In the Aisles:Making Sense of Nutrition Symbols

摘要

Consumers want to choose the foods that will help them eat a healthy, enjoyable diet, but they may be confused by nutrition labels. For decades, U.S. policymakers have tried to provide the public with information that will improve the American diet, yet these efforts have so far failed to yield the desired results. Many current nutrition rating systems make health claims based on only a single nutrient (e.g., sodium, trans fats, vitamins, minerals, or fiber), an approach that increases a consumer's knowledge about a food's content, but does not necessarily place the information within the context of the entire food and diet quality.