Lesson 8

Understanding Food Labelling and Nutritional Claims

Presented by:

Louise Sheehan Course Educator

MSc Exercise and Nutrition Science

Diploma in Nutrition – Part I

The Truth is…

What food labelling is

Why Food Labelling is used

How to read a food label

The Traffic Light System

Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA)

Explain what nutritional claims are

Identify several nutritional and Health claims

What are food additives and why are they used in food and beverages

2

Food Labelling provides a large volume of information

Often hard to decipher

Food Labelling is required by law

Manufacturers & retailers legally obliged

Clear and Accurate info

Easy to understand and legible

Protect you

Help you understand what you are buying

Food Labelling

Who Regulates labelling legislation?

1. Europe: European CommissionNew Food Information Regulation 1169/2011/ EU replaces the current labelling rules and will apply from 13th December 2014

2. United States: FDA

3. Canada: Health Canada through Food and Drugs Act

4. Australia and New Zealand: Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)

5. Asia- all different authorities e.g. Singapore Food Regulations

2

Information required to display

1. List of ingredients- including allergens2. Weight or volume of product3. Name of food4. Storage instructions5. Use-by-date6. Clear preparation & cooking instructions7. Name & address of manufacturer8. Place of origin9. Batch number10.Any genetically modified ingredients11.Beverages which contain >1.2% alcohol

Nutritional Information

Not required by law in all countriesOnly if nutritional claim

Information on Products

2

List of Ingredients

Side of package

Show what product containsIncluding additives

Contents in order of order of amountDescending order

Must highlight allergensNutsEggsSoyaGluten

“May Contain” Precautionary

**Not necessary where only one ingredient!

Allergens

Certain ingredients or substances can cause

allergies in consumers…these MUST

be declared!

Allergens

Cereals containing gluten Shellfish

Eggs Fish

Soybeans Milk

Celery and celeriac Mustard

Sesame seeds Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (SO²)

Peanuts Tree nuts

Molluscs lupins

How do manufacturer’s exploit legislation?

Name of product is misleading

No legislation about what % of an ingredient must be present before a product can be called after it

2

Go off quickly

Smoked fishMeat products

Ready-made salads

Don’t use after this datePut health at risk

Follow manufacturers guidelines upon opening product

Frozen, dried, tinned

QualityNot safety

Food not harmful when date passed

Begin to loose flavour & texture

Legal to sell after best before date- usually discounted

What about expiration dates?

Important to note…

Display until

Sell By

Instructions for shop staff

Not for consumer

Focus on Use By and Best

Before

Nutritional information…

Not required by lawUnless nutritional claim

“Low Fat”

Many manufacturers displayEnergy

CarbohydratesProtein

Fat FibreSalt

Must Show

Per 100g/100mlEnergy (KJ/Kcal)Fat (g)Saturates (g)Carbohydrates (g)Sugars (g)Protein (g)Salt (g)

How to read a nutrition label…

Nutrition information: Quick guides

Benefits

Front Of Package

Easy to understand

Aim to be universal

Shows nutritional

content at a glance

Easy to compare

food products

HIGH: Enjoy once in a while

MEDIUM: OK most of the time

LOW: Go for it

SUGARS FAT SATURATES SALT

HIGHPer 100g

> 15g > 20g > 5g > 1.5g

MEDIUMPer 100g

5-15g 3-20g 1.5-5g 0.3-1.5g

LOWPer 100g

< 5g < 3g < 1.5g < 0.3g

Food Shopping Card

Examples

Medium Fat

Low Saturated

Fat

High Sugars

High Salt

7.7gper serving

2.0gper serving

42.2gper serving

2.0gper serving

Front of package

Scientifically based

Based on DRVs

Simple and easy to use

Guideline Daily Amount

Guideline Daily Amount

Help make sense of nutrition informationCalories, Fat, Saturates, Sugar, Salt

Averages for men & women dailyHealthy adults & children

GDA’s not individual based

Very difficult to achieve GDA’s in one day

Used by many chained stores

Examples

1. You're standing in the supermarket aisle looking at two similar products

2.You are trying to decide which to choose

3.You want to make the healthier choice

4.You're in a hurry!

