Food Science
What Nutrition Labels Really Tell Us
By Jane Black
Chemists, nutritionists, and food scientists help us make sense of the back of the box.
Americans get about 58 percent of our calories from foods that are considered “ultraprocessed” — a broad category of food products that are typically loaded with varieties of sugar, salt, fats, and additives. The processing is what makes Nutri-Grain bars irresistible, fills sports drinks with instant energy, and gives vegan shrimp their bounce. It’s also impacting our collective health in big ways that are only beginning to be understood. This special series, produced in partnership with the Food & Environmental Reporting Network (FERN), aims to shed light into a category of food we all consume, thoughtfully or with abandon, for better and worse.
All articles were produced in collaboration with the Food & Environment Reporting Network, an independent, nonprofit news organization.
What Nutrition Labels Really Tell Us
Chemists, nutritionists, and food scientists help us make sense of the back of the box.
