Study: Food labels lack information on potassium

Not only are accurate food labels crucial for shoppers who are trying to be more health conscious, some consumers have dietary restrictions. In these cases, eating the wrong amount of a particular vitamin could prove very detrimental.

Potassium is one chemical where the proper intake is very important for some individuals. For example, those with impaired kidneys must be especially careful, as they have to restrict how much of it they consume.

A recent study by New York City health workers found that many packaged foods have incorrect labels when it comes to listing amounts of potassium.

The labels of 6,560 packaged foods from 61 different food categories were investigated. According to researchers, potassium content was listed on just 500 of those products. Furthermore, information was available for more than half of products in five of the 61 categories: vegetable juice, seasoned processed potatoes, instant hot cereal and French toast/pancakes/waffles and sauces.

Dr. Susan Kansagra, who worked on the study at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, told Reuters that having a high ratio of potassium versus sodium in one’s diet is very important, as the former helps decrease the negative impact of the latter.

“We know that Americans in general are consuming not enough potassium and are not meeting their dietary requirements,” she said.

Kansagra added that while potassium labeling is only optional, and not a requirement by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA), consumers deserve to know details, as the chemical has also been shown to improve cardiovascular health.

In order to design custom labels that accurately display recommended dosages of particular vitamins or chemicals, companies should invest in the right devices. Using a Primera LX900 color label printer can help create informative and unique designs that will catch customers’ eyes while providing them with necessary information.