Start hereA pack might say organic, light, no added sugar and best before, all on one label. Here is what ten of those words mean, as the official bodies that set the rules explain them, with the country or region named each time.
Many words on a food pack have an official meaning behind them, set by a government rule or agency. Below are 10 of them, each explained the way an official body defines it, and each with the country or region that rule belongs to.
The same word can carry a different rule in the US, the EU and the UK. Where that matters, the card says so. Each card gives the rule’s own numbers, with the regulation and section, so you can look it up yourself. This page explains what the rules say. It does not tell you what to eat.
How it was grown or made
Two words describe where a food came from and what went into it.
One is usually tied to certification and inspection. The other has a written policy in the US and a narrower use in the EU and UK.
1. Organic
Organic is a controlled word in the US, the EU and the UK, and it usually needs certification.
In each place, the word is tied to a percentage of organic ingredients and, in most cases, to an inspection.
In the US, a product labelled “organic” needs not less than 95 percent organic ingredients by weight or fluid volume, not counting water and salt, under 7 CFR 205.301(b). A “made with organic” label needs at least 70 percent organic ingredients, counted the same way, under 205.301(c). The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service says organic labels must be reviewed and approved by a USDA-accredited certifying agent. It lists genetic engineering, ionizing radiation and sewage sludge as examples of excluded or prohibited methods. The AMS says producers who market less than $5,000 worth of organic products a year are not required to apply for certification. They must still follow the organic rules, and their products cannot be used as organic ingredients in processed products made by another operation.
In the EU, Regulation (EU) 2018/848 has been the rulebook for organic food since 1 January 2022. The European Commission says the EU organic logo can only be used on products certified as organic by an authorised control agency or body. The logo also needs at least 95% organic ingredients.
In the UK, Defra’s guidance says a food can be labelled organic only if at least 95% of its agricultural ingredients are organic. It must be certified by an approved control body. Below 95%, the word may appear only in the ingredients list, not in the product’s name.
The organic rules describe how food is farmed and processed, rather than how much fat, sugar or salt it holds.
So in all three places, a food sold as organic is usually checked by a certifier, and most of its ingredients must be organic.
For example, a US jar of sauce that says “made with organic tomatoes” has at least 70 percent organic ingredients. It cannot carry the USDA organic seal.
Watch for: the AMS rule that products in the “made with organic” group must not include the USDA organic seal anywhere.
2. Natural
In the US, “natural” has no formal legal definition; the FDA has a long-standing policy instead.
The US Food and Drug Administration says it has not engaged in rulemaking to set a formal definition for “natural”, but has a longstanding policy on the word. Under that policy, “natural” means nothing artificial or synthetic, including any colour additive, has been added that would not normally be expected in the food. The FDA says the policy was not meant to cover how food is produced, such as the use of pesticides. It also says it did not consider whether “natural” should describe any nutritional or other health benefit.
The FDA asked the public for comments partly because it had received three citizen petitions asking it to define “natural”. Another asked it to ban the word on food labels. That comment period closed on 10 May 2016.
In the EU and the UK, “natural” works differently. There, “naturally” or “natural” may be used in front of a nutrition claim when the food meets that claim’s conditions on its own.
So in the US, “natural” is about added ingredients such as colours, not about farming methods or nutrition.
For example, an EU pack of oats could say “naturally high in fibre” if the oats meet the high-fibre conditions as they are.
Watch for: which country’s rule applies. In the US, “natural” rests on a policy, not a formal definition.
Less fat, sugar, salt or gluten
Five common claims promise less of something, and each comes with a number.
The US, the EU and the UK each set a number for these claims. What often changes is the amount of food the number is measured against.
3. Low fat
Low fat is a defined claim with a limit, and the limit is measured differently in the US than in the EU and the UK.
In the US, 21 CFR 101.62(b)(2) allows “low fat” on a food that contains 3 g or less of fat per reference amount customarily consumed. If the reference amount is 30 g or less, or 2 tablespoons or less, the food must also have 3 g or less of fat per 50 g. The FDA describes that reference amount as the basis for determining a serving size. Meals and main dishes have their own test: 3 g or less of total fat per 100 g, and not more than 30 percent of calories from fat.
In the EU, a food may be called low fat only if it has no more than 3 g of fat per 100 g for solids. For liquids it is 1.5 g per 100 ml. The UK’s own copy of the regulation keeps the same wording. The EU’s “fat-free” means no more than 0.5 g of fat per 100 g or 100 ml, and claims written as “X % fat-free” are prohibited.
