How to Calculate Carbs
Know what items are required on food labels., Interpret the ingredient list., Understand what allergy labels mean., Develop an understanding of nutritional labels., Be aware of what “a good source of” and “high” nutrient claims mean., Make sure you...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know what items are required on food labels.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains the labelling requirements of all food products in the United States.
It is important to understand what items must be displayed on food labels, where they have to be displayed, and what those items actually mean.
Food manufacturers must place a "statement of identity" and the net quantity or amount contained in the package on the “principal display panel” or PDP.
This is the portion of the label you can see when the product is sitting on a shelf.The “statement of identity” is not considered the brand name, although that is also most likely on the PDP.
Rather, it must be a name that properly describes what the product is (e.g. tomato soup, uncooked pasta, etc.).Even in the United States, food labels are required to include both metric and imperial measurements.Food manufacturers must also include an “information panel” or IP on their products.
The IP must be the next panel or area on the package to the immediate right of the PDP.
Information regarding the name and address of the manufacturer, the name of the distributor, ingredients, nutritional and allergy information, must all be displayed on this panel if they weren’t also displayed on the PDP. -
Step 2: Interpret the ingredient list.
An ingredient list must contain all ingredients in descending order of predominance and weight (i.e. the most abundant item is listed first).
Ingredient lists must include added water that may have been used when packaging the product.
Plus, ingredient names must be the common names recognizable to the average person (e.g. sugar instead of sucrose).If the product contains any type of chemical preservative, that too must be included in the ingredient list.
And in addition to the name of the preservative, a brief description of what the chemical does must also be included (e.g. “Ascorbic Acid to Promote Colour Retention). , The Food Allergen Labelling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) depicts what items must be listed as allergens on a food label.
Meat, poultry and egg products also have special requirements for labelling that are controlled by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA).
FALCPA considers milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybeans as “major” allergens.
These items are responsible for about 90% of the food allergies experienced by Americans.
Only these “major” allergens need to be listed on the package.Raw agricultural items like fruits and vegetables do not require FALCPA labels.
Only crustacean shellfish are considered allergens, including crab, lobster, shrimp, etc.
Oysters, muscles, etc., are not considered allergens.
While allergens must also be included in ingredient lists, FALCPA regulations require them to be listed separately so they stand out (e.g. "Contains eggs, milk."). , Nutritional labels are required for all food products (except those listed below).
However, the FDA does not dictate how these amounts are calculated.
This means that a food manufacturer can use calculations that apply to their product “on average” rather than the actual measured amount in the packaging.
In addition, the FDA expects manufacturers to be compliant and does not double-check their nutritional calculations.Note that there are exemptions as to what products require a nutritional label.
The following foods do not require an actual label (although you can certainly ask for the information): products sold individually via the deli or bakery counter (not packaged), most spices, fresh produce and seafood, individual items that are packaged within a multi-pack (only the outside packaging requires a nutritional label), and food items that are given away and not for sale.
Foods with less than 5 calories per serving can have “calorie free” on the packaging and 0 calories on the nutritional label.
For items with 50 calories per serving or less, the number can be rounded to the nearest 5 calorie increment.
For items with more than 50 calories, the number can be rounded to the nearest 10 calorie increment.
Foods with less than
0.5 grams of fat per serving can have 0 grams of fat on the nutritional label.
Foods with between
0.5 and 5 grams of fat can be rounded to the nearest ½ gram.
Foods with more than 5 grams of fat can be rounded to the nearest whole gram. , The FDA dictates which types of nutrient content claims (NCC) can be used on food packaging.
Each of those NCCs has specific requirements that must be met before the claim can be displayed on packaging.A product is considered “a good source of” something (e.g. fibre) if the product contains 10-19% of the daily recommended amount of that item (e.g. “a good source of fibre” can be used if the product contains 15% of your daily recommended intake of fibre).
A product is considered “high” in something (e.g. fibre) if the product contains at least 20% of the daily recommended amount of that item (e.g. a product can be considered “high in fibre" if the product contains 25% of your daily recommended intake of fibre). , Nutrient content claims (NCCs) include things like “low fat,” “fat free,” “sugar free,” etc.
