The FDA oversees the labeling of food products other than meat and poultry. With the passage of new label laws in 1992, virtually all processed and packaged foods are required to have uniform labels. This includes processed meat and poultry, which are regulated by the USDA. Guidelines for voluntary labeling of raw vegetables and fruits and fish are also available and will likely be displayed in most supermarkets.

Food Labels must indicate the manufacturer and the packer or distributor, declare the quantity of contents either in net weight or by volume, and list the common name of each ingredient in descending order of prominence. Also included is information about those nutrients most closely associated with chronic disease risk factors, that is, the amount of total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugar, dietary fiber, total carbohydrate, and protein.

Food Labels are divided into two parts. The top half lists nutrients both as an amount per serving and as a percentage of the 2000 calorie daily value. With these percentages it is possible to determine each food’s contribution to the DRY. For example, a serving of chicken pot pie contains 31 grams of total fat, or 48% of the daily fat allowance of 65 grams for those consuming 2000 calories a day.

The bottom half contains the DRV for nutrients based on two diets: one for 2000 calories and one for 2500 calories. For example, total fat intake should be less than 65 grams for a 2000 calorie diet and less than 80 grams for a 2500-calorie diet.

In the past, manufacturers often used labeling ploys to deceive consumers. Currently, laws limit labels to the following six health claims 49 ; High-calcium foods may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

A diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may lower the risk for heart disease.

A low-fat diet may reduce the risk of some cancers.

A low sodium diet has been linked with reduced incidence of hypertension.

High-fiber foods may reduce the risk of heart disease and certain forms of cancer.

Vitamins A and C in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer.

The FDA has defined commonly used words describing calories, sodium, sugar, fiber, fat, and cholesterol in food. For example, when the word “free” is highlighted on a package in reference to calories, it means that the product yields less than 5 calories per serving; in reference to sodium, it contains less than 5 milligrams; and in reference to fat, it contains less than 0.5 grams.

Another important change in the 1992 revised food label regulations was the establishment of reference daily intakes (RDI) for protein, minerals, and vitamins. RDI values represent minimal standards for essential nutrients and replace the US recommended daily allowance (USRDA) established in 1968. RDI figures are based on the average RDA value set for a nutrient that spans a particular age range. Food package labels contain RDI values as a basis for comparing the nutrient values in food. DRVs and RDIs collectively are called daily values (DVs).

Serving sizes are also now standardized. Rather than being arbitrarily defined by the manufacturer, the FDA has set serving sizes for 139 food and drink categories based on surveys of what people actually eat. Consequently, serving sizes are more realistic than ever before, and they permit comparison shopping.

Even with the improvements in label laws, the unwitting consumer can still be misled. Some examples 50 follow. When a popular brand of potato chips no longer met the criteria for “light,” it changed its name from “light chips” to “right chips.” A brand of margarine changed its name from “brand … Light” to “brand … light taste.” (Manufacturers can still use light to describe taste, texture, or color.)

A brand of brownie mix states that it is low-fat. But the fine print says that’s per serving of the mix alone. Once an edible brownie is created by adding vegetable oil, its fat-gram content more than triples. And, some foods promise fruit or other ingredients but deliver only flavor. Contrary to the pictures on package containers, one brand of strawberry frozen yogurt has no real strawberries; a brand of blueberry pancakes has no berries.

Conclusion:

Although labels have improved dramatically during the past several years, they still fall short in several areas. Although deception in old labels was more obvious, today’s labels challenge consumers to apply a higher level of discrimination to sort between fact and fantasy.

Food irradiation involves treating foods with gamma radiation from radioactive cobalt, cesium, or some other source of X-rays. The killing effect on microorganisms rises with the power of the rays, which are measured in rads(radiant energy absorbed). Irradiation lengthens food product’s shelf life and prevents microorganism and insect contamination. Because this results in less waste, the food industry can make higher profits while charging consumers lower prices. It is also claimed that irradiation will reduce the need to use many of the toxic chemicals now used to preserve foods and prevent contamination from external contaminants.

The following foods have already received approval for irradiation by the Food and Drug Administration: fresh produce such as strawberries, potatoes, and other perishable foods; poultry and some seafood(in which salmonella is a serious problem); and pork(to kill off the parasite trichina). Many spices and herbs have been irradiated for years, and grains, vegetables, and frozen foods are already targeted for irradiation in the near future.

The long-term side effects of irradiation are unknown. Although irradiation doesn’t actually make your food radioactive, it does damage its molecular structure, creating new substances known as free radicals. Free radicals have been implicated in certain types of cancers, and diseases of the liver and kidney in animal studies, but, to date, no studies of the toxicity of irradiated foods on humans have been done. While the health effects of irradiated food may not be known for many years, the long-term impact of the proliferation of radioactive material on our environment must be considered.

Food Additives

Additives generally help to reduce the risk of food-borne illness(i.e., nitrates added to cured meats), prevent spoilage, and enhance the ways foods look and taste. Additives also are used to enhance nutrient value, especially when the benefits are so great for the general public. A deficiency can be a terrible public health problem, and a solution is relatively easy to administer.

