This allows for accuracy despite limitations in detection methods. Sometimes a product contains partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, but the Nutrition Facts label lists “0 grams trans fat”. This usually means that the partially hydrogenated vegetable oil used contains minor amounts of trans fat and/or is used in small amounts. 

One example is using partially hydrogenated oil in a seasoning. When an ingredient is used in very small amounts, you can tell because it appears toward the end of the ingredient statement. Just note that if you eat several servings from a package that declares “0 trans fat” and partially hydrogenated oil is included on the ingredient list, it is possible to exceed your daily limit of trans fats.

Not necessarily.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows food companies to claim “cholesterol-free” as long as there are less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol and no more than 2 grams of saturated fat per serving.

Not necessarily.  Even if a food contains zero grams of cholesterol, it can be made with saturated fats – such as coconut and palm oils, and/or trans fats (like traditional stick margarines and shortenings).  Saturated and trans fats raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels in the blood and increase the risk of developing heart disease.

Currently, food manufacturers aren’t required to show the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat content in their products. If the food manufacturer chooses not to disclose it, you won’t see it.

 Add the amounts of saturated fat and trans fat on a food label, then subtract that from the amount of total fat. The difference is the combined amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat.

• Sugar-Free—less than 0.5 g of sugar per serving
• Reduced Sugar or Less Sugar—at least 25% less sugars per serving compared to an appropriate reference food
• No Added Sugars or Without Added Sugars—no sugar or sugar-containing ingredient such as juice or dry fruit is added during processing
• Low Sugar—not defined nor allowed as a claim on food labels  

Current nutrition labels don’t list the amount of added sugars (alone) in a product.

The line for “sugars” you see on a nutrition label includes both added and naturally occurring sugars in the product. Naturally occurring sugars are found in milk (lactose) and fruit (fructose). Any product that contains milk (such as yogurt, milk, cream) or fruit (fresh, dried) contains some natural sugars.

But you can read the ingredient list on a processed food’s label to tell if the product contains added sugars. Names for added sugars on labels include:

Call (800) 242-8721 or e-mail inquiries@heart.org.