Steps for reading food labels
The following is a 5-step quick guide to reading the Nutrition Facts label - Step 1: Start with the Serving Size. Step 2: Compare the Total Calories to Your Individual Needs. Step 3: Let the Percent Daily Values Be a Guide. Step 4: Check Out the Nutrition Terms. Step 5: Choose Low in Saturated Fat, Added Sugars, and Sodium.
A food label is the primary legal and commercial interface between a processed product and the person buying it. Many marketing terms are associated with improved health, and these are often used to mislead consumers into thinking that unhealthy, processed food is good for them. Reading a label properly — rather than reading the front of the pack — is what separates an informed purchase from a marketing-driven one.
A compliant label carries a defined set of required elements: the name of the food product, the list of ingredients, nutritional information, declaration of VEG and NON VEG, declaration of added food additives, the name and address of the manufacturer, net quantity, code number, lot number or batch number, date of manufacturing, best before date, country of origin, and instructions for use. For a manufacturer, each of these is a control point that has to be established during product development and held accurate through packaging operations.
Three steps make label reading practical. First, treat claims on the front panel with caution — front labels are often used to lure people into buying products, and some of these labels are highly misleading. Second, study the ingredients list: ingredients are listed by quantity, from highest to lowest, so look for products that list whole foods as the first three ingredients and be skeptical of foods with long lists of ingredients. Third, watch out for serving sizes, which may be misleading and unrealistic, because manufacturers often list a much smaller amount than what most people consume in one setting.