Manufacturers are not allowed to make up non-approved claims for their products
- for example, “minor fat” or something similar.Manufacturers are not allowed to use the words “low” or “free” on products that have not been specially processed (e.g. they cannot claim frozen peas are “low in fat”). “Free” and “low” claims can only be made on products that also have a “regular” version.
The “low” or “free” version must be processed such that it contains less of a specific item (like fat or sugar, etc.) than the “regular” version.
When making a “light,” “reduced,” “less,” “fewer,” “more” or “added” claim, the label must include: the % by which the food has been modified; the name of the reference food; and the amount of the nutrient that is in both the labelled product and the reference product.
For example, “50% less fat than xxx.
Light xxx = 4g fat; Regular xxx = 8g fat, per serving."
A product can be labelled “fresh” only when it is in its raw form and has not been frozen or subjected to any type of thermal processing or preservation. , All nutritional labels on food products must contain a table with a specific list of nutrients.
Nutrients can be excluded from the table only under certain circumstances.
And the table must contain both the amount of that nutrient per serving and the % that nutrient represents as compared to Recommended Daily Values (RDVs).
However, the RDVs of each nutrient is calculated for someone who has a caloric intake of 2,000 calories.
Remember that many people consume less than 2,000 calories per day.
Therefore, these percentages are simply a guideline and should be used as such., The FDA requires that food manufacturers calculate total carbohydrates in their food with the following formula:
Total Carbohydrates = Total Weight of Food Serving
- (Weight of Crude Protein + Weight of Total Fat + Weight of Moisture + Weight of Ash).
Sugar and fibre are considered carbohydrates and must be listed separately on a nutritional label.Food manufacturers may use the terms “less than 1 gram,” “contains less than 1 gram” or “not a significant source of dietary fibre/sugar” if the product has less than 1 gram of fibre and/or sugar.
They do not need to calculate the exact quantity. -
Step 3: Understand what allergy labels mean.
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Step 4: Develop an understanding of nutritional labels.
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Step 5: Be aware of what “a good source of” and “high” nutrient claims mean.
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Step 6: Make sure you understand what “low
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Step 7: ” “light” and “free” actually mean.
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Step 8: Recognize when a product is considered “healthy” or “fresh.” Like other nutrient content claims (NCCs)
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Step 9: only foods that meet certain criteria can include the words “healthy” or “fresh” on the packaging.A product can be labeled “healthy” when it can claim all the following: low in total fat
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Step 10: low in saturated fat
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Step 11: less than 480 grams of sodium (for a regular sized serving)
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Step 12: has cholesterol low enough not to be listed
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Step 13: and contains at least 10% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin A
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Step 14: vitamin C
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Step 15: calcium
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Step 16: protein or fibre.
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Step 17: Determine if the "% of" daily value on the label is appropriate for you.
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Step 18: Understand how carbohydrates are calculated for nutritional labels.
Detailed Guide
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains the labelling requirements of all food products in the United States.
It is important to understand what items must be displayed on food labels, where they have to be displayed, and what those items actually mean.
Food manufacturers must place a "statement of identity" and the net quantity or amount contained in the package on the “principal display panel” or PDP.
This is the portion of the label you can see when the product is sitting on a shelf.The “statement of identity” is not considered the brand name, although that is also most likely on the PDP.
Rather, it must be a name that properly describes what the product is (e.g. tomato soup, uncooked pasta, etc.).Even in the United States, food labels are required to include both metric and imperial measurements.Food manufacturers must also include an “information panel” or IP on their products.
The IP must be the next panel or area on the package to the immediate right of the PDP.
Information regarding the name and address of the manufacturer, the name of the distributor, ingredients, nutritional and allergy information, must all be displayed on this panel if they weren’t also displayed on the PDP.
An ingredient list must contain all ingredients in descending order of predominance and weight (i.e. the most abundant item is listed first).
Ingredient lists must include added water that may have been used when packaging the product.
Plus, ingredient names must be the common names recognizable to the average person (e.g. sugar instead of sucrose).If the product contains any type of chemical preservative, that too must be included in the ingredient list.
And in addition to the name of the preservative, a brief description of what the chemical does must also be included (e.g. “Ascorbic Acid to Promote Colour Retention). , The Food Allergen Labelling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) depicts what items must be listed as allergens on a food label.
Meat, poultry and egg products also have special requirements for labelling that are controlled by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA).
FALCPA considers milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybeans as “major” allergens.
