Reading Food Labels

Contents:
Avoiding fats and sugars
Reading food labels
Resources and further reading

We all notice food labels on the back of packets, drinks and boxes but do we really know how to read them? The nutritional information panel or NIP can be confusing but they are a useful tool to help make healthy food choices for your family. The below information from the Better Health Channel page Food Labels Explained helps bust some myths and explains what you are really eating.

The food label list of ingredients
All ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight, including added water. So:
• The ingredient listed first is present in the largest amount.
• The ingredient listed last is present in the least amount.
If an ingredient makes up less than five per cent of the food, it does not have to be listed. Where there are very small amounts of multi-component ingredients (less than five per cent), it is permitted to list ‘composite’ ingredients only: for example, it may say ‘chocolate’ (rather than cocoa, cocoa butter and sugar) in a choc chip ice cream. This does not apply to any additive or allergen – these must be listed no matter how small the amount.

Nutrition claims must meet the guidelines
For a manufacturer to make various claims, their products must meet the following guidelines:
• No added sugar – products must not contain added sugar, but may contain natural sugars.
• Reduced fat or salt – should be at least a 25 per cent reduction from the original product.
• Low fat – must contain less than 3 per cent fat for solid foods (1.5 per cent for liquid foods).
• Fat free – must be less than 0.15 per cent fat.
• Percentage of fat – remember 80 per cent fat free is the same as 20 per cent fat, which is a large amount.

The nutrients listed in the NIP
The NIP provides information on seven nutrients: energy (kilojoules), protein, total fat, saturated fat, total carbohydrates, sugars and sodium. Cholesterol content does not have to be listed unless a claim is made.

Listing saturated fat on the NIP helps consumers decide whether a food product may affect their blood cholesterol levels. Saturated fat has a more significant effect on blood cholesterol levels than mono- or polyunsaturated fats. It is generally present in higher amounts in animal-based products, but can also be found in non–animal-based foods, such as commercial biscuits and cakes (which contain hydrogenated vegetable oil – often listed as vegetable fat or shortening).

Listing nutrients
Other nutrients such as fibre, potassium, calcium and iron may be listed if a claim is made on the label. The nutrients are displayed in a standard format, providing amount per serve and per 100g (or 100ml if liquid).

Nutrition claims on labels
Don’t be misled by labelling tricks and traps. 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 energy. The term ‘light’ may refer to the texture, colour or taste of the product. The characteristic that makes the food ‘light’ must be stated on the label.
• 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. However, some can be high in fat and can contribute to weight gain if used too generously.
• If an item claims to be 93 per cent fat free, it actually contains 7 per cent fat, but it looks so much better the other way.
• ‘Baked not fried’ sounds healthier, but it may still have just as much fat – check the nutrition information panel to be sure.
• ‘Fresh as’ actually means the product hasn’t been preserved by freezing, canning, high-temperature or chemical treatment. However, it may have been refrigerated and spent time in processing and transport.

Avoiding fats, sugars or salt requires careful checking
The ingredient list will specify the contents of a product. However, if you are trying to avoid fat, sugar or salt, they may be added in many forms and scattered all over the ingredients list. For example, ingredients that contain fat include:
• Beef fat
• Butter

• Shortening
• Coconut
• Coconut oil or palm oil
• Copha
• Cream
• Dripping
• Lard
• Mayonnaise
• Sour cream
• Vegetable oils and fats
• Hydrogenated oils
• Full-cream milk powder
• Egg (cholesterol)
• Mono-, di- or triglycerides.
Oven fried and baked or toasted implies the inclusion of fat.

Ingredients that contain sugar include:
• Brown sugar
• Corn syrup
• Dextrose
• Disaccharides
• Fructose
• Glucose
• Golden syrup
• Honey
• Lactose
• Malt
• Maltose
• Mannitol
• Maple syrup
• Molasses
• Monosaccharides
• Raw sugar
• Sorbitol
• Sucrose
• Xylitol.

 Ingredients that contain salt (sodium) include:
• Baking powder
• Booster
• Celery salt
• Garlic salt
• Sodium
• Meat or yeast extract
• Onion salt
• Monosodium glutamate (msg)
• Rock salt
• Sea salt
• Sodium bicarbonate
• Sodium metabisulphate
• Sodium nitrate/nitrite and stock cubes.

Above content from the Better Health Channel.

Reading food labels:
You will notice on the NIP there are two columns, per serve and per 100g. When comparing nutrient contents look at the per 100g column. Serve size is not as useful as each product will vary in size.

As a general rule when shopping, look for food that contain the following:

Total Fat: less than 3g of total fat per 100g
Saturated Fat: less than 1.5g of saturated fat per 100g
Sugar: less than 10g of sugar per 100g
Sodium: less than 120mg sodium per 100g, or look for ‘no added salt’ varieties
Fibre: more than 3g fibre per serve (note: this is the only nutrient that is more appropriate to compare per serve).

Above content from the Western Australian Draw the Line website.

*Remember: 4g of sugar is equivalent to 1 teaspoon, so divide the grams of sugar on the label by 4 to visualize how many teaspoons of sugar you are consuming.*

Visit Choice's Sugar Interactive page to see a visual representation of the sugar content in selected items.

Resources and further reading

• The Food Standards Australia and New Zealand has an Interactive Label Poster to explain the NIP and product packaging, as well as poster version and a recorded explanation from Lydia Buchtmann, Communications Manager from Food Standards Australia and New Zealand. 

• Food for Kids is produced by Choice, Australia’s leading consumer organization. Choice uses a smiling face rating system to help parents make informed choices about food for their family.

• Dietitians Association of Australia: Food Labelling Page. 
   
• The Heart Foundation: Reading Food Labels.

Quick Tip: Cook with a variety of oils, such as canola, sunflower, olive and soybean oil.
 

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