Food labels DECODED

There’s a lot of information for food these days but what does it really mean?

Food labels show us the nutrients in products and help us to decipher ingredients in packaged foods so it’s easier to make better choices. But how much of this information do you understand? We asked a dietitian to decode the labels you might see when shopping.

WHAT INFORMATION IS ON A FOOD LABEL?

‘Food labels give us the information we need to buy the type of food that helps us to have a healthy, balanced diet,’ says Sian Porter, a consultant dietitian for the British Dietetic Association.

Back-of-packet nutrition labelling is compulsory, and strict rules dictate what can be shown on labels on the front of packaged foods.

WHAT DO THE COLOURS ON LABELS MEAN?

The adult Reference Intake (RI) guidelines shown in percentages on the traffic light label is based on the needs of an average-sized woman doing an average amount of physical activity. ‘The RI tells you how the amount of fat, saturates, sugars and salts within the product fits into your daily recommended diet, so you can balance the percentage with what else you eat in the day,’ says Sian.

The recommendation? ‘Buy mainly products that are green and amber, and choose red in moderation,’ says Sian.

‘Sometimes guidance is misinterpreted to mean never eat red products, but remember that foods such as nuts and oily fish can fall into the red category and they are in fact “healthy” fats,’ she adds.

WHAT DO FOOD LABELS TELL YOU?

FAT CONTENT

Eating too much fat will lead to weight gain – but some fats are ‘good’ fats with healthy benefits if eaten in moderation. ✢ A high fat product contains more than 17.5g of fat per 100g.

✢ A product low in fat has 3g of fat or less per 100g.

SATURATED FAT CONTENT

Saturated fats can contribute to high cholesterol and can be found in most cakes and pastries, processed meat and full-fat dairy products.

✢ Food high in saturated fat has more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g.

✢ If a product has 1.5g of saturated fat or less per 100g, it is low in saturated fat.

SALT CONTENT

A diet high in salt raises blood pressure, and increases the risk of strokes, heart failure and heart attacks. Look out for it hidden in bread, sauces and ready meals.

✢ Food high in salt contains more than 1.5g of salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium).

✢ 0.3g of salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium) is considered low in salt.

The average number of calories reduced in a month when people are exposed to food labels

while shopping*.

SUGAR CONTENT

Too much sugar will cause tooth decay and is linked to heart disease, diabetes and weight gain. Breakfast cereals and fruit juices are often sugar-loaded.

✢ High-sugar foods will contain more than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g.

✢ A product low in sugar will have 5g of total sugars or less per 100g.

CALORIES

Beware – these may look low but can only apply to a small portion of the product.

INGREDIENTS

The largest amount of an ingredient will be listed first. Look at the first three ingredients to decide if an item is healthy.

ALLERGEN INFORMATION

According to the Food Standards Agency, there are 14 listed allergens that food labels must show by law, including tree nuts, gluten cereals, peanuts, eggs and milk. Always check labels and ingredients lists if you have a food allergy or intolerance.

CAN FOOD LABELS LIE?

No, but that’s not to say food labels aren’t sometimes ambiguous.

‘For an item to be “reduced fat” or “light”, it needs to have 30% less fat than the normal version,’ says Sian.

This doesn’t mean it’s low fat overall, just a slightly better choice than the high-fat version. One UK study found that 10% of diet foods contain as many or more calories than their non-diet equivalent, and 40% contained more sugar.

‘No added sugar’ foods may have a high content of naturally occurring sugars. Products that make nutritional or health claims – such as ‘helps to maintain heart health’ –have been through a strict authorisation process, says Sian.

‘Legislation is soon to be implemented to say that if a product has two red traffic lights, it isn’t able to make any further health claims that make it seem healthier than it really is,’ she says.

Q AI constantly have a feeling that there is a lump in my throat, although it tends to go away when I eat, and I have no difficulty in swallowing. An X-ray has excluded a fish bone, so what could be the cause and, more importantly, how can I get rid of it?

The medical term for this is globus, and it’s a surprisingly common condition that can occur at any age. Even when we’re not eating, we constantly swallow saliva, and this involves many muscles acting together, with some relaxing while others contract, and in globus it’s thought that a muscle at the bottom

Qof the throat fails to relax properly. This means that swallowing saliva can become difficult, but when you are eating, food stimulates the inside of the throat and natural reflexes mean the muscles relax properly. Globus can be triggered by stress and tiredness, and also by reflux of acid from the throat, a post-nasal drip from the nose, and also voice strain, where talking constantly can lead to increased tension in the throat muscles. Your GP should be able to help sort out any underlying issues that may be making the problem worse, and lifestyle changes can often help as well, such as taking time out to exercise and making sure you get enough sleep. Speech therapy can also be very helpful, as this can teach you techniques to relax the throat muscles.

I’m 48, and have noticed that when I squeeze my breasts there is some green discharge from both my nipples. Is this some sort of infection, or a sign of breast cancer? I can’t feel any lumps.

AThis is probably a condition known as duct ectasia. The milk ducts in the breasts are slightly active even when a woman is not pregnant, and two-thirds of pre-menopausal women can produce a secretion from the nipple by squeezing the breast. The colour of this can vary from white to green to a blueblack colour. With the approach of the menopause, the milk ducts tend to dilate, which can cause an increase in the discharge, which comes from several ducts rather than just one, and is usually from both breasts. Though the colour can be alarming, unless you have soreness or redness of the breast, it does not indicate an infection. More worrying would be a discharge from just one duct, or one that is blood-stained. I doubt you have anything to be concerned about, but to be on the safe side, you should contact your GP.