Nutrition Science and Everyday Application - beta v 0.1

UNDERSTANDING FOOD LABELS 51
INGREDIENTS LIST
The ingredients list includes all
ingredients, listed from most predominant to least predominant (by weight) in the
product. For example, in the corn muffin mix label to the right, the most prevalent
ingredient is enriched unbleached flour (with ingredients in the flour then listed in
parentheses), followed by sugar, cornmeal, salt, and then a few other ingredients.
This order of ingredients comes in handy when judging the nutritional value of a
product. For example, in the ingredients list for the corn muffin mix shown at right, it’s
interesting to note that it contains more sugar than cornmeal! The ingredients list can also
help you determine whether a bread contains more whole grain flour than refined flour. Or,
if you’re choosing a breakfast cereal and the first ingredient is sugar, that’s a red flag that it’s
more of a dessert than part of a nutritious breakfast.
By law, food manufacturers must also list major allergens, which include milk, egg,
fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, and soybeans. 2 Allergens may be
listed in a separate statement, as on the corn muffin mix label, which lists “Contains: Wheat”
on the label. Alternatively, allergens can be listed in parentheses within the ingredient
list, such as “lecithin (soy).” Some labels include an optional “may contain” or “made in
shared equipment with…” statement that lists additional allergens that could be present,
not as ingredients in the food, but in trace amounts from equipment contamination. For
people with food allergies, having this information clearly and accurately displayed on food
packages is vital for their safety.
THE NUTRITION FACTS PANEL
If you want to learn about the nutritional value of a food, the Nutrition Facts panel is where
you’ll find this information. It’s very useful for comparing products and for identifying foods