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A Change In Food Labels Regarding “low-carb” Products Content Is Looming

Just a moment before you pick up that low-carb salad dressing from the grocery store shelf. Low cal, low carb, reduced fat, reduced carbs, and other so called healthy promotional phrases may all take on a entirely new meaning in the not too distant future.

FDA Deputy Commissioner Lester Crawford has indicated a food content labeling mandate will probably cause a substantial number of products to have their labels changed. Crawford indicated it will be an effort to “demystify the current confusion about carbohydrates.”

Many food makers have jumped on the “low-carb” band wagon. Companies hawk everything from traditional creamy and/or vinaigrette salad dressings, to low-carbohydrate Easter chocolate, as formulated and manufactured reduced in calories and carbs.

The FDA is concerned how food producing companies count carbohydrates, as it varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some do indeed significantly cut carbohydrates. Others promote their products as reduced-carb, but only cut a single gram per serving. Surprisingly, these are priced to cost more too. Then there are some companies that leave ingredients out of their carb-count altogether. In some instances these practices actually yield good results. Take for example some breads: carbohydrates are cut by increasing fiber content, this is a change many low-carb critics embrace because most Americans don’t consume enough fiber.

As early as this summer, the FDA plans to determine precisely how many carbohydrates are allowed for a food product to be promoted or advertised as low-carb or reduced-carb.

It is expected the Food and Drug Administration will also tell the food manufacturers how they should count the grams as well.

The mystery, what exactly is ‘low-carb’?

Until FDA defines the terms, “reduced carb” or “low carb” these promotional descriptions will not be allowed on food labels. In fact the FDA has ordered some companies to quit using them. Pure De-Lite stopped labeling its dark chocolate bar “low-carb.” The manufacturer of Nature’s Own Wheat ‘n Fiber bread decided to change its name from the original “reduced carbohydrate” just before receiving FDA’s directive last year.

One trade group, the Grocery Manufacturers of America, represents most major brands. They have petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to define “low-carb” as 9 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams of food, determined as a typical serving.

GMA nutrition director Alison Kretser, is not endorsing any particular weight-loss plan, but believes putting carbs on a level playing field with fat and other food ingredients is fair and prudent.

CSPI is a consumer advocacy group who wants low-carb defined as 6 grams per serving, and for “reduced carb” foods to have at least twenty-five percent less carbohydrates than original product versions.

You would think we could “all just get along” by eating green salads and using home made vinaigrette recipe dressings wouldn’t you?

The Low-Carb Comfort Food Cookbook

• ISBN13: 9780471454052
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Product Description
The revolutionary cookbook that satisfies all your comfort food cravings-from the New York Times bestselling authors of Protein Power

When you think about low-carb diets, do you picture complicated meal pl… More >>

The Low-Carb Comfort Food Cookbook

Low Carb Food News About Stevia the 0 Calorie Sweetener

Anyone searching for healthy, low carb foods should be aware of stevia, the all natural sweetener, as a replacement for sugar or artificial sweeteners. A vast majority of articles and research projects conducted on stevia have concluded that it may be the one sweetener that is actually good for people. It has been shown that stevia can help individuals maintain normal blood sugar levels, and it is a zero calorie sweetener. What is stevia and why is Coca Cola teaming up with Cargill to make it a replacement for sugar in many products? Also, why has the FDA rejected stevia as a food additive, but permitted it to be used as a dietary supplement?

First, let’s take a look at the origins of stevia and how it has gained attention with the rise in demand for low carb foods and low sugar substitutes. Stevia has been used for centuries by native South American tribes as a sweetener in yerba mate and medicinal teas for treating heartburn and other ailments. It is a plant in the Chrysanthemum family, which grows wild in parts of Paraguay and Brazil. Wikipedia describes stevia as an herb or shrub “in the sunflower family, native to subtropical and tropical South America and Central America”. The plant’s extracts have up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, but have a negligible impact on blood glucose. So it is easy to see why stevia is being noticed by people looking for low carb foods or who are trying to maintain normal blood sugar levels with a low carb diet.

