Reading Food Labels

Food labels are often confusing and can make choosing the better food options difficult.
Here we help you to understand food labels and sort the fact, from the fiction!

Nutritional Panels –
Most packaged foods must have a nutrition information panel declaring the nutritional composition of the food. The information must be presented in a standard format which shows the total energy, macronutrients, vitamins and minerals per serve and per 100g or 100mL if a liquid.

What is a serve?
A serve is the standard amount you will eat as determined by the food manufacturer. Be aware that similar food products may have different per serve amounts. When comparing similar products be sure to compare the per serve nutritional values as well as the serving size to ensure you are making a true comparison.

Just One Serve.
Be aware also that some packaged foods that may seem like one serving may actually contain multiple servings. Read the food labels carefully on products to determine what constitutes a single serving size and then be sure to stick to this amount when consuming the product.