It is now official. The new Nutrition Facts Label is out and companies, depending on their size, have between January 1, 2020 and July 1, 2020 to have it on their products.
Here is the official announcement from the FDA
"Manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual sales must switch to the new label by January 1, 2020; manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food sales have until January 1, 2021 to comply. The FDA plans to work cooperatively with manufacturers to meet the new Nutrition Facts label requirements. Manufacturers of most single-ingredient sugars such as honey and maple syrup and certain cranberry products have until July 1, 2021 to make the changes. Manufacturers of certain flavored dried cranberries have until July 1, 2020 to make the changes."https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling- ... acts-labelSo, lets review the 2 changes that impact the guidelines; the calories from fat and the calories from added sugars
1) Check the calories from fatThe guideline for fat on a package product is no more then 20%. There are two ways to calculate "percent calories from fat" on the new label...
Method AMultiply grams of fat per serving x 9 = calories from fat per serving.
[NOTE: To make it easier, you can multiply the grams of fat by 10 (instead of 9) as most of the numbers are averages and rounded off anyway. If you check a few labels, you will see that because of that, the calories from fat listed on the label is often rounded off to 10x the grams of fat listed on the label. So, using 10 isn't perfect but it is easier and most of the time, works out just fine.]
Using the sample new label above, if the product has 230 calories per serving, then 20% will be 46. The label shows 8 gm of fat. 8 x9 =72, which is greater then the 46 that would be allowed, so this product would fail. (If you do this multiplying the grams of fat x 10, we get the same result).
Method B) Use the chart below
There is a direct relationship between the "calories per serving" and the "grams of fat" and we can just use those two numbers instead of multiplying "grams of fat" x 9.
Here are the numbers, which you can make into a pocket card to carry with you.
The number of the left is "calories per serving" and the number on the right is the guideline for the maximum amount of fat in grams (which would equate to </= 20% calories from fat)
Calories per serving - Grams of fat
25 calories - </= .5
50 Calories - </- 1 gm
75 Calories - </= 1.5 gm
100 calories - </= 2 gm
125 calories - </= 2.5 gm
150 Calories - </= 3 gm
175 Calories - </= 4 gm
200 calories - </= 4.5 gm
225 calories - </= 5.0 gm
250 calories - </= 5.5 gm
275 calories - </= 6.0 gm
300 calories - </= 6.5 gm
325 calories - </= 7.0 gm
350 calories - </= 7.5 gm
375 calories - </= 8.0 gm
400 Calories - </= 8.5 gm
425 calories - </= 8.5 gm
450 calories - </= 9.0 gm
475 calories - </= 9.5 gm
500 calories - </= 10 gm
Method CFor those who don't mind a little math, there is a very easy way. There is a direct relationship between calories, calories from fat and grams of fat. If we look at the calories per serving and instead of calculated 20%, we can just calculate 2%. That would give us the maximum amount of grams from fat per serving that I would allow.
So, if the calories are 100 per serving, 2% of 100 is 2 so the maximum amount of fat grams per serving is 2. If it was 230 calories per serving, 2% of 230 is 4.6, so 4.6 is the maximum allowable amount of fat grams per 230 calories.
For those following who are not good at math, to get to 2%, just take 1% of the calories which you do by moving the decimal place 2 spots to the left. Then double the number. So, using 230 calories again. 1% would be 2.3 and 2% would be 4.6.
2) Check the added sugars.
The old method....
Check the ingredients and make sure there are no added sugars listed in the first 3 ingredients.
While the old method was helpful, it was not very accurate. However, we have used in for 3 decades and not everyone wants to do more math to figure out the label. So, if you are comfortable with the old system, you can stick to it.
For those who want more math
Method A) First, find the value for "calories per serving." Multiply this number by 10%. This number is your maximum amount of allowable calories from added sugar.
Now find the value for "added sugar" and multiply it by 4 (as there are 4 calories per gram of sugar). This number should be equal to or less then the maximum allowable calories from added sugar.
EXAMPLE
The total calories on the above label are 230 per serving. 230 x 10% equals 23
The maximum amount of allowable calories from added sugar is 23
The amount of added sugar is 10 grams. 10 x 4 = 40 which is almost 2x the maximum amount allowed.
Method B) Use the chart below
There is also a way to evaluate a product for added sugars just using the calories per serving and the grams of sugar (similar to the above chart for calories from fat).
The number on the left is "calories per serving" and the number on the right is the guideline for the maximum amount of added sugars in grams (which would equate to </= 10% calories from added sugars)
Calories per serving -- grams of Added Sugar
25-- </= 0.5
50-- </= 1.0
75-- </= 1.5
100-- </= 2.0
125-- </= 2.5
150-- </= 3.0
175-- </= 3.5
200-- </= 4.0
225-- </= 4.5
250-- </= 5.0
275-- </= 5.5
300-- </= 6.0
325-- </= 6.5
350-- </= 7.0
375-- </= 7.5
400-- </= 8.0
425-- </= 8.5
450-- </= 9.0
475-- </= 9.5
500-- </= 10
Method C
For those who don't mind a little math, there is a very easy way. There is a direct relationship between calories, calories from sugar and grams of sugar. If we look at the calories per serving and instead of calculated 10%, we can just calculate 2%. That would give us the maximum amount of grams from sugar per serving that I would allow.
So, if the calories are 100 per serving, 2% of 100 is 2 so the maximum amount of sugars per serving is 2 grams . If it was 230 calories per serving, 2% of 230 is 4.6, so 4.6 is the maximum allowable amount of grams of sugar per 230 calories.
For those following who are not good at math, to get to 2%, just take 1% of the calories which you do by moving the decimal place 2 spots to the left. Then double the number. So, using 230 calories again. 1% would be 2.3 and 2% would be 4.6.
Remember, keep the use of packaged/processed foods that have to be evaluated to a bare minimum.
In Health
Jeff