What information is on the food label?

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

Understanding nutrition claims

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 and recommended daily intakes for children.

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. 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.

How to read the nutrition information panel

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

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. 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.

Comparing products

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.

Health Star Rating (HSR) system

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

Watch this video from the Australian Department of Health, Disability and Ageing on how to read and compare the Health Star Rating of packaged products.

Packaged foods are rated at between ½ a star and 5 stars. The rating is calculated based on ingredients that increase the risk of obesity and are linked to other chronic diseases, such as diabetes or heart disease. The more stars, the healthier the product.

The health stars are designed to help you compare similar packaged products within the same food category. For example, they might help you choose the healthiest breakfast cereal, but not to compare breakfast cereal with yoghurt.

The Health Star Rating is a guide to help you make healthier choices of packaged foods. For a healthy balanced diet, you need to eat:

• lean meats, poultry, eggs, tofu and legumes
• dairy products
• lots of fresh fruit and vegetables

These foods usually don't have a Health Star Rating.

For more information on how to use the Health Star Rating, visit their website.

Resources and support

You can find more information online about food labelling on the Food Standards Australia website or at eat for health.

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, children and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Other resources and information on healthy eating include:

• Australian Government – Eating well
• Australian Dietary Guidelines
• Australian Guide to Healthy Eating

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.

Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

For further healthy eating guidelines and illustrations for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, see the eat for health factsheet.