What Labels Really Mean, Food labels and nutrition information. Weight Control, Weight Loss, Strategies for Weight Loss, Dieting, Holisticonline.com

Fat free does not mean absence of fat in the food labeling specified by US FDA. We give some of the common nutrition labels and what they "legally" mean below.

If the Label Says:	It Means:
Fat Free	Less than 0.5 g fat per serving
Low Fat	3 g or less fat per serving
Reduced Fat, Less Fat	At least 25% less fat per serving when compared with a similar food
Saturated Fat Free	Less than 0.5 g saturated fat per serving
Low Saturated Fat	1 g or less saturated fat per serving and no more than 15% of calories from saturated fat
Reduced or Less Saturated Fat	At least 25% less saturated fat per serving when compared with a similar food
Cholesterol Free	Less than 2 mg cholesterol per serving and 2 9 or less saturated fat per serving
Low Cholesterol	20 mg or less cholesterol per serving and 2 9 or less saturated fat per serving
Lean	Packaged seafood or game meat, cooked meat, or cooked poultry with less than 10 g total fat, less than 4 g saturated fat, and less than 95 mg cholesterol per serving
Extra Lean	Packaged seafood or game meat, cooked meat, or cooked poultry with less than 5 g total fat, less than 2 g saturated fat, and less than 95 mg cholesterol per serving
Light or Lite	At least 1/3 fewer calories or 50% less fat per serving; if more than half the calories are from fat, fat content must be reduced by 50% or more. Non-nutrient "light" or "lite" claims are allowed, but must identify the basis for the claim. Examples: "light in color," "light in texture."