MODULE #9 - Lesson 1 - Amazon S3 · 2 Super Nutrition Academy – MODUL - Lesson 1 b! u Ç X } u Part 1 – The Nutrition Facts Module 9 - Lesson 1 Before we begin looking at the

Food Industry Insights and Sneaky Food Label Tricks

MODULE #9 - Lesson 1

2Super Nutrition Academy – MODULE 9 - Lesson 1

© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

Part 1 – The Nutrition FactsModule 9 - Lesson 1

Before we begin looking at the food label Nutrition Facts itself, it is first important to understand how to read it. For starters, it helps to understand the terms Daily Values (DV), Daily Reference Values (DRVs), and Reference Daily Intake (RDIs).

Furthermore, it is helpful to know how to calculate calories based on daily requirements. We will get to that in a minute but first let’s look at DVs, DRVs, and RDIs.

Daily Values are comprised of the latter two terms.

One of the issues with our current labeling system is that the percent Daily Values (% DV) are based on Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) from 1968 and in Canada from the 1983 Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNIs).

Thankfully, as new research emerges, these food labels will


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

be improved and better reflect what the human body actually requires. Until then, if you are relying on packaged foods for your nutrition, then you have bigger concerns to worry about!

Daily Reference Values (DRVs):This is used for the designation of energy-producing nutrients that have no prior set standards, such as fat, carbohydrates, protein, and fiber.

The DRVs for these nutrients are based on the number of calories consumed per day. The FDA has deemed that 2,000 calories is the standard used for such calculations on food labels based on the fact that it approximates the calorie requirements of the group most often targeted for weight loss: postmenopausal women.

The DRVs for the energy-producing nutrients are calculated as follows:

� Fat – based on 30% of calories

� Saturated Fat – based on 10% of calories

� Carbohydrates – based on 60% of calories

� Protein – based on 10% of calories

� Fiber – based on 11.5 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories

Note the low component of protein – only 10% of total calories. If you have ever fallen into the high-protein trap, then these DRVs should knock some sense back into you!

At the same time, it should be noted that the fiber DRV seems suspiciously low considering that many experts believe that 35 grams of fiber (not 23 grams per 2,000 calories) is ideal for optimal health. 23 grams is at the low end of the fiber spectrum according to the American Dietetic Association.1

1 J . Marlett et al. (2002). Position of the American Dietetic Association Health Implications of Dietary Fiber. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 102(7): 993 - 1000


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

To help you better understand these DRVs it is useful to know how many calories 1 gram of each macronutrient yields:

� 1 gram of fat = 9 calories

� 1 gram of protein = 4 calories

� 1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories (fiber is also a carbohydrate)

Now, let’s put this into practice using fat as an example…

Assuming a 2,000-calorie per day diet, the total calories from fat (according to its DRV) should be no more than 600 calories (or 30% or 66 grams of fat), right?

Therefore, if a food has 12 grams of fat, how much of the Daily Value (DV) for fat does that represent?

If you said 18%, then you’re right!

Here’s why…

Since 1 gram of fat is 9 calories, then 12 grams of fat = 108 calories

Therefore, 108 calories out of a possible 600 fat calories (DRV for fat) = 18%


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

Step 1 – Serving Size

The first place to start when you look at the Nutrition Facts label is the serving size and the number of servings in the package. Serving sizes are standardized to make it easier to compare similar foods; they are provided in familiar units, such as cups or pieces, followed by the metric amount (ie. number of grams).

The size of the serving on the food package influences the number of calories and all the nutrient amounts listed on the top part of the label. Pay attention to the serving size, especially how many servings there are in the food package. Then ask yourself, “How many servings am I consuming”? (e.g., 1/2 serving, 1 serving, or more). In many instances, one serving may only be equivalent to a certain portion of the whole product. For example, one serving may equal one cup but if you ate the whole package, you would eat two cups. That doubles the calories and other nutrient numbers, including the %Daily Values for all nutrients.

