Nutrition and Food Label Tools
This section currently holds one tool, the Food Labeling Guide: a searchable reference to 36 claims printed on food packaging, from organic seals and gluten-free to low sodium, cage-free and carbon neutral. It is for shoppers comparing products, people managing an allergy or a special diet, and anyone who wants to know which words on a pack are regulated and which are marketing.
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All Nutrition Tools (1)
Which tool do I need?
Find out whether a claim like natural or grass-fed means anything
Search the claim and read its reliability rating: some words are legally defined or certified, others have little oversight.
Check gluten-free, organic and allergen wording before buying
Filter by dietary or organic claims to see what each label requires, and note that may-contain warnings are voluntary.
About Nutrition Tools
Each card explains what the claim means, which region it applies to, and a reliability rating: high for legally defined or third-party certified claims, medium for loosely defined ones and low for words with little oversight. You can search by keyword or filter by category, such as organic, dietary or environmental, and download the cards you are viewing as Markdown. Definitions are mostly US-based (FDA and USDA), with EU rules noted where they differ. Rules change, so check the regulator for anything you depend on.
For the numbers behind a label, use the neighbouring section. The Calorie Calculator and Protein Calculator in Fitness Calculators turn a label's per-serving figures into a share of your daily target, and the Calorie Deficit Planner shows what a daily intake means over weeks. When comparing products, use the per 100 g figures rather than per serving, because US serving sizes vary between brands.
Guides
- Reading Food Labels: Nutrition Facts, EU Rules and Front-of-Pack ClaimsWhat changed in the FDA 2016 Nutrition Facts rule, what EU Regulation 1169/2011 requires, and which claims like organic, natural and cage-free are legally defined.
- How Much Protein Do You Need? From the 0.8 g/kg RDA to TrainingWhat the 0.8 g/kg RDA covers, why the ISSN suggests 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg for people who train, how age and dieting change the number, and how to hit it with real food.
Frequently asked questions
Which food label claims are actually regulated?
Certified organic, gluten-free and nutrient content claims such as low sodium or low fat have legal definitions in the US and the EU. Terms like natural, farm fresh or artisan have little or no formal definition. The Food Labeling Guide rates each claim on that basis so you can see the difference at a glance.
How do I compare two foods with different serving sizes?
Use the per 100 g figures. US labels list nutrients per serving, and serving sizes differ by product and package under FDA rules, so compare the gram amounts, not just the per-serving numbers. EU labels must give values per 100 g or 100 ml, which makes cross-brand comparison straightforward.
Are US and EU food labelling rules the same?
No. In the US, oversight is split between the FDA for most foods and the USDA for meat, poultry and the organic seal, while the EU sets common rules for all member states. Organic standards, allergen rules and nutrition panel layouts differ, so a claim can mean slightly different things on each side.
Is there a nutrition or meal calculator in this section?
Not yet; this section has only the food label reference. For daily calorie needs use the Calorie Calculator, for a protein target the Protein Calculator, and for a weight-loss intake the Calorie Deficit Planner, all in the Fitness Calculators section of Health & Wellness.
Why do front-of-pack claims sometimes disagree with the nutrition panel?
Because front-of-pack claims highlight a few selling points, while the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredient list give the full standardized picture. A pack can say high in fibre or made with whole grain and still be high in sugar or salt. Read the nutrition panel and ingredient list, where ingredients are listed by weight from most to least.