Since the early 1970’s, Japan has led the way in cultivating and using stevia as a replacement for artificial sweeteners such as cyclamate and saccharin, which are alleged carcinogens. Commercially produced in Japan since 1977, stevia sweeteners are often used in that country for low carb foods and soft drinks. Japan currently accounts for about 40% of the world’s consumption of stevia, more than any other country. It is now widely used throughout the world, especially in East Asia, South America and Israel. Stevia has been available as a dietary supplement in the United States and Canada since the mid 1980’s. Many people in this country use it as a beneficial sweetener for health drink formulas not sold in retail stores.

In 1984, Dr. Tei-Fu Chen, an American herbalist from Taiwan, perfected a method to extract the sweetness from stevia without using chemicals. This method is accepted today as the most advantageous way to produce stevia products for consumption. Dr. Chen’s company, Sunrider, successfully petitioned the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) in 1995 to lift the import alert on the extract of stevia leaves. This paved the way for companies to use stevia as a “dietary supplement”, and in May of 2007, Coca Cola announced plans to seek approval for its use as a “food additive”. Coca Cola currently uses stevia in soft drinks made in Japan, and is hoping to market a new calorie free sweetener in the United States to use in low carb foods by 2009. In 1984, stevia was introduced as Sunectar by Sunrider and later a clear liquid version called Sunnydew accompanied the thicker, darker Sunectar in the market. Coca Cola is tentatively planning to call their product, Rebiana, which is derived from the plant’s botanical name stevia rebaudiana.

The only thing that might prevent the use of stevia based products for low carb foods and drinks in the U.S. is the FDA approval of stevia as a “food additive”. As of today in the U.S, stevia is not allowed to be sold as a food additive but is considered to be safe as a dietary supplement. You see, stevia grows naturally therefore it does not require a patent. This could be why some consumers and politicians believe the FDA has so far acted in response to industry pressure from sugar and artificial sweetener lobbyists. For example, Arizona congressman, Jon Kyl, called the FDA action against stevia “a restraint of trade to benefit the artificial sweetener industry”. Although, the growing popularity of stevia may force the FDA to take a closer look at the current food additive ban. Coca Cola has teamed up with the agricultural products company, Cargill to market rebiana-sweetened products in 12 countries that already allow stevia as a food additive.

As far as I can tell through research and through my own experience with stevia, the benefits of this herbal supplement far outweigh any possible negative consequences. Stevia is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, so only very small amounts are required to sweeten beverages and foods. Most stevia products contain zero calories, and some contain complex carbohydrates that are beneficial to anyone, especially those on a low carbohydrate diet. It has been said that stevia is food for the pancreas, which can help maintain normal blood sugar levels. Through my own daily use of stevia and my desire to maintain a diet of low carb foods for more than six years now, I can say that it has helped reduce cravings for sugary foods and has contributed to a decrease in mood swings caused by over consumption of sugar.

I encourage anyone who is searching for quality nutrition in low carb foods, to investigate stevia and make it a part of a healthy, balanced, low carbohydrate diet.

