Interpret food labels, including the Nutrition Information Panel, ingredient lists, claims and the Health Star Rating, to evaluate food choices

What this dot point is asking

You need to interpret the parts of a food label, especially the Nutrition Information Panel, ingredient list, claims and Health Star Rating, and use them to compare and evaluate foods.

The Nutrition Information Panel

The Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) is the table that must appear on most packaged foods. It lists energy (in kilojoules) and the amounts of protein, fat (total and saturated), carbohydrate, sugars and sodium, and often fibre.

The NIP has two columns: per serve and per 100 grams (or 100 millilitres). The per 100 grams column is the one to use when comparing products, because serving sizes differ between brands and a small serve can hide a high concentration of fat, sugar or salt. The per serve column tells you what you actually get from one portion.

The ingredient list

Ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight, from most to least. So an ingredient near the start makes up a large proportion of the food. If sugar, fat or salt appears high in the list, the food is high in it, even if the front of the pack looks healthy.

Labels must also declare allergens clearly, such as milk, gluten, nuts, soy and egg, which matters for the food intolerance and allergy content. The percentage of key ingredients is often shown too.

Claims on packaging

Nutrition content claims describe a nutrient, such as low fat or high fibre, and must meet legal definitions. Health claims link a food or nutrient to a health effect and are regulated. Front-of-pack words like natural, light or wholesome can be marketing rather than nutrition, so they should be checked against the NIP and ingredient list rather than taken at face value.

The Health Star Rating

The Health Star Rating is a voluntary front-of-pack system that rates packaged foods from half a star to five stars. More stars mean a healthier choice within the same food category. It accounts for energy, saturated fat, sugar and sodium, balanced against positives such as fibre, protein, fruit and vegetable content. It is most useful for comparing similar products, less useful across very different food types.

Using labels to evaluate choices

To evaluate a food: check the per 100 grams figures for energy, saturated fat, sugars and sodium; scan the ingredient list for what is present in large amounts; treat front-of-pack claims with caution; and use the Health Star Rating to compare similar products. This turns a label into evidence rather than marketing.

In short, food labels combine the Nutrition Information Panel, ingredient list, claims and Health Star Rating, and reading them carefully, especially per 100 grams and by ingredient order, lets you evaluate and compare foods objectively.