More on nutrition information panel

Reading and understanding labels can be confusing, but if you want to look for healthy food choices and compare products it is essential. Understanding the meaning of the nutrition information panel (and the ingredients list) on food packages takes confusion out of making the best choices when shopping.

The nutrition information panel must appear on pre-packaged products greater than 10cm². The nutrition information panel gives details of the energy (that is kilojoules or calories), protein, fat, carbohydrate (this includes total carbohydrate and sugar as separate entities), sodium, potassium, total fat (this includes total fat and saturated fat as separate entities), and other relevant nutrients such as specific vitamins, minerals, fibre etc. If a health or nutrient claim appears on the label or a food is a good source of a nutrient, then it may appear on the label, eg calcium, folate or fibre.

To learn more about:

• Using the Nutrition Information Panel
• Deciding what is suitable and what is not suitable
• How much fat, sugar, sodium (salt) and fibre you should be aiming for with the products you buy, consult the 'Healthy Shopping Guide.'