Influencing food choices: Nutrition labeling, health claims, and front-of-the-package labeling

Abstract

For nearly 2 decades, nutrition labeling and health claims found on food packaged in the United States have supplied consumers with information based on a food's nutritional content and the potential health benefits from consuming the food. To further assist consumers in making food choices based on nutrient content, a number of organizations-professional and trade associations, grocery chains, and food manufacturers-have developed a variety of tools and labeling programs to supplement the Food and Drug Administration-regulated nutritional labeling effort. This article highlights Web resources that address nutritional labeling, health claims, in-store nutrition navigation, and several front-of-the-pack labeling programs Copyright © 2009 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.