Labelling
Convenience
versus value
If you eat a lot of packaged food and ready meals then your salt,
sugar and fat intake could well be unhealthily high. That's because
pre-packaged foods usually contain added salt, sugar and fat.
Companies have tended to say that's what the British taste demands
- but is it because that's what we get? The good news is that
many companies are now working to reduce the levels of salt sugar,
and fat in packaged foods. You can also help yourself by looking
at the nutritional information on the packaging and choose foods
with less fat, sodium (salt), and sugar.
How
to read labels
Look at the packaging or label and you'll find the following:
List
of ingredients: this tells you what is in the food including
water and the majority of additives. The largest amount of ingredient
by weight is listed first, and so on, in order. A can of baked
beans, for instance, will have beans listed first then tomatoes
and so on. The actual amount of the ingredient isn't given unless
a specific statement is made about it on the pack. For additives,
manufacturers must state what type they are, and, with the exception
of flavourings, they must be listed by their full name or their
E number (if they have one) or both. Flavourings must be listed
but don't need to be individually named.
Safe storage instructions: this tells you how
to store the food and whether it should be kept in the fridge
and/or the freezer.
Nutritional information: this is optional unless
a nutrition claim, such as 'low fat' or 'reduced salt' is made.
The values must be given per 100g and many products now provide
information per portion too. Some then compare this to Guideline
Daily Amounts. As well as calories, this will tell you how much
protein, fat and carbohydrate there is in the product. Some products
also say how much saturated fat, sugar, fibre and sodium (or salt)
it contains.
Name and address of the maker, packer or retailer
Best before and use by dates: 'best before' dates
are used on products that keep for a while. It won't go bad or
be dangerous after that date but is best used by then, as after
that date its quality may have deteriorated. 'Use by' dates are
important and mean that the food will go off. Freeze it or eat
it before the date but if you forget throw it away rather than
risk an upset stomach. Ensure you always follow storage instructions.
Food Standards Agency (UK)
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is an independent food safety
watchdog set up by an act of Parliament in 2000 to help ensure
our food is safe, that we can eat healthily and that we receive
independent information about our food. The Food Labelling Forum
is currently looking at issues of labelling and how to standardise
it, in order to give us more understandable information.
Special
logos on the packaging
As well as information about nutrition and storage, packaging
can also have things that tell you about how the food was produced.
Freedom
Food: set up by the RSPCA to improve animal welfare.
Meat, eggs and dairy products from animals reared, transported
and slaughtered in accordance with the RSPCA's welfare standards
based on their 'five freedoms'. The companies are checked and
re-checked by the RSPCA. Freedom food products are found in the
big supermarkets and in some independent shops.
The RSPCA
five freedoms are:
Freedom from
fear and distress
Freedom from pain, injury and disease
Freedom from hunger and thirst
Freedom from discomfort
Freedom to express normal behaviour
Organic produce: food production which aims to:
avoid the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides (unless approved
for use in organic systems) and routine use of antibiotics and
other medicines; pay careful attention to animal welfare; and
preserve the environment and wildlife. Organic produce is available
from supermarkets, local specialist shops, organic farm shops
or via the Internet. There is currently no clear evidence to say
that organic food is more nutritious than standard produce.
A food labelled
'organic' means it complies with European laws and comes from
registered producers, which have been approved by organic certification
bodies. Since it is not always possible to make foods entirely
from organic ingredients, organic manufacturers can use specific
non-organic ingredients provided that organic ingredients make
up at least 95 per cent of the food.
The
Vegetarian Society logo: guarantees that the food is
free of any animal product, GMOs (genetically modified organisms),
has not involved animal testing, and that cross-contamination
between vegetarian and non-vegetarian items during production
does not occur. Other vegetarian logos may use different criteria.
Red
Tractor/British Farm Standard logo (UK): means the food
meets the requirements of voluntary farm quality assurance schemes
that have been registered with Assured Food Standards.
Healthy
Eating logos: are used on foods that may have altered
amounts of calories, fat, salt or sugar so that they are more
in line with healthy eating recommendations. To find out how these
foods differ from other foods you will need to find out what criteria
the supermarket has used.
What
if I have a nut allergy?
Nut allergy may be an allergy to peanuts alone or also to tree nuts,
for example, brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts or hazel nuts. Any allergic
reaction to these foods should be viewed as potentially serious.
