Kcal (kilocalories) and calories are often used interchangeably on food packaging worldwide. Technically, one kcal is equal to 1,000 calories. When discussing the energy content of food, the term "calorie" typically refers to kilocalories. For example, if a label states that a food contains 100 calories, it actually means 100 kilocalories. Although "calorie" is commonly used in informal contexts, kcal is the correct unit for measuring energy in food.