Nutrition Labels

Food labels can seem a little daunting to understand, but if you want to know exactly what you are eating , it is important to know what you are looking at.

Our experienced dietitians have put together these guidelines to help decipher the jargon.

• The ingredients on labels are listed in order by weight, so ingredients higher on the list are present in larger amounts than ingredients lower down.
  
  
• Food labels cannot include any nutrition claims such as “salt-reduced” or “low-fat” unless a nutrition information panel is on the packaging.
  
  
• Don’t be tricked by the following claims:
  
  • Cholesterol Free – food without cholesterol may still be high in other types of fat;
    
  • Lite – “lite” could mean light in texture, colour or flavour. Legally it does not have to be lighter in kilojoules or fat, although it may be. Read the nutrition panel carefully;
    
  • Baked not fried – although it sounds healthier, it still may contain just as much fat;
    
  • Fat Free – just because it is fat-free doesn’t mean all the ingredients are healthy. Some fat-free foods contain higher amounts of sugar than the same products without the claim;
    
  • Health Food – there is no legal definition of health food. Products with these labels may still contain as much fat, sugar and salt as other products with regular labels.
  
  
• Always compare the amount of fat and salt between different products using the “per 100g/ml”. As a general rule, look for products which provide less than 10g of fat per 100g and less than 120mg of salt per 100g.

What about the Health Star Rating?

• The Health Star Rating is found on the front of pack.
  
• It is a rating system that evaluates the overall nutritional profile of packaged food.
  
• The ratings range from ½ a star to 5 stars.
  
• The Health Star Rating is an, easy way to compare similar packaged foods.
  
• The more stars, the healthier the choice.
  
• The number of stars is determined using a calculator which assesses both the positive and higher risk nutrients in food.
  
• Risk Nutrients include saturated fat, sodium (salt) and sugars as consuming excess of these nutrients is linked to increased rates of obesity and chronic disease.
  
• Positive Nutrients include dietary fibre, protein, calcium, or certain vitamins and minerals as consuming adequate amounts of these is linked with good health.
  
• The calculator was developed in consultation with Food Standards Australia New Zealand and other technical and nutrition experts.
  
• You can read more about the calculator here at the official Health Star Rating government website
  
• The Health Star Rating is only used on packaged foods not fresh produce so you won't see a Health Star Rating on any of these foods: fresh fruit and vegetables; alcoholic beverages; formulated products for infants and young children; non-nutritive condiments (such as vinegar, herbs and spices); non-nutritive foods (such as tea, coffee); single ingredient foods not intended to be eaten on their own (such as flour); and foods where a Nutrition Information Panel is not required.
  
• The scheme is still voluntary so it is up to the manufacturer if they want to use it or not
  
• The best way to use the ratings is to compare between products of the same category e.g. compare breakfast cereals with breakfast cereals, bread with bread etc.