Food Labelling Flashcards
Most pre-packed foods are required by law to have full food labelling. What are the exceptions?
- Carbonated water
2. Fruit & veg in packs, which haven’t been peeled or sliced.
Which things HAVE to be stated on a food label?
- Name of item
- Manufacturer’s name and address
- Details on processing (i.e, roasted, smoked, dried)
- Weight / volume (drained weight, if in liquid)
- Prep’ and storage instructions (BBE or ‘Use By’, temperature, method of storage before/after opening)
What’s the difference between ‘Best Before End’ and ‘Use By’?
BBE is about maintaining quality of the food, UB is about food safety.
Why should eggs ideally be consumed before their BBE?
Because they can harbour bacteria like salmonella.
Don’t use eggs past BBE.
Ingredients are listed according to the ______ of each ingredient. It starts with the highest ______ ingredient.
Weight
As a full of thumb, the more _________ a product is, the more ingredients it will contain.
Processed
Along with the ingredients list, when must the percentage of an ingredient also be detailed (3 points)?
- If that ingredient is highlighted on the packet, either by labelling or a picture (i.e, ‘extra blueberries’)
- If it is mentioned in the name of the product (i.e, ‘blueberry and apple pie’.
- If consumers would generally connect an ingredient with that product (i.e, fruit in summer pudding)
Which 5 nutrients have to be included on back of pack labelling (i.e, it is MANDATORY information)?
- Energy value (kJ and kcal)
- Fat (g) - total fat, plus ‘of which saturates’
- Carbohydrates (g) - total carbs, plus ‘of which sugars’
- Protein
- Salt (sodium chloride)
All nutrients listed on back of pack labelling must include a column for ‘per ____g/ml)
per 100g/ml
1 kcal = _____ kJ
1 kcal = 4.18 kJ
When back of pack labelling states ‘of which sugars’ under carbohydrate content, what does this refer to?
Free sugars, i.e, any sugar considered partly processed or very rapidly absorbed. Not starches.
i.e, fructose, fructose syrup, glucose, glucose syrup, sucrose, fructose content of fruit & veg juices (but not the fructose content of whole fruit & veg)
What voluntary nutrient information can be included on back of pack labelling? List 4.
- Monounsaturated and polyunsaturates
- Polyols (used as sweeteners)
- Starch
- Fibre
What does NRV (Nutrient Reference Value) mean?
The daily quantity of vitamins and minerals required in the diet to maintain good health in an average person.
What are polyols?
Sugar alcohols. A type of carbohydrate that don’t contain sucrose.
Name 3 polyols.
- Sorbitol
- Mannitol
- Xylitol
How are polyols otherwise known?
Sweeteners
Does starch amount have to be included (mandatory) on back of pack labelling?
No
Is fibre detail a mandatory or voluntary inclusion on back of pack labelling?
Voluntary. It doesn’t have to be included.
What does NRV stand for?
Nutrient Reference Value
The daily quantity of vitamins and minerals required in the diet to maintain good health in an average person.
In order to include particular vitamins/minerals on back of pack labelling, a manufacturer must be able to show that there is at least ___% of the NRV of that vitamin in a ___ gram/ml, or per serving of that product.
At least 15% of the NRV, per 100g/ml (or per serving)
RI’s are set by European law. What does RI stand for?
Reference Intake (RI)
RI’s are set by European law. What do they replace on food labelling?
GDA (Guideline Daily Amounts)
What do reference intakes (RI’s) show on food labels?
The maximum amount of calories, macronutrients and salt that should be consumed in a day.
Reference Intakes (RI’s) on food labels are based on an _______-sized ______, doing an ________ amount of physical activity.
Average-sized woman doing an average amount of activity
What is the RI for energy?
2000kcals / 8400kJ per day
What is the RI for fat?
70g (of which saturates 20g)
What is the RI for carbohydrate?
260g (of which sugars 90g)
What is the RI for protein?
50g
What is the RI for salt?
Less than 6g
Front of pack nutrition labelling; is it voluntary or mandatory?
Voluntary
Where on a food product might you find traffic light labelling?
On the front of pack (voluntarily)
How many allergens are there that must be highlighted if added as an ingredient or processing aid in pre-packed foods?
14
How must allergens be identified on the ingredients list of pre-packed goods?
Either in bold, underlined, or in contrasting colours
With a statement underneath telling the consumer how they can identify the allergen in the ingredients list.
If products are sold in multi packs, where must the allergen information be displayed?
On the outer packaging.
List 8 allergens that must be clearly listed if they appear in pre-packed foods.
- Milk
- Gluten
- Celery
- Eggs
- Fish
- Tree nuts
- Mustard
- Crustaceans
- Sesame
- Peanuts
- Soya
- Sulphur Dioxide
- Lupins
- Molluscs
As well as allergens, certain products require additional warning information on the label. List 2 of these.
- Drinks with an alcohol content above 1.2%
- GM ingredients above 0.9%
- If the product has been irradiated
- If packaged using a gas.
What do the words “packaged in a protective atmosphere” on a food label mean?
That it was packaged using a gas.
On Free-From foods, if a label states a product is free from a particular allergen, it has to be based on rigorous controls and must NOT contain the allergen. There is one exception to this. What is is?
Gluten
Products labelled as gluten free can contain 20mg/kg gluten.
What are GMO’s
Genetically Modified Organisms.
Living organisms whose genetic material has been manipulated through genetic engineering.
Why is GMO technology used in food?
To be manipulated to be resistant to diseases and pests.
Name a country that freely uses GMO crops and foods.
The USA
Name 4 crops that are most commonly genetically modified.
- Soya
- Corn
- Rice
- Cotton
Pre-packed foods can only be labelled as organic if at least __% of the ingredients are organic.
95%
What is a nutritional claim?
Any claim that states, suggests or implies that a particular food has particular beneficial properties.
There are a pre-approved list of nutritional claims that can be made, and they are the ONLY claims that can be made. True or false?
True
If a manufacturer wants to claim their food item is ‘low fat’ on the label, the food must not contain any more than __g of fat per 100g for solids, or __g of fat per 100g for liquids.
<3g per 100g for solids
<1.5g per 100g for liquids
Do food additives have to be included on the ingredients list?
Yes
List 4 different types of food additives.
- Colours
- Preservatives
- Antioxidants
4 Emulsifiers, stabilisers, thickeners & gelling agents - Flavour enhancers
- Sweeteners
What is identified / categorised by a universal E numbering system?
Food additives
In the universal E numbering system, which food additives are classified as E100’s?
Colours
In the universal E numbering system, which food additives are classified as E200’s?
Preservatives
In the universal E numbering system, which food additives are classified as E300, and E586?
Antioxidants
In the universal E numbering system, which food additives are classified as E400’s, E322 and E1103?
Emulsifiers, stabilisers, thickeners & gelling agents