Food Labels
Nutrition labels can help you choose between products and keep a check on the amount of foods you're eating that are high in fat, salt and added sugars. Most pre-packed foods have a nutrition label on the back or side of the packaging, however what information they must contain can vary widely throughout the world.
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We are a UK based company and so will focus on Europe and the United Kingdom, but please check more local sources for advice when iot comes to reading and understanding food labels where you are.
Nutrition labels are often displayed as a panel or grid on the back or side of packaging.
This type of label includes information on energy (kJ/kcal), fat, saturates (saturated fat), carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt.
It may also provide additional information on certain nutrients, such as fibre. All nutrition information is provided per 100 grams and sometimes per portion.
Nutrition and health claims
Manufacturers have to follow certain rules if they want to make any nutrition or health claims for their product. They can’t say or suggest that any product can treat, prevent or cure any health problem. They can only make nutrition and health claims if these are backed by approved medical research and fit in with specific guidelines.
The Traffic Lights
Whilst it is mandatory for nutrition information to be displayed on the back of all food packaging, some U.K. supermarkets and food manufacturers also display nutritional information on the front of pre-packed food in a handy traffic light system.
Some front-of-pack nutrition labels use red, amber and green colour coding. Colour-coded nutritional information tells you at a glance if the food has high, medium or low amounts of fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt:
Red
Red on the label means the food is high in fat, saturated fat, salt or sugars, and these are the foods we should cut down on.
Amber
Amber means neither high nor low, so you can eat foods with all or mostly amber on the label most of the time.
Green
The more green on the label, the healthier the choice. If you buy a food that has all or mostly green on the label, you know straight away that it's a healthier choice.
Reference Intake indicators
Reference Intake is shown in percentages and provides information on how the amount of fat, saturates, sugars and salts within that product fits into your daily recommended diet. In the case of this food label, the amount of sugar is 38% of the total recommended daily intake, therefore you should be careful of the amount of sugar consumed in other foods throughout the day.
'Fat Free'
Fats are an essential part of your diet. But eating too much fat or too much of certain types of fat can be unhealthy. If a product is described as fat free, it has to contain no more than 0.5g of fat per 100g or 100ml of the product.
Low-fat, light or lite claims
A solid food claiming to be low fat, light or lite can't contain more than 3g of fat per 100g. A liquid food making this claim can’t contain more than 1.5g of fat per 100ml.
Saturated fats are considered to be less healthy than unsaturated fats. To be described as having reduced saturated fat, a product must contain at least 30 per cent less than the full-fat version, and the amount of trans fats in the product must be equal to or less than the trans fats in the full-fat version.
Low-sugar claims
Consuming high-sugar processed foods or drinks regularly can mean you put weight on and can also be bad for your teeth. Low-sugar foods can’t contain more than 5g of sugars per 100g (if solid) or 2.5g of sugars per 100ml (if liquid).
No added sugar claims
A product claiming it has no added sugar mustn’t contain any sugar used as a sweetener. If sugars naturally occur in the food, the label should also say ‘contains naturally occurring sugars’.
Low-salt claims
Some salt is good for you, but too much salt may increase your blood pressure and cause other health problems.
A food claiming to be low in salt mustn’t contain more than 0.12g of sodium per 100g or 100ml of product. This is the same as 0.3g of salt per 100g or 100ml of product. Very low salt products can’t contain more than 0.04g of sodium (0.1g salt) per 100g or 100ml of product.
Allergy labelling
Food manufacturers are legally obliged to show clearly if a food contains any of the 14 main ingredients that can cause an allergy or intolerance. They should show this on the label by highlighting the food in the ingredients list – in bold, italics, capital letters, underlining or another colour. This means that the allergenic ingredients are easy to see. The 14 main ingredients that could cause an allergy or intolerance are:
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peanuts tree nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, cashews and walnuts)
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fish crustaceans (such as prawns, crab and lobster)
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molluscs (such as squid, mussels and snails)
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eggs
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milk (including lactose)
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sesame seeds
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lupin
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soya beans
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cereals containing gluten (such as wheat, rye, barley and oats)
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celery and celeriac
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mustard sulfur dioxide and sulfites if they are over 10mg per kg or litre of the product