So a low-fat claim is a fixed limit, but the amount of food it is measured against differs between the two rule books.
For example, the same pot of yogurt could meet one limit and miss the other, because the US counts per reference amount and the EU per 100 g.
Watch for: a US food that is naturally low in fat must say so in a way that refers to all foods of its type. The rule’s example is “frozen perch, a low fat food”.
4. Light and reduced
Light and reduced compare a food with a usual version, and the rules set how big the cut must be.
In the US, “reduced fat” needs at least 25 percent less fat per reference amount than an appropriate reference food, under 21 CFR 101.62(b)(4). Under 21 CFR 101.56, if a food gets 50 percent or more of its calories from fat, “light” means its fat is cut by 50 percent or more. Otherwise “light” can mean calories cut by at least one-third, or fat cut by 50 percent or more. For relative claims like these, US labels must name the reference food and state the percentage difference.
In the EU, a “reduced” claim needs a cut of at least 30% compared with a similar product. A 25% difference is allowed for sodium or salt. The EU’s “light” follows the same conditions as “reduced”, and the label must say what makes the food light.
So “light” and “reduced” are comparisons, and the label should tell you what the food is compared with.
For example, a pack that says “light in colour” is using the colour meaning. A colour word is not a calorie claim.
Watch for: what the food is being compared with. The reference food is part of the claim.
5. Sugar free and no added sugar
“Sugar free” and “no added sugar” are different claims with different rules.
In the US, 21 CFR 101.60(c)(1) allows “sugar free” on a food with less than 0.5 g of sugars per reference amount and per labelled serving. The rule says consumers may reasonably expect a “sugar free” food to be low in calories or significantly reduced in calories. So unless the food is labelled low or reduced calorie, each use must come with a phrase such as “not a reduced calorie food” or “not for weight control”.
In the US, “no added sugar” means no sugars, and no ingredient with added sugars such as jam, jelly or concentrated fruit juice, were added. It is allowed only when the food it resembles and replaces normally contains added sugars.
In the EU, “sugars-free” means no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g or 100 ml. An EU “no added sugars” claim means no added mono- or disaccharides, or any other food used for its sweetening properties. If sugars are naturally present, the EU label should also say “contains naturally occurring sugars”.
So a sugar-free food has almost no sugars, while a no-added-sugar food may still hold sugars that were already in its ingredients.
For example, a cereal bar sweetened with date paste would not fit the EU wording, if the date paste is there to sweeten it.
Watch for: sugar free does not mean calorie free. In the US, the label tells you when the food is not low in calories.
6. Low sodium and salt free
Low sodium has a set limit, and in US rules “salt” and “sodium” are not the same word.
In the US, 21 CFR 101.61(b)(4) allows “low sodium” on a food with 140 mg or less of sodium per reference amount customarily consumed. For foods with a reference amount of 30 g or less, or 2 tablespoons or less, the 140 mg limit also applies per 50 g. The rule says “salt” is not synonymous with “sodium”: salt refers to sodium chloride. It allows “salt free” only if the food is “sodium free”.
In the EU, “low sodium/salt” means no more than 0.12 g of sodium, or the equivalent value for salt, per 100 g or 100 ml. The EU’s “very low sodium/salt” limit is 0.04 g, and “sodium-free or salt-free” is 0.005 g per 100 g.
So in the EU, low sodium, very low sodium and sodium-free are steps on the same scale, each with its own limit.
For example, a soup could say “low sodium” in both places and still pass two different tests. The US test is per reference amount; the EU test is per 100 g or 100 ml.
Watch for: the % Daily Value on a US label is a separate guide. The FDA says 5% DV or less of a nutrient per serving is considered low, and 20% DV or more is considered high.
7. Gluten-free
Gluten-free has a legal limit in the US, the EU and the UK, and the limit is 20 parts per million.
The FDA issued its final rule defining “gluten-free” on 2 August 2013. It calls “gluten-free” a voluntary claim that makers can use if they meet all the requirements. Under 21 CFR 101.91, any unavoidable gluten in a food labelled gluten-free must be below 20 ppm, which is 20 mg of gluten per kg of food.
In the EU, Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 says “gluten-free” may only be used where the food as sold contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. It allows “very low gluten” for no more than 100 mg/kg. The UK’s own copy of that regulation keeps the same limits.
