Food labels: understanding what’s in my food

Food labels can help you take control of your health by providing you with detailed information on what’s in the food you buy. Our handy guide to reading food labels will make it easier for you to make healthy choices for you and your family.

There are three main tools used on food products in Australia and New Zealand:

• Nutrition Information Panel (compulsory)
• Ingredients list (compulsory)

• Health Star Rating (voluntary).

But what do they all mean?

Nutrition Information Panel

Nutrition information panels are the detailed tables that list the energy, protein, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugar, dietary fibre, sodium and potentially other nutrients contained in the food.

The good thing is they all look the same so once you’ve become familiar with the format, nutrition information panels are a great go-to understand just what’s in a food product. Each nutrition information panel provides a list of nutrients by serve and by 100g (or 100mL if a liquid).

To get you started, here are my tips to the most common questions about nutrition information labels:

• Do you look at amounts per serve or per 100g? As serve sizes vary between products, use the ‘per 100g’ column to compare two similar foods. However, if you want to know the amount of a particular nutrient that food product will give you, then look at the ‘per serve’ column. Remember that the product serve size is intended as a guide but may be different to the amount you choose to eat.
• How can I trust the information on the label? The information included in the nutrition information label must meet strict criteria set by the Australian and New Zealand Food Standards Code.   
• How do I find a low/lower salt product? If you are looking for foods that are lower in salt, check the sodium line on the nutrition information panel. Aim for foods that have less than 400mg sodium per 100g. Better still, go for low sodium which are less than 120mg per 100g.
• How do I know if something is high in protein? Check the protein line on the nutrition information panel. For a food to be high in protein, it must contain at least 10g protein per serve.   
• What should I look for when it comes to sugar? The total sugar in the nutrition information panel includes natural sugars (like fructose in fruit and lactose in milk) and sugar added to the product as part of manufacturing. While we don’t need to avoid sugar completely, it’s a good idea to be mindful of the amount of added sugar you are eating. As a general guide, try opting for foods where sugar isn’t one of the first ingredients in the ingredients list and check the nutrition information panel to choose those lower in sugar. When it comes to breakfast cereals, look for options with ≤20g of total sugar per 100g, especially if they don’t include fruit as an ingredient. For breakfast cereals with fruit, give yourself a little extra leeway and aim for 25g sugar or less per 100g. If the food contains no more than 2.5g/100mL for liquids or 5g/100g for solid foods, it is low in sugar. 
• What measure of fat should I be looking at? As a general rule try to aim for products with the lowest amount of saturated fat. Some food products, like those that contain nuts and seeds will be naturally higher in healthy fats – but don’t worry as these are packed with benefits for your brain, heart and even your waistline.
• How do I know if something is low saturated fat?  Check the saturated fat line on the nutrition information panel, if it is no more than 1.5g of fat per 100g for solid food, or 0.75g /100mL for liquid food, then it is low in saturated fat.  
• What is a good amount of fibre? You can find higher fibre breakfast cereals, breads, crackers, grains and pastas by comparing their fibre per 100g. Generally, products with more than 3g of fibre per serve are a good choice, with 4g per serve classed as high fibre. Also look for products that are made from wholegrains. These good quality carbohydrates are not only higher in fibre than refined grains, but they are also a source of several vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which are important for good health. You can check whether a product contains wholegrains by looking at the ingredients list.

Ingredients list

All foods sold in Australia and New Zealand must have a list of ingredients on the label. Here are 4 key insights understanding the ingredients lists:

• Order: Ingredients are listed in order from the highest quantities to the least, based on weight. So, if a product ingredient list has a saturated fat, added sugar or salt listed as one of the first few ingredients, then it may contain large amounts of these nutrients. Water is also listed unless it's less than 5% of the product.
• Names: Ingredients high in saturated fats, sugars and salt can be hard to spot as they are often listed under different names. Some examples include:
  - Saturated fat: animal oil or fat, beef fat, butter fat, milk solids, cream, sour cream, copha, chocolate, tallow, lard, ghee, dripping, suet, coconut oil/fat/milk/cream, palm oil, vegetable shortening.
  - Sugar: sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose, dextrose, golden syrup, corn syrup, honey, malt, molasses, maple syrup, rice malt syrup, brown sugar, caster sugar, raw sugar.
  - Salt: rock salt, sea salt, vegetable salt, celery salt, garlic salt, onion salt, baking soda, baking powder, sodium, sodium ascorbate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium nitrate/nitrite, monosodium glutamate (MSG), stock cubes, yeast extract, meat extract.
• Characterising ingredients: An ingredient that characterises a food product or is mentioned on the label - for example mango in a mango flavoured fruit yoghurt - must list their amount as a percentage. You can see in the ingredients list below that 7% of a fruit yoghurt is from mango.
  - Fruit yoghurt ingredients: Milk, Skim Milk, Milk Solids, Mango (7%), Sugar, Water, Thickeners (Gelatine). Contain Milk. 
• Allergens: Food standard laws require all common food allergens, including peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, sesame seeds, fish, crustaceans, molluscs, lupin, added sulphites (if >10mg/kg of food), soy and wheat, to be clearly declared on the food label.

New PEAL Allergen Labelling requirements 

Food allergen labelling laws in New Zealand are set by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. In 2021, Plain English Allergen Labelling (PEAL) was introduced to make it easier to find allergen information on food labels. All products that are packaged after 25 February 2024 must use PEAL labelling, and foods packaged before this date with the old allergen labelling can be sold until 25 February 2026. 

The new PEAL regulations require: 

• The same consistent names being used for the common food allergens. 

• A ‘summary statement’ beginning with the word ‘contains’, that lists the allergens in the food. 

• The summary statement to be located next to the ingredient list, which can be above, below or on either side of the ingredient list. 

• Common food allergens to be declared as shown in the following table: 

Health Star Rating

The Health Star Rating system is a government initiative developed in consultation with health organisations, food industry and the public.

It gives you a visual snapshot of the nutrition quality of food products to make it easy for you to compare similar foods and make healthier food choices for you and your family. Basically, the more stars, the healthier the choice. The rating is worked out from an algorithm that takes into account kilojoules or calories plus three 'negative' nutrients - saturated fats, sugars and sodium.

Fruit and vegetables (including some canned and frozen produce) automatically receive 5 Health Stars (the highest rating). Food with higher amounts of salt and total sugars receive lower ratings.

The Health Star Rating is not meant to compare different types of foods. So, for example, it is not meant to compare a yoghurt with a muesli bar, it's designed to compare similar packaged foods within categories and aisles.

Much like nutrition science, the algorithm that determines how many stars to award each product is complicated and not without its flaws. However an independent five year review of the Health Star Rating system release in August 2019 showed that the system is well aligned with dietary guidelines and most shoppers say it is helping them choose healthier foods.

For more on the Health Star Rating and the rating of Sanitarium food products, read our Health Star Rating article or see our products pages for individual products.

Getting to know what’s in the foods you eat is a great way to take charge of your health. Remember, if you have any questions you can always call the manufacturer – their number is usually listed on the food packaging. And, if you have a question for us, just askour dietitians.

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