L
Lean: May be used on seafood or game meat products that contain less than 10 grams total fat, 4.5 grams or less saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams cholesterol per serving size or RACC, and for meals and main dishes that meet these criteria per 100 grams or per labeled serving. It can also be used on mixed dishes not measurable with a cup that contain less than 8 grams total fat, 3.5 grams or less saturated fat and less than 80 milligrams cholesterol per serving size or RACC. Even if the word "lean" appears only in the name of the product (such as Lean Cuisine), it must meet these requirements.
Less: Synonymous with fewer. The food, whether altered or not, contains 25 percent less of a nutrient or calories than the reference food. For example, pretzels that have 25 percent less fat than potato chips could carry a "less" claim.
Light or Lite: A nutritionally altered product that contains one-third fewer calories or half the fat of the reference food. If the food derives 50 percent or more of its calories from fat, the reduction must be 50 percent of the fat. Light also means the meal or main dish is low-fat or low-calorie. Note that the term "light" can also be used to describe such properties as texture and color, as long as the label explains the intent, for example "light brown sugar" and "light and fluffy."
Light in Sodium: The sodium content must be reduced by at least 50 percent.
Little: An acceptable synonym for "low."
Low: Synonymous with little, low source of, contains a small amount of, and few. 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 source of: an acceptable synonym for "low."
Low-cholesterol: The food contains 20 milligrams or less of cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving of a single food or per 100 grams of a meal.
Low in saturated fat: The food contains 1 gram or less in a serving or no more than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat.
Low-calorie: 40 calories or less per serving size or RACC (and per 50 grams if RACC is small).
Low-fat: 3 grams of fat or less per serving.
Low-sodium: 140 milligrams or less per serving size or RACC, or per 50 grams if RACC is small. For meals and main dishes, 140 milligrams or less per 100 grams.
More: Do You Need More Sodium Before Your Workouts?
M
More: Synonymous with added, enriched, fortified, plus, and extra. The serving of food, whether altered or not, contains a nutrient that is at least 10 % of the Daily Value more than the reference food. The 10 % of Daily Value also applies.
N
No: An acceptable synonym for "free."
No Sugar Added: "No added sugars" and "without added sugars" claims are allowed if no sugar or sugar–containing ingredients (for example, fruit juices, applesauce or dried fruit) are added during processing or packing. Pay attention though, because this claim is allowed even if the food is not "low calorie" or "reduced calorie."
P
Pack Date: The date a food was manufactured, processed or packaged.
Pasteurized: This is a high temperature heating process that is applied to raw eggs and milk in order to destroy bacteria and inactivate most enzymes that cause spoilage.
% Percent fat-free: The food must be a low-fat or a fat-free product. In addition, the claim must accurately reflect the amount of fat present in 100 grams of the food. Thus, if a food contains 2.5 grams fat per 50 grams, the claim must be "95 % fat free."
% Percent Fruit Juice: The total percentage of real fruit juice in a juice drink. It enables the consumer to know exactly how much juice is in a product.
% Percent Lean: Refers to the percentage of fat weight in the total weight of the meat, not the percent of calories.
PKU (phenylketonuria) and Aspartame: This is a disease in which the body cannot metabolize an amino acid called phenylalanine. Therefore, all products with aspartame are required to contain a warning because aspartame contains phenylalanine.
Plus: An acceptable synonym for "more," but the food must be altered.
