NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Next time you're in the grocery store, take a moment and look at the labels.
A lot of labels make some pretty big claims, like natural, very low sodium and sugar-free. What does that really mean, and should you pay more for them?
“Some food labels are regulated by the FDA, but others aren’t and they may not mean what you think they do,” said Consumer Reports' Trisha Calvo.
If you want to choose food that’s produced without harmful pesticides and fertilizers, look for the USDA Organic Seal, which has stringent verification rules. Labels that say “pesticide-free” or “zero pesticides” aren’t regulated terms.
If you’re trying to cut back on salt, look for labels that read “Low Sodium” or “Very Low Sodium”. Low-sodium foods have 140 mg or less per serving, and very low-sodium foods have 35 mg or less per serving.
“No salt added” or “unsalted” are not always sodium-free. These terms mean no salt was added during processing, but some foods naturally contain sodium.
Now to tame a sweet tooth. You’ll want to look for “No Added Sugars” or “Sugar-free”. “No added sugars” means … just that.
“For foods like tomato sauce and ketchup look for 'no added sugars' on food labels but not 'sugar-free' because tomatoes naturally contain sugar," Calvo said. “It’s added sugars that you need to be mindful of.”
“Lightly sweetened,” “slightly sweet,” “a tad sweet,” and similar terms are not regulated.
Now to the bread aisle. Count on these labels: 100 percent whole grain and 100 percent whole wheat.
Products with a “multigrain” or “made with whole grains” claim can contain refined grains. Consumer Reports experts found fewer than half of the bread in a recent review labeled with terms like these were 100 percent whole grain.
“Excellent source of” or “high in” fiber guarantees that you’ll get at least 20 percent of the 28-gram daily value, or 5.5 grams, per serving
Still not sure about the item you want to buy, just flip it over –
“The ingredients list and the nutrition facts panel are a better source to nutritional information than the front of package claims,” she added.
“Reduced sugar” is also regulated by the FDA and if you see it, it means the food has at least 25 percent less sugar than a comparable product. Whether that’s a good thing depends on the starting amount.
