Low fat: Contains no more than 3 grams of fat per serving.
Tip: Watch portion size. If the claim is based on choosing a serving such as 8 crackers and you eat twice that amount, then the product would no longer be low in fat.

Low in saturated fat: Contains no more than 2 grams of saturated fat and not more than 15% of the calories are from saturated fat.
Tip: This doesn’t mean a food is low in total fat.

Fat- free: Contains no more than 0.5 grams total fat and not more than 0.2 grams saturated fat and 0.2 grams of trans fat.

Trans fat free: Contains no more than 0.2 grams of trans fat.
Tip: This doesn’t mean a food is low in total fat.

Cholesterol free: No more than 3 milligrams of cholesterol per 100 grams of product and it must also meet the definition of “low in saturated fat” which doesn’t mean it is low in total fat.
Tip: Cholesterol is only found in animal products such as dairy and meat products as well as some fish and shellfish. All plant products are naturally cholesterol free.

Low calorie: No more than 15 calories per serving.
Tip: Many low calorie foods may also be low in nutrients.

Calorie reduced: No more than half the calories of the same food in its usual state.
Tip: This doesn’t mean a food is low calorie.

Light: The term “light” on a label can have many different meanings. For example, light can refer to the colour, texture or taste of the food and have nothing to do with its calorie content. If “light” is part of the common name of the food (Light Microwave Popping Corn, Light Mayonnaise Dressing) then the product has to be lower in calories than the same product not marked light (Regular Microwave Popping Corn, Regular Mayonnaise Dressing). This must be clearly stated on the label(e.g. 50% of the calories of regular mayonnaise).
Tip: If the term light is not defined on the label, assume it has nothing to do with fat or calories.

To learn more about label reading, take a Nutrition Tour with our dietitians. Sign up online or at the customer service desk.