| Reduced Calorie |
Must be at least 1/3 lower in calories than the food it most closely resembles. |
| Best If Used By |
The length of time the product remains at the highest quality. |
| Expiration Date |
The last date the food should be used. |
| Sell By Date |
The last day the product should be offered for sale. |
| Sodium Free |
No more than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving. |
| Very Low Sodium |
No more than 35 milligrams of sodium per serving. |
| No Salt Added or Unsalted |
No salt is added in processing, but the food could have naturally occurring sodium. There could be sodium present from sources other than salt, such as soy sauce or sodium-based preservatives. |
| Servings |
There are no standard serving sizes. i.e., a bottle of salad dressing has 16 servings; a juice box has 1/4 servings. Make sure you are aware of the total product size when evaluating the calorie, salt and fat which are listed by serving size. |
| Dietetic |
At least one ingredient has been changed or restricted. The food may have less calories, sugar, salt, fat, etc. Be sure to read the label...some "dietetic" cookies have less sugar but more fat. |
| U.S. RDA |
Recommended Daily Allowances are listed as percentages to help buyers compare the nutritional content of foods. A food must contain at least 10% of the U.S. RDA to be considered a good source for a nutrient. |
| High Fiber |
There is no regulation for this term, a food can contain any level of fiber and still call itself "high fiber". |
| Lean |
No more than 10 percent fat by weight, not by calories. |
| Extra Lean |
No more than 5% fat by weight, not by calories. |
| Leaner |
At least 25% less fat by weight, not by calories. |
| Light or Lite |
There is no legal standard for his term. It can mean lighter in color, flavor, or reduced in salt or calories. |
| Natural |
It has no legal definition except on a meat label. On a meat label "natural" means there are no artificial ingredients and no added coloring. |
| No Cholesterol |
Foods may have no cholesterol but can still be high in fat, and may contain cholesterol-raising fats such as tropical oils. |
| Organic |
There is no national regulation for this term. But over 15 states have organic labeling laws or guidelines with varying definitions. Generally, organic means no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides are used in growing or storing a product. It is still possible for organic foods to have pesticide residues. |
| No Sugar Added |
These foods can still be sweetened with concentrated fruit juices, a form of simple sugars. |
| Sugar-Free/Less |
Contains no table sugar, but may be sweetened with sugar alcohols such as sorbitol. Sugar alcohols can make a food just as high in calories. But if the "sugar-free" item is not low in calories, this must be stated on the label. |
| Low Calorie |
No more than 40 calories per serving. |