Even apparently mild symptoms should not be ignored because it is
possible that future reactions may be more severe. Medical advice
should be sought and the food causing the problem must be avoided.
If allergic to peanuts it is vital to thoroughly
check all food labels for: peanuts or peanut butter; groundnuts;
monkey nuts; mixed nuts and arachis oil (in pharmaceutical products).
In particular, watch out for ingredients in cakes, desserts, chocolate,
sweets, marzipan, praline, snacks foods, yoghurts, biscuits, salads
and dressings, dips, vegetarian products, curries, Thai, Malaysian
and Indonesian dishes, chilli, breakfast cereals and pesto. When
eating away from home, most foods are unlabelled. If staff can't
guarantee that a dish or food is safe then it is best avoided.
Some food labels will say 'contains nuts' or 'has
been produced in a factory using nuts'. Occasionally they will
say 'safe for nut allergy sufferers'. If they don't say anything,
it may be safe or it may not. It is impossible in practice to
guarantee that you'll never eat anything contaminated by nuts.
Remember to follow medical advice and if you use adrenaline for
reactions, always keep it handy. Let your friends and family know
about your condition.
What if I'm vegetarian?
There is no requirement for companies or shops
to label products vegetarian
Experienced vegetarians know that labelling is
a bit of a pest as there is no requirement for companies or shops
to label products vegetarian, so some do and some don't. Some
companies have their own vegetarian symbol, some use the Vegetarian
Society logo and some say 'suitable for vegetarians.' If a product
has nothing on it, it might still be okay but the only way to
check is to go through the list of ingredients. Even then, some
ingredients or additives may not be suitable for vegetarians.
Hidden trips to look out for are:
Meat stock: found in otherwise veggie looking
products such as soups
Gelatine (or E441): found in foods such as ice cream, low-fat
spreads and yoghurts, pots of desserts, sweets and nutritional
supplements
Animal rennet: found in some hard cheeses
E102: the red colouring cochineal, made from crushed insects.
E542 is edible bone phosphate which is non-vegetarian
Many wines, beers and ciders: are 'fined' or clarified using ingredients
such as gelatine or isinglass (derived from fish)
For more detailed information, visit The Vegetarian Society website.
Eggs - safe and kind?
The wide range of eggs on our shelves means that people often
just choose what's cheapest. In terms of safety, as long as you
follow storage and cooking instructions and don't eat raw eggs,
there is nothing to choose between them. All eggs are convenient
and nutritious, providing protein, vitamins A, D, E, and B group
as well as minerals such as iron, phosphorus, selenium and zinc.
They're relatively low in saturated fat and contain only 78 calories
per medium egg. However, in terms of production, there are many
differences.
Around 72 per cent of hen eggs sold in the UK
are produced using the laying cage system (hens are kept in a
ventilated cage).
About 5 per cent use the barn system (using perches or hen houses)
- RSPCA Freedom Food-marked barn eggs conform to the five freedoms.
23 per cent are free range (hen house plus continuous daytime
access to runs, so more freedom).
'Organic' eggs, from organically reared hens, are also available.
There are European and UK regulations controlling each production
method. About 80 per cent of eggs sold in the UK carry the Lion
Quality trademark which means they're produced by British Egg
Industry Council (BEIC) members who must follow regulated standards
of hygiene and animal welfare.
Bread, pasta, rice - what kind should
I eat?
Eating more bread, pasta and rice is a good rule for healthier
eating. To get the benefit of all the nutrients and fibre available
in grains, choose wholemeal (sometimes called whole grain) where
you can. Brown rice and pasta may take longer to cook but give
you more nutrients. All grains consist of three layers: the inner
germ; the outer bran layer and the middle endosperm, which makes
up about 80 per cent of the grain. The bran and germ are the most
nutritious parts of the grain. When a grain still contains all
of these layers it is known as a whole grain.
Wholemeal/Wholewheat: flour,
bread, pasta, crackers and biscuits from the whole grain with
nothing taken out.
White flour: about 75 per cent of the whole grain. Most of the
bran and germ have been removed during milling making it lower
in fibre and nutrients. However, since the Second World War, both
white and brown flours have been fortified with iron, selected
B vitamins and calcium.
Brown flour: typically contains about 85 per cent of the original
grain - some bran and germ have been removed. Nutritionally speaking,
it sits in between wholemeal and white bread.
Brown rice: just the inedible outer husk has been removed to leave
the whole grain.
White rice: 'polished' rice - the nutritious bran layer has been
removed.
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