Food labels can be a useful tool to help you make better food choices. They indicate if there are beneficial nutrients in the product as well as components that need to be limited in your diet.
It is important to understand what is on a food label so that you can make an informed decision on which food product is a healthier choice.
High-risk dietary practices – such as diets high in saturated fats, trans fats, sugars and salt, and low in fibre – have been linked to chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and hypertension.
New regulations in the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act relating to the labelling and advertising of food, which will be implemented now only in March next year, will ensure more reliable information on food labels.
Ingredients Listed
Some foods are exempt from having a nutrition label or ingredients list, such as foods in very small packages, foods that are prepared in the store, and fresh foods such as fruit and vegetables.
For others, the new legislation requires that the list of ingredients contains vital information about the contents of the foodstuffs, such as colourants and preservatives.
It also requires that all common food-related allergens be listed on a food label.
Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. In other words, the ingredient listed first on a food label is the most abundant ingredient in the food product, while the last ingredient listed is present in the smallest amount.
So according to the example of the high-fibre breakfast cereal that follows, sugar is listed second. This means that sugar is the second most abundant ingredient.
BREAKFAST CEREAL
Example of ingredients listed in a high-fibre breakfast cereal:
Ingredients
Wheat, Sugar, Malt Extract, Salt, Vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and Iron.
May contain traces of nuts
MISLEADING WORDS
Be careful of misleading words. You may think a food product doesn’t contain sugar, but it may be listed as another name. Alias names for sugar include corn syrup, invert sugar, glucose syrup, malt syrup, high fructose corn syrup, dextrin, fructose, honey, lactose, maple syrup, molasses, nectars, sucrose or anhydrous dextrose.
Saturated or trans fats may also be listed with a different name. These are fats that we should avoid as far as possible in our diets because they can contribute to an increased risk of chronic diseases.
Other words on the ingredient list which indicate the presence of saturated or trans fats include beef fat, butter, chicken fat, coconut oil, cream, hydrogenated oils, palm kernel oil, palm oil, partially hydrogenated oils, pork fat (lard) or shortening.
Salt is made up of sodium chloride. Sodium is the key ingredient we should look out for since a high dietary sodium intake contributes to an increased risk for hypertension, which is a major risk factor for other diseases of lifestyle such as stroke, heart disease and kidney disease. So apart from identifying salt as an ingredient, there are other ingredients listed which contain sodium, such as monosodium glutamate (MSG, also known as “flavour enhancer”), sodium nitrate, sodium saccharin, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and sodium benzoate.
The Nutrition Panel
The nutrition panel provides the nutritional content of a food product. The new regulations require that the information listed on a food label is valid.
For example, if a food product is labelled as “low in energy” then this means that the product may not contain more than 170kJ per 100g for solid food or no more than 80kJ per 100ml for liquids.
Kilojoules (kJ) is the unit used to measure the amount of energy in a food. It is best to use the information given per 100g when comparing food products because serving sizes differ for various food products.
The new legislation provides further guidelines for nutrients in food. Let’s look at important nutrients:
Fat
A product is considered to be low in fat if it contains no more than 3g per 100g for solids and no more than 1.5g per 100ml for liquids. A product virtually free from fat contains no more than 0.5g per 100g/ml.
This guideline can practically be used for carbohydrate-rich foods such as breads or cereals, as well as for dairy products, but it is not practical for fats such as nuts, avocado or oils as well as for fatty fish, such as salmon or pilchards, as these foods are rich sources of fats, although they are beneficial to health due to the type of fat (unsaturated) they contain.
Saturated Fat
In addition to total fat content, the nutrition panel may list the amount of saturated fat in a food product. This fat is harmful to health as it increases cholesterol levels as well as the risk for heart disease.
You will know if a product is low in saturated fat if it contains no more than 1.5g per 100g for solids; no more than 0.75g per 100ml for liquids, as well as no more than 10 percent of the total energy content of the product.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is an ingredient to watch out for. We should limit dietary cholesterol intake to no more than 300mg a day as a high intake has also been linked with an increased risk for heart disease.
A product is low in cholesterol if it contains no more than 20mg of cholesterol per 100g for solids and no more than 10mg per 100ml for liquids. A product is free from cholesterol if contains no more than 5mg per 100g/ml for both solids and liquids.
Sodium
A product is low in sodium (Na) if it contains no more than 120mg per 100g (or 305mg salt (NaCl)); very low in sodium if it contains no more than 40mg per 100g (102mg NaCl), and sodium-free if it contains no more than 5mg per 100g (13mg NaCl).
Fibre
An adequate dietary fibre intake is important for health. Look out for products (particularly cereals and starchy foods) high in fibre, defined as no less than 6g per 100g, and try to include more such foods in your diet. The best options will be starchy foods which are high in fibre but still low in undesirable nutrients, such as sodium and saturated fat.
Vitamins & Minerals
The nutrition panel may also list valuable vitamins or minerals present in the food product. The percentage of the nutrient present in a product can be used to determine whether a serving of the food contributes a lot or a little of a particular nutrient and provides information on how a serving of the food fits into the context of your total daily dietary intake.
A food product is considered to be a source of a certain nutrient listed (eg Vitamin C) if it contains no less than 15 percent of the NRV (Nutrient Reference Value) per serving, whereas it is high in the nutrient if it provides no less than 30 percent of the NRV per serving. It is very high if it provides no less than 60 percent of the NRV per serving.
‘Use by ’ date
The new legislation requires that a “use by” date be listed on perishable pre-packaged foodstuffs and a prohibition regarding the sale of the product after the date has expired as the product may no longer be safe for consumption.
Misleading claims
Now that you know what to look out for on a food label, it is important for you to also be able to identify when food products make misleading claims.
For example, a packet of jelly babies may list “fat free” on the product, but when you read the nutrient panel (see example below) per 100g, you will find it is definitely not low in energy, it contains sodium and it does not provide any valuable nutrients such as fibre or vitamins.
In addition, glucose syrup is listed as the first ingredient on the “ingredients” list, indicating that sugar is the most abundant ingredient. Bear in mind that a high dietary sugar intake may also have a negative impact on health.
So watch out for misleading statements made on food labels. Always scrutinise a product label first and compare food products so that you can make a healthier choice.
JELLY BABIES
Example of the nutrition panel on a packet of jelly babies:
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Typical values Per 100g Per 25g serving
Energy 1360kJ 315kJ
Protein 6g 1.4g
Fat (total) 0g 0g
Fat (saturated) 0g 0g
Carbohydrate 73g 18g
Sugar 54g 13g
Sodium 95mg 24mg
Ingredients
Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Water, Gelatine, Invert Sugar, Fruit Juice, Flavours, Sodium Citrate, Colours (E133, E122, E110).
* Anne Tills & Associates can be reached at 011 463 4663, or visit the website www.annetill.co.za - The Star