HOW TO
READ FOOD LABELS *Kyunki Packet ke Aagey Achhai Aur Peeche Saachai
We read the summary of a movie we want to watch to know what’s in that movie, then why don’t we do the same for the food we consume?
It is crucial to know where our food comes from and what it contains. The labels on packaged foods give us all the information on nutrion content that the foods have, which makes it easier for us to compare between different brands according to our health requirements before we buy them. It also empowers us to see through the various deceptive marketing tricks used by brands on the front of that package to sell their product.
3 THINGS TO CONSIDER ON FOOD LABELS
Nutriton Chart Portion Sizes Calories Protiens, Carbohydrates and Fats Vitamins and Minerals
Ingredients List List of Ingredients List of Allergens
Other Necessary Information Important Symbols Batch Number and Seller Address Storage and Usage Instructions
01.
Nutrition charT
1. ALWAYS CHECK THE PORTION SIZE OF THE CHART Portion information on food packaging is often confusing, inconsistent or unrealistic, making it hard for people to get a clear picture of just how much sugar, fat and salt they are consuming. The serving size on the chart and the product quantity could be different. So, if a product shows it is 100gms in quantity, and it can show it has 50 calories in 50gms servings, so actually the product will have 100 calories, and the other nutrients have to be calculated accordingly that to get accurate information.
2. LITTLE BIT ABOUT CALORIEs/ energy Calories provide a measure of how much energy you get from a serving of this food. To achieve or maintain a healthy body weight, balance the number of calories you eat and drink with the number of calories your body uses. 2,000 calories a day is used as a general guide for nutrition advice.
3. MACRONUTRIENTSCARBOHYDRATES PROTIENS AND FATS Fats can have saturated fats, Unsaturated fats, and Trans fats under them. Under Carbohydrates there can be fibres and sugars. Under sugar, amount of added sugars will also be listed. Protiens will also be listed separately
Look for
AVOID
Protiens Monosaturated Fats Polysaturated Fats Unsaturated Fats Dietery Fibres Vitamins & Minerals
Saturated Fats Trans Fats Added Sugars Sodium
4. MICRONUTRIENTSVITAMINS AND MINERALS Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals needed by the body in very small amounts. Select foods that are rich in a variety of vitamins as they help us fight infections and keep us healthy. Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron and Pottasium are some micronutrients that can be seen on packages.
5. WHAT EXACTLY does daily value mean The % Daily Value (%DV) is the percentage of the Daily Value for each nutrient in a serving of the food. The Daily Values are reference amounts (expressed in grams, milligrams, or micrograms) of nutrients to consume or not to exceed each day. The %DV shows how much a nutrient in a serving of a food contributes to a total daily diet. It helps you determine if a serving of food is high or low in a nutrient.
02.
INGREDIENTS LIST
1. INGREDIENTS ARE ALWAYS LISTED IN DECREASING ORDER Ingredients are listed decreasing order of their weight which means the first ingredient constitutes of the most in that product and the last listed ingredient costitutes the least. We should check this list because brands can say that their product contains ‘x‘ healthy ingredient on the front of the pack but the actual quantity of that ingredient can be very less which will only be mentioned in the back of the pack.
2. AVOID LOOOoOoNG INGREDIENTS LISTS A paragraph long ingredient list means that the food is highly processed and the more processing a food product goes through, the less nutrition it becomes. So, always keep in mind, a product with a shorter ingredient list will be more nutritional
3. CHECK FOR ALL THE ALLERGENS People with food allergies should read labels and avoid the foods they are allergic to. Immediately after or next to the list of ingredients in a “contains” statement. Some common allergens are: •
Milk
•
Wheat
•
Egg
•
Tree nut
•
Peanut
•
Fish
•
Soy
•
Sesame
4. SOME WORDS TO AVOID IN THE INGREDIENTS LIST Many foods, even the ones marketed as healthy food may contain ingredients you should be avoiding. •
Carrageenan
•
Sodium Benzoate
•
Artificial Colors
•
Maltodextrin
•
High Fructose Corn Syrup
•
Natural Flavors
•
Sugar Alcohols
•
Palm Oil
03.
OTHER NECESSARY INFORMATION
1. LOOK OUT FOR ANY SIGN ON THE PACKaging
*
The asterisk has served as a timeless symbol in advertising - often attached to bold claims and eye catching “facts” such as made with real fruit*. This asterisk is often redirected towards the truth written in very tiny font somewhere on the package that can be like ‘contains only 10% real fruit ‘ or ‘This is only a brand name and does not represent its true nature’. So, never ignore the * whenever you encounter one on any package.
2. MANUFACTURER DETAILS BATCH NUMBER AND SELLER ADDRESS Seller adress and batch number in which the product was transported are mention on the label. If it is an imported product, then importer’s address will also be mentioned. Seller details are useful when you want to register any complaint regarding the product.
3. LOOK OUT FOR THESE SYMBOLS Green mark signifies vegetarian food and the red one signifies non-vegetarian. Even if the product contains only egg, it will still be represented with red mark. Food Safety & Standard Authority of India ensures that quality of food product is checked and certified. Last symbol signifies that product inside the packet is manufactured through organic method.
4. STORAGE AND USAGE INSTRUCTIONS for the product Some products come with specific storage instructions such as they should be kept in refrigerator after opening or should be kept away from direct sunlight and in dry places. Some also have usage or cooking instructions.
5. Some common Misleading Food Label Claims Companies use different kinds of marketing tricks to sell their products. One of the tricks in their arsenal is using Health Claims for their product but sometimes these claims can be misleading for the unaware user. Here are some common food claims and their reality.
“Sugar-Free”
“Fruit-Flavored”
Have higher level of Fats to make-up for the taste lost by reducing sugars
These foods are typically flavored with chemicals that impart a fruity taste
“Multigrain”
“Light”
Means that a variety of grains were used in the food; most, if not all, of these grains are likely refined.
Foods labeled as light are merely in comparison to the average similar food in the market
“Natural”
“Zero Trans Fat”
Term natural does not have any specific meaning when it comes to marketing foods
Claim to contain zero trans fat can actually contain up to 0.5 grams per serving
If you want to know more,
FSSAI.gov.in
EatRight India
Basics of Food Labels
Food Allergies
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