Packaging: what food labels tell you

Packaging gives you your first clue as to whether a food belongs on your table, in your bag for after a workout, or in your shopping basket at all. Knowing how to read labels makes it easier to check ingredients, shelf life, salt, additives and preparation instructions.

This is more than just paperwork for officials. The text on packaging helps you make a less hurried choice when you are faced with ten similar yogurts, bars, canned foods or frozen products on the shelf.

Why packaging matters when you shop

On 1 August 1998, a government regulation introducing new food labeling rules came into force. The idea was simple: shoppers should have better information about the food on sale. Since 1 June 1999, all food products have been required to carry labels that comply with Regulation No. 108 of the Government of the Republic of Estonia (26.05.1998).

Both local producers and importers must follow these rules. If a product arrives in Estonia with a label in another language, an Estonian label is added, based on the original text and complying with the requirements.

Markings identifying the packaging are applied in accordance with the Packaging Act: RT I, 1995,47, 739, 1997, 53, 836. Where no relevant standards exist, the markings must be clearly legible, in capital letters, resistant to wear and durable under external influences.

In practice, this means one thing when you shop: you should not have to guess what a product is. The food’s name, net quantity and best-before date or sell-by and use-by date must appear in the same field of vision. A reference to the date’s location is also allowed, for example on the bottom of the container, on the packaging clip or elsewhere.

For products in decorative packaging, the required information may be displayed at the point of sale or included in the accompanying documents. For bakery and confectionery products wrapped in static cling film, some information may also be displayed at the point of sale. Information about food that is not in retail packaging must appear either in the accompanying documents or on the transport packaging.

How packaging helps you understand ingredients

Retail packaging must provide the basic information you need to understand what you are buying. It may sound dry, but this list can often save you from a poor purchase.

• name of the food
• ingredients
• net quantity
• best-before date or sell-by and use-by date
• storage conditions, where required by the nature of the food
• name, address and location of the producer, processor or packer
• for imported products, the importer’s name, location and address
• country of origin, if omitting it could mislead the consumer
• instructions for use, where required by the nature of the food
• food batch identification
• quality class or grade, where required for the food
• nutrition information, if the label includes a nutrition claim

The name of a food must reflect its true nature. A trademark or service mark cannot replace the name. If a chocolate bar is labeled BITTER, you must be able to tell that it is dark chocolate. If the packaging says RASPBERRY YOGURT, the yogurt should contain raspberry jam or flavor and aroma compounds extracted from raspberries.

The name may also tell you how the food has been processed. For example, drying, concentration, reconstitution or freezing must be indicated if omitting this information could mislead you. For food treated with ionizing radiation, the words “treated with ionizing radiation” are added to the name.

Ingredients, including additives, are listed in descending order by weight or volume. The ingredient present in the largest amount comes first. Some foods do not require an ingredients list. For example, fresh, unprocessed fruit and vegetables, carbonated water, cheese, cottage cheese, fermented milk products and butter may be exempt if only their respective basic ingredients, microbial cultures or enzymes have been used to make them.

If an ingredient is associated with the food’s name, is emphasized in words, pictures or graphics, or distinguishes the product from similar foods, its quantity is given as a percentage. The ingredients of a compound ingredient are listed in parentheses in descending order. A compound ingredient does not have to be broken down into its individual ingredients if it makes up less than 25% of the finished product, unless it contains an additive that performs a function characteristic of a food additive.

Water may also appear in the ingredients list. Its quantity is calculated by subtracting the combined weight of the other ingredients used from the weight of the finished product. Water is not listed if it was added only to reconstitute concentrated or dried ingredients, if it is used as a medium that is not normally consumed, or if its quantity does not exceed 5% of the finished product’s weight.

Foods sold in liquid must state the name of the main component and its net quantity, using the words “at least …g”. Alcohol content must be stated if it exceeds 1.7% by weight.

Packaging and health information: salt, additives and sweeteners

Table salt contains sodium and chlorine. Your body needs both, but a typical diet usually provides enough sodium. Excessive intake can be the real problem. Too much sodium in your diet contributes to high blood pressure, osteoporosis, fluid retention, kidney failure, worsening asthma and other health problems.

This is why stating the maximum salt content as a percentage by weight is important, especially for processed foods.

• butter, margarine and other fat emulsions
• cheese, cheese products and cottage cheese
• sausages and other meat products
• fish products
• plain bakery products
• untoasted and toasted cereal flakes, puffed grains with and without added ingredients
• salads
• stocks, soups and sauces, including powders and concentrates
• casseroles and dishes made with ground meat, liver or fish
• seasoning blends containing salt

Additives are identified by their category, followed by the additive’s name or internationally established numerical code. The original rules cited the following reference: RT 1997, 89-92, 1551. If an additive belongs to more than one category, the label must state the category that reflects its main technological function in that food. Lecithin (E322) can be classified as an antioxidant, but it is also widely used for its emulsifying properties.