One of the newest additives to our daily food is folate, which is produced by plants and yeasts. Folate is believed to offer many health benefits, including but not limited to reducing the risk of neural tube defects, certain anemias, cervical dysplasia, and heart attacks. The best sources of folate are fruits and vegetables, particularly beans, spinach, and broccoli. Many multivitamin supplements also supply this amount. Recently, the Public Health Service took the recommendation one step further by approving the addition of folate to flour.

Although the FDA regulates additives by effectiveness, ability to detect them in foods, and safety, there are continued questions about those additives put into foods intentionally and those that get in unintentionally before or after processing.

Intentional Food Additives:

Antimicrobial agents: Substances like salt, sugar, nitrates, and others that tend to make foods less hospitable for microbes.

Antioxidants: Substances that preserve color and flavor by reducing loss due to exposure to oxygen. Vitamin C and E are among those antioxidants believed to play a role in reduced cancer and cardiovascular disease. BHA and BHT are additives that also are antioxidant in action.

Artificial colors

Nutrient additives

Indirect Food Additives:

Substances that inadvertently get into food products from packaging and or handling.

Dioxins: Found in coffee filters, milk containers, and frozen foods.

Methylene chloride: Found in decaffeinated coffee.

Hormones: Bovine growth hormone(BGH) found in animal meat.

Food irradiation Treating foods with gamma radiation from radioactive cobalt, cesium, or some other source of X-rays to kill microorganisms.

Food allergies Overreaction by the body to normally harmless proteins, which are perceived as allergens. In response, the body produces antibodies, triggering allergic symptoms.

Once believed to be a rare fact, approximately 5 percent of all children in the United States, and more than 10 percent of all adults may have an allergic reaction to something they eat. Typical culprits include milk, eggs, peanuts, soybeans, tree nuts, fish and shellfish, and wheat. Reactions can range from minor rashes to severe swelling in the mouth, tongue, and throat to violent vomiting and diarrhea, and, occasionally, death. Emergency rooms and hospitals throughout the country report rapid increases in the number of incidents tied to food allergies.

Food allergies occur when a person’s body views a specific food, usually a protein, as an invader or a threat. The body’s immune system kicks into high gear and tries to rid the body of the problem by using typical immune system helpers. The first signs are typically rapid breathing or wheezing, hives, rash, eczema, or a chronic runny nose. More dramatic symptoms include facial swelling or respiratory problems related to anaphylactic reaction, which require a shot of epinephrine, a hormone that stimulates the heart and relieves oVert symptoms.

Once diagnosed with a food allergy, the key is to find a nutrition specialist (with a degree or academic training in nutrition) who can help you make necessary dietary adjustments. See Table 94 for a listing of possible foods that cause allergies and tips on how to reduce your reactions. Also, remember that many apparent reactions to foods are really not allergic reactions per se. Included among this group are:

Food intolerance, which occurs in people who lack certain digestive chemicals and suffer adverse effects when they consume certain substances because their bodies have difficulty breaking them down. One of the most common examples is lactose intolerance, experienced by people who do not have the digestive chemicals needed to break down the lactose in milk.

Reactions to food additives, such as sulfites and MSG.

Reactions to substances occurring naturally in some foods, such as tyramine in cheese, phenylethylamine in chocolate, caffeine in coffee, and some compounds in alcoholic beverages.

Food-borne illnesses.

Unknown reactions in people who have adverse symptoms that they attribute to foods and that may actually go away when treated as allergies but for which there is no evidence of a physiological basis for the reactions 34

Food intolerance Adverse effects resulting when people who lack the digestive chemicals needed to break down certain substances eat those substances.

Organic Foods

Mounting concerns about food safety have caused many people to try to protect themselves by refusing to buy processed foods and mass-produced agricultural products. Instead, they purchase foods that are organically grown-foods reported to be pesticide-and chemical-free. Though they are sold at premium prices, many of these products are of only average quality. They are probably not worth the money, according to most experts, for several reasons. First, whether food has been exposed to pesticides at some time in the production cycle is not as important as the residual pesticides in the food at the time you consume it. Obviously, too much of anything is potentially harmful, but if a “nonorganic” food has been sprayed and the poison has since evaporated, changed into a nontoxic compound, or been diluted below the point at which it can do any harm, the food may be no more harmful than a product labeled as “organic.” Second, even though so-called organic foods generally claim to be pesticide-free, tests indicate that many contain pesticide residues in the same amounts as nonorganic foods. These residues may be the result of pesticide drift from neighboring farms and water supplies, sneak sprays by unscrupulous producers, or soils that have residue from previous growers.

The bottom line is what is really in the food, not whether it is labeled as “organic,” “natural,” or “healthy” In fact, these labels are often placed on foods that are far from healthy and may actually be of very low quality. Although the ideals upon which the organic movement was founded are sound, more testing and regulation are needed before people can be assured that what they are paying high prices for is the real unadulterated thing-a pesticide-free product.

Organically grown Foods that are grown without use of pesticides or chemicals.

Once believed to be a rare event, approximately 5 percent of all children in the United States, and more than 10 percent of all adults may have an allergic reaction to something they eat. Typical culprits include milk, eggs, peanuts, soybeans, tree nuts, fish and shellfish, and wheat. Reactions can range from minor rashes to severe swelling in the mouth, tongue, and throat to violent vomiting and diarrhea, and, occasionally, death. Emergency rooms and hospitals throughout the country report rapid increases in the number of incidents tied to food allergies.