Step 2 – How Many Calories?

Calories provide a measure of how much energy you get from a serving of this food.

Unfortunately, far too many people consume more calories than they need without meeting recommended intakes for a number of key nutrients. The calorie section of the label can help you manage your weight (i.e., gain, lose, or maintain.) since the number of servings you consume determines the number of calories you actually eat.


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

It may be helpful to remember that one pound of fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories.

In the example (food label above), there are 250 calories in one serving of this food. At the same time, there are 110 calories from fat, which means almost half the calories in a single serving come from fat. What if you ate the whole package content? Then, you would consume two servings, or 500 calories, and 220 (or 25 g) would come from fat. Not the greatest choice of food if you ask me!

The FDA has a general guide to calories which states the following:

� 40 Calories per serving is low

� 100 Calories per serving is moderate

� 400 Calories per serving or more is high

Accordingly, foods that contain less than 40 calories per serving are allowed to state “low calorie” on the packaging.

Step 3 - How Much Fat, Cholesterol, and Sodium is Too Much?


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

On all food labels you will now notice that there is a section listing nutrients that North Americans consume far too much – total fat, saturated fat, trans fats, cholesterol, and sodium.

Considering all of these contribute the development of numerous chronic diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and some cancers, the goal is to limit your intake of these nutrients.

Accordingly, the FDA has set upper limits of DRVs for them, and they are the following:

� Total Fat: less than 65 g

� Saturated Fat: less than 20 g (which includes trans fats)

� Cholesterol: less than 300 mg

� Sodium: less than 2,400 mg

To clarify, these are the upper limits for each of these nutrients per day.

Reference Daily Intake (RDI)The second component that makes up the Daily Value (DV) used on food labels is the RDI; which is a set of dietary references for “ideal” daily intake of important vitamins and minerals to meet the nutrient requirement of 97-98% of healthy individuals (formerly known as Recommended Dietary Allowances).

Once again, these numbers are according to the FDA’s standards but the idea here is that, supposedly, processed foods with greater amounts of these vitamins and minerals are healthier. This may be true, but let’s not forget that fresh whole foods will always be your best source of these vital micronutrients.


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

Here is a list of RDIs for the major vitamins and minerals

Nutrient Amount

Vitamin A 5,000 International Units (IU)

Vitamin C 60 milligrams (mg)

Vitamin D 400 IU

Vitamin E 30 IU

Vitamin B6 2 mg

Vitamin B12 6 micrograms (mcg)

Thiamin 1.5 mg

Riboflavin 1.7 mg

Niacin 20 mg

Calcium 1 g

Iron 18 mg

Folic Acid 0.4 mg

Phosphorus 1 g

Iodine 150 mcg

Magnesium 5 mg

Copper 2 mg

Biotin 0.3 mg

Pantothenic Acid 10 mg


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

It should be noted, though, that not all of these nutrients need to be listed on a food label. Instead, the FDA requires that some, if not all, of the following components be listed on a food label in the following order:

� Total calories*

� Calories from fat*

� Calories from saturated fat (including trans fat)*

� Stearic acic (for meat and poultry only)

� Polyunsaturated fat

� Monounsaturated fat

� Cholesterol*

� Sodium*

� Potassium

� Dietary fiber*

� Soluble fiber

� Insoluble fiber

� Sugars*

� Sugar alcohol (ie. xylitol, mannitol, and sorbitol)

� Other carbohydrates

� Protein*

� Vitamin A*

� Percent Vitamin A present as beta-carotene

� Vitamin C*

� Calcium*

� Iron*

� Other essential vitamins and minerals*


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

As you can probably guess, the vast majority of food labels do not list all of these nutrients. In most cases, the nutrients marked with an asterisk (from above) are most often present on packaged foods.

It is also worth noting that these are the only nutrient components that are allowed to be listed on any food label (at the present time), according to the FDA. In the case where is a food is fortified or enriched with one of these nutrients, or a claim is made about them, then pertinent additional nutrition information is required. For instance, a food fortified with Vitamin D must include the relevant Vitamin D nutrition information on the label.

