Survey of Nutrition and Health Claims on Dairy Products Labels in Tehran

Abstract

Food labelling plays a major role in the marketing and identification of products. Given the different physical conditions of each person, the nutritional needs of individuals will also be different. In this context, manufacturers must ensure the integrity of the content and labelling of foodstuffs so that they do not confuse consumers and do not compromise their health. The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of the labelling information and its compliance with the criteria established by the FDA. In this descriptive-analytical study, the labelling information of 272 dairy products was recorded. Then the information was investigated with documents in the Food and Drug Administration and the general guidelines of food and beverages. The results showed that 45.2% of the samples contained descriptive statements, of which 50.18% were unauthorized. There was 50.55%, 95.6%, 68.4%, 57.5%, defect with the FDA labelling in enrichment foods, probiotic foods, health claims, and nutrition facts label, and 0.36% of the samples claims were invalid. 3.2% of the samples had nutritional claims, and 14% of the samples hadn’t traffic-light nutrition labelling. Food labels are a tool for measuring the health of products and will have a significant role in reducing NCD. This study reveals the need for more and more rigorous monitoring of food labels.

Keywords

• food labeling
• health claims and nutrition claims
• dairy products
• nutrition facts
• traffic-light nutrition labeling