Current studies show that what goes on labels is an important consideration for manufacturers,since more than seventy percent of shoppers read food labels when considering whether to buya product.

A recent controversy as to whether labels on prepared foods should educate or merely inform the consumer is over, and a consumer group got its way.

The group had maintained that product labels should do more than simply list how many grams of nutrients afood contains.

Their contention was that labels should also list the percentage of a day's total nutrients that the product will supply to the consumer,because this information is essential in planning a healthy diet.

A government agency disagreed strongly, favoring a label that merely informs the consumer,in other words, a label that only lists the contents of the products.

The agency maintained that consumers could decide for themselves if the food is nutritious and is meeting their daily needs.

The consumer group, in supporting its case, had cited a survey in which shoppers were shown a food label,and were then asked if they would need more or less of a certain nutrient after eating a serving of this product.

The shoppers weren't able to answer the questions easily when they were not given a specific percentage.

This study, and others helped get the new regulation passed, and now food products must have the more detailed labels.