Health: Why reading food labels is important

Renu Sud Sinha

Last year, during the International Year of Millets, a popular commercial brand launched a millet-based bread, labelling it as “high-fibre millet bread”. Burdened by the guilt of always opting for atta bread, I picked up the loaf and scanned the label. Wheat flour was listed as the major ingredient (44 per cent), with various millets combined contributing less than 15 per cent (ragi flour 8.8 per cent, bajra seeds 3.9 per cent and jowar flour 1 per cent).

Had I not read the label, I would have bought it under the impression that I am making a healthier choice, as experts say millets are more nutritious than wheat.

“Such people are few and far between because hardly anyone reads food labels,” says Mohali-based nutritionist Neelu Malhotra.

Decoding nutritional information

• Always check the date of manufacturing and date of expiry or best before date.
• You must read the list of ingredients. These are listed from highest to lowest quantity. The first two or three form the bulk. For example, some commercial fruit juices list water as the first ingredient followed by a fruit concentrate.
• Learn to calculate the serving size. Most foods give information per 100 gm/ml. An average serving for solid foods is 30 gm and liquids is 100-150 ml. Do calculate the calories and other nutrients using either average serving size or by dividing the number of servings on the package.
• If a food or liquid is marked sugar-free or as having no added sugars, it may still contain natural sugars, sometimes in high quantities. It’s similar for fat-free/low fat or sodium-free/low sodium foods.
• Sugar can be listed as sucrose, fructose, maple, malt and corn syrup, molasses, etc; fat as vegetable oil, hydrogenated fat, palm oil/kernel, lard, shortening; salt as sodium, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium citrate, sodium alginate, or sodium phosphate. Also check their quantity per serving.
• Gather information from trusted websites like FSSAI.

A study on the habit of reading food labels was conducted recently by students of Government Home Science College, Chandigarh. Nearly 500 undergraduates studying in various universities of Chandigarh were surveyed. The results showed that these youngsters viewed food labels as a secondary concern, prioritising convenience and taste over nutritional content. There was a general assumption that food labels are more relevant for those with specific dietary needs rather than for the average consumer.

Malhotra verifies the sentiment: “A very small percentage of people who are gluten or lactose intolerant, or have certain food allergies, or are diabetic or need to lose weight make the effort to scrutinise nutritional information.”

Sonepat-based Nandita started reading food labels when she was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) a decade ago. As she needed to keep her weight in check, reading labels helped her in selecting or rejecting foods based on their sugar and fat content as well as the kind and amount of fat (saturated, trans fats, etc).

However, even the miniscule number who do read nutrition labels are unable to process or interpret the information, says Ritu Pradhan, associate professor at the home science college. This is because most of the time this information is either too technical or insufficient, says Dr Mahesh Hiranandani, a Chandigarh-based paediatrician. “People are usually not aware about daily requirements of various nutrients or even what’s the right serving size. Also, most of the time, they are unable to identify ingredients, particularly sugar, fat and salt, as manufacturers list them under not-so-easily identifiable components.”

Packaged food, either due to convenience or sometimes due to faulty perceptions of it being a healthy alternative (such as cereals or fruit juices), has become a part of dietary habits of a large number of people.

“That’s why people need to be aware of the importance of reading food labels because many manufacturers don’t give information in a comprehensive manner,” says consumer rights expert Pushpa Girimaji.

As lifestyle-related diseases like obesity, diabetes and hypertension and cardio-vascular problems increase rapidly, it becomes imperative to know what we are putting inside our bodies and if it is the right choice. Health thus becomes an individual responsibility and most experts say that the onus of awareness lies with the consumers.

Don’t be taken in by advertisements which bombard consumers with emotional messages. In the absence of transparency by manufacturers and even retailers, awareness and gathering the right information remain the only means to make informed choices.

The best choice though is to eat fresh foods, but if you have to consume packaged foods, please read the labels carefully.