Step 4 - How Much of the Good Stuff?

This part of this food label (coloured in blue) represents the “good stuff” that you want more of in your diet.

The FDA considers that any of these “good” nutrients with a % DV less than 5% is low, while a % DV greater than 20% is high.


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

Looking at this abbreviated food label we can see that this food would be considered a “high source of calcium” (and would be able to say so on the label), while this food would also be deemed low in dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron. Obviously, this would not be stated on the packaging!

Step 5 – How to Interpret the Footnote at the Bottom of the Nutrition Facts Label

If you look at the initial food label image used at the beginning of this chapter you will notice the * used after the heading % Daily Value on the Nutrition Facts label.

This asterisk refers to the Footnote in the lower part of the nutrition label, which tells you “Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet”.

This statement must be on all food labels.

But the remaining information in the full footnote may not be on the package if the size of the label is too small. When the full footnote does appear, it will always be the same. It doesn’t change from product to product, because it shows recommended dietary advice for all consumers - it is not about a specific food product.


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

Look at the amounts circled in red in the footnote - these are the Daily Values (DV) for each nutrient listed and are based on supposed public health experts’ advice. The DVs represent the recommended levels of intakes of each nutrient and the DVs in the footnote are based on a 2,000 or 2,500 calorie diet.

Note how the DVs for some nutrients change, while others (for cholesterol and sodium) remain the same for both calorie amounts.

The nutrients that have “upper daily limits” are listed first on the footnote of larger labels and on the example above. “Upper limits”, as the term implies, means it is recommended that you stay below - eat “less than” - the Daily Value for that nutrient on a daily basis.

For example, the DV for saturated fat is 20 grams. Therefore, if you ate a food stating that saturated fat was 20 grams or 100% DV of its content, then you would have consumed your entire day’s limit of saturated fat in this one food!

Considering the nasty health impacts of saturated fat (especially from animal sources), the dietary goal is to eat “less than” 20 g or 100% DV for the day.

Here’s another way of looking at a similar scenario:

Note: The pictures above were provided by the FDA’s site on food labels.2

2 http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html#seeimage2


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

What About the Health Claims?

Nowadays, you will most likely see health claims on potentially any product, regardless of whether it is healthy or not. The reason – the FDA allows health claims to be made on any food product, as long as it meets certain criteria. As a result, even the unhealthiest foods can be misleading.

I even noticed Fruit Loops cereal with the health claim “source of vitamin A” right on the front of the box. How much more deceptive can you be?

To help you cut through much of the nonsense, below are the most common health claims used on food labels as well as what is required (nutritionally) for their use.

Notice the ones that claim that a food is “... free” such as sodium free. Is there really “0” trace of that nutrient?

� Low calorie…fewer than 40 calories per serving.

� Low sodium…140 mg or less per serving.

� Very low sodium…less than 35 mg per serving.

� Sodium free…less than 5 mg per serving.

� Low fat…3 g or less per serving.

� Low saturated fat…1 g or less per serving.

� Low cholesterol…20 mg or less per serving.

� High or source of…denotes the beneficial presence of a nutrient such as fiber or vitamins.

� High or excellent source of…contains 20% or more of the Daily Value (DV) for a particular nutrient in a serving.

� Good source of…supplies 10 to 19% of the DV for a particular nutrient in a serving.


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

� Reduced…means a product has been nutritionally altered and contains at least 25% less of a nutrient (ie. fat) OR 25% fewer calories than the regular product.

� Less…means a product contains 25% less of a nutrient OR 25% fewer calories than the reference food.

� Light or lite…signifies a product contains 1/3 fewer calories or ½ the fat of the comparison food. “Light in sodium” may also be used if sodium content has been reduced by at least 50%.

� More…means a product contains at least 10% more of the DV for a desirable nutrient, such as fiber, than the regular food.

