the fda sets rules for what food manufacturers can call "light " "low " "reduced " "free " and other food terms. here's the low-down on these terms: "healthy" food must be low in fat with limited cholesterol and sodium. anything labeled "free" must only contain tiny amounts of the ingredient in each serving. for example "trans-fat free" or "fat-free" products can have only 0. 5 mg of trans fats or fat; "cholesterol-free" foods can only have two milligrams of cholesterol and two grams of saturated fat. a serving of food labeled "low sodium" can have a maximum of 140 milligrams of sodium. a serving of "low cholesterol" food can have a maximum of 20 milligrams of cholesterol and two grams of saturated fat. one serving of a "low-fat" food can have a maximum of three grams of fat. a serving of a "low-calorie" food can have a maximum of 40 calories. a serving of a food labeled "reduced" must have 25% less of the ingredient than a serving of the regular version. one serving of a "light" food must have 50% less fat or 1/3 fewer calories than the regular version. the food and drug administration (fda) regulates what claims a product can make. the following are a few examples to answer your question: - free. this term means that a product contains no amount of or only trivial or "physiologically inconsequential" amounts of one or more of these components: fat saturated fat cholesterol sodium sugars and calories. - low. this term can be used on foods that can be eaten frequently without exceeding dietary guidelines for one or more of these components: fat saturated fat cholesterol sodium and calories. - low-fat : 3 g or less per serving - low-saturated fat : 1 g or less per serving - low-sodium : 140 mg or less per serving - very low sodium : 35 mg or less per serving - low-calorie : 40 calories or less per serving. - low-cholesterol : 20 mg or less and 2 g or less of saturated fat per serving - reduced. this term means that a nutritionally altered product contains at least 25 percent less of a nutrient or of calories than the regular or reference product. however a reduced claim can't be made on a product if its reference food already meets the requirement for a "low" claim. - light. this descriptor can mean two things: - that a nutritionally altered product contains one-third fewer calories or half the fat of the reference food. - that the sodium content of a low-calorie low-fat food has been reduced by 50 percent.
what does it mean if a food product is labeled “light ” “low ” “reduced ” or “fat-free? ”