Australia's Practitioner Directory
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- All products have a name that tells you what you are buying. Manufacturers must choose a name for their product which is accurate and not misleading.
- In 2003 the purpose of the expiry date was changed to refer to the point at which the food actually becomes unsafe to eat.
- Product of Australia” means each significant ingredient has come from Australia and all or most of the processing has occurred here.
- All packaged products must contain an ingredients list in descending order by weight.
- Products must also contain an nutritional information panel which is useful for comparing products and making healthy decisions.
The lowdown on labels
One of my favourite examples of disguised sugars is a tube of mixed herbs in a paste. These “herbs” contain both glucose and fructose that add up to a startling 20 per cent sugars — 100 per cent more than fresh herbs should contain! Tinned soups also often contain disguised sodium, with salt, yeast extract and soy sauce frequently listed in the ingredients.
To judge a product, therefore, look at the nutrition panel and compare the total amounts of fat, sugar and salt/sodium per 100g. This is a more reliable guide to how low (or high) a product is in fat, sugar and salt/sodium.
What to do from here?
Now you’re armed with the information you need to read product labels, here’s what to do next:
- Be sceptical.
- Decide what you want from your food and what nutrition qualities you are looking for. Are you trying to eat low-fat and low-sodium foods, or is fibre more important?
- Next time you go shopping, schedule an extra 10 minutes into the trip to do some food label detective work.
- Concentrate on one food group at a time. For example, start with your breakfast cereal. Have a look at the brand you buy and compare it to two or three similar products.
- Look at the ingredients list. Are the better ingredients first? Are the important ingredients in the first half of the list?
- Look at the nutrition panel, comparing the quantities of fat, salt, fibre and sugar per 100g of the product.
References
Bio-Dynamic Research Institute (DEMETER): www.demeter.org.au
Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA): www.bfa.com.au
Choice, Australian Consumers’ Association: www.choice.com.au
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ): www.foodstandards.gov.au
National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA): www.nasaa.com.au
Kathryn Elliott is a naturopath with a practice in The Strand Arcade, Sydney CBD. Her clients have health issues ranging from menstrual problems through to chronic fatigue, insomnia and stress management. Kathryn is also a keen chef and foodie, having previously run a successful catering business, and she contributes recipes to various publications including Life etc (ABC/Universal Magazines). E: kathryn@strandnatural.com.au.
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