 America's supermarket shelves, they've been called a tower of babble piled high with foods carrying confusing and misleading nutrition information. But that's changed. Recently the Department of Health and Human Services and USDA ushered in a new era in food labeling. And the new food label represents nothing less than a major victory for the consumer and for the public health. The biggest change is in the nutrition information panel. These panels generally contain information about a product's calorie, protein, carbohydrate, fat, sodium, vitamin, and mineral content. The revised panels are called nutrition facts. As part of the changes the serving sizes are much more realistic. Calories per serving are listed and now so are calories from fat. The total fat content is indicated as a saturated fat. Cholesterol, sodium, and total carbohydrates including fiber and sugars are accounted for. Protein is listed, along with vitamins and minerals, most important to today's American diet. But the biggest change is here in a column known as the percent daily value. It demonstrates how a food fits into the overall daily diet. In other words, if a food contains three grams of fat consumers will immediately know that's five percent of their total daily intake based on a daily diet of 2,000 calories. When you're given a percentage and you see that this is 50% or this is 10% of your expected daily total then you know very quickly that this food either contributes a lot of fat or a little bit of fat and how to plan the rest of your diet around this particular food. Some food labels will include a more detailed explanation of the percent daily value based on daily diets of either 2,000 calories or 2,500 calories. These footnotes will allow consumers to determine their intake of nutrients accordingly. Although many people consume more or fewer calories, these values can be used as a reference point and as a way to compare foods. By 1994, every food product in American supermarkets will have redefined labels. For raw meat, fish, and poultry nutrition information will be voluntary and expanded to include additional nutrients. Previously meat and poultry product labels could include the terms lean and extra lean based on the amount of fat that the product contained. Under the new regulations, the criteria for allowing those terms will be based not only on the amount of fat but on the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol as well. For fresh fruits and vegetables, nutrition information will also be voluntary. Many stores already provide it on signs and placards. The new recommendations do not apply to food served in restaurants. This food label, which will be on virtually all foods, will be a benchmark for nutrition information well into the 21st century. According to the Food and Drug Administration, these changes in food labels represent an important shift in the way Americans view nutrition and health. In the past, there was a lot of concern about vitamin and mineral deficiencies, but in the last 20 years, you're looking more at diseases such as heart disease and cancer, where sometimes nutrient excesses are much more of a problem. And the new label that's coming out reflects these changes. The revisions in food labels include standard definitions for words like reduced, free, and low. Words that have been pretty light on meaning. Also, for the first time, the new food label will explain how certain nutrients can prevent or promote disease. Make them at us from all directions. It's impossible to walk into a grocery store without being bombarded by sayings, slogans, words, and phrases that entice us to buy. They're called descriptors, but what exactly do they describe? People would look at a bottle of olive oil that said light and assume it was lowering calories or fat or some nutrients, and it turned out the company put that label on there because it was a lighter color or had a lighter taste. Now, as part of the revamping of food labels, all food descriptors will have standardized meanings, their definition set by the FDA. For meat, fish, and poultry, the same descriptors will be used along with new definitions for lean and extra lean. To be very simple, lean will mean a product that has about 10 percent fat in it, and extra lean will mean a product that has about five percent fat in it. For ages, certain foods have been thought to contribute to good health. Now, the FDA has determined the scientific link between nutrients and certain diseases, and for the first time these relationships may be indicated on the front and back of many food products. This product indicates that diets low and saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. Others may indicate that calcium can prevent osteoporosis, or that low sodium foods may reduce high blood pressure. Diets low in fat and high in fiber can boast of reducing the risk of some cancers and heart disease, while fruits and vegetables high in vitamins A and C may also reduce the risk of some cancers. The health claims will only be allowed on those foods that meet very strict criteria. Foods which when added to the total diet and substituted for other foods will make it very easy for consumers to reach dietary goals for a healthy diet. The connection between diet and health has never been so well-defined. We've all been told, for example, not to get more than 30 percent of our calories from fat. But to make the link even clearer, the federal government has designed this food pyramid. It's built around five food groups. At its base are foods like breads and pastas that should be eaten in greatest quantity. Foods that should be eaten sparingly, like those containing fats, oils and sugar, are at the top. The new food labels will greatly enhance consumers' ability to build this pyramid each and every day.