Module 1: Food Labels And Dietary Guidelines PDF

Summary

This document provides an overview of food labels and dietary guidelines, including nutrition science and an examination of questionable ingredients in packaged foods. It explores different aspects, like the components of nutrients and the impact of food culture and industry standards on nutrition.

Full Transcript

Module 1: Food Labels and Dietary Guidelines PART1: Nutrition science and general nutrition advice PART 2: Food labels and questionable ingredients 1 Module 1 Learning Objectives (Study Guide) By the end of this module, you should be able to: Define nutrients and di...

Module 1: Food Labels and Dietary Guidelines PART1: Nutrition science and general nutrition advice PART 2: Food labels and questionable ingredients 1 Module 1 Learning Objectives (Study Guide) By the end of this module, you should be able to: Define nutrients and distinguish nutrients from food. Define nutrition science and give examples of current trends in dietary health and disease List the 6 essential nutrients and distinguish macronutrients and micronutrients List the major changes to nutritional guidelines over the past few decades List the items that are required on food labels and interpret food labels on a package Define health claims and nutrient claims Name the U.S. agencies which govern food labels and nutritional guidelines List some common, questionable ingredients in our packaged foods State some simple but good nutritional advice 2 What is food? Food is the plants and animals we consume Food supplies necessary energy (calories) and building blocks (macromolecules) that the body needs to grow, repair, and maintain homeostasis Different cultures define food based on different factors such as availability of native plants and animals, climate and agriculture, identity, religious beliefs, and societal norms 3 What are Nutrients? Food contains nutrients, the molecules in food that are needed by organisms to sustain life Carbohydrates (sugars)* Lipids (fat)* Protein* Vitamins Minerals Water * Sources of energy (measured as calories) 4 Nutrition as a Science Nutrition is a science that studies how nutrients affect our health Nutrition is a relatively new discipline of science Understanding human nutrition is difficult Humans are complex Evolutionary adaptations to consuming fat and calories Influenced by culture and traditions Influenced by food industry advertising Climate and agriculture affects food availability Political and social situations Nutrition started as science dealing with nutritional deficiencies/poor nutrition. Now many countries have an excess of food and healthy lifestyle is a significant factor in understanding nutrition. 5 What Does a Nutritionist do? Dietitians and nutritionists plan and supervise food service or nutritional programs to help people lead healthy lives. Rapidly growing part of the healthcare job sector. 6 Trends in Diet and Health Over 40% of US population is obese Obesity contributes to many diseases such as joint and back pain, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, insomnia and depression Incidence of food related diseases Epidemiological Stages of IBD in 2020 such as Crohn’s, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and gluten intolerance are on the rise, especially in developed nations https://www.nature.com/articles/s41575-020-00360-x 7 Trends in Diet and Health Epidemiological Trends in Colorectal Cancer in China Colorectal cancer is increasing among young, non-obese people. Processed food and consumption of meat have been linked to CRC. Diets rich in whole grains and fiber are correlated with low CRC https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27796769/ 8 Problems with Packaged Food Packaged foods contain many chemicals in different proportions, enriched with vitamins and minerals Labeling is misleading, using terminology such as “healthy” and “wholesome” and “100%” For example: Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat Bread The name suggests that it is 100% healthy, wholesome wheat flour 9 Sara Lee Classic 100% Whole Wheat Bread Ingredients: Whole wheat flour, water, wheat gluten, sugar, yeast, soybean oil, salt, molasses, wheat bran, calcium propionate (preservative), DATEM, monoglycerides, calcium sulfate, cellulose gum, monocalcium phosphate, cornstarch, soy lecithin, citric acid, grain vinegar, potassium iodate. Extra wheat gluten is added to give the bread a chewier texture There is sugar and added molasses Soybean oil and monoglycerides are added fats DATEM is an emulsifier that has been linked to cancer and food allergies Potassium iodate is a dough conditioner that has been linked to cancer Calcium propionate is a preservative that may stimulate insulin production and in rare cases cause headaches and migraine Calcium sulfate is a stabilizer and regulate pH. It is a common ingredient in packaged foods. Generally considered safe in moderate amounts. 10 More Problems with Nutrition It is hard to measure nutrients in foods or make comparisons between products How can you compare free range, foraging chickens to those fed antibiotics and commercial food in a crowded industrial warehouse? Unless we eat totally industrial (man-made) food it is hard to tell exactly how many nutrients are in the food we consume because natural, non-processed foods do not have food labels 11 How to Decide What to Eat? Simple Guidelines The best choices are natural meat or veggies that do not have nutritional labels – do not buy things with ingredient lists. If labeled, avoid foods that have more than 5 ingredients (and stuff you can’t pronounce) Shop mostly in the perimeter of the store and be selective about what you choose from the middle Eat mostly plants with smaller amounts of animal-derived foods Eat only the amount of food that you require to maintain a healthy weight “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants” -Michael12Pollan Simple Advice: Eat Food What do you think is meant by “food”? What should people be eating? Is manufactured, packaged food, “food”? Since mid 1990s the food producing companies must tell us what our food is made of It is your responsibility to read the labels Good advice is - “if you can’t pronounce it, don't eat it” “Don't buy products with more than five ingredients or any ingredients you can't easily pronounce. Eat foods your grandmother would recognize.” Michael Pollan, author of Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food 13 Simple Advice Eat food - Mostly Plants Consume animal products (meat, dairy, eggs) occasionally Increase consumption of plants, rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber low in fat no cholesterol good for your microbiome! 