Food Nutritional Content

Light Food Vs. the Right Food

Have you seen the vast selection of light and reduced calorie products on the market? When dieting, you obviously tend to be more aware of product availability for specialty light foods. But not all light products are created equal.

When trying to be health conscious in choosing foods, it’s important to read the labels. Make comparisons to see how nutritional content stacks up. Sometimes the products that are advertised and priced as light or calorically reduced are not always your best options. Don’t necessarily take the manufacturer’s packaging at face value. Do your homework.

Sometimes, you save minimally in fat or calories with items that are labeled light , but there is extra sugar, carbohydrates or sodium. If you read the label, often times you are paying more for an item under the auspice of it being better for you. Sometimes the nutritional content is equal to or very similar to that of an item that is not advertised as light or reduced-calorie.

Occasionally, when reading the packaging, you will find the cost difference is not justified by the amount of fat or calories saved by a particular item. You may find that saving those 1 or 2 fat grams per serving does not add up to a significant amount of reduction of your bottom side but will certainly impact your bottom line.

This seems to be particularly true with foods that tend to be naturally lower in fat anyway. In some instances, in the case of many breads for example, what you give up in calories by purchasing light, you may be sacrificing in protein and fiber. Always look at your food’s nutritional content, especially when purchasing a new food. Make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck.

Optimally when dieting, try and find foods that are higher in protein and fiber while lower in carbohydrates, sugar, fat and calories. Try to avoid saturated fats altogether. When you choose breads and pastas, opt for whole grains. They pack much more nutritional value.

When purchasing diet foods, remember the industry standard does not always have your best interest at heart. Some companies have a legitimate concern for your health and well being. Other companies are just trying to "waist" your money.

In my effort to become a more diet-conscious consumer, I am spending much more time reading food labels.

Mislabeled & Misbranded Diet Meals prompt FDA Warning « US Food Safety

Diet to Go Tuna Meltover: Product contains the allergens, fish, milk, wheat and soy; however not declared on the product label.

New Century Foods Wahoo Fish Burger: Product declares “fish” in the “Contains” statement; however it fails to declare the species of fish.

Diet to Go Tuna Meltover and New Century Foods Wahoo Fish Burger did not bear a nutrition facts panel on the product label.

The website advertises these products as being part of a “low fat” diet food plan. These products are required to bear a nutrition facts panel because the product labeling bears a nutrient content claim. A nutrient content is a claim that characterizes the level of a nutrient (i.e., fat) which is of the type required to be in the labeling of the food.

Additionally, the nutritional information listed on the website for the Tuna Meltover and Wahoo Fish Burger products is not declared. For example: The calories from fat, trans fat content, vitamins and minerals and the sugar content are not declared as well as The % Daily Values for all of the required nutrients.

The units for the declared fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, dietary fiber and protein content are not declared.

The Diet to Go Tuna Meltover and New Century Foods Wahoo Fish Burger products are misbranded because the labels do not contain the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor.

The Diet to Go Tuna Meltover and New Century Foods Wahoo Fish Burger products are misbranded because the labels fail to bear an accurate statement of the net quantity of contents in terms of weight, measure, or numerical count. The Diet to Go Tuna Meltover fails to declare a net weight and the New Century Foods Wahoo Fish Burger fails to declare the net weight in terms of pounds and ounces.

The Diet to Go Tuna Meltover product is misbranded because the product is fabricated from two or more ingredients and each ingredient is not declared on the label AND , the product fails to list any of the ingredients in your product.

Other problems were also noted. Company has 15 days to respond.

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