How to read food labels

In Australia, most packaged foods must have labels containing safety and nutrition information. This helps you make informed choices about the food you buy and eat so you can follow a healthy diet.

The label on a packaged food will tell you:

• the name and brand of the product
• the ingredients by decreasing weight (as a percentage of how much of the main ingredients it contains, so you can compare it to other products)
• a list of food additives and information for people with food allergies
• nutrition information (such as average amount of energy, fat, protein, sugars and salt)
• use-by or best-before date and directions for use and storage
• details of the manufacturer and the country where the food was produced
• the number of servings per package and the serving size

Labels can help you understand the what the main ingredients are in packaged foods. This helps you compare similar products and work out how the food fits into a balanced diet.

If there is an ingredient that is known to cause allergies, it must be listed even if only a small amount is used.

Read more about recommended daily intakes for adults (Opens in new tab) and recommended daily intakes for children (Opens in new tab).

The label may make nutrition claims such as:

• 'gluten free'
• 'low GI'
• 'low fat'
• 'reduced salt'
• 'high fibre'

Products with these claims must meet strict criteria set by the government (Opens in new tab). A nutrition claim doesn't mean that a product is healthy. For example, a product that is 'low fat' may have more kilojoules (energy) than another similar product. Check the nutrition information panel to compare products and make healthier choices.

A dietitian is a health professional who can help you better understand food labels, and teach you how to read them when choosing what to buy.

The nutrition information panel tells you the size of a standard serving of the product, and which nutrients are included in that serving. You can use the label to compare similar products.

Look out for information about:

• Energy: A kilojoule (kJ) is a measure of energy. To lose weight, you need to eat and drink fewer kilojoules than you use. You should limit your intake of high energy ('junk') foods — for example, those that have more than 600kJ per serve.
• Protein: Protein comes from meat, poultry, dairy, fish, eggs, beans, soy, nuts and seeds. Protein is important for growth and has the same number of kilojoules as carbohydrates.
• Fat (total): Fat is higher in kilojoules than other nutrients, so you should limit the total amount you eat.
  • Saturated fat: There are different types of fats. Saturated fats are linked to a higher risk of heart disease and high blood cholesterol, so it is especially important to choose foods low in saturated fat.
• Carbohydrate (total): Carbohydrates are in all fruit and vegetables, all breads and grain products, and sugar and sugary foods. You need carbohydrates for energy.
  • Sugar: Sugar is a type of carbohydrate. It is better to choose healthier carbohydrates and to limit foods that are high in added sugars. Sugar includes natural sugar in fruits as well as added sugar.
  • Healthy carbohydrates: Healthier carbohydrates are those that are not processed, or minimally processed such as whole grains, lentils and beans. As well as carbohydrates, these foods also give you fibre, vitamins and minerals.
• Fibre: High fibre foods such as wholegrain bread and cereals improve digestion and help you to feel full.
• Sodium: This shows how much salt is in the food. Eating too much salt is linked to high blood pressure and can lead to heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.

Food additives are chemicals added to manufactured food to help them keep fresh or enhance their flavour, colour or feel. Food additives are grouped based on their function, including:

• colour — add or restore colour
• flavour — increase the taste
• humectant — reduce moisture loss
• preservative — stop the food from spoiling (going 'off' or bad)
• thickener — increase the consistency

Additives used in a food must be listed in the ingredients by their class name. Some additives are referred to by number, while others are listed by name (Opens in new tab). For example, Colour (Caramel I) or Emulsifier (472a).

Some foods and additives are genetically modified to alter certain qualities of the food.

Any genetically modified (GM) ingredients will be labelled with the words 'genetically modified'. This will appear in the product name or alongside the relevant item on the ingredients list.

All genetically modified foods sold in Australia must pass safety testing by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (Opens in new tab).

To compare similar products, check the column on the nutrition information panel that shows the quantity of a nutrient per 100 grams (g) or per 100 millilitres (mL). This will help you to know that you are comparing the same things.

For most people, healthier options include products that have higher levels of fibre and lower levels per 100g of:

• saturated fat
• sugar
• sodium (salt)

When comparing products, look at the overall nutritional value of a food, rather than just one nutrient.

The Health Star Rating appears on the front of the food packaging and is designed to help you choose healthier packaged foods quickly.

You can find more information online about food labelling on the Food Standards Australia website (Opens in new tab) or at eat for health (Opens in new tab).

The FoodSwitch app is a free phone app that lets you scan the barcode on a packaged food and see the nutrition profiles. It suggests healthier alternatives that you can buy instead.

Eat for health offers factsheets and healthy eating tips for different life stage, including older adults (Opens in new tab), children (Opens in new tab) and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding (Opens in new tab).

Other resources and information on healthy eating include:

• Australian Government – Eating well (Opens in new tab)
• Australian Dietary Guidelines (Opens in new tab)
• Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (Opens in new tab)

Talk to a dietitian to learn how to read food labels in a way that meets your specific health needs. To find a dietitian near you, use the healthdirect Service Finder.