Monitoring the Current Nutrition Labeling Practice on the Packaging of Processed Foods

The purpose of this study was to monitor the current nutrition labeling practice on the packaging of the processed foods providing consumers with reliable nutrition information, which has been considered as a useful aid for food selection and a potent educational tool for nutrition in a daily life. The 2,214 processed foods purchased at the a wholesale market in July, 2003, were divided by food categories issued from the 2003 food codes and assessed in the terms of the nutrition composition labeling and nutrition claims. Nutrition composition labeling was found on 533 out of the 2,214 processed foods items. The findings of this study were as follows : Milk and dairy products had 66.4% of nutrition composition labeling, which was the largest percentage among the food categories. Tables format (71.3%) is the most widely used type of nutrition labeling. The title of nutrition composition labeling used the most widely was nutrition composition (71.3%). Nutrition composition included many different ways of expression, such as a table of nutrition composition, and indication of nutrition composition, etc. The expression unit of the nutrition composition labeling was use per 100g or 100mL (40.5%). The processed foods with nutrition claims were 18.0% (399 items). Nutrition claims were divided into two categories: nutrient content claims and nutrient comparative claims. The most frequently used nutrient content claims were contained (43.9%) and more or plus in the nutrient comparative claims (16.0%). Ca was the most popular item as a nutrition claim nutrient (33.6%).