What are nutrition labels?
Today, when the pace of modern life is so fast, we are increasingly forced to turn to the consumption of packaged foods. The nutrition label is the means of communication between the producer of a food and the consumer. All packaged foods in the market are required to have a nutrition label, in order to provide the consumer with important information about the food they want to buy.
How do we read food labels?
Unfortunately, most consumers say that they cannot understand labels and that they are confused. At first glance, a food label does indeed seem difficult to understand, but if we look at it a little more carefully, we will find that it is actually quite simple.
The mandatory indications that must be indicated on a food label are:
a) the name of the food
b) the list of ingredients. The ingredients of the product are listed in order of weight, that is, the ingredient contained in the largest quantity is listed first. The ingredient contained in the smallest quantity is listed last.
In the event that a food contains or may contain even traces of ingredients that may cause allergic reactions, then it is mandatory to mention them either descriptively “contains traces of…” or in bold letters in the list of ingredients. Also, labeling is mandatory in cases of products that contain or are manufactured from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
c) nutrition declaration (table with the energy and nutrient content)
d) the net quantity of the food
e) the date of minimum durability or the final consumption date (“best before” or “use by”)
f) any special storage conditions and conditions of use
g) the name or trade name and address of the food business operator
The nutrition label provides information on the energy and nutrient content, i.e. it gives us information on the total calories, the basic macronutrients of which it is composed, which are carbohydrates, proteins and fats, but also on the micronutrients it contains, which are vitamins, trace elements and minerals.
What do we pay attention to on food labels?
- the ingredients of the food
- the table with the nutritional label
- the weight of the package and the size of the portion
Calories
The energy, that is, the calories contained in the product, is the first value on the nutrition label. It is expressed in kilojoules (kj) and kilocalories, which correspond to calories (kcal).
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are listed in grams (g). There are two main types: complex carbohydrates and sugars.
The more complex carbohydrates in a food, the better source of dietary fiber it is. They are often listed as “vegetable” or “edible” fibers and play a particularly important role since they increase the feeling of satiety, have a better effect on blood glucose and contribute to good bowel function. We prefer foods that contain more than 5 grams of vegetable fiber per 100 grams.
Unlike complex carbohydrates, simple sugars quickly increase blood sugar and are poor in nutrients. We prefer foods that contain less than 5 grams of sugar per 100 grams for solid foods or 2.5 grams of sugar per 100 ml for liquid foods.
Fat
Fats are divided into the following categories:
Saturated fats – which are usually found in meats, dairy products and processed foods.
Trans fats (hydrogenated fats) – which are found in margarines and processed packaged products such as biscuits, cakes and ready meals e.g. pies.
Saturated and trans fats are also known as “bad” fats as they are linked to the development of cardiovascular diseases.
Unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) are known as “good” fats. Our goal is to replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats.
monounsaturated – good sources are olives, oils, avocados and nuts
polyunsaturated – good sources are sunflower seeds, fatty fish, nuts and seeds.
Palm oil
Palm oil is a commonly used vegetable oil. As it is cheap and convenient due to its stability for food preparation. However, it has a particularly high percentage of saturated fatty acids, which are harmful to our health, so we avoid foods that contain it.
Salt
Salt is in grams (g). Its increased consumption increases the risk of hypertension. You will also find it as sodium on the nutritional label. To calculate how much salt is contained in food, multiply the grams of sodium by 2.5 (g of salt = g of sodium * 2.5)
The recommended amount of salt should be less than 6g. (or 2.4 g. of sodium) per day.
Additives
Food additives are substances that are not usually consumed alone as food and are added to food for technological reasons. Their addition, during the various stages of production and packaging, aims to improve the production, appearance and preservation of food.
The food additives used in the countries of the European Union are mandatory listed on the packaging of food. They are characterized by a number, which is preceded by the capital letter E.
Some additives are necessary to inhibit the growth of pathogenic microbes in food and are completely safe and useful for Public Health (e.g. ascorbic acid, which is used as an antioxidant and is identical to vitamin C). However, many additives are considered harmful to the health of both children and adults.
Nutrition and health claims
Health claims are used when the appropriate conditions are met. Such claims are, for example, “light or salt-free product”. This phrase usually motivates us to buy the specific product without looking back at the label. Let’s take a look at when this labeling can be made:
The ingredients that are worth paying attention to are sugars, saturated fats, trans fats and sodium (salt) which can be harmful to health and so it would be good to prefer foods that are low in them. On the contrary, it is important to choose products that are rich in fiber, as they are very beneficial for the proper functioning of our digestive system and our health in general.
In recent years, in an effort to make food labels more understandable, a new way of indicating nutrients has been added, called the GDAs system – Indicative Daily Intakes. It is applied at a European level and gives us more simplified information about the calories, sugars, saturated fats and salt contained in a specific amount of food as well as the percentage of coverage of the recommended daily needs of adults. So with a quick glance at the bottom front side of the package we can see the ingredients that we need to pay more attention to.
We therefore observe that if we dedicate just a few minutes to reading a label we can derive a lot of important information that will help us evaluate foods and make consciously healthy choices. So the next time you visit the supermarket, try to take a closer look at the labels of the products you wish to buy!
