Ensure your food labels are clear and informative

This blog has previously discussed how the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has fallen under recent scrutiny for the accuracy of its food labels. As customers vary in size, shape and dietary needs, it’s important for them to be able to understand what they are consuming. Making labels should not fall in line with creating complicated code that stumps shoppers.

According to Healthy Living Alliance, food labels can be more of a hindrance to customers than an aid. However, there are certain things that consumers can look for, ensuring that they not only find foods that are healthy but are able to determine proper serving sizes.

Tabitha Lennox, the article’s author and a dietician, the serving size is not equivalent to a portion. She also specified common mistakes made by consumers when trying to examine food labels.

“Looking at sugars only when reading a food label: Not only is this misleading but it is totally unnecessary,” Lennox wrote. “Sugar is already part of the Total Carbohydrate because (surprise) sugar is a carbohydrate. If an apple had a food label, this person would completely avoid it because they would see that most of the carbohydrate portion is sugar. Keep in mind the portions.”

Looking at percentages on the labels can also cause confusion. When an item specifies that it has 10 percent of one’s daily carbohydrate, the question is, for whom does this apply? Lennox explained that women and children often intake less than 2,000 calories – the numbers off of which many calculations are based – and that athletes often require more.

When companies want to design custom labels, it’s important for them to not only be clear and concise but also factually accurate. With more individuals trying to eat healthier, being able to properly calculate their nutritional intake is crucial. Investing in a Primera LX900 color label printer can ensure that this goal is met.