Shopping tips

Shopping tips

Ready Made MealsNutrition label on front?Compare product energy, fat,

saturated fat , sugar and salt

Colour coding used?Go for the product with the most

amber and greens and the least reds

** Even healthy ready meals can be higher in calories and fat than

homemade!

Check ingredients carefully if you have a food allergyMust be listed as ingredients by law

Stick to use-by dates Risk of food poisoning increases once these dates have passed

Follow storage, defrosting and cooking instructions carefully Don’t risk getting food poisoning

Even if a label makes a nutritional claim such as ‘low-fat’ Check the nutritional information carefullyMay still contain lots of sugar or salt

Read the nutritional information on food labels carefully Check that it relates to food portion

Check that food!

What are Nutritional Claims?

Regulated by each country

Rules for use of nutritional claims

Any claim made on food labelAccurateBased on evidenceFood Safety Authority

Foods with false nutrition claims

Mislead consumerRemoved from market

Guideline Daily Amount

NutritionClaims

Scientific evidence

Product must contain sufficient

quantities of nutrient

Must be present in a form that can be used by body

Claim must be easy to

understand to the consumer

Claims on energy

Low EnergySOLIDS: ≤ 40kcal (170KJ) per 100g

LIQUIDS: ≤ 20kcal (80KJ) per 100mlSWEETENERS: 4kcal (17KJ) portion

Energy Reduced Energy value reduced by 30%

Energy-Free< 4kcal (17KJ) per 100ml

SWEETENERS: 0.4kcal (1.7KJ) per portion

Claims on Fat

LOW FATSolids: 3g fat per

100gLiquids: 1.5g fat per

100ml

FAT FREE0.5 g fat per

100g or 100ml

LOW SATURATED FATSum of SFA + TFA

Solids: 1.5g per 100gLiquids: 0.75g per

100ml< 10% of energy

SATURATED FAT FREE

SFA + TFA ≤ 0.1g per 100g/100ml

Claims on Fat

Source of Omega-30.3g alpha-linolenic acid per 100g/100kcal40mg EPA & DHA per 100g/100kcal

High Omega-30.6g alpha-linolenic acid per 100g/100kcal80mg EPA & DHA per 100g/100kcal

High Monounsaturated or Polyunsaturated Fat45% of fatty acids in productDoes not provide more than 20% energy

High Unsaturated Fat70% of fatty acids in productDoes not provide more than 20% energy

Claims on sugar

LOW SUGAR

≤ 5g per 100g≤ 2.5g per 100ml

SUGAR FREE

≤ 0.5g per 100g or

100ml

NO ADDED SUGAR

No added mono or disaccharides

Salt/ Sodium

Low Sodium/Salt0.12g sodium per

100g/100ml

Very Low Sodium/Salt

0.04g sodium per 100g/100ml

Sodium or Salt Free0.005g sodium per

100g/100ml

Good SOURCE OF FIBRE

Product contains at least:

• 3 g of fibre per 100 g• 1.5 g of fibre per 100 kcal

HIGH FIBRE

Product contains at least:

• 6 g of fibre per 100 g• 3 g of fibre per 100 kcal

Claims on Fibre

Misleading Nutritional Claims

Searching for wholegrain carbohydrates?

Look for “whole grain” “whole meal” or “whole wheat” or “100% whole wheat” in the ingredients. It should also be one of the first ingredients listed

Don’t go by colour! Some brown breads are merely coloured and are no healthier than refined white

bread

Implies food is calorie and carbohydrate free- FALSE!

May contain natural sugars or have added carbohydrate under a

different name e.g. maltodextrin

Always read the

label

Misleading Nutrition Claims

Trans fat really bad for your heart!

0 trans fat may mean

<0.5g/serving…can add up

Do not eat if it has hydrogenated in

the ingredient list

Check overall fat content of the food!!

Misleading Nutritional Claims

Misleading Nutritional Claims

Implies low in fat and calories

Missing fat often replaced

by extra sugar!!

Health Claims

Function: Growth, Slimming, Psychological

Risk-Reduction: Decrease risk of diet related diseases

Child Development: Nutrients needed for growth and

development

Health Claim: True or False??

