Understanding Food Labels

The guide below will give you the full picture behind common food labels.

The claim: Light or lite

The truth: must contain 30 per cent less fat or calories than the standard version, but does not mean the product is low fat or healthy. For example, ‘light/lite’ crisps can contain the same amount of fat or calories as the standard version of another brand. A product light on fat can also be heavy on calories by way of added sugar.

The claim: Low-fat

The truth: must contain less than 3g of fat per 100g for food or 1.5g of fat per 100ml for drinks. But this does not mean the product is healthy or low-calorie. Many low fat foods and drinks are loaded with added sugar and can be high in calories.

^{A low-fat yoghurt might be high in calories (ALAMY)}

The claim: No added sugar

The truth: must have no sugar or sweetener added, but does not mean the product is low in sugar or sugar-free. The product could contain natural sugars, such as those found in dairy and fruit, in which case the label should state ‘contains naturally occurring sugars’. These products are often high in fat and/or calories.

The claim: Fat-free

The truth: must contain less than 0.5g fat per 100g, but again, this does not mean the product is healthy or low-calorie. The claim sometimes appears on products that do not contain fat anyway, such as sweets, and can disguise high levels of unhealthy ingredients such as sugar. Nutritionists point out that fat-free is not necessarily desirable anyway, as good fats are essential in a balanced diet.

Source:telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/healthyeating/11446470/Food-labels-why-low-fat-and-fat-free-dont-mean-healthy.html