Not all traces of additives always need to be listed as ingredients. If strawberry jam containing a preservative is used to make STRAWBERRY YOGURT, but the preservative does not extend the yogurt’s shelf life, it does not have to appear on the label. The same applies to a processing aid whose residues pose no health risk and have no effect on the finished product.

Artificial flavorings are labeled with the word “flavoring” or a more specific name. The phrase “of natural origin” may only be used if the flavorings are obtained from plant or animal raw materials through appropriate physical, enzymatic or microbiological processes. If a food is packaged using a packaging gas to extend its shelf life, the label must state “packaged in a protective atmosphere”.

Sweeteners are also additives. They are used in products such as soft drinks, ice cream and chocolate. Aspartame and acesulfame K provide very little or almost no dietary energy. If a food contains a sweetener, the words “with sweetener” are added to its name. If it contains both sugar and a sweetener, the label states “with sugar and sweetener”.

For aspartame, the warning about phenylalanine is important. Some people cannot metabolize this compound and may develop a serious condition called phenylketonuria. Foods containing aspartame must therefore carry the statement “contains phenylalanine”. Foods containing more than 10% polyols must state “excessive consumption may cause diarrhea”.

What packaging tells you about shelf life

Shelf life is where reading the packaging becomes a direct matter of safety. Perishable foods provide a favorable environment for microbial growth. Their retail packaging must carry the words “use by”, followed by the deadline for sale and consumption. If the shelf life is up to 1 day, at least the month and day must be given, along with the time.

Once this deadline has passed, selling perishable foods is prohibited. Another category consists of foods with a date of minimum durability. These foods may sometimes still be fit to eat after that date, but the manufacturer no longer guarantees all the qualities stated on the label to the same extent.

• day and month if the minimum shelf life is less than 3 months
• month and year if the minimum shelf life is 3-18 months
• year if the minimum shelf life is more than 18 months

The date of minimum durability is accompanied by the words “best before…” if a day is specified, or “best before end …” in other cases. For example, the packaging of aseptically filled orange juice may state its vitamin C content. The manufacturer guarantees this content until the end of the minimum shelf life. After that, the vitamin content may decrease, even though the juice may still be fit to drink.

A third category consists of foods that do not require a shelf-life indication. Examples include fresh, unprocessed vegetables, vinegar, sugar, table salt, individual portions of ice cream and chewing gum.

Storage conditions are just as important as the date. If sausages, semi-preserved fish, milk or other perishable foods are kept at room temperature even though the packaging requires refrigeration, you can no longer rely on the stated shelf life. The same applies to frozen food. Vacuum-packed patties are intended to be stored frozen; keeping them at room temperature is a serious breach of the storage requirements.

A practical checklist: what to check before you buy

Let’s be honest: nobody reads every package equally thoroughly. But some checks are worth making a habit. First, look at the product name, not just the prominent brand name. Then check the ingredients, quantity and shelf life. If you’re buying something for a child, an older person or a family member with a particular health condition, take your time reading the warnings.

Where the nature of the food requires it, the label includes instructions for use or preparation. A packet of dried soup tells you how much water to add and how long to cook it. A bottle of vegetable oil may state whether the oil is suitable only for salads or also for frying.

A nutrition claim states that a food has a particular property related to its energy or nutrient content. For example, the packaging may say that the food contains vitamin C, has a reduced amount of a particular nutrient and is therefore “light”, or contains no cholesterol.

The most basic nutrition information shows the energy content in kJ/kcal and the amounts of protein, carbohydrates, including polyols, and fat per 100 g or 100 ml of the product. Foods high in fat often have a higher energy content. Hidden fat is difficult to judge by sight, but the table on the packaging makes it visible.

Salt content is also worth checking, especially if you have high blood pressure. When vitamin and mineral content is shown on the label, it must be expressed as a percentage of an adult’s daily intake. This helps you judge whether a bold promise on the front of the packaging actually means anything.

What can you learn from the packaging? Whether a product is worth buying, by comparing the price with the contents. Whether you can avoid a particular additive. Whether the product helps you avoid food poisoning by displaying a use-by date and storage conditions for perishable food. Whether the preparation instructions are clear. And finally: where the food was made and whether you can trust the producer.

FAQ: packaging and food labels

Does “best before” mean the food has spoiled after that date?

Not necessarily. “Best before” indicates the period during which the producer guarantees the food’s qualities. The food may still be fit to eat after that date, but you need to assess it carefully.

Why must packaging list ingredients in descending order?

So you can immediately see which ingredients make up the largest share of the product. If sugar, fat or a filler is near the top of the list, that tells you a lot about the product.

Does an additive’s E number automatically mean it’s a bad choice?

No. An E number identifies an additive; it doesn’t rate it. What matters is knowing which additive it is, why it’s used and whether you have a reason to avoid it.

Author: Marek Morozov

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