The whole point of a nutritional label is to help inform you of what\u2019s inside the package. But the recent David protein bar class action lawsuit has brought up a loophole in the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s regulations around nutritional labels that most people aren\u2019t aware of. Basically, there\u2019s a fair amount of wiggle room between what the label says and what you actually get.<\/p>\n
In case you haven\u2019t been following the lawsuit, it alleged that independent lab tests discovered that David protein bars contain 400% more fat and 80% more calories<\/a> than advertised. That sparked comparisons to when Regina George was given \u201chealthy\u201d bars in Mean Girls that made her gain weight. David founder Peter Rahal acknowledged the cultural reference on X<\/a>, writing, \u201cNo one is getting Regina Georged.\u201d (Rahal explained that the confusion came down to how calories were measured\u2014what the human body can absorb and use vs. measuring things like fiber<\/a>, sweeteners, and fat substitutes that aren\u2019t digestible calories.) The lawsuit was dismissed<\/a> on Tuesday.<\/p>\n But this still doesn\u2019t mean that your food labels are 100% accurate. FDA regulations for food labels allow for a margin of error for everything from fat, calories, and added sugar to nutrients. How concerned about this should you be? We tapped nutritionists for more.<\/p>\n The FDA\u2019s food label regulations leave a large margin of error.<\/p>\n According to the FDA\u2019s regulations<\/a> around food labels, there can be a 20% overage with fat, calories, added sugar, carbs, fiber<\/a>, and sugar alcohols<\/a>. So, if you\u2019re eating a 200-calorie protein<\/a> bar, it could contain an extra 40 calories before the FDA would consider intervening.<\/p>\n At the same time, nutrients like fiber, protein, and vitamins can be 20% lower than what’s on the label. Basically, what the label says and what you\u2019re actually ingesting can be pretty different. \u201cThose labels are giving you a big-picture snapshot,\u201d Jessica Cording, RD, CDN,<\/a> author of The Little Book of Game-Changers, tells SELF. \u201cThe nutrient information is a ballpark number.\u201d<\/p>\n