Understanding food labels Flashcards
Interpreting food labels
To work out food macro percentage use this equation,
Amount of nutrient per 100g x number of kcals per gram/total energy x 100.
For example:
100g of porridge contains 370kcals and 58g of carbohydrates, what percentage of kcals come from carbohydrates?
58 x 4 = 232
232/370 = 0.63
0.63 x 100 = 63
63% of this product comes from carbohydrate
Legally required info on a label
Energy in kj and kcal
Protein (g)
Carbohydrate (g)
Fat (g)
additional but not legally required info
amount of:
Saturated fat, sugars, sodium and salt.
All nutritional info is provided per 100g and often per portion of food.
Label guide
kilojoules are metric equivalent of kilocalories.
Sugars are carbs nut companies often hide this by not breaking down carb content.
Fat content is not always broken down.
GDA’s are guidelines for an average person of a healthy weight and level of activity.
Some companies only label sodium content of salt, which can be roughly two and a half times that of sodium.
NHS classifications on the amount of each macronutrient in a food
Total Fat: (high) more than 17.5g per 100g, (low) 3g or less per 100g.
Saturated fat: (high) More than 5g of saturated fat per 100g, (low) 1.5g or less of saturated fat per 100g.
Sugars: (high) more than 22.5g (total sugar) per 100g, (low) 5g or less (total sugar) of total per 100g.
Extra label that may be found
Lite/FAT: The product must be at least 30% lower in at least one typical value, such as calories or fat, than a standard alternative product. The manufacturer is required to clearly show what has been reduced and by how much, for example ‘30% less sugar’.
Low Fat: The product contains no more than 3g of fat per 100g for solids, or 1.5g of fat per 100ml for liquids (1.8g of fat per 100ml for semi-skimmed milk).
Fat Free: For a food to claim that is fat free it must contain no more than 0.5g of fat per 100g or 100ml.
Health Claims: Since 2007 there have been specific rules in place for the health claims often seen on food packaging, for example ‘helps maintain a healthy heart’ or ‘aids digestion’. These must be based on scientific evidence and approved by the European Commission. If a food claims to be ‘good for you’ or ‘healthy’ then this must be backed up with a reason that has been approved. Food labels cannot claim that a food can treat, prevent or cure any disease or medical condition; this can only be done through licensed medicines.
No Added Sugar: A food with a label ‘no added sugars or sweeteners’ means that the product does not contain any added sugars. If a food is labelled as ‘unsweetened’ then no sweetener has been added to it.These foods can still contain sugar as sugars occur naturally in some foods, for example fruit and milk.
Colour coding
you will see the red, amber and green traffic light system on food labels. Colour-coded nutritional information is a simple and effective way of identifying whether or not a food has high, medium or low amounts of fat, saturated fat, sugars and salts.
Red = High
Amber = Medium
Green = Low
Little ‘lite’ lies
It is wise to still be cautious of foods branded as ‘light’ or ‘lite’ as they could still contain the same amount fat or calories as the standard version. ‘Low fat’ or ‘low calorie’ options may still have a high sugar content and more artificial flavours and sweeteners, so aren’t always as healthy as they appear on the TV ad
Closing advise
Recommending to your clients that they choose foods that have all, or mostly, green lights for each of the nutrients, and cut down on the foods with red lights, means straight away they will be making healthier choices. This can be a good place to start with clients who aren’t used to looking at food packaging, or don’t want to spend too much time looking at the contents.
