… COVID-19 has presented unique challenges to all types and levels of learning, inclusive of home economics. Worldwide, many home economists have had their service delivery and lives disrupted as a result of the pandemic. Therefore, as leaders in the
field, this event presents a pivotal opportunity to …

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CAHE Magazine 13.

In much the same way that a Table of Contents explains what is inside a book, so too does the Nutrition Facts Food Label tell what the food we eat contains.

It is important therefore that consumers know how to use this information. The Nutrition Facts Panel of the Food Label is printed on the outside of packaged food and can usually be located quite easily.

With today’s food labels, consumers are able to: • Obtain nutrition information about almost every food item on a grocery shelf.
• Compare the nutrient values in similar products.
• Quickly find information they need to make healthy food choices.
• See how a food fits into an overall daily diet.
• Determine the amount per serving of nutrients especially those of major health concern.

The chart below shows a typical example of a Nutritional Facts Panel of the Food Label. The panel is divided into four main sections as indicated by heavy solid horizontal lines. Section one gives facts on the serving size; section two gives information on calories and calories from fat.

Section three gives details of the nutrients that are most important to the health of most consumers, most of whom worry about getting too much of certain items (fat for example) rather than too few vitamins and minerals as in the past. Section four gives an indication of reference values to help consumers learn good diet basics.

They can be adjusted depending on a person’s caloric needs. There are several forms of the same label printed for different products depending on the size and shape of the container but the basic mandatory information are the same. Some product manufacturers give additional information on the labels if they feel it could substantiate a health claim. Health claims will be addressed in Part II of the Series on Food Labels.

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Sugar has been, over the years, important to the Caribbean as it is one of our major exports, made from the sugar cane grown in many of our countries. In addition to using it in sweetening drinks and in cakes, puddings and pastries, we use sugar in our own Caribbean confectionary such as peppermint candy, tamarind balls, coconut, peanut or almond drops, among many other uses.
In this issue of Nyam News we look at sugar in the diet and whether indiscriminate consumption of sugar leads directly to persons becoming obese.

When the term sugar is used by the general public it usually refers to the common household item “table sugar”. However, sugar refers to a class of carbohydrates made up of one or two molecular structures or units. Sugars made up of one unit are called monosaccharides or simple sugars; examples include glucose, fructose and galactose.

Sugars made up of two units are called disaccharides and include sucrose, lactose and maltose. Less commonly known sugars may have three units (trisaccharides or oligosaccharides) or four units (tetrasaccharides). There are also many and varying derivatives associated with sugars which may be natural or manmade. Among these derivatives of sugars are dextrose, mannose, sorbitol, turbinated sugar (turbinado) and sucralose (Splenda). Monosaccharides are the simplest sugars and the final breakdown products of carbohydrate digestion in humans. Although glucose may be best known for its commercial availability as a high energy item, it is also found in abundance in the human body.

Fructose, also referred to as fruit sugar, is found in fruits, some vegetables and honey. Fructose is also a component of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which is frequently used in many processed beverages and baked goods. Athird monosaccharide is galactose, found in milk.

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