Nutrition Labelling – Learn How to Read It and Become a Wise Consumer
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When purchasing groceries, have you ever paid attention to the information on the packaging? Have you ever had the experience where you simply do not know how to choose from a wide variety of food products? When making food choices which aspect do you look for? Do you rely on your intuition to grab what you like, or the price, packaging or colours?
Some consumers may be attracted by the colours on the packaging. While some may choose products that claim to be “low salt” or “low sugar,” among other products. But did you know that these labels and appearance may in fact be a trap? As consumers, it is our own responsibility to learn how to read and analyse the information on the packaging because it helps us to understand more about the food we consume. In the long run, someone who can analyse packaging effectively will find it easier to eat healthily.
It’s somewhat unfortunate that not all foods in Malaysia are mandatory to have nutrition labels. This is to reduce costs for many small and medium-sized enterprises. For example, back in the 2019 Chinese New Year, the Ministry of Health announced that New Year cookies must be labelled with nutrition information, which caused backlash from the public. This means that consumers may not know what they are eating based on the packaging.
Homemade Foods May Not Always be Healthy
Many homemade food products often label their products as organic, homemade, natural, or handcrafted. However, these products may be lacking in terms of basic information about ingredients and their nutritional value. Which may not be beneficial for the consumer in the long run as they do not know what they are ingesting.
Here are some common items to look for on labels:
Product Description
This helps us to understand the basic name of the product, for example, “fresh milk.” It’s recommended to cross-reference the Malay and English information, as they may have different meanings. For example, when buying a product with a Chinese product description of “传统晒油,” the Malay version might be “Karamel Pekat.” In such cases, consumers are advised to check the ingredient list.
Ingredients
The ingredient with the highest percentage comes first, while the lowest is listed last. If ingredients contain allergens such as eggs, peanuts, seafood, or legumes, they must be bolded, which helps people who are allergic to these ingredients avoid purchasing them to prevent allergic reactions. If the same production line is used for products with allergens, it also needs to be labelled. If animal-derived ingredients are used, their source must be indicated. For example: Gelatine (Cow).
Food Additives
Food processing and additives are techniques developed for food safety purposes and to maintain the colour, flavour, and taste of food. Types of additives include anti-caking agents, nutrient fortifiers, antioxidants, flavourings, emulsifiers, and preservatives, among others. Since 1983, Malaysia’s food regulations have required businesses to list food ingredients and nutritional facts on packaging to inform consumers about what they are consuming. Therefore, understanding what you eat is essential for your health.
Product Weight
How much does the product weigh? How many servings are in the product? For example, a 100-gram pack of biscuits with 3 pieces per serving, weighing 10 grams per serving, has ten servings in total. This basic information helps us analyze the product’s nutritional value further. Sometimes, companies may intentionally make products appear healthier. For instance, a can of soda with three servings may display a lower sugar content per serving to give the impression of being healthier. In reality, you won’t split the soda into three servings for consumption.
Nutritional Information
In Malaysia, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are mandatory nutrients that have to be listed on the packaging. However, labelling of other nutritional components such as vitamins, minerals, and sugar content is optional and depends on whether the manufacturer chooses to label them. Nutritional information is typically presented in two rows: the first shows the nutritional content per 100 grams of food, and the second displays the content per serving. In some packaging, you might also see an additional row like “XX%DV,” which indicates what percentage of your daily requirements the food provides.
Wordings & Special Claims on Packaging
Generally, if a product makes various nutrition claims, manufacturers must mandatorily list relevant nutritional components. For example, “Cholesterol free,” “low in saturated fat,” etc. Some phrases like “free in,” “low in,” “high in,” or “a source of” cannot be used simply. For example, a food product labelled as “low in fat” must contain less than 1.5 grams of fat per 100 grams of the food.
If a food product already has certain characteristics, manufacturers cannot misuse nutritional claims. For instance, mangoes are naturally low in cholesterol. Manufacturers can only label canned mangoes as “cholesterol-free” but not “cholesterol-free mangoes” to avoid confusion.
Dates
There are two types of dates, “Best Before” and “Expiry Date.” The former represents the date until which the food is in its best condition. Before a product is released to the market, businesses conduct shelf-life tests where the food goes through extreme conditions to determine these two dates. However, the reasons for food spoilage can be caused by many reasons including moisture, air, salt, and more. Essentially, lower moisture, higher salt, and vacuum-packing can prolong a food’s shelf life beyond the expiry date.
Other Information
This may include storage temperature, suggested consumption method, manufacturer and importer’s information. Consumers may reach out to the manufacturer or file a complaint with the Ministry of Health to ensure public health protection in cases where they encounter faulty products.
Misleading Information
Misleading nutrition claims, such as “a certain food can prevent cancer” or “a particular food can treat diabetes,” are prohibited. However, when it comes to products sold online, the enforcement is not as strict as it should be. Therefore, consumers should be extra cautious when purchasing products, especially unauthorized products sold online.
It’s also important to note that some foods may be low in fat but high in salt or high in protein while containing a lot of fat. So, when a product is marketed as healthy, we should look at the contents on the food label carefully.
Do All Foods Require Additives?
From the perspective of food factories, safety is their utmost priority. Therefore, all processing techniques are aimed at reducing harmful components such as bacteria and toxins within food to the greatest extent. Hence, the use of additives is necessary. However, not all types of food require preservatives. For example, canned foods may not need preservatives because of the vacuum-sealed packaging.
The Pros and Cons of Processed Foods
In terms of the stability of vitamins and minerals, most nutrients are stable at high temperatures (except for vitamin C). Manufacturers therefore need to ensure there is minimal loss of nutrients during food processing. Strictly speaking, heating is also a processing technique. Does this mean we should consume raw foods? However, raw foods actually possess more risks and expose us to higher chance of food poisoning.
Processed foods also allow us to enjoy foods from different seasons worldwide anytime, and a large quantity of processed food can lower the cost of food. However, some processed foods are not encouraged for regular consumption. For example, ultra-processed foods, where fruit puree may contain only 10% fruit, with the rest being syrup, have significantly lower nutritional value compared to whole fruit.
In Conclusion
Now that you understand the importance of food labelling what are you waiting for? Spend a few extra minutes each day reading food labels, and you will get to know more about what you are eating and whether it’s healthy or not. Understanding the importance of food labelling is just the first step in making informed food choices. It’s also essential to recognize the importance of food education in order to understand the impact of different nutrients and ingredients on our health. By combining the knowledge gained from reading food labels with a deeper understanding of the importance of food education, you can make more conscious decisions about the food you consume and its effects on your overall well-being.
