Understanding Food Labels

Labels, claims and endorsements are used by food companies to highlight and display the information that they want the public to see about the product. Unfortunately labels often focus on the positive elements of the product but do not tell the whole story about what is in the food. It is important that consumers are able to interpret the information accurately and read between the lines if required.

There are many types of nutrition information found on food packets allowing plenty of opportunity for manufacturers to promote the health and nutrition benefits of their products. Unfortunately this also opens the door for creating misleading impressions and smoke and mirrors claims. Children's food products are just as likely to display half truths on the front of packets as any other foods in the supermarket.

On this page:

Ingredients list
Nutrition Information Panels
Understanding Nutrition Information Panels
Nutrition claims
Endorsements, approval stamps and ticks

Ingredients list

All manufactured foods sold in Australia must display an ingredients list. Ingredients must be listed in descending order with the main ingredient (highest weight) listed first and the smallest ingredient last. At a glance you can gain valuable nutrition information just by assessing the content and order of the ingredients listed. For example, if sugar is listed near the start of the list you can be sure that it forms a significant proportion of the food and it is not a healthy option.

Food additives are listed by name or an approved numbering system. Parents with children who have allergies or behavioural responses to particular additives need to be aware of both the name and number of the additives that may affect their children. Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) provide a comprehensive food additives list on their website.

Nutrition Information Panels

All manufactured foods sold in Australia must display a Nutrition Information Panel that includes the amounts of energy (kilojoules), protein, total fat, saturated fat, total carbohydrate, sugar and sodium (salt) in the food. Some foods also display the fibre and calcium contents. These panels are usually found on the reverse of the packet and display the amounts per 100g as well as per serving.

Look very carefully at the serving size quoted as it is often much smaller than you would usually eat in one sitting or each item may contain more than one serving even though it appears to be a single portion. For example, a standard 375ml can of Diet Coke actually contains 1.88 standard servings even though it is very likely that someone would drink the whole can at one sitting.

Understanding Nutrition Information Panels

Both parents and children should learn to read Nutrition Information Panels and actively employ the practice each time they go to the supermarket. Reading a Nutrition Information Panel isn't too hard and can be taught in a fun and interactive way. Please note that milk should be assessed as a food rather than a drink because of its beneficial levels of protein and calcium compared to other drinks.

The Parents Jury has designed a Nutrition Guide for Shoppers which shows you at-a-glance the low, medium and high levels of fat, sugar and sodium that you should look for on a Nutrition Information Panel.

When you shop with your child take the time to stop and read the Nutrition Information Panel on foods that you purchase regularly. Look at the ‘per 100g' column and check the amounts of fat, sugar and sodium it contains. Think about whether the food is a healthy option and if it is not check similar products to see if you can find an alternative. It is also worth looking at the levels of other nutrients such as calcium, fibre and energy to help you make the best choice.

Nutrition claims

Nutrition claims are becoming increasingly common on children's foods. Current guidelines are quite confusing. Nutrient content claims such as 'high fibre' and 'low fat' are allowed when the manufacturer can prove that the claim is true (although they are rarely asked to do so). Consumers need to be very careful with these types of claims as they can be misleading. For example, claims of 'low fat' are only allowed on products with less than 3g of fat per 100g, but claims that state a product is 'light' are not subject to the same guidelines and often appear on products with a wide variety of fat content.

Food manufacturers may also make other types of health benefit claims, as well as claims about the nutritional content of their foods. Currently the only 'health claim' that is permitted on food packages is for folate and the prevention of neural tube defects in babies. However some manufacturers may make general claims, which may not be about a disease but are about functional benefits like bone health or heart health. The general claims found on children's foods often refer to energy levels. Manufacturers are unlikely to point out that the high energy levels their product provides most likely derive from its high sugar content. This is the case with many 'high energy' breakfast cereals marketed to children.

Claims on foods need to be read very carefully and always in the context of the ingredients list and Nutrition Information Panel.

Endorsements, approval stamps and ticks

Food manufacturers are increasingly using endorsements, approval stamps and ticks on foods to enhance their appeal to consumers. Children's foods are also included in this current trend. Endorsements and approval stamps may originate from an external organisation such as The Heart Foundation or the Glycemic Index Symbol Program, or they may come from the manufacturer themselves.

They are a dynamic marketing tool and enhance the saleability of the foods they are placed on. However, most consumers do not understand the full meaning of these programs and may make purchasing decisions based on trust rather than knowledge.

(Text taken from The Parents Jury's campaign for Improved Food Labelling Systems 2008)