Understanding food labels

Michael is in the shop. He’d like to buy some chocolate but it’s not easy to decide! There are so many different options, how can he know what the differences are between them, and which one is the best? Let’s see if anything that’s written on the packaging could help Michael decide. The thing that stands out the most on the package is the type of chocolate: white, milk, dark, with filling, nuts, or special flavours.

The back side of the packaging contains even more information! Let’s look at one example. There is a list of ingredients that tells us what the chocolate is made of: sugar, cacao butter, cacao mass, whey powder, skimmed milk powder, butter fat, soya lecithin, aroma. These are all the ingredients that were used to make this bar of chocolate. They are listed in order, according to how much of each is used, from largest to smallest amount.

The words “milk,” “butter” and “soya” are highlighted. These highlighted ingredients contain substances that many people are allergic to: common allergens. At the end of the ingredient list, there is also a note about other allergens: “May contain nuts and wheat.” This means that there is a chance that the chocolate came in contact with those ingredients in the factory where it was made. That’s really important information for people who can get a strong allergic reaction to just a tiny amount of an allergen. Apart from all the ingredients, every label should have nutrition FACTS written on it.

This is a list of the most important nutrients the product contains. The first thing in the nutrition facts table is the energy: number of kilocalories per 100 grams, or per serving portion. Then there is the list of nutrients: fat, including saturated fat, carbohydrates, including sugar, and finally - protein. Some products also list vitamins and minerals. All these values are given in grams, so that you know how many grams of fat, sugar, protein, or any other nutrients you are consuming.

Nutrition experts have found out how much of all these things we need each day: a recommended daily intake. The amount of each nutrient in the product is sometimes shown as a percentage of the recommended daily intake. This makes it easier to see if you meet your daily requirements for energy and nutrients. Ingredients and nutritional facts can help you decide which product to choose, but packages and labels contain other useful information too! There is a “best before” date.

Products should not be sold after this date by the stores, but in many cases they are still good enough to eat. Perishable products such as dairy or meat have a “use by” date instead. After this date the product might not be safe to eat and could cause food poisoning. Labels usually also contain information about the manufacturer and country of origin. In this way, you can find out if the food was produced locally or if it was imported, and make a decision based on that.

Labels might also include information about different certifications, such as fair trade or organically grown ingredients. Deciding which product to buy might not be easy, but understanding labels can help you compare different options, and make the choice that’s best for you and the planet!