Food label use, self-selectivity, and diet quality

Food labels provide measurable benefits by improving diet quality of Americ ans by as much as four to six points on a 100-point Healthy Eating Index sc ale. Among nutritional panels, serving sizes, nutrient content claims, list of ingredients, and health claims, the use of health claims on food labels provides the highest level of improvement in diet quality. The data source for this analysis is the 1994 to 1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes fo r Individuals (CSFII) and the accompanying Diet and Health Knowledge Survey (DHKS).