food labelling
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Food Labelling
Unit 2: Applying the principles of nutrition to a physical activity programme
Session
Aims
To understand the principles of nutrition in relation to food labelling
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session the learner will
• be able to interpret food labelling information
Introduction
• what is in the food product
• what information on the label is reliable
• how to decipher what is on the label
• what are the legal requirements of marketing terminology
• additives and E numbers
Labelling Requirements
• manufacturer
• weight or volume
• storage instructions
• potential allergens (soy, wheat, peanuts, egg, milk)
• date mark
• macronutrient table
• ingredients list
Food Table
• macronutrients and calorie content listed
• typical values – 20% leeway allowed
• one study found only 7% of food products met the stated values
• some foods not subject to same labelling laws
• loose foods like fruit and vegetables
• ‘home baked’ has few labelling requirements
Labelling Requirements
Regulation
• Food Standards Agency (FSA) 2000
• protect public interests in relation to food manufacture
• independently advise the government
• can publish necessary information
• terminology, production, distribution, manufacturing, processing, packaging and labelling
• 1990 Food Safety Act
Marketing TerminologyFSA regulates the use of terms used in food marketing
75% found the use of ‘fresh’, ‘pure’ and ‘natural’ to be misleading
The current legal definitions of these terms are as follows:
• ‘fresh’ – food sold a short time after harvest
• ‘natural’ – made of natural ingredients, not manmade
• ‘pure’ – single ingredient, or highlight the quality of the product
Marketing Terminology
Further legal definitions of commonly used marketing terms are:
• authentic – ‘remains unchanged...originates from the area implied by its name’
• home made – ‘made in the home, or of domestic manufacture’
• traditional – ‘a method of preparation that has remained same for a long period’
• farmhouse – ‘other than bread, it should refer to that produced on a farm’
• original – ‘a method of production that has remained essentially unchanged over time’
Marketing task
Create 3 marketing slogans or phrases that could be printed on a food package using any of the 8 marketing terms identified below. The terms must be used in accordance with the legal definitions, but the intention is to take advantage of the loose descriptions to make the slogans or phrases sound as appealing as possible.
fresh pure natural
authentic home made traditional
original farm house
‘Healthy’ Terminology
Health conscious consumers may seek certain products that carry specific labelling terms:
• low calorie
• reduced fat
• less salt
• high fibre
‘Healthy’ Terminology
• light, low, reduced or high – no legal definition except not to mislead
• reduced or low fat – must be 25% lower n fat than original, but calories may be maintained
• low calorie – must be lower than original but no set stipulation
• sugar free – can’t be misleading, but may still add alternative calorific or artificial sweeteners
Food Additives
Food additives are used to:
• sweeten
• thicken
• stabilise
• emulsify
• preserve
• add texture
• acidify
• colour
Additives - Sugars
Sugar is known to have negative effects on the body
Manufacturers use sugar alternatives less known to the public so that ‘sugar’ does not need to be on the ingredients label
• glucose syrup• glucose-fructose syrup• inverted sugar syrup• high fructose corn starch• maltodextrin• dextrose• sorbitol• mannitol• xylitol
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is used as a flavour enhancer
Shown to affect appetite and may damage the hypothalamus
MSG is present in other processed ingredients used in food such as:
• yeast extract• hydrolysed protein• whey protein isolate• soy protein isolate• carrageenan• most ‘natural’ flavourings
Additives - MSG
Additives – Artificial SweetenersConsumer demand for sugar free options has led to use of artificial sweeteners
Commonly used artificial sweeteners are:
• Aspartame - branded as NutraSweet, Canderel, Equal or Spoonful )
• Sucralose - branded as Splenda
• Acesulfame K
• Saccharin – branded as Hermesetas, Sweet n Low
Each of these sweeteners has raised concerns over their effects on the body and overall health
Additive Task
Learners are to sift through the food labels they have brought into class and identify the presence of any of the following:
Sugar alternatives or calorific sweeteners
MSG or any ingredient containing MSG
Artificial sweeteners
E Number Classification
• E 100’s – colourings
E 102 tartrazineE 123 amaranth
• E 200’s – preservatives
E 252 potassium nitrite
• E 300’s – antioxidants, acidity regulators
E 330 citric acid
E Number Classification
• E 400’s – emulsifiers, thickeners and stabilisers
• E 900’s – sweeteners, sugars, and waxes
E951 aspartameE954 saccharinE955 sucralose
E Numbers – Harmful?
Whilst concerns have been raised regarding the use of additives in food, not all additives are harmful
One research study on this topic concluded:
150 additives caused some mild reaction
60 – 70 caused some adverse reactions in allergic and hypersensitive
30 considered to be harmful and likely to cause adverse side effects
Additives
• get more involved in reading ingredients lists
• won’t be able to completely rule out the intake of additives
• become aware of the more harmful ones and avoid them
• don’t support the use of these additives by purchasing food that contains them
Learning Check
Can the learner
• interpret food labelling information