In the Aisles: Making Sense of Nutrition Symbols

摘要

tailored to specific goals and applications that can range nfrom consumer education and dietary guidance, to nutri-ntion labeling and the regulation of health claims.n1,4n want to choose the foods that will help nthem eat a healthy, enjoyable diet, but they may be nconfused by nutrition labels. For decades, U.S. poli-ncymakers have tried to provide the public with information nthat will improve the American diet, yet these efforts have so nfar failed to yield the desired results. Many current nutrition nrating systems make health claims based on only a single nnutrient (e.g., sodium, trans fats, vitamins, minerals, or fiber), nan approach that increases a consumer’s knowledge about a nfood’s content, but does not necessarily place the informa-ntion within the context of the entire food and diet quality. nHowever, recent years have brought a proliferation of nfood rating systems based on nutrient profiling,n1,2n the sci-nence of categorizing foods according to their nutritional ncomposition.n3n Developed in turn by governments, food ncompanies, and even retail chains, these models may be tailored to specific goals and applications that can range nfrom consumer education and dietary guidance, to nutri-ntion labeling and the regulation of health claims.