The FDA describes celiac disease as a condition in which foods that contain gluten trigger antibodies that attack and damage the lining of the small intestine. In UK spelling it is coeliac disease. If you have coeliac disease, a doctor or dietitian can explain what these labels mean for you.
So a gluten-free food is not always free of every trace of gluten; it is below a limit set in law. The number is the same in all three places, written in two ways: 20 ppm or 20 mg per kg.
For example, oats can carry the claim in the EU only if they were specially produced to avoid contamination, and the gluten content of such oats cannot exceed 20 mg/kg. Gluten-free means very little gluten, measured to a limit.
Watch for: in January 2026 the FDA asked for comments on gluten labelling, including a petition to list all ingredients with gluten by name, so the US rules may change.
Fibre, healthy and dates
The last three are a claim about more of something, a word about the whole food, and the dates on the pack.
Here the rules differ more from country to country.
8. High fibre and source of fibre
Fibre claims set a minimum, per 100 g in the EU and as a share of the Daily Value in the US.
In the EU, “source of fibre” needs at least 3 g of fibre per 100 g, or at least 1.5 g per 100 kcal. A “high fibre” claim needs at least 6 g per 100 g, or at least 3 g per 100 kcal.
In the US, 21 CFR 101.54 allows “high” for a food with 20 percent or more of the daily reference value per reference amount. “Good source” means 10 to 19 percent. The FDA describes Daily Values as the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume or not to exceed each day. Its Daily Value for dietary fiber is 28 g.
So under EU rules, a high-fibre claim needs twice as much fibre as a source-of-fibre claim.
For example, an EU cereal with 7 g of fibre per 100 g could say “high fibre”, while one with 4 g could say “source of fibre”.
Watch for: if a US fibre claim is made on a food that is not low in fat, the label must disclose the total fat per serving. A fibre claim says nothing about the fat.
9. Healthy
In the US, “healthy” is being tied to food groups and limits; the EU and UK have no “healthy” nutrition claim.
The FDA announced on 19 December 2024 a final rule updating the “healthy” claim that makers can voluntarily use. Under it, a food must contain a certain amount from at least one food group or subgroup, such as fruit, vegetables, grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy, or protein foods. It must also meet limits for added sugars, saturated fat and sodium.
The FDA says foods such as water, avocados, nuts and seeds, higher-fat fish such as salmon, and olive oil now qualify. It says fortified white bread, highly sweetened yogurt and highly sweetened cereal qualified under the original claim but do not under the updated one. The original definition was set in 1994 and had limits for total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.
The rule’s effective date was delayed until 28 April 2025. Its compliance date is 25 February 2028. Until that date, makers can either follow the new requirements or keep using the original definition. The FDA says it is still exploring a symbol makers could use to show a food meets the definition.
In the EU, nutrition claims are only permitted if they are listed in the annex of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, and that list has no “healthy” entry. Its Article 10(3) says a reference to general benefits for overall good health may only be made with a specific authorised health claim beside it. The UK’s copy keeps that rule.
So in the US, “healthy” is a defined claim with a compliance date, while in the EU and UK a general health word needs an authorised health claim beside it.
For example, a plain bag of nuts can qualify under the updated US rule, which the FDA says was not the case before.
Watch for: the country. A general health word means different things under US and EU rules.
10. Use by and best before
In the UK, use-by is about safety and best before is about quality; in the US, dates are mostly about quality.
GOV.UK, the UK government’s website, says use-by dates relate to the safety of food, whereas best before dates relate to quality. It says use-by dates tell you when the food is no longer safe to eat. They must be shown on foods that go off quickly, such as meat products and ready-to-eat salads. It adds that eating food after the use-by date could make you ill. After the best before date, it says, the food is usually safe to eat but may not be of the same quality. Manufacturers decide which of the two dates to use.
In the US, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service says that, except for infant formula, product dating is not required by federal regulations. It says there are no uniform or universally accepted descriptions for open dating in the US. It describes “Best if Used By/Before” as when a product will be of best flavour or quality, not a purchase or safety date. It describes “Use-By” as the last date recommended for use at peak quality, and not a safety date except on infant formula.
So in the UK, the kind of date tells you whether it is about safety or quality. In the US, federal rules do not require dates at all, except on infant formula.
For example, a UK pack of sliced ham would normally carry a use-by date, while dried pasta would normally carry best before. The same two words carry different weight in the UK and the US.
