Dear Editor, I READ what is printed on food labels even though I don’t know much about nutrition.

I researched and found that be fore buying something, you should check if the nutritional facts of a food or produce is with in a safe level.

Here’s the yardstick to help you check a food or produce.

The purpose of the per cent daily value is to help you choose foods that are high in good nutrients and low in bad nutrients.

Anything from five percent daily value or less is low and 20 per cent daily value or more is high for a food component.

Look for low percent daily value in fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium.

You should look for high per cent daily value for dietary fibre, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron. You should be eating 100 per cent daily value for these nutrients.

This equation is based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

The per cent daily values are listed for a single serving, so for two servings, you should double the percent daily value.

Product labels list the daily value for people who eat 2,000 to 2,500 calories a day.

If you eat less, your daily value may be lower.

If you eat more, your daily value may be higher.

How do you use the daily values effectively?

Choose food with a low per cent daily value in total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium,

For total carbohydrates, dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals, your daily value goal is to reach 100 per cent of each.

Don’t count on one food to do it all.

Let a combination of food add up to a winning score.

Lau Bing
Chairman of the Consumer
Association of Subang Jaya/USJ pro tem committee

Source: Malay Mail – January 3, 2008