Be Free to Eat
What You Want to

By Megan Pentz-Kluyts RD (SA)
Do you read food labels? If not, then you may be surprised at what's in your box of cereal.
Use food labels as a guide to planning healthier meals and snacks.
Let's take a look at some common nutrition food facts to find out.
People who read nutrition facts labels on packaged foods had around a six percent lower overall intake of fat, according to a study in the January issue of the Journal of the American Dietetics Association.
It's what's inside that counts

It is law that all food products must have an ingredients list. Ingredients are listed by weight. The ingredient listed first is present in the largest amount, and the ingredient listed last is present in the least amount. If butter, oil, lard, cream, cheese or meat is at the top of the list, the product is likely to be high in fat and maybe cholesterol. Also look for sugar and salt on this list.

Glucose
If you want to cut down on the amount of sugar you eat, look out for sugar in disguise under the names glucose, fructose (fruit sugar), galactose and lactose (the last two found in dairy products). An item can be labelled as sugar-free if it contains less than half a gram of all types of sugar combined per 100g or 100ml.

Oil
The term 'hydrogenated vegetable oil' is often spotted on an ingredient list. Many processed foods like biscuits, cakes, pastries and margarine contain hydrogenated vegetable oil. Hydrogenation is the process which turns liquid oil into solid fat, creating hydrogenated vegetable oil or hydrogenated fat. This is where the oil has its chemical structure changed so that it becomes hard at room temperature.

Hydrogenation
The process of hydrogenation causes trans fats to be formed, which raise the bad cholesterol levels in the blood. Trans fats are also naturally found at very low levels in foods such as dairy products, beef and lamb. If you find an 'E' number, it is used as a 'short form' definition for food additives found on food labels. The 'E' prefix indicates the additive is approved for use in the European Union and has been tested for safety. Labelling of E numbers is not currently required in South Africa. If you see an E number on a local product, it's probably there because that product is exported to a country that requires them. If you are concerned about an ingredient use the phone number or customer care line number on the label or write to the physical address supplied.

  Per 100g Per 40g
serving		 %RDA**
per
serving
Energy kj
kcal		 1580
376		 632
150		  
Protein g 7 3 6%
Carbohydrates
Sugars
Starch		 g
g
g		 84
8
76		 34
3
31		  
Fats
Saturates
Monosaturates
Polysaturates
Trans fatty acids		 g
g
g
g
g		 0.8
0.2
0.2
0.4
0		 0.32
0.08
0.08
0.16
0		  
Fibre* g 3 1.2 2359g* per day
Sodium* g 950 380 less than 2359g* per day
Vitamins ugRE      
Vitamins A mg 400 160 20%
Vitamins C mg 30 12 20%
Vitamins B1 mg 0.75 0.3 20%
Vitamins B2 mg 0.75 0.3 20%
Vitamins B3 mg 9 3.6 20%
Vitamins B6 mg 1 0.4 20%
Vitamins B9 mg 100 40 20%
Vitamins B12 mg 0.5 0.2 20%
Vitamins B5 mg 2.25 0.9 15%
Mineral        
Iron mg 5.25 2.1 15%
Potassium mg 110 44  


* South African Prudent Dietary Goals

** RDA - Recommended Dietary Allowances for persons 10 years and older

The Nutrition Information Table
On the nutrition information table you find the average quantity of various nutrients a food contains per 100g or 100ml, while the second amount tells you how many nutrients there will be in a serving. It's best to use the 'per 100g or 100ml' column to compare like products, because the size of one 'serving' may differ between manufacturers.
On the right side of a table, a column that lists the recommended daily allowance (RDA) as a percentage for a certain nutrient, mainly vitamins and minerals, may be found. There are different RDAs for different life-stages. Most commonly the RDAs on foods,are for people 13 years and older, if you meet 100% of the RDA for nutrients through the foods you are eating each day, it is unlikely that you will develop any deficiencies.
Serving Size
The suggested serving size is for an average portion. All the values listed on the label are based on this amount. If you eat two servings, you eat twice the values shown on the label.

Energy (in kilojoules and calories)
In South Africa, the energy values should typically be given in kilojoules (kJ). If you wish to convert to calories, calculate 1 Calorie = 4.2 kJ.

Total Carbohydrate
Look for high numbers for total carbohydrate and dietary fibre, low numbers for sugars. Carbohydrates give you long-lasting energy. A diet high in fibre can help lower cholesterol levels and may reduce the risk of some cancers.

Protein
According to the current labeling legislation, 56g is seen as the average RDA for protein. It would suffice the average 70 kilogram person at 0.8g of protein for each kilogram bodyweight.

 Total Fat and Saturated Fat
Total fat is shown in grams (g). The fewer the grams, the better. Food labels list several different kinds of fat for better regulation: saturated, unsaturated, and trans fat. Grams of saturated fat should be less than one third of your total grams of fat.

Cholesterol
The less cholesterol, the better. Too much cholesterol can lead to heart disease. Your goal should be to eat less than 300mg of cholesterol a day.

Sodium (Salt)
The less sodium, the better. Your sodium intake should be 2400 mg or less a day. And keep your salt (sodium chloride) intake to less than 6g per day.

Vitamins and Minerals
You need 100 percent of each of these in your daily diet. Choose foods with the highest values. However, most foods won't give you all you need of any one vitamin or mineral.
Research in 2005 by the AC Nielsen marketing group into the label-conscious shopper across 38 nations showed that South Africans are most concerned about the percentage of fat in foods, with 49 percent of respondents reporting that they check fat levels most often. We also keep an eye on preservatives, sugar, sodium and kilojoules. Seventeen percent of respondents looked for glycaemic index (GI) ratings.

The 'use by' date
This date which signifies the end of the estimated period under any stated storage conditions, after which the product probably will not have the quality attributes normally expected by the consumers and after which date the food should not be regarded as marketable. Don't eat any food that is past its 'use by' date, even if it looks and smells okay.


TIPS FOR USING FOOD LABELS
Sugar-free Less than 0.5g of sugar per 100g
Fat-free Less than 0.5g of fat per 100g
Low fat No more than 3g of fat per 100g
Sodium free Sodium-free:less than 5mg per 100g
Low Sodium No more than 120mg of sodium per 100g
High in Fibre 5g or more of fibre per 100g
Low in cholesterol No more than 20mg of cholesterol and 2g or less of saturated fat per 100g
Cholesterol free Less than 5mg of cholesterol and 2g or less of saturated fat per serving

In the future, it won't be possible for unhealthy food products to be passed off as being healthy. The health department is about to regulate the labelling of all food products in South Africa in an effort to instill a healthier lifestyle amongst all South Africans ...

With a bit of practice you will soon be making wiser, better food choices. Being informed - gives you the freedom of choice!