The same claim in the US and the EU
Several claims share a name but use different measures.
The table puts the figures from the cards above side by side, so you can see where the measure changes. The UK’s rules for these claims match the EU column.
| Claim | US rule (FDA) | EU rule |
|---|---|---|
| Low fat | 3 g or less per reference amount (also per 50 g for small portions) | No more than 3 g per 100 g (solids) or 1.5 g per 100 ml (liquids) |
| Sugar free | Less than 0.5 g per reference amount and serving | No more than 0.5 g per 100 g or 100 ml |
| Low sodium | 140 mg or less per reference amount (also per 50 g for small portions) | No more than 0.12 g sodium per 100 g or 100 ml |
| Gluten-free | Below 20 ppm (20 mg/kg) | No more than 20 mg/kg |
| High fibre | 20 percent or more of the daily reference value per reference amount | At least 6 g per 100 g, or 3 g per 100 kcal |
The EU sets two exceptions not shown in the table. Semi-skimmed milk can be called low fat at up to 1.8 g of fat per 100 ml. For waters other than natural mineral waters, the low-sodium limit is 2 mg of sodium per 100 ml.
Four common questions
Each answer below repeats a rule from the cards above, in one or two short sentences, with the body that wrote it.
Does “natural” mean healthier? The FDA says that when it set its policy, it did not consider whether “natural” should describe any nutritional or other health benefit.
How sure: Strong this is the FDA’s own description of its policy.
Is “sugar free” the same as low calorie? Not under US rules. A sugar-free food that is not low or reduced in calories must say so on the label.
How sure: Strong this is written into 21 CFR 101.60.
Can a gluten-free food contain any gluten? Yes, a very small amount. The US limit is below 20 parts per million, and the EU and UK limit is 20 mg per kg.
How sure: Strong both limits are set in law.
Is food safe to eat after its date? It depends on the country and the kind of date. GOV.UK says use-by is about safety and best before is about quality. FSIS says US dates are not safety dates, except on infant formula.
How sure: Strong these are each body’s own words, and they differ.
Where to learn more
- Our fitness and nutrition section, for more articles on food and exercise.
- Our Liquid IV vs Pedialyte comparison, which reads two labels side by side.
- The FDA’s guide to Daily Values (US): how to read the % DV on a Nutrition Facts label.
- The European Commission’s list of nutrition claims (EU): every permitted claim and its condition.
- GOV.UK’s guide to understanding food labelling (UK): dates, allergens and free-from labels.
- The USDA’s organic labelling page (US): the four organic label categories.
Quick answers
What does "organic" mean on a food label?
In the US, a product sold as organic needs not less than 95 percent organic ingredients, not counting water and salt. Its label is approved by a USDA-accredited certifier, except for very small sellers that are exempt from certification. EU and UK rules also need at least 95 percent organic ingredients and certification.
Is "light" always about calories?
No. Under US rules, "light" can mean less fat or fewer calories, but it can also describe colour or texture, as in "light in color", if the label says so.
What does "no added sugar" mean?
In the US, it means no sugars, and no ingredients containing added sugars such as jam or concentrated fruit juice, were added. In the EU, it means no added sugars or other food used to sweeten, and a food with natural sugars should say so.
What is the difference between use-by and best before?
GOV.UK says use-by dates relate to safety and best before dates to quality. In the US, FSIS says "Best if Used By" is about quality, and "Use-By" is not a safety date except on infant formula.
Use this
Our suggestion: three habits for reading any label word.
Which country, compared with what, measured how?
Quick quiz
Nothing is scored or saved. Recalling it once now is what makes it last.
1. Under US rules, what must a "sugar free" food that is not low in calories also say?
Answer: A phrase such as "not a reduced calorie food".Read it again ↑
2. How is the EU's "low fat" limit measured for a solid food?
Answer: Per 100 g of the food.Read it again ↑
3. According to GOV.UK, what does a use-by date relate to?
Answer: The safety of the food.Read it again ↑
How we checked this · Last checked November 2026
- Every definition comes from an official body, and the page names its country or region: the US Food and Drug Administration, the USDA, the European Commission, the UK's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and GOV.UK.
- Where a rule sets a limit, the page gives the regulation and section. EU figures are written with a decimal point; the regulations print a decimal comma.
- This page explains what labels mean. It does not say what anyone should eat.
- We found no official definition of "superfood", so it is left out.