1. Live cultures in yoghurt or fermented milk improve lactose digestion of the product in individuals who have difficulty digesting lactose

…TRUE

2. Whey protein contributes to the maintenance of achievement of a normal body weight

…..Not enough evidence

3. Olive oil polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress

…TRUE

4. Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) -Helps to control/reduce body fat mass; -helps to control blood fat levels and body fat storage

….not enough evidence

1. Calcium and Vitamin D can help to prevent Osteoporosis

2. Folic acid can help to prevent Neural Tube Defects

3. Omega 3 Fatty Acids can contribute to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol

4. Reducing your salt intake can improve hypertension

5. Including plant sterol/stanol esters contribute to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels and help to lower blood cholesterol

6. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats in the diet contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels [MUFA and PUFA are unsaturated fats]

Food Additives

Serve a function in food:1. Maintain or improve safety and freshness2. Improve or maintain nutritional value3. Improve taste, texture and appearance

Added during: Production Processing Treatment Packaging Transportation Storage

Food Additives

Common Additives

Acids/ alkalis Flavour Enhancers

Anti-caking agents Foaming Agents

Antioxidants Gelling Agents

Bulking Agents Glazing Agents

Colourings Humectants

Emulsifiers Preservatives

Firming Agents/stabilisers

Sweeteners

E-numbers

Needs to be approved by European Food Safety Authority before obtaining an E-number

Series Function Example

E100 Colours E102 Tartrazine- yellow colour for drinks and confectionary

E200 Preservatives E210 Benzoic acid, preservative in beer

E300 Antioxidants E321 BHT-helps prevent fats going rancid

E400 + Miscellaneous E415 Xanthan gum- stabiliser or thickener used in salad dressing

*www.understandingfoodadditives.org

Food Colouring

Regulated to ensure they are safe for consumption

Accurately labelledUsed to:1. Replace colour loss due to exposure to light, air,

moisture and other conditions2. Correct natural variation in colour3. Enhance colours that occur naturally4. Provide colour to colourless foods

Sources:Processed foods: Jam, jelly, cakes & confectionary, beverages, margarine, cheese etc.

Anti-oxidants

Oxidation: destructive process causing loss of nutritional value and changes in chemical composition of food

Reactions can occur when chemicals in food are exposed to oxygen in the air

Antioxidants slow the rate of oxidation and can extend shelf life

Examples: Oxidation of fats e.g. margarine- rancidity, foul smelling Oxidation in fruit e.g. apples-discolouration

Antioxidants: Ascorbic Acid (Vit C) Tocopherols Butylated

hydroxyanisole (BHA) Citric Acid

Emulsifiers

ExamplesSoy lecithinMono- and di-glyceridesegg yolksPolysorbates sorbitan monostearate

Make food appealingMaintain structure and

texture of foodAid in processing of

foodMaintain quality and

freshness

Flavour Enhancers

Does not provide own flavourPresent in many processed foodsSources: natural, artificial,

created during heating, smoked or added by foods e.g. vanilla extract

As seen on food labels:Monosodium glutamate (MSG), hydrolyzed soy protein, autolyzedyeast extract, disodium guanylate or inosinate

Sweeteners

Used in:Beverages, baked goods, confection, many processed foods

Names found on labels:Sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, mannitol, corn syrup, saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, neotame

FDA has stated that low-calorie sweeteners are safe for consumption including aspartame

Still contain calories so read the label!!

Food colouring and hyperactivity

A mix of certain artificial food colours and the preservative sodium

benzoate could be linked to increased hyperactivity

in children

FDA and the European Food Safety Authority independently reviewed the results from this study and each has concluded that the study does not substantiate a link between the colour additives that were tested and behavioural effects.

Take your time!

Many Labels

Lots of Information

Select 1 food each week

Compare products

Summary

Food labels contain important information to allow consumers to make informed decisions

They are tightly regulated and should always be truthful

A food label should not be misleading to the consumerNutrition and health claims can only be made about a

product based on sufficient scientific evidenceFood additives are added to food and drinks to

improve many aspects of the productThey are tightly regulated and monitoredAs a consumer it is up to you to be aware of what is in

your food

Next Lesson

• The next session is “Anthropometric Measurements”

Anthropometric measurements and estimating energy requirements

➢What are the measurements to be aware of ➢What do the results mean➢What can you do to improve your health➢How do you carry out the measurements on your self and

others➢How to work our your individual energy requirements