Food Labels

Reading Food Labels

All packaged and prepared foods must display the ingredients used to make the product. Labels can look a bit complicated - however the manufactures are usually keen to help and provide additional information - such as the typical calorie requirements per day, and perhaps nutritional information per serving.

The ingredients are listed according to the amounts in the product, with the largest first down to the smallest amount. A typical food label will look like the image to the below.

kj - stands for kilojoules

The list of nutrients - protein, carbohydrate, fat, fibre, sodium, in this example is provided voluntarily.

Further information about the legal requirements for food labels from the Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements, in the US, or Food labeling - legal requirements and definitions in the UK.

Diet and Low-calorie

To be able to label a food diet or low-calorie the product must contain less than 40 calories per 100 grams or milliliters.

Low-fat

To be classed as low fat the product must contain 5 grams or less of fat per 100 grams.

More:

Nutritional Comparison from fatcalories.com

Nutrition Facts from nutri-facts.com

If there are food label sites that maybe of use to our reader please submit them by following the link below.