|
|
|
 |
|
Sign
up for the NDC Update for the latest dairy nutrition news, fast facts,
free tools for patients, expert nutrition advice and information on updated
dairy nutrition resources.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Newer Knowledge of Dairy Foods
Milk
Nutrient Content of Milk
Milk has an excellent nutrient profile, providing significant amounts of high-quality protein, calcium, riboflavin, magnesium, phosphorus, niacin equivalents, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, vitamin A, and when added, vitamin D, as well as several other essential nutrients. In fact, milk is a nutrient-dense food, providing a high nutrient content in relation to its calories.
- All milks -- whole, 2% reduced fat, 1% lowfat, and nonfat milk -- have a similar nutrient content with the exception of calories and fat.
- The nutrient content of flavored milks such as chocolate milk is similar to that of the corresponding unflavored milk. The major exceptions are the higher contents of carbohydrate and calories in chocolate milk due to the addition of sucrose and other nutritive sweeteners. In general, chocolate-flavored milks have about 60 more calories than their unflavored counterparts.
- Table 13 (PDF 48k) presents the nutrient content of several fluid milks. For information on the nutrient content of other milks, refer to USDA's Nutrient Database .
- The "Nutrition Facts" label on all milk products, including fluid milks, lists mandatory and optional dietary components per serving in a specified order ( Figure 1: PDF 76k ). This label includes information on total calories and calories from fat and on amounts of total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron, in this order. Other dietary components that may be listed voluntarily include calories from saturated fat, amounts of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat, potassium, soluble and insoluble fiber, sugar alcohol, other carbohydrate, and other essential vitamins and minerals. If a claim is made about any of these components, or if a dairy food is fortified or enriched with any of them, listing of the optional component becomes mandatory.
- The quantitative amount per serving (e.g., grams, milligrams) of total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fibers, sugars, and protein is listed on the label. The amount of each of the above, as well as of vitamins and minerals (e.g., vitamins A and C, calcium, iron) also is presented as a percent of the Daily Value (% Daily Value). Daily Values are the label reference numbers based on current dietary nutrient recommendations. Some labels list the Daily Values for a daily diet of 2,000 and 2,500 calories. Daily Values can help consumers determine how a food fits into an overall diet.
- Milk labels also provide consistent serving sizes (e.g., 1 cup [240 ml]) and standard definitions for descriptive terms.
References
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 12. Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp
Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Food labeling; general provisions; nutrition labeling; label format; nutrient content claims; health claims; ingredient labeling; state and local requirements; and exemptions; final rules, 21 CFR Parts 101 & 102. Fed. Regist. 58 : 2065 (Jan. 6), 1993.
Table of Contents:
|