Decoding Labels: What to Look for in Food Packaging

 

Food packaging labels are an important aspect of food marketing. They are the first thing potential customers see, and they can either make or break a sale.  

Consumers are more health-conscious than ever, compelling brands to be more transparent with their food packaging. Now our responsibility as consumers becomes more imperative: to properly understand what goes within and beyond these labels.  

The Ingredients List:

Product ingredients are listed by quantity—from highest to lowest amount. This means that the first ingredient is what the manufacturer used the most. A good rule of thumb is to scan the first three ingredients, which comprise the largest part of what you’re eating. If the first ingredients include refined grains, a type of sugar, or hydrogenated oils, you can assume that the product is unhealthy. Instead, try choosing items that have whole foods listed as the first three ingredients. Additionally, an ingredient list that is longer than two to three lines suggests that the product is highly processed.

Serving Sizes:

Nutrition labels state how many calories and nutrients are in a standard amount of the product—often a suggested single serving. However, these serving sizes are frequently much smaller than what people consume in one sitting. For example, one serving may be half a can of soda, a quarter of a cookie, half a chocolate bar, or a single biscuit. In doing so, manufacturers try to deceive consumers into thinking that the food has fewer calories and less sugar. Many people are unaware of this serving size scheme, assuming that the entire container is a single serving when, in truth, it may consist of two, three, or more servings.

Nutrition Information:

All nutrition information panels list seven food components—energy, protein, total fat, saturated fat, total carbohydrates, sugars, and sodium. Manufacturers might decide to include other nutrients too, such as fibre and calcium. Comparing the nutrition information on different food products helps you identify the healthiest choice. The healthiest options have lower saturated fat, lower sodium, lower sugar, and higher fiber. When you’re comparing two products, look at the ‘per 100 g’ or ‘per 100 ml’ information on each rather than the ‘per serving’ information, as serving sizes can differ across brands.  

Food Allergy Information:

There are ten foods that cause 90% of all food allergic reactions—wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, fish, cow’s milk, eggs, soybeans, sesame, and lupin. If these ingredients are in a food product, manufacturers must indicate them, no matter how small the amount. This information can be stated in a few different ways. For example, if you’re checking a product’s ingredient list for eggs, you might see:  

- albumin (egg)  

- egg albumin  

- contains egg (at the end of the ingredient list)  

- sugar, chocolate, eggs (in bold type in the ingredient list).  

‘May Contain Traces of’:

Manufacturers might include this warning if a food is made on the same equipment as, or near, other foods that contain potential allergens. It’s voluntary for manufacturers to use ‘may contain’ statements, so a product without this statement does not necessarily guarantee the absence of allergens.

Health Claims:

Nutrition claims on food packaging and in food advertising—like ‘low-fat’ on the front of a packet of chips—can be confusing and misleading. Nutrition claims might grab your attention, but it’s always a good idea to look at the nutrition information panel. Here are points to bear in mind about common nutrition and health claims:  

• Cholesterol-free: A product might be 100% cholesterol-free but still contain fat.
• Fat-free: For a manufacturer to make this claim, the product must have less than 0.15% fat.
• Organic or certified organic: Various private organizations can certify products as organic. Each organization must meet national standards, but different organizations also have different certification requirements.  
• Reduced fat or salt: A product with this claim should have at least 25% less fat or salt than the original product. It doesn’t mean it’s low in fat or salt or has less fat or salt than a similar product.

The best way to avoid being misled by product labels is to avoid processed foods altogether. Still, if you decide to buy packaged foods, be sure to sort out the junk from higher-quality products.

Sources-

1. Healthline.com
2. Heart.org

STAY SMART! STAY SATARK!

Blog by:- Harshit Chauhan