About food labels
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Learn about food labels and how they can help you make informed food choices.
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What is a food label?
Food labels are found on packaged food to help you make informed food choices. They provide the following information:
- the nutrition facts table
- ingredient list
- nutrition and health claims

What has to be included on a food label?
By law, most packaged food must be labelled with:
- a nutrition facts table, which gives you information on:
- serving size
- calories
- nutrients
- percent daily values (% DV)
- an ingredient list, which lists all the ingredients in a food by weight
- this begins with the ingredient that weighs the most and ends with the ingredient that weighs the least
Some packaged food may also have nutrition and health claims. These claims describe the:
- amount of a nutrient in a food, for example:
- "low sodium"
- positive effects of a food on your health, for example:
- "A healthy diet rich in a variety of vegetables and fruit may help reduce the risk of some types of cancer."
Did you know?
Using the % DV in the nutrition facts table can help you make informed food choices when grocery shopping and preparing food at home.
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