Learn How to Read Produce Food Labels for Fruits & Vegetables (2023)

Organic

This term means that a product has been produced according to the standards in the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) and certified by USDA’s National Organic Program. A label may only use the “USDA Organic” seal if the food is actually certified organic. However, a package may still note which ingredients, or percentage of ingredients, are USDA organic. Some producers, such as organic farmers who sell less than $5,000 in food per year may also market their products as organic without certification.

Statement of Identity (Mini peeled Carrots)

A statement of identity is an established name for a food. The statement of identity serves to ensure that consumers know what food they are purchasing and to avoid confusion or misrepresentation. For more information see FDA regulations.

Net Contents Quantity

Food packages must show the net contents of the package. The package must have the statement in both the US Customary System (e.g., ounces or pounds) and metric units (e.g., kilograms). For more information, see the FDA Food Labeling Guide.

Neither FDA nor USDA have defined “conventional”; however, it is typically used to refer to food not grown through organic production methods. So, conventional foods may be grown using chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or genetically modified organisms.

FDA permits “good source of” claims if the food contains between 10 and 19 percent of the reference daily intake or daily reference value ordinarily consumed. See FDA regulations for more information.

FDA permits the use of “high” claims when the food contains 20 percent or more of the reference daily intake or daily reference value ordinarily consumed. The label should also clearly indicate the food that is the subject of this claim. Similar claims that may be made for the same purpose include “rich in” and “excellent source of.” See FDA regulations for more information.

This claim is not regulated by USDA. Generally, this term means the food was grown, raised, or produced close to the point of sale or within a certain region. USDA has some definitions for “local” that are used in other contexts. For example, USDA’s Rural Development loan program defines a “locally or regionally produced agricultural food product[]” as “a food product raised, produced, and distributed within 400 miles of its origin or within the same state.” However, there is no specific definition for the term “local” on food labeling, so this claim is subject to the producer’s interpretation, so long as it is not false or misleading.

Food packages must show the net contents of the package. The package must have the statement in both the US Customary System (e.g., ounces or pounds) and metric units (e.g., kilograms). For more information, see the FDA Food Labeling Guide.

“GMO” stands for “genetically modified organism.” While there are no USDA or FDA regulations that specifically define this claim, both agencies have working definitions of “genetic modification.” USDA defines “genetic modification” as “[t]he production of heritable improvements in plants or animals for specific uses, via either genetic engineering or other more traditional methods.” FDA’s longstanding position on the term “GMO” is that even traditional plant breeding methods, like selective breeding, fall under “genetic modification.” FDA guidance recommends that producers do not use the term “non-GMO” and instead use terms like “not produced using modern genetic engineering” because consumers may not realize that traditional plant breeding methods can be considered genetic modification and that the majority of foods “do not contain entire organisms.” However FDA has stated that it does not intend to take action against producers that use these label claims “as long as the food is, in fact, not derived from a genetically engineered plant and the food’s labeling is not otherwise false or misleading.” FDA considers it misleading for any label that implies that food without genetically engineered ingredients is in any way superior to those products without a similar label. FDA considers food that is certified 100 percent organic to satisfy the non-GMO standard. Third-party certifiers (e.g., the Non-GMO Project) also have a set of standards for certifying non-GMO products.

A statement of identity is an established name for a food. The statement of identity serves to ensure that consumers know what food they are purchasing and to avoid confusion or misrepresentation. For more information see FDA regulations.