4.1.5 - food labels Flashcards
Food labels
Created by food manufactures and are an effective way to communicate product information to the consumer.
- Governed by FSANZ which produces the Aus New Zeal Food Standards Code (part 1.2 of code explores labelling + requirements for food sold in Aus).
Purpose of a food label
- Communicates info to help healthy food choices.
- Creates reassurance about H+S of food.
- Allows accurate distinguishing between food products.
- Ensures customers are informed about what they are purchasing.
- Enable purchasing decisions based on ethical values + beliefs.
- Protect pub H+S by displaying info.
Foods that don’t require a food label/exceptions
- Single-ingredient foods (eg. fruit, nuts, etc).
- Food made at point of purchase (eg. butcher).
- Takeaway foods delivered + packaged to order.
- Individual foods of purchase
- Very small packages + foods like herbs, spices, salt, etc.
Compulsory information on food labels
- Nutrition info panel
- Ingredient list
- Name + business
- Lot identification
- Advisory + warning statements
- Characterising ingredients + % labelling.
- UB + BB date
- Directions for use + storage
- Weight/volume of contents
- Country of origin.
Optional food information
- Serving suggestions
- Barcode
- Health star rating
Information that must not appear on a food label
- Nutrition content claims or comparison of nutrient content with other products.
- Statement/claim that product is slimming/weight loss properties.
- Anything false or misleading (eg. vanilla bean picture)
- The word ‘health’ used in conjunction with the food.
The Nutrition Information Panel (NIP)
A compulsory component of a food label in Aus that provides info on the quantity of various nutrients a food contains per serve, as well as per 100g/ml.
Regulatory Food Standards in Australia
The food standards code, as developed by FSANZ outlines the legal requirements for info relating to food labelling.
- Standard 1.2.7
Standard 1.2.7
Nutrition, health, + related claims contains info about nutritional or health benefits of food that may be stated on the label + in advertising (*all foods + businesses must comply).
Nutrition content claims
A statement made by a manufacturer about the amount of a nutrient, energy, or biologically active substance in the food.
- Claims about the content of a food (eg. reduced fat, low GI, low fat, etc) means that the product meets strict criteria set by gov in FSC.
Examples of criteria for nutrition content claims
- No added sugar = must not contain any added sugar (can contain natural sugars).
- Reduced fat or salts = should have at least 25% reduction from original.
- Low fat = must contain less than 35% for solid + 1.55% for liquid foods.
- Fat free = less than 0.15% fat.
- ‘Good source of’ = contain no less than 25% of recommended daily intake.
Health claims
Claim about the relationship between a food + a health effect (claiming that a food/product has a health benefit).
- Must be supported by scientific evidence.
General level health claims
Refers tot he presence of a nutrient/substance in a food + the effect that this nutrient will have on health (eg. calcium is good for bones + teeth).
High level health claims
Refers to a nutrient/substance in a food + it’s relationship to a serious disease or biomarker of a serious disease when it is present at an abnormal level in the body.
- Currently 13 pre-approved food-health relationships for high level claims listed in the standard.
- eg. folic acid reduces the risk of neural tube defects.
