A "healthy" food must be low in fat
and saturated fat and contain limited amounts of cholesterol and sodium. In
addition, if it's a single-item food, it must provide at least 10 percent
of one or more of vitamins A or C, iron, calcium, protein, or fiber. Exempt
from this "10-percent" rule are certain raw, canned and frozen
fruits and vegetables and certain cereal-grain products. These foods can
be labeled "healthy," if they do not contain ingredients that
change the nutritional profile, and, in the case of enriched grain
products, conform to standards of identity, which call for certain
required ingredients. If it's a meal-type product, such as frozen entrees
and multi-course frozen dinners, it must provide 10 percent of two or
three of these vitamins or minerals or of protein or fiber, in addition to
meeting the other criteria. The sodium content cannot exceed 360 mg per
serving for individual foods and 480 mg per serving for meal-type
products.
Source: Excerpted from FDA Backgrounder, May 1999: The Food Label.