Reading a food label without being tricked

A long read

Before we start

This module reads the United States label, the one the FDA sets. Canada's panel looks almost the same and works the same way, with one number different: there, 5% is a little and 15% is a lot — not 20%. Everything else travels. The serving size still sets every number on the panel, and the ingredient list is still ordered by weight.

Sources

FDA, "How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label"
FDA, "The Lows and Highs of Percent Daily Value" — the 5%/20% rule of thumb
FDA, sample Nutrition Facts label and 21 CFR 101 labelling requirements
Health Canada, Nutrition labelling — the Canadian %DV and grouped sugars-based ingredients
UCSF SugarScience — added sugars under their many names

Read end to end and corrected: August 8, 2026. Numbers checked: August 8, 2026.