� Fresh…signifies a food that has not been heat processed or frozen and supposedly contains no preservatives.

� Lean and extra lean…describes the fat content of meats, poultry, seafood, and game meats. Lean = fewer than 10 g fat per serving. Extra lean = fewer than 5 g of fat per serving.

� Percent fat free...used only to described foods that qualify as low fat.

� High potency…describes a nutrient in a food that is 100% or more of the RDI established for that product. The term may also be used with multi-ingredient products if 2/3 of the nutrients are present at 100% of the RDI.

� Antioxidant…may be used in conjunction with “good source” and “high” to describe a nutrient scientifically shown to neutralize free radicals (ie. vitamin E) or prevent free-radical initiated chemical reactions in the food.


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

Labeling of Fresh ProduceDid you know? Those 4 or 5 digit numbers on produce stickers at the grocery store do more than just identify the food for the cashier. They also let you know if the food has been genetically modified, organically grown, or conventional grown.

If the item doesn’t have a sticker on it, just look at the sign for a 4 or 5 digit number.

What does the #4017 on the apple in this picture signify? Well, the following 3 rules will help you out.

If the number is:

� 4 digits, it’s conventionally grown.

� 5 digits starting with 8, it’s genetically modified.

� 5 digits starting with 9, it’s organically grown.

This system is used in Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France and by all countries exporting to them.

So pay attention to these stickers when you shop!

If you see a flyer advertising organic tomatoes for 70¢ a pound, a price that seems too good to be true, it probably is! Have a look at the sticker on the tomatoes. Does it only have 4 digits? If it does, you are been tricked into buying organic tomatoes, which are really conventionally grown. Take it up with the store manager!


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

Part 2 – Understanding the Ingredient List

The second component to reading a food label, in our opinion, is truly the most important. Food manufacturers know that most consumers are lazy and will primarily focus on the “quantitative” aspect of the food – the Nutrition Facts – while paying little, if any, attention to the “qualitative” side – the ingredient list! Mostly, because consumers have no idea what half the ingredients are in the first place. Hint, hint!

If the food label Nutrition Facts show numbers that scream “low fat” or “low carb”, would that not imply that the food should be healthier for you?

Not at all!

The composition of a food, not necessarily its nutrient numbers, is the most important element when it comes to assessing its health properties. If this were not the case then “low calorie” diet sodas filled with poisonous cancer-causing artificial sweeteners like Aspartame and saccharin would be better for your health!

The irony is that supposed heath promoting organizations such as the FDA devote little to educating the public about what’s in our foods. Instead, the focus their money and time on fractioning our foods into carbs, proteins, fats, and other unit nutrients. It’s totally backwards and in no way does it promote looking at foods for what they are – whole, and much more than the sum of their parts!

If you are eating packaged foods, the simple rule of thumb is the safest products are those with the fewest ingredients.

A great example of this is Lara Bar3, a delicious organic live food bar that usually contains no more than 4 ingredients. These bars use fresh ingredients such as organic dates, organic almonds, organic cacao, and organic lemon 3 http://www.larabar.com

http://www.larabar.com


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

zest, just to name a few. If you need a quick fix, put down the protein bar and, instead, take one of these energy bars for a test drive.

When it comes to most manufactured foods, it is important to recognize that even if all of the ingredients are safe individually, rarely does any product contain only one ingredient. Safety testing has only been done for individual ingredients, not combinations of ingredients. Therefore, ingredients that are considered safe individually may be harmful in certain combinations.

Nobody knows the effects of the many different ingredients used in the thousands of different combinations, the effects of eating numerous different products together, with different chemical additives, or the cumulative effects of consuming these ingredients or products over time.

So, in part 2 of “How to Read a Food Label” you are going to learn how to read the ingredient list and then uncover the hidden truths about the notorious chemicals that the food industry is lethally injected into our foods. In most cases, the answers are right there in the ingredient list of the food label!


