Common Food Label Words & Their Surprising FDA Definitions

Food label word meanings

If you’ve ever wondered what words like “lite” or “fortified” mean on food labels, Mental Floss has posted a list of 11 common food label words and their FDA-defined meanings. You might be surprised to know that “natural” has no official FDA definition.

10. Healthy

To qualify as “healthy,” a product must meet the “low” standard for fat and saturated fat, another standard for sodium and cholesterol, and it must have at least 10 percent of the recommended daily value for a range of nutrients.

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E.D.W. Lynch
E.D.W. Lynch

Writer and humor generalist on the Internet and on Facebook.