Nutrional facts panels wrong?

My teenage brother said that he learned in health class that the calories listed on packaged foods are usually wrong and that there is a more accurate way of finding out calories in food - something about dividing the number of carbs by something. This is the first I have heard of this. I have always just trusted the labels. Anyone have any insight?

Sat. Jun 23, 1:58am

I have come across some labels I know can't be true. I keep trying to tell myself I'm just being paranoid, and that it MUST be illegal for them to put false information on the package, but it just cant be...

A good portion (about 1.5 cups) of penne pasta au gratin with chicken breast.... 300 cals. It is smothered in sauce and cheese and delicious! It CANT be 300!!

Please if anyone has information about nutrition labels being false, let us know!

Saturday, June 23, 2007, 3:51 AM

The FDA allows an error margin of up to 20% in the nutritional info on food packaging. I found this out about 5 or so years ago when Weight Watchers got in trouble for labelling their frozen pizza 300 calories when it was really 400. This is why, as much as I hate cooking, I've started minimizing prepared foods from my diet.

You can determine the calorie content on your own...
Multiply total fat grams by 9
Multiply total protein and carbs by 4
Add 'em up, then subtract the fiber (1g = 4 cals) since the body doesn't absorb it.

I don't know how to handle sugar alcohols in the low-carb foods and diet candies - I know alcohol (wine, spirits, etc) is 7 cals per gram, but I guess sorbitol and maltitol aren't.

Saturday, June 23, 2007, 8:54 AM

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