How to read food labels: a practical guide

Knowing how to read food labels lets you compare products in seconds, spot allergens and avoid being swayed by the claims on the front of the pack. The most useful information is usually on the back: the ingredient list, the nutrition table and the date mark.

This guide follows the rules used across the European Union, where Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 sets out what pre-packed food labels must show. Labels in other countries, such as the United States, use different formats, but the same reading habits apply.

What must a food label show?

In the EU, pre-packed food must carry a set of mandatory information, printed legibly with a minimum text size (an x-height of at least 1.2 mm, or 0.9 mm on small packs).

• The name of the food.
• The list of ingredients, with allergens emphasised.
• The quantity of certain ingredients (QUID), where they are named or pictured.
• The net quantity.
• A 'use by' or 'best before' date.
• Storage conditions and instructions for use where needed.
• The name and address of the responsible business.
• Country of origin where required, or where leaving it out could mislead.
• Alcohol strength for drinks above 1.2% alcohol by volume.
• A nutrition declaration for most processed foods.

How to read the ingredients list

Ingredients are listed in descending order of weight at the time they were used. The first two or three items make up most of the product. If sugar, a syrup or fat appears near the top, that is a clear signal.

Watch for the same thing appearing under several names. Sugars, for example, can be listed separately as glucose syrup, dextrose, fructose, invert sugar, honey or fruit juice concentrate, which pushes each one lower in the list even when the total is high. Percentages in brackets, such as 'strawberries (12%)', show how much of a featured ingredient is really there, which helps when the front of the pack makes a big deal of it.

The most useful information on a food pack is usually on the back, not the front.

Allergens on food labels

EU law names 14 allergens that must be highlighted in the ingredients list, for example in bold, capitals or a different background colour. They are: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphur dioxide and sulphites (above a set level), lupin and molluscs.

Phrases such as 'may contain nuts' or 'made in a factory that handles milk' are precautionary statements. They are voluntary and warn of possible cross-contact during production. If you or someone you cook for has a serious allergy, take them seriously, and remember that recipes change, so read the label each time you buy, even for a familiar product.

How to read the nutrition table

The EU nutrition declaration lists seven items: energy (in kJ and kcal), fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt. Some labels add fibre, vitamins or minerals. Values are always given per 100 g or 100 ml, and sometimes also per portion.

Use the per-100 g column to compare products fairly, since portion sizes differ between brands and are often smaller than what people actually eat. Use the per-portion figures to understand what one serving adds to your day, after checking whether that portion matches your own.

• Sugars includes both added sugars and those naturally present in fruit and milk.
• Salt is shown instead of sodium; salt equals sodium multiplied by 2.5.
• Saturates is part of total fat, not an extra amount.
• Energy in kcal is what most people call calories.

What are reference intakes?

Many labels show how much of a daily reference intake a portion provides, as a percentage. The EU reference intakes for an average adult are 8,400 kJ or 2,000 kcal of energy, 70 g fat, 20 g saturates, 260 g carbohydrate, 90 g sugars, 50 g protein and 6 g salt.

These are benchmarks, not personal targets. Children need less, and very active adults may need more. The sugars figure refers to total sugars, while health advice usually focuses on keeping free and added sugars well below it.

Use by vs best before: date labels and food safety

These two dates mean very different things, and mixing them up either wastes food or puts people at risk.

A 'use by' date is about safety. It appears on highly perishable foods such as fresh meat, fish, ready meals and some dairy products. Do not eat, cook or freeze food after its use-by date, even if it looks and smells fine, because harmful bacteria do not always change appearance or smell. Follow the storage instructions, for example 'keep refrigerated', since the date only holds if the food has been stored correctly.

A 'best before' date is about quality. It appears on foods such as dry pasta, rice, tins, biscuits and frozen food. After that date, the food may be less crisp or flavourful but is usually still safe if it has been stored properly and the packaging is intact. Use your senses before eating it. Eggs are a special case: many food safety agencies advise eating them by the best-before date.

What do nutrition and health claims really mean?

In the EU, claims on packaging are regulated, and each has a defined meaning. Knowing a few of them helps you see what a claim does and does not promise.

• Low fat: no more than 3 g fat per 100 g for solids, or 1.5 g per 100 ml for liquids.
• Sugar-free: no more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g or 100 ml.
• No added sugars: no sugars or sweetening foods added, though natural sugars may be present, in which case the label should say so.
• Source of fibre: at least 3 g fibre per 100 g; high fibre: at least 6 g per 100 g.
• Reduced (fat, sugar, salt): at least 30% less than a comparable product.
• Light or lite: follows the same rule as 'reduced', and should say what is reduced.

Quick habits for reading food labels in the shop

You do not need to study every label in detail. A few checks cover most decisions, and they get faster with practice. Front-of-pack colour codes or scores, used voluntarily in several countries, can help with quick comparisons within the same category, but the back label gives the full picture.

• Turn the pack over and ignore the marketing words on the front at first.
• Scan the first three ingredients.
• Compare sugars, saturates and salt per 100 g between two similar products.
• Check allergens every time you buy, not just the first time.
• Look at the date type and how the food should be stored.
• Treat claims as a starting point, then confirm them in the nutrition table.

Frequently asked questions

Learning how to read food labels comes down to a few habits: turn the pack over, check the first ingredients, compare per 100 g, look for allergens and know which date you are dealing with. With those checks, you can see past the claims and choose food that suits you.

How we research: Guides are written from established sources and checked for accuracy. They are general information, not professional advice.