There are few things you can find on the most of the packaging and probably the best known is Nutricion Facts. Actually, in the United States it wasn't until the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act that it became mandatory for most packaged foods to have the label.
Items that do not need to state these facts are foods sold in bulk, raw fruit, vegetables, seafood and smaller packages.
We often see food labeling as something reasonably modern, but it actually started in the United Kingdom in the 13th century, under the Assize of Bread law. This stopped bakers from adding ground beans and peas into bread dough.
While it's crucial to know exactly what's in your food, the labels can be pretty confusing. Food and nutrition labels around the world can include a lot of information, and not all of it is easy to decipher.
The following categories have to appear on all food labels
There are 64 countries around the world which require labeling of products which contain GMOs. In the U.S., the FDA policy is to support voluntary rather than mandatory GMO labeling. According to the USDA, approximately 90 percent of all corn and soybeans grown in the U.S. are genetically modified.
Sell-by and use-by date labels are not federally regulated. They vary from state to state (and country to country), and represent suggestions by manufacturers as to when a food is at its peak rather than a guarantee of safety or quality.
The Food and Drug Administration in USA announced major changes to food labeling that could have a significant impact on what people eat and drink. Added sugars will be on labels for the first time. That means consumers will know how much sugar is added into a food product, as opposed to sugar that's naturally occurring in food like milk or fruit.
Michael Jacobson, executive director for Center for Science in the Public Interest, said this change likely will have "a very important long-term impact." Also, calories and serving size will be more prominent on labels.