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Cal and kcal on food labels?

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freak_unique | 00:36 Tue 15th Aug 2006 | Food & Drink
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Hey does anyone know the difference between cal and kcal on food labels as i am calorie counting and dont know what i am looking for? plus i found this information which confused me...
In scientific terms:

1000 calories = 1 kilocalorie = 1 kcal = the energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1kg of water by 1�C.

So surely when i eat a food saying 80kcal i am not eating 80,000 calories?
lol this has spun me right out maybe its obvious and im just being dumb. Anyone care to explain?
Cheers
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One site says this:

Kilocalorie (kcal)
A measure of the energy value in, for example, food and physical activity. �Kilocalorie� is the more accurate term for the commonly used abbreviation �calorie.�
1 kilocalorie (kcal) = 1 Calorie (Cal) = 1000 calories (cal)
To convert kcal to kilojoules (kJ), multiply the kcal value by 4.2.

Appears they are the same... just differing terminolgy...
when you eat 80kcal, you are indeed eating 80,000 calories.
however, where people say the daill recommendation is 2000/2500 per day they are talking about kcals, rather than cals, although they are generally called calories. confusing.

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