“Organic,” “Sugar-Free,” and 28 Other Food Label Claims Decoded | UPrinting
33-Point Print Check    |    33 checkpoints for printing perfection
Skip to main content

“Organic,” “Sugar-Free,” and 28 Other Food Label Claims Decoded

Written by UPrinting - Updated on June 5, 2025

Share this article

Last updated on June 5th, 2025 at 05:44 am




Food Label Claims

Label claims on food packages carry useful information to help customers make informed choices about what they eat and drink. Under the US Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) regulations, food products must meet the labeling requirements to promote transparency and protect consumer health.

However, not all label claims are straightforward or self-explanatory. For instance, if your favorite soda tastes distinctly sweet but says “sugar-free” on its label, what does it actually mean? How many calories does a low-calorie product have?

This guide explains the meaning behind 30 of the most common label claims, helping small businesses that need custom food labels provide clearer information to their customers and support healthier food choices.

Sugar Label

Sugar

  1. Sugar-Free – Less than 0.5-gram sugar per serving or no sugar-containing ingredients
  2. Reduced or Less Sugar – At least 25% less sugar than the regular version
  3. No Added Sugar – No sugar or sugar-containing ingredient added during processing

“No Sugar Added” or “Sugar Free” doesn’t mean naturally occurring or artificial sweeteners are absent. It means no sugar was manually added.

Calories Label

Calories

  1. Calorie-Free – Less than 5 calories per serving
  2. Low Calorie – 40 calories or less per serving
  3. Reduced Calorie – At least 25% fewer calories than the regular version

Calorie labels guide consumers in making choices aligned with their weight goals.

Cholesterol Label

Cholesterol

  1. Cholesterol-Free – Less than 2 mg of cholesterol or saturated fat per serving
  2. Low Cholesterol – 20 mg or less of cholesterol per serving
  3. Reduced Cholesterol – At least 25% less cholesterol than the regular version

“Reduced” refers to comparison against a reference food, not an absolute cholesterol amount.

Extra Lean Fat

Fat

  1. Fat-Free – Less than 0.5-gram fat per serving
  2. Low Fat – 3g or less per serving
  3. Reduced Fat – At least 25% less fat
  4. Low in Saturated Fat – 1g or less saturated fat or 15%/10% calories from sat. fat
  5. Lean – Less than 10g fat, 4.5g sat. fat, 95mg cholesterol
  6. Extra Lean – Less than 5g fat, 2g sat. fat, 95mg cholesterol
  7. Light or Lite – 50% less fat or 1/3 fewer calories

“Free” means minimal presence, not zero fat.

Good Source of Fiber

Fiber

  1. High Fiber – 20% or more of daily fiber value
  2. Good Source of Fiber – 10–19% of daily fiber value

Based on labeled serving size or Reference Amount Customarily Consumed (RACC).

Sodium Label

Sodium

  1. Sodium-Free / No Sodium – Less than 5 mg per serving
  2. Very Low Sodium – 35 mg or less per serving
  3. Low Sodium – 140 mg or less per serving
  4. Reduced Sodium – 25% less sodium than regular
  5. Light in Sodium – 50% less sodium
  6. Lightly Salted – 50% less than usual salt
  7. No Salt Added – No salt added during processing

Most processed food must label sodium content under FDA rules.

Natural Label
see more. usimports.us

Healthy

  1. Healthy – May include: low fat, low sat. fat, < 480mg sodium, < 95mg cholesterol, 10% DV of key nutrients

Natural Label

Natural

  1. Natural – No artificial/synthetic ingredients not expected in food

Doesn’t cover production methods or nutritional/health benefits.

Organic Label

Organic

  1. Organic – 95%+ ingredients organic, no pesticides/synthetics, eco-farming

USDA certifies and provides seals for eligible farms and businesses.

Gluten-Free Label

Gluten-Free

  1. Gluten-Free – Less than 20 ppm of gluten

Must not contain wheat, barley, rye, or derivatives not processed to remove gluten or still exceed 20 ppm.

General Guidelines

If you can’t remember the meaning of all the terms mentioned above, don’t worry. You can use this general guidance instead:

  1. Free – The food has the least possible or negligible amount of a certain nutrient.
  2. Very Low/Low – The food has a little more than foods labeled “Free.”
  3. Reduced/Less – The food has 25% less of a specific nutrient than the regular version of the food.
  4. “More,” “Fortified,” “Enriched,” “Added,” “Extra,” or “Plus” – The food has 10% or more of the daily value than the regular version of the food. These terms are often used to indicate vitamins, minerals, potassium, protein, and dietary fiber.

Conclusion

Now that we have decoded the meaning of popular food label claims, we hope to inspire consumers to make healthier choices and businesses to design their product labels and packaging in a way that adheres to the FDA regulations.

If you need nutrition labels, UPrinting lets you customize every detail — from shape, size, finish, and material — so the FDA-required details are conveyed clearly and completely.

share this post


Facebook



Messenger



Linked In



Twitter


Share this article

Related Articles