When a food product advertises Light, Lowfat, or Lite, what does this really mean? According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), if a food is described as “light”, and contains no further explanation, then manufacturers have followed specific guidelines when labeling this product.
These guidelines include 1) for foods where 50% of the calories come from fat, the “light” product is reduced in fat by at least 50%, or 2) for foods where less than 50% of calories come from fat, the “light” product is either reduced in calories by one third, or reduced in fat by at least 50% (it can be either, or), 3) for foods using the term “light” when addressing sodium content, this means the sodium must be reduced by at least 50%.
When it comes to food labeling a food “light” for texture or color, the label must be complete by stating “light in texture” or “light in color”.
