Reading Food Labels

by Kumara Lord (BEd, MHN)

An important part of choosing healthy, nutritious food is knowing how to read food labels. Unfortunately labels have their own language and it is not always easy separating fact from fiction. The best starting point is learning how to decipher what a manufacturer has to tell you, as opposed to the information they volunteer in order to convince you to buy!

Ingredient Listing

All manufacturers are required to list their ingredients in descending order according to their relative proportion by weight. Although by no means an exact measure, this list will give you an indication of the relative amounts of the different ingredients that make up the food. Be aware, that some manufacturers will use several different kinds of sugar (e.g., fructose, lactose, maltose, molasses, treacle, golden syrup, icing sugar, honey) or fat (e.g., shortening. vegetable fat, vegetable oil, beef fat, butter, margarine, cocoa butter, canola oil and milk solids) so that each one will be present in a smaller proportion and will not be seen to be the major ingredient in the product.

Nutrition Panels

Fat, carbohydrate and protein content determine the energy provided by food. Food energy is measured in either kilojoules (kJ) or calories (American usage). To change kilojoules to calories you divide by 4.184.

Fat provides 37 kJ per gram, carbohydrate 16 kJ, and protein 17 kJ. You can use the nutrition panel on foods to estimate the percentage of total kilojoules provided by each of these nutrients. Simply multiply the above kJ levels per gram by the number of grams per serving. Then divide this figure by the total kilojoule level of the product (see examples right).

The average person should aim for a daily energy (kJ) intake made up of 50% to 60% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 20% protein. These are general guidelines only and will vary between individuals, depending on a number of factors including physical activity level, weight loss goals etc.

Comparing Products

When comparing products for energy, fat, sugar and sodium content, be sure to check that the serving size is consistent across all the products. Some manufacturers give smaller serving sizes than others, so make sure you are comparing equal amounts (i.e. look at the 'per 100 gram' information, rather than the 'per serving' information).

Salt and Sugar Content

The body's needs for sodium are estimated at 920 to 2,300 milligrams per day However, the average person takes in 10 to 20 times as much salt as is required, much of which comes from processed foods. The true name for salt is sodium chloride and ingredient lists may classify salt under either title. If a nutrition panel is present it is possible to estimate the amount of salt in a product by looking at the sodium content. Be aware of hidden salt in processed foods. For example, a vegemite sandwich provides approx 480 milligrams of sodium, of which only 150 comes from the vegemite and the rest from the processed bread and margarine.

To find out the sugar content of a food, refer to the 'total sugar' figure listed on the label. Adults should aim to take in about 5% to 10% or less of their kilojoules from sugar. For an average female this would be approximately 25 to 45 grams, and 30 to 60 grams for an average male per day.

Misleading Claims

A food classified as low fat must not contain more than 3 grams total fat per 100 grams. If classified as fat-free the food must not contain more than 0.15 g total fat per 100 g of the product. Do not be tricked into believing that foods claiming to be low in cholesterol are also low in fat. Cholesterol is a type of fat from animal sources such as meat and eggs. A product such as olive oil, made from vegetable sources, may make the claim no cholesterol, but it is still 100% fat. Also be cautious of claims such as 95% fat free - this equates to 5 g of fat per 100 g of the product, but if the actual serving size is 500 g, then you are still taking in a total of 25 g of fat.

Courtesy of Network for Fitness Professionals - Network is a national rnembership association for the fitness Industry
Web site: www.globalfit.net

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