Knowing about what you eat is an important part of looking after your health and wellbeing. Food labels carry information about the food such as the nutrition panel, ingredient list, allergens, country of origin and advisory statements. But many food labels can be confusing and the nutrition claims can be misleading. Here we decode the facts behind food packaging.
The ingredients list
All of the ingredients contained in the food must be listed in order of dominance. So the ingredient listed first is present in the largest amount while the ingredient listed last is present in the least amount. Try to avoid choosing foods where sugar is one of the first few ingredients in the list, as this means it is packed with sugar.
Common labelling tricks and traps
Light or ‘lite’
Don’t be misled by labelling tricks. The terms used are often misleading. For example, the term ‘light’ or ‘lite’ doesn’t necessarily mean that the product is low in fat or calories. ‘Light’ may refer to the texture, colour, flavour or texture of the food. Always check the nutrition information panel to find out whether the product really is low in fat by comparing the fat content per 100g on the back with similar products.
Cholesterol free
The claims ‘no cholesterol’, ‘low cholesterol’ or ‘cholesterol free’ on foods derived from plants, like margarine and oil, are meaningless because all plant foods contain virtually no cholesterol in their natural form. However, these products can be high saturated fats which can increase you blood cholesterol when you consume them. For instance, sunflower oil has no cholesterol, but is very high in fat and can contribute to weight gain if used too generously.
Low fat
To be considered a low-fat food, low-fat solid foods must contain less than 3 grams of fat per 100 gram serve; low-fat liquid foods must contain less than 1.5 grams of fat per 100ml. Be careful of percentages: If an item claims to be 90 percent fat free, it actually contains 10 percent fat, which is a large amount. This statement is not a trick, but you do have to think backwards to sort it out.
Oven baked, not fried
Although this sounds healthier, the product may still have just as much fat as a fried product. Check the nutrition information panel to be sure.
Reduced fat / salt
Reduced fat does not mean the product is low in fat, but that the product has at least a 25 percent reduction compared to the manufacturer’s normal product of that type. Check the nutrition information panel to determine the level of fat. The same applies to the term ‘reduced salt’.
This usually means free of sucrose, but other types of sugar may be present which contain the same amount of energy. Some other types of sugar that you may find in the ingredients list include: corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, honey, lactose, maltose, molasses, monosaccharides, sorbitol, sucrose and xylitol.
Read the nutrition information panel
The key nutrients on the nutrition information panel includes energy (kilojoules, kj or calories), total and saturated fat, total carbohydrate and sugars and Glycaemic Index (GI), dietary fibre (only needs to be listed when claims are made) and sodium. The panel also lists ‘per serve’ information and ‘per 100g’.
Energy: Use the per 100g column to compare the energy in similar food products. If you’re watching your weight this will help you to choose products with the lowest kilojoules.
Sugars: Include both naturally occurring (from fruit and milk) as well as added sugars. The healthiest option are foods with 5g sugar or less per 100g.
Saturated fat: This type of fat raises blood cholesterol, so the simple rule is the lower the amount, the better. If the saturated fat is over one third of the total fat content then you should use it sparingly or find a healthier alternative.
Sodium: This is one area that’s very much worth checking out as salt is in so many things not immediately apparent in the ingredient list. Check the sodium content per 100g and opt for anything with 60mg or less.
Look out for food additives
Food additives are chemicals that perform a variety of functions, such as keeping food fresh or enhance its colour, flavour or texture. Additives can be identified in the ingredients list by a number. Some people are sensitive to food additives. Additives that may cause a reaction include flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) 621; colourings including tartrazine 102, yellow 2G107, sunset yellow FCF110 and cochineal 120; and many preservatives.
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