![]() ![]() NIST then filled different parts of the triangle with specific SRMs. The food-matrix triangle was conceived in a collaboration involving the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and AOAC International, an association of analytical chemists. ![]() ![]() So, if a food manufacturer that makes spaghetti sauce wants to ensure its results are accurate, it uses something known as the “food-matrix triangle” to find the SRM that has the most similar overall components of the sauce. However, there isn’t an SRM for every food item out there. Manufacturers use SRMs to be more confident in their measurements, which in turn improves the accuracy of their nutrition facts labels. NIST produces many of these items, known as standard reference materials (SRMs), and they run the gamut from peanut butter to fish oil. The results of those tests are reflected on their nutrition facts labels.īut how do we - and the food manufacturers themselves - know those numbers are accurate? The manufacturers compare their products to a set of reference food and beverage items whose nutrients have been carefully measured. Scientists working for food manufacturers will run measurements in their labs to get numbers for the nutrients in their products. But before the cereal box can make it to grocery store shelves, food manufacturers must make sure their labels meet all the required rules and regulations. You can check your favorite cereal box for the changes to its nutrition facts label. But now it shows an amount of that food that is typically consumed by one person during a single snack or meal - in many cases, a larger amount. Originally, the NLEA serving size showed the manufacturer’s recommended size. This is because the updated nutrition facts label addresses current concerns about the vitamin deficiencies and health risks affecting the general population today. If you compare the old nutrition facts label to the new one, you’ll see differences in what is now listed, such as added sugars, vitamin D and potassium. Let’s take a look at the old and new versions. ![]() Some nutrients must be listed, and others are optional. The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA), a federal law passed in 1990, established what we know today as the nutrition facts label. In this installment of “How Do You Measure It?,” we will help you understand how the quantities and percentages listed on nutritional facts labels are accurately determined. But how do you know that what you see on the nutrition facts label is exactly what you’re getting? If you look on the side of your favorite cereal box, you will probably see the new label. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the new label format in May of 2016, and starting this year, food and beverage manufacturers must use it on all of their products. It’s the first major update to the labels in more than 20 years. Manufacturers often confirm their nutrition numbers by matching their products as closely as possible to NIST’s food reference materials, which contain precisely measured quantities of nutrients. NIST’s measurements are accurate to within 2% to 5% for nutrient elements (such as sodium, calcium and potassium), macronutrients (fats, proteins and carbohydrates), amino acids and fatty acids.Īs you may have noticed, most of your favorite food items have recently updated their nutrition facts labels. ![]()
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