Low carb food list

In case you’re searching for a Low Carb Diet Food List then this article will point you in the right direction. More than ever, people in millions are now becoming more and more health conscious and hence looking at several alternatives for weight loss. There are several Low Carb Diet Food Lists available in the market today and people are gravitating towards them in hordes in their eternal quest for quick weight loss. Low Carb Diet Food List is quite popular in several diets such as Atkins, South Beach and Zone diet et al. If you are one of those looking for Low Carb Diet Food List then you first need to understand as to how exactly a low quantity of carbohydrates is responsible for reduction in weight. Low Carb Diet Food decreases the synthesis of insulin in the body and hence plays a vital role in weight reduction. This happens due to the fact that reduction of insulin synthesis forces the body to use stored fat and muscles for energy needs. As you can see, going on a low carb diet for weight reduction is a very natural way for quick weight loss without spending a lot of time in gym. Of course, if you’re a kind of person who has no problem in handling weights in gym then you can very quickly lose weight by going on a low carb diet in addition to sweating out in gym. Another good news for people going on low carb diet is the fact that there is no shortage of sources when it comes to searching for Low carb ones. In fact, there are several naturally occurring low carbohydrate sources which can be rotated for all three meals so that you never get bored from your diet. Here are some of the low carbohydrate sources in different categories: Low Carb Diet Food List for Vegetables: Vegetables are often encouraged in almost all the diets be they Atkins or South Beach or Zone and the reason for that is pretty simple – Most of the vegetables are low in carbohydrates except for a few which are rich in carb content. A wide array of vegetables can be consumed while going on a low carb Diet. Some of these are lettuce, spinach, chard; beans, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, mushrooms, cucumbers, all kinds of peppers, onions and all kinds of herbs. The vegetables which need to be avoided are Beets, Carrots (on some diets), Corn, Parsnips, Peas, Plantains and Potatoes in all forms in addition to Winter Squashes. Low Carb Diet Food List for Meat: For lovers of Non vegetarian food, there’s even more good news that almost all the popular diets recommend meat and other protein rich food when it comes to going on a low carb diet. Since meat is a rich source of protein, it is used extensively by the body for the formation of muscular tissues. There are very few Meat based foods which are not recommended in a low carbohydrate diet. For example several organ meats are known to contain rich reserves of carbohydrates and hence Atkins recommends to limiting its quantity to a maximum of 4 Oz per day.

Eat Fast, Eat Healthy With Low Carb Fast Food

Low carb fast food lets people on low carb diets enjoy eating out without worrying about consuming too many carbohydrates. Options range from foods that are simply low in carbohydrates to begin with, to foods that are specially created with small amounts carbohydrates in mind.

One example of low carb fast food comes from Subway. For years, Subway has marketed itself as a health-oriented fast food restaurant, and its new low carb wraps continue that trend. In December 2003, Subway reached a licensing agreement with Atkins Nutritionals, Inc., allowing Subway to offer Atkins-friendly wraps in stores nationwide.

Special wheat and soy grains are used to make the new low carb wraps, which are high in fiber and protein. Additionally, the new wraps contain approximately two-thirds less carbohydrates than Subway’s regular 6-inch sub sandwiches, and they will cost customers about 50 cents more.

There are currently two low carb wraps at Subway right now, and the number of carbs varies from source to source. The first is the chicken bacon ranch, with approximately eight grams of net carbs. There is also the turkey and bacon melt. This has a bit more net carbohydrates. There are about 10 net carbs in the turkey bacon melt, but it’s still low enough to easily fit into your low carb diet.

In addition to the low carb wraps, many of the nation’s biggest burger joints are getting on the low carb fast food craze with their own low carb options. Some of the options are new menu items, while others are modified items already on the menu.

One of the best ways to modify menu items is to lose the unnecessary condiments. Many people do not realize the high amounts of fat and calories in mayonnaise, dressings and other sauces. Even ketchup, which is relatively high in sugar, should be minimized or cut out entirely to eliminate those empty carbohydrates.

Burger King will also expand its menu with low carb fast food items aimed at those on the infamous Atkins’ and other low carb diets. The menu changes are similar to those made by McDonald’s. One of the more significant changes is the inclusion of meal-sized salads, which tend to be much lower in carbohydrates and much healthier altogether than traditional fast food items.

Burger King also markets its Whopper as a low carb option when ordered without the bun, which is something that has become quite popular. Fast food chains such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. offer bunless burgers. These burgers are served either as a platter with a fork and knife or with large leaves of lettuce in place of the bun.

Along with modifying existing menu items and creating new ones, fast food restaurants are beginning to offer more nutritional information about their foods. Restaurants are also considering putting some information right on the menus. The more information that is made available, the better educated consumers can be in making dietary choices. With these new menu items and more information at their fingertips, dieters can turn greasy, fatty fast food into healthy, low carb fast food.