Tag: Nutrition laws

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the term 'nutritionist' is not a legally protected title in many parts of the U.S., allowing anyone to use it without formal training. So, do some states not require a nutritionist to be licensed? The answer is a complex 'yes,' with a wide spectrum of laws that vary significantly from state to state.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), restaurant calorie counts can be off by as much as 20%. Despite this inaccuracy, the personal act of counting calories is absolutely not illegal for an individual, but legal mandates exist for businesses regarding calorie disclosure.

The term "nutritionist" is not legally protected in most jurisdictions across the United States, unlike the title "Registered Dietitian (RD)" or "Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)". This means that in many places, anyone can use the title regardless of their level of training or education, creating confusion for the public.