How to read food labels
Di Saverio Mazza ·
A label tells you what is in a food and lets you compare products in the same category. No single number makes a product good or bad: the ingredients list, the per-100 g figures and the portion have to be read together, against what you personally need.
Read the ingredients list first
Ingredients are listed in descending order of weight at the time of use. Allergens must be emphasised, and in some cases the percentage of an ingredient named or pictured on the front has to be declared too.
A long list, or an unfamiliar name, does not by itself prove anything about nutrition or processing. What it does let you do is check the real composition against what the front of the pack is promising.
How to read the nutrition table
In the EU the declaration normally carries energy, fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt. The per-100 g or per-100 ml figures are what make two products comparable; the portion figure tells you what you are actually eating.
- ●Energy: given in both kJ and kcal. Compare like for like, and against the portion you really eat.
- ●Fat and saturates: two separate numbers. Judging a product on total fat alone ignores both composition and quantity.
- ●Carbohydrate and sugars: 'of which sugars' includes naturally present and added sugars together — the table alone cannot separate them.
- ●Protein and salt: both mandatory. Fibre is voluntary, and becomes relevant when a claim depends on it.
Claims, decoded
'No added sugar' does not mean no sugar: fruit, milk and concentrated juices bring sugars that do not count as added. Look at the 'of which sugars' line instead.
'Light' generally requires at least a 30% reduction against a comparable product, and the label has to say what makes it light. The claim describes that one difference, not the food as a whole.
'Source of protein' requires at least 12% of energy from protein; 'high in protein', at least 20%. 'Source of fibre' needs 3 g per 100 g or 1.5 g per 100 kcal; 'high in fibre' doubles both.
Fonti e verifiche
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 — food information to consumers (consultata il 2026-08-16)
- Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 — nutrition and health claims (consultata il 2026-08-16)
- European Union — nutrition and health claims (consultata il 2026-08-16)
Domande frequenti
- What matters more: calories or ingredient quality?
- It depends on the goal and on the rest of the diet. Energy, nutrients, ingredients and portion describe different things, and none of them alone is enough to judge a food for every person.
- Is Nutri-Score reliable?
- It is a voluntary summary designed mainly to compare comparable products. It does not replace the full table, and it has to be read alongside how much you eat, what is in it, and what you need.
- How do I tell if something is ultra-processed?
- Not reliably from the length of the list or the presence of an additive. The classifications look at formulation and manufacturing; a label gives clues, not always enough for a firm answer.
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