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

From the FDA with Love

I thought it would be appropriate to begin our inquisition into food ingredients by highlighting precisely what the FDA discusses on its food label site regarding the difference in ingredients between a “plain yogurt” and a “fruit yogurt”.

Here’s what their Nutrition Facts labels look like…

PLAIN YOGURT FRUIT YOGURT


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

What do you notice?

That the FRUIT YOGURT has nearly 4 times as much sugar, more saturated fat, and more than twice the calories compared to the PLAIN YOGURT.

Not a great start!

But, now have a look at their respective ingredients…

PLAIN YOGURT – contains no added sugars

FRUIT YOGURT – contains added sugars

What is the difference between their ingredients?

Well, it is pretty hard to not notice the red circle around high-fructose corn syrup. Credit the FDA for at least circling a food additive that may single-handedly be responsible for our obesity epidemic!

So it would be appear that the PLAIN YOGURT would be sure and safe bet, right?

Not necessarily.

This is where it helps to be a savvy, educated consumer. It is easy to be fooled by the lower calorie, lower sugar, and lower fat content of the PLAIN YOGURT but I would like to draw your attention to the last ingredient in the PLAIN YOGURT?


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

CarrageenanIf you are not familiar with carageenan, you should be. It is used in foods as an emulsifier and used to produce gels – kind of like yogurt. It is also commonly found in soy products, yogurts, chocolate products, cheese spreads, ice cream, and many more foods.

The problem with carrageenan is that animal studies have shown it to cause cancer, and specifically, malignant tumours in the connective tissue4. In spite of this knowledge, in 1980, the FDA claimed that no evidence supported its danger to the public at the levels of use at that time. Recently, though, carrageenan has been placed on the FDA list for cancer study because of its nasty carcinogenic effects in animals.

In 2003, the FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives requested that carrageenan be removed from infant formulas, while simultaneously permitting for use as a food additive.

If a food additive was banned from infant foods, why would it not be banned from other foods?

If you eat yogurt for its “good” bacteria, then there a plenty of healthier alternatives. Try sauerkraut, miso, or even a probiotic supplement. These choices are much healthier than yogurt and provide far greater amounts of friendly bacteria into your body.

4 Winter, R. A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives. Three Rivers Press, NY. 2004


© S

uper

Nut

rition

Acad

emy.

com

This is Not About Becoming OrthorexicOrthorexia is a condition that is becoming more popular these days in our health-conscious society. It is characterized by an obsession with eating foods that one considers healthy. Orthorexics may even be considered borderline paranoid since they obsess with the littlest details from ensuring that everything they eat is organic to the fear of negative health consequences if they consume anything that might be considered less healthy.

Although it may seem that some of what you have just read (and are about to read) is knit picking at small details, rest assured that it is not.

I totally understand the need for balance, which might include indulging in your favourite foods from to time to time. Heck, I am the last one to count calories and read the label of every food I put in my body. I am big “foodie” but I also understand the need to be a health conscious and savvy food consumer.

My own dietary lifestyle revolves around eating predominantly fresh raw foods and cooked vegetarian dishes. Very seldom do I eat processed or packaged foods or even animal products. But I do enjoy going out to eat every now and again. I won’t beat myself up for having a treat or going out for a “non-healthy” meal once in a while.

But this does not detract from the fact that I am “hardcore” health promoters. I feel passionately about our my health and yours as well! I would not have written this otherwise. So remember, I am not asking you to become fanatical about your food choices.

Rather, the goal is to become aware, slightly frightened by the products of the food industry, and to ultimately move towards eating greater amounts of fresh vegetables and fruit. If you do, your body and your health will transform beyond your wildest dreams!

Documents

MODULE #9 - Lesson 1 - Amazon S3 · 2 Super Nutrition Academy – MODUL - Lesson 1 b! u Ç X } u Part 1 – The Nutrition Facts Module 9 - Lesson 1 Before we begin looking at the