What Does a Food Label Tell You? Rules About What Must Be Said
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A food label is a regulated document rather than marketing copy, and most of what appears on it is there because a law requires it in that form. Knowing which parts are mandatory and precisely defined, and which are unregulated words a manufacturer may use freely, is what separates a label that informs from one that misleads without saying anything false.
What must appear
Mandatory content is specified in detail in most food regulation and the rules behind each item are more interesting than they look:
- •The name of the food, which for many products is legally defined, so calling something chocolate, sausage or fruit juice requires meeting a composition standard
- •The ingredient list in descending order of weight, which is why the first few entries tell you most of what is in the product
- •Allergen declaration, with the major allergens required to be emphasised within the ingredient list in several jurisdictions rather than relegated to a separate warning
- •Quantity declarations for characterising ingredients, so a product called chicken and mushroom pie must state what percentage is chicken
- •Net quantity, a date mark, storage and use instructions, and the name and address of the business responsible
- •A nutrition declaration, giving energy and a set of nutrients per hundred grams or millilitres, which is what makes products genuinely comparable since pack sizes differ
- •Country of origin for certain foods, and additives identified by function and by name or number
The words that are regulated
Nutrition and health claims are controlled far more tightly than most shoppers assume. A nutrition claim, such as low fat, high fibre or reduced sugar, may only be made when the product meets a numerical threshold set in law, so those phrases have exact meanings. A health claim, asserting a relationship between a food and health, generally requires authorisation based on submitted scientific evidence, and in the European Union a register of permitted claims exists with the exact wording that may be used. That system removed a great many previously common claims that could not be substantiated. Organic is a protected term requiring certification against defined standards and inspection. Protected origin designations, covering products tied to a place such as particular cheeses, hams and wines, are legally enforceable. Free range and similar animal welfare terms are defined for some products and not others, which varies considerably by country and is a frequent source of confusion.
The words that are not
A large vocabulary on packaging carries no legal definition and no requirement to mean anything. Natural is unregulated in most jurisdictions or defined so loosely as to be uninformative. Artisan, traditional, farmhouse, pure, wholesome, premium and homestyle are marketing terms. Images and place names on packaging can suggest an origin the product does not have, a practice regulators have pursued in several cases. Front-of-pack claims can be technically true and misleading in context, most commonly by emphasising one favourable nutrient while the product is high in another, which is why low fat products are frequently high in sugar. Serving sizes chosen by the manufacturer can make figures look modest, which is exactly why the per hundred gram column is the one to use. And claims of absence, including free from an ingredient the category never contains, exploit an implied comparison without stating one.
What front-of-pack schemes try to fix
Recognising that the nutrition table is accurate and largely unread, several countries have introduced simplified front-of-pack signalling. The British traffic light scheme colours fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt content red, amber or green, and is voluntary. Chile introduced mandatory black octagonal warning labels for products high in specified nutrients, accompanied by restrictions on marketing to children and on sale in schools, and evaluations have reported substantial reductions in purchases of labelled products and widespread reformulation to avoid the labels, which is the same mechanism that made the British sugar levy effective. Several Latin American countries have adopted similar warnings. The Nutri-Score system used in parts of Europe summarises a product with a single letter and colour based on an algorithm, which is easier to compare and hides the detail. Industry has generally favoured voluntary and less directive schemes, and the evidence consistently finds that mandatory, interpretive and negatively framed labels change behaviour more than neutral numerical ones.
The takeaway
Most of a food label is mandatory and precisely defined, including the ingredient list in weight order, emphasised allergens, the percentage of a named characterising ingredient and a nutrition declaration per hundred grams that makes products comparable. Claims like low fat and any health claim must meet legal thresholds or be authorised, while natural, artisan and premium mean nothing. Chile's mandatory warning labels cut purchases and triggered reformulation, which voluntary schemes rarely achieve.