14 Simple Advice: Eat Food - But not too much Eat only when hungry and then only enough to satisfy the hunger (not until “full”) Watch out for serving sizes! Many packaged or prepared foods contain far more calories than most people need to consume in a sitting 15 Module 1 Part 2: Food Labels and Questionable Ingredients Chemical structures of some common food additives 16 Why do we Need Food Labels? Up until the 1960s, most people ate home-cooked food from simple ingredients. Packaged foods were rare and considered “special dietary” products. The FDA requires labels on all packaged food products that must provide specific information The NLEA- Nutrition Labeling and Education Act passed in Congress 1990 “Real” food does not have labels An apple is an apple, one day it is sweeter (has more carbohydrates) than next day Meat contains different amounts of protein and fat 17 Packaged Food Required Items 6. Claims 18 Statement of Identity Identity: Commercial food products must display a common name or appropriately descriptive term “Protein Snack Bar” describes the product 19 Ingredient List Ingredients: Must include ingredients listed in order of abundance (highest amount listed first) Preservatives must be listed together with function Since 2006 eight major allergens must be listed by common name: milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans 20 Nutrition Information: The Facts Panel Serving size Calories per serving size Daily Values are the amount a serving provides of each nutrient, e.g., this food provides 10% of daily cholesterol for people consuming 2000 calories daily Daily Values footnote Identical on every product Gives the range of DVs for 2000 and 2500 calorie diet Remember- it is per serving! 21 Understanding Serving Size Read how many serving sizes are in the container By law, serving sizes must be based on the amount of food people typically consume (rather than how much they should consume). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates serving size based on Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed (RACCs) 22 Serving Size Can Vary Chobani low fat Greek yogurt Same Chobani in different container 23 Portion Distortion Calorie Difference: 210 calories 140 calories 350 calories 3-inch diameter 6-inch diameter Calorie Difference: 269 calories 229 calories 498 calories 71 g serving 154 g serving 24 Food Claims Optional but regulated by FDA 1. Nutrient content claims Descriptive terms that must meet specific thresholds set by FDA Examples: “low fat” and “high fiber” and “fat free” 2. Health claims Link one or more dietary components to reduced risk of disease Must be supported by scientific evidence Example: “can help lower cholesterol” 3. Qualified Health Claims Require specified wording or disclaimers Example: “Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat & cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease” 25 Claims are Usually Nonsensical Twice the protein Twice of what? No synthetic growth hormones What about natural growth hormones? All natural So is dirt! 26 Ingredients Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) is a United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designation that a chemical or substance added to food is considered safe by experts under the conditions of its intended use Many GRAS ingredients are banned in other countries, and are under public scrutiny FDA can remove a substance from the GRAS list if new scientific data shows toxic effects GRAS can be synthetic (man-made) chemicals or naturally occurring The US FDA maintains a database of GRAS called “SCOGS” at: https://www.cfsanappsexternal.fda.gov/scripts/fdcc/?set=SCOGS 27 TBHQ A preservative derived from petroleum and related to butane (lighter fluid) Studies have shown that it has a negative impact on immune and vaccine function and is carcinogenic 28 BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT A solid, petroleum-derived food preservative Several studies have shown that BHA could cause thyroid system damage, metabolic and growth disorders, neurotoxicity, and carcinogenesis The FDA considers the preservative BHA to be a GRAS – even though the National Toxicology Program classifies it as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen,” The International Cancer Agency categorizes it as a possible human carcinogen, and it’s listed as a known carcinogen under California’s Proposition 65 (NTP 2011; IARC 1986; OEHHA 2014) 29 Natural dye- carmine Also known as natural red 4 or E120 Carmine are boiled, crushed, and powdered cochineal insects 30 Shellac Resin secreted by female lac insect found in India and Thailand Used to add shiny coating or glaze to furniture, foods 31 Natural ingredient: Silicon dioxide Used to keep dry ingredients from clumping Common in foods such as spices, powdered foods such as dry milk or creamer Silicon dioxide is sand. It is natural, and deemed “generally safe”, but do you want to eat sand? 32

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