How To Read Nutrition Labels
 

The new food label can be found on food packages in your supermarket. Reading the label tells more about the food and what you are getting. What you see on the food label—the nutrition and ingredient information—is required by the government.

The following describes the parts of the new food label.
 
Nutrition Facts Title
  The new title "Nutrition Facts" signals the new label.
Serving Size
  Similar food products now have similar serving sizes. This makes it easier to compare foods. Serving sizes are based on amounts people actually eat.
New Label Information
  Some label information may be new to you. The new nutrient list covers those most important to your health. You may have seen this information on some old labels, but it is now required.
Vitamins and Minerals
  Only two vitamins, A and C, and two minerals, calcium and iron, are required on the food label. A food company can voluntarily list other vitamins and minerals in the food.
Label Numbers
  Numbers on the nutrition label may be rounded for labeling.
% Daily Value
  % Daily Value shows how a food fits into a 2,000 calorie reference diet.

You can use % Daily Value to compare foods and see how the amount of a nutrient in a serving of food fits in a 2,000 calorie reference diet.
Daily Values Footnote
  Daily Values are the new label reference numbers. These numbers are set by the government and are based on current nutrition recommendations.

Some labels list the daily values for a daily diet of 2,000 and 2,500 calories. Your own nutrient needs may be less than or more than the Daily Values on the label.
Calories Per Gram Footnote
  Some labels tell the approximate number of calories in a gram of fat, carbohydrate and protein.
Why do some food packages have a short or abbreviated nutrition label?
Foods that have only a few of the nutrients required on the standard label can use a short label format.
What’s on the label depends on what’s in the food. Small- and medium-sized packages with very little label space can also use a short label.
Download the full informational pamphlet for more food label facts.
(Adobe Acrobat Reader required.)
File size: 1.8MB
Government of Guam Official Web Site | Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services