Occupational Health Service

Food labels

Food labels need to display all the necessary information demanded by law and must be presented in an understandable way. They must identify the key nutrient contents of foods and the presence of substances in foods that may cause adverse reactions.

We want this information at our fingertips when shopping for food, so that we can make healthy choices for our families and ourselves.

To determine if your diet is well balanced, nutritious and low in fat and cholesterol, you need to look at the nutritional values of the food you are buying, understand what ingredients the food contains and keep an eye on your caloric intake. Food labels provide these nutritional answers. Labels also allow you to comparison shop and make informed choices.

It is important to remember that the information found on food labels is based on an average diet of 2,000 calories per day. Actual caloric and nutritional requirements vary by age, weight, gender and activity levels. Food labels should be used as a guide to determine whether the food is generally nutritious.

A comprehensive report on food labelling in Ireland was published in early April by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). Some of the issues, which are identified in the report, include guidelines relating to the labelling of food with regard to ingredients, additives, storage instructions and nutritional labelling. Since January 2005, food operators are required to have systems and procedures in place that allow complete traceability of products through the supply chain. This should be labelled on the product as a batch code number or beside the best before/use-by date.

Food label health claims

Health claims are statements about the beneficial effect on the body of a food, or its ingredients. When you see statements on food labels such as 'helps maintain a healthy heart' or 'helps aid digestion' these are examples of health claims. There is currently no specific legislation about health claims in Ireland, but the law states that any claim must be true and must not be misleading. Labels are not allowed to claim that food can treat, prevent or cure any disease or medical condition. These sorts of claims can only be made for licensed medicines. A food claim is often made by the manufacturer on the front of the product package. These claims could range from things like 'cholesterol-free, fat-free'. You still need to be cautious when reading them; what they could mean is:
Reduced fat:
has 25% less fat than the same regular brand Light:
means the product has 50% less fat than the same regular product
Low-fat:
means a product has less than 3 grams of fat per serving

Food Label nutritional information

Energy:
A calorie is a unit of energy that measures how much energy a food provides to the body. The number displayed on the food label indicates how many calories are in one serving. Kcal, kilocalories and calories are all the same. Another way to measure energy is kJ, or kilojoules. 1kcal = 4.2kj

Protein:
Protein is an important nutrient for growth, development and repair

Fat:
Fat is a nutrient which provides the most concentrated source of energy. We require a small amount of fat in our diet on a daily basis for the metabolism of fatsoluble vitamins and essential fatty acids. Most fats contain variable proportions of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Too much saturated fat can lead to high blood cholesterol levels. The food label indicates the total amount of fat and the saturated fat

Carbohydrate:
Carbohydrate includes both sugars and starches. Their main function it to provide energy. The food label gives us information pertaining to the total amount of carbohydrate and the amount of which is sugar. 1g carbohydrate = 4kcal

Food additives:
The list of ingredients on the label of a food product must include any food additives. Additives must be designated by their category (example, 'preservative' or 'colouring agent'), followed by their specific EC number. An E number means that the additive has passed safety tests and has been approved for use here in Ireland and in the rest of the European Union. The EU system has additives numbered in the range from E100 to E518.

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