These items are responsible for about 90% of the food allergies experienced by Americans.
Only these “major” allergens need to be listed on the package.Raw agricultural items like fruits and vegetables do not require FALCPA labels.
Only crustacean shellfish are considered allergens, including crab, lobster, shrimp, etc.
Oysters, muscles, etc., are not considered allergens.
While allergens must also be included in ingredient lists, FALCPA regulations require them to be listed separately so they stand out (e.g. "Contains eggs, milk."). , Nutritional labels are required for all food products (except those listed below).
However, the FDA does not dictate how these amounts are calculated.
This means that a food manufacturer can use calculations that apply to their product “on average” rather than the actual measured amount in the packaging.
In addition, the FDA expects manufacturers to be compliant and does not double-check their nutritional calculations.Note that there are exemptions as to what products require a nutritional label.
The following foods do not require an actual label (although you can certainly ask for the information): products sold individually via the deli or bakery counter (not packaged), most spices, fresh produce and seafood, individual items that are packaged within a multi-pack (only the outside packaging requires a nutritional label), and food items that are given away and not for sale.
Foods with less than 5 calories per serving can have “calorie free” on the packaging and 0 calories on the nutritional label.
For items with 50 calories per serving or less, the number can be rounded to the nearest 5 calorie increment.
For items with more than 50 calories, the number can be rounded to the nearest 10 calorie increment.
Foods with less than
0.5 grams of fat per serving can have 0 grams of fat on the nutritional label.
Foods with between
0.5 and 5 grams of fat can be rounded to the nearest ½ gram.
Foods with more than 5 grams of fat can be rounded to the nearest whole gram. , The FDA dictates which types of nutrient content claims (NCC) can be used on food packaging.
Each of those NCCs has specific requirements that must be met before the claim can be displayed on packaging.A product is considered “a good source of” something (e.g. fibre) if the product contains 10-19% of the daily recommended amount of that item (e.g. “a good source of fibre” can be used if the product contains 15% of your daily recommended intake of fibre).
A product is considered “high” in something (e.g. fibre) if the product contains at least 20% of the daily recommended amount of that item (e.g. a product can be considered “high in fibre" if the product contains 25% of your daily recommended intake of fibre). , Nutrient content claims (NCCs) include things like “low fat,” “fat free,” “sugar free,” etc.
Manufacturers are not allowed to make up non-approved claims for their products
- for example, “minor fat” or something similar.Manufacturers are not allowed to use the words “low” or “free” on products that have not been specially processed (e.g. they cannot claim frozen peas are “low in fat”). “Free” and “low” claims can only be made on products that also have a “regular” version.
The “low” or “free” version must be processed such that it contains less of a specific item (like fat or sugar, etc.) than the “regular” version.
When making a “light,” “reduced,” “less,” “fewer,” “more” or “added” claim, the label must include: the % by which the food has been modified; the name of the reference food; and the amount of the nutrient that is in both the labelled product and the reference product.
For example, “50% less fat than xxx.
Light xxx = 4g fat; Regular xxx = 8g fat, per serving."
A product can be labelled “fresh” only when it is in its raw form and has not been frozen or subjected to any type of thermal processing or preservation. , All nutritional labels on food products must contain a table with a specific list of nutrients.
Nutrients can be excluded from the table only under certain circumstances.
And the table must contain both the amount of that nutrient per serving and the % that nutrient represents as compared to Recommended Daily Values (RDVs).
However, the RDVs of each nutrient is calculated for someone who has a caloric intake of 2,000 calories.
Remember that many people consume less than 2,000 calories per day.
Therefore, these percentages are simply a guideline and should be used as such., The FDA requires that food manufacturers calculate total carbohydrates in their food with the following formula:
Total Carbohydrates = Total Weight of Food Serving
- (Weight of Crude Protein + Weight of Total Fat + Weight of Moisture + Weight of Ash).
Sugar and fibre are considered carbohydrates and must be listed separately on a nutritional label.Food manufacturers may use the terms “less than 1 gram,” “contains less than 1 gram” or “not a significant source of dietary fibre/sugar” if the product has less than 1 gram of fibre and/or sugar.
They do not need to calculate the exact quantity.
About the Author
Jean Freeman
Brings years of experience writing about creative arts and related subjects.
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