Food and nutrition.pdf

Diet and Health 33to validate and standardize analytical m~thods for use in nutritionlabeling. Particular problems exist in the measurement of dietary fibreand many vitamins, and in databases used for foods for which directlaboratory analysis is impractical.If consumers are to make the dietary adjustments recommended byhealth experts, they must be able to make informed choices in foodselection, preparation, and consumption. Although about half of packagedfoods currently carry nutrition labeling, the lack of relevant and consistentinformation on all food products is a major deterrent to consumers whowish to make informed choices.The Committee on the Nutrition Components of Food Labeling,National Academy of Sciences, Washington D.C., recommends thatnutrition labeling be made mandatory on most packaged foods. There isno longer a plausible excuse for packaged foods not to provide nutrientinformation.Current dietary recommendations advise consumers to modify theirintake of certain food constituents. In considering those dietaryrecommendations, the committee believed that more categories of foodshould be required to carry nutrition labeling. That nutrition labeling beprovided at the point of purchase for produce, seafood, meats, and poultry.In addition restaurants should make information on the nutrient contentof menu items available to consumers on request.Growing public interest in nutrition has led manufacturers tocharacterize their products as nutritionally beneficial through widespreaduse of principal display descriptors; this practice has drawn considerableattention from regulatory bodies and groups concerned with health.Despite the high popularity of terms such as "low-calorie", "fat free","no cholesterol", "fibre rich", and "lite", the potential for confusion,exaggeration, and deception has prompted proposals that these descriptorsbe prohibited. Although it may be truthful to label a food "no cholesterol",that descriptor would mislead someone if the food also contains substantialamounts of total fat and saturated fatty acids.Nutrition information on food labels is a mechanism to provideinformation and facilitate behaviour modification. The government shouldallow the information to appear and regulate content, format, andplacement. Although information campaigns to promote health aregenerally aimed at enhancing knowledge, changing attitudes, andimproving skills, changes in consumer knowledge and attitudes do notdirectly result in adoption of health-promoting practices. Consumers needinformation to make long-term dietary changes, yet more than justinformation is necessary to achieve this goal.Dietitians are the health professionals most involved in educatix:,g