Diploma in Nutrition Part I Lesson 8 Understanding Food Labelling and Nutritional Claims Presented by: Louise Sheehan Course Educator MSc Exercise and Nutrition Science
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
Food Labelling 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 2
Who Regulates labelling legislation? 1. Europe: European Commission New Food Information Regulation 1169/2011/ EU replaces the current labelling rules and will apply from 13 th 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
Information on Products Information required to display 1. List of ingredients- including allergens 2. Weight or volume of product 3. Name of food 4. Storage instructions 5. Use-by-date 6. Clear preparation & cooking instructions 7. Name & address of manufacturer 8. Place of origin 9. Batch number 10.Any genetically modified ingredients 11.Beverages which contain >1.2% alcohol Nutritional Information Not required by law in all countries Only if nutritional claim 2
List of Ingredients Side of package Show what product contains Including additives Contents in order of order of amount Descending order Must highlight allergens Nuts Eggs Soya Gluten May Contain Precautionary 2 **Not necessary where only one ingredient!
Allergens Certain ingredients or substances can cause allergies in consumers these MUST be declared! Cereals containing gluten Eggs Soybeans Celery and celeriac Sesame seeds Peanuts Molluscs Allergens Shellfish Fish Milk Mustard Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (SO²) Tree nuts 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
What about expiration dates? Go off quickly Smoked fish Meat products Ready-made salads Don t use after this date Put health at risk Follow manufacturers guidelines upon opening product Frozen, dried, tinned Quality Not safety Food not harmful when date passed Begin to loose flavour & texture Legal to sell after 2 best before date- usually discounted
Important to note Display until Sell By Instructions for shop staff Not for consumer Focus on Use By and Best Before
Nutritional information Must Show Per 100g/100ml Energy (KJ/Kcal) Fat (g) Saturates (g) Carbohydrates (g) Sugars (g) Protein (g) Salt (g) Not required by law Unless nutritional claim Low Fat Many manufacturers display Energy Carbohydrates Protein Fat Fibre Salt
How to read a nutrition label
Nutrition information: Quick guides
Front Of Package Easy to understand Benefits Easy to compare food products Shows nutritional content at a glance Aim to be universal
HIGH: Enjoy once in a while MEDIUM: OK most of the time LOW: Go for it
Food Shopping Card SUGARS FAT SATURATES SALT HIGH Per 100g > 15g > 20g > 5g > 1.5g MEDIUM Per 100g 5-15g 3-20g 1.5-5g 0.3-1.5g LOW Per 100g < 5g < 3g < 1.5g < 0.3g
Examples Medium Fat Low Saturated Fat High Sugars High Salt 7.7g per serving 2.0g per serving 42.2g per serving 2.0g per serving
Guideline Daily Amount Front of package Scientifically based Based on DRVs Simple and easy to use
Guideline Daily Amount Help make sense of nutrition information Calories, Fat, Saturates, Sugar, Salt Averages for men & women daily Healthy adults & children GDA s not individual based Very difficult to achieve GDA s in one day Used by many chained stores
Examples
Shopping tips 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 Ready Made Meals Nutrition 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 that food! Check ingredients carefully if you have a food allergy Must 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 carefully May still contain lots of sugar or salt Read the nutritional information on food labels carefully Check that it relates to food portion
What are Nutritional Claims? Regulated by each country Rules for use of nutritional claims Any claim made on food label Accurate Based on evidence Food Safety Authority Foods with false nutrition claims Mislead consumer Removed from market
Guideline Daily Amount Scientific evidence Claim must be easy to understand to the consumer Nutrition Claims Product must contain sufficient quantities of nutrient Must be present in a form that can be used by body
Claims on energy Low Energy SOLIDS: 40kcal (170KJ) per 100g LIQUIDS: 20kcal (80KJ) per 100ml SWEETENERS: 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 FAT Solids: 3g fat per 100g Liquids: 1.5g fat per 100ml LOW SATURATED FAT Sum of SFA + TFA Solids: 1.5g per 100g Liquids: 0.75g per 100ml < 10% of energy FAT FREE 0.5 g fat per 100g or 100ml SATURATED FAT FREE SFA + TFA 0.1g per 100g/100ml
Claims on Fat Source of Omega-3 0.3g alpha-linolenic acid per 100g/100kcal 40mg EPA & DHA per 100g/100kcal High Omega-3 0.6g alpha-linolenic acid per 100g/100kcal 80mg EPA & DHA per 100g/100kcal High Monounsaturated or Polyunsaturated Fat 45% of fatty acids in product Does not provide more than 20% energy High Unsaturated Fat 70% of fatty acids in product Does 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/Salt 0.12g sodium per 100g/100ml Very Low Sodium/Salt 0.04g sodium per 100g/100ml Sodium or Salt Free 0.005g sodium per 100g/100ml
Claims on Fibre 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
Misleading Nutritional Claims Searching for wholegrain carbohydrates? Don t go by colour! Some brown breads are merely coloured and are no healthier than refined white bread 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
Misleading Nutrition Claims 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 Nutritional 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 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 freshness 2. Improve or maintain nutritional value 3. Improve taste, texture and appearance Added during: Production Processing Treatment Packaging Transportation Storage
Food Additives Acids/ alkalis Anti-caking agents Antioxidants Bulking Agents Colourings Emulsifiers Firming Agents/stabilisers Common Additives Flavour Enhancers Foaming Agents Gelling Agents Glazing Agents Humectants Preservatives 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 labelled Used to: 1. Replace colour loss due to exposure to light, air, moisture and other conditions 2. Correct natural variation in colour 3. Enhance colours that occur naturally 4. 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 Make food appealing Maintain structure and texture of food Aid in processing of food Maintain quality and freshness Examples Soy lecithin Mono- and di-glycerides egg yolks Polysorbates sorbitan monostearate
Flavour Enhancers Does not provide own flavour Present in many processed foods Sources: 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, autolyzed yeast 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 Still contain calories so read the label!! FDA has stated that lowcalorie sweeteners are safe for consumption including aspartame
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 consumer Nutrition and health claims can only be made about a product based on sufficient scientific evidence Food additives are added to food and drinks to improve many aspects of the product They are tightly regulated and monitored As 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