| Understanding food product labels | 1442.00000000000 | Understanding food product labels | Understanding food product labels | U | English | Nutrition | Child (0-12 years);Teen (13-18 years) | NA | Digestive system | Healthy living and prevention | Caregivers
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First nations | NA | | 2013-09-27T04:00:00Z | | | | | | 10.1000000000000 | 52.8000000000000 | 380.000000000000 | | Flat Content | Health A-Z | <p>Discover how to make informed choices about packaged foods by understanding ingredient lists, nutrition facts tables and manufacturers' nutrition claims.</p> | <p>In Canada, nutrition labelling laws require food companies to identify the nutrients in packaged goods in a consistent way. Food product packaging includes a wide range of information about your food: ingredients, nutrition facts and nutrition claims. When comparing and choosing between food products, it helps to understand this information so you can make better choices for you and your family. </p> | | <h2>Key points</h2><ul><li>On packaged foods, ingredients are listed in order of quantity, with the largest ingredient appearing first. </li><li>The Nutrition Facts table provides information on the amount of fats, carbohydrates, protein and key vitamins and minerals in a single serving of a food. The serving size in the table may differ from your idea of a single serving.</li><li>Nutrition claims on packaged foods are protected by law. Foods must meet certain standards before manufacturers can make claims about fibre, sodium or fat content, for example.</li></ul> | <h2>Ingredient list</h2><p>The ingredients on a food package label are listed in descending order by weight. For example, the ingredients that appear first in the list make up a greater share of the food product.</p><h2>Serving sizes</h2><p>The Nutrition Facts table gives information for a single serving of a food product. The serving size on the label may be smaller or larger than what you consider to be a single serving.</p>
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<img src="https://assets.aboutkidshealth.ca/AKHAssets/FoodProductLabels_ServingSizes_EN.png" alt="Serving sizes of fruits and vegetables; grain product; milk and alternatives; and meat and alternatives" /> </figure>
<h2>Nutrition claims</h2><p>Nutrition claims on packaged foods are also protected by law. They are designed to help consumers make informed decisions about food at a glance.</p><p>The Canadian government has rules about the amount of a nutrient that must be in a food before the food company can put a claim on the packaging. You can see some examples below.</p><table class="akh-table"><thead><tr><th style="width:200px;">Claim</th><th>Required nutrients</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="width:200px;">Source of fibre<br></td><td>Contains at least 2 g of fibre</td></tr><tr><td style="width:200px;">Low fat</td><td>Contains no more than 3 g of fat in the amount specified</td></tr><tr><td style="width:200px;">Cholesterol-free</td><td>Contains no more than 3 g of fat in the amount specified</td></tr><tr><td style="width:200px;">Low fat</td><td>Contains a negligible amount (normally less than 2 mg)</td></tr><tr><td style="width:200px;">Sodium-free</td><td>Contains less than 5 mg of sodium</td></tr><tr><td style="width:200px;">Reduced calorie</td><td>Contains 25% fewer calories than the food it is being compared to</td></tr><tr><td style="width:200px;">Light</td><td>Reduced in fat or calories</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
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