Popular Beliefs About Food Labels, and What Is Actually Published

Three numbers and one column answer almost every question a shopper has, and most people read the marketing on the front instead.

Key takeaways

• Column to compare products with: per 100g
• High sugar: more than 22.5g per 100g
• Most useful single change: Compare two products using the per-100g column only.
• Commonest mistake: Comparing products on manufacturer-chosen portion sizes.
• See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.

What the guidance actually says

The published position, before we get to what people believe instead.

Where people go wrong

These are widely believed and not supported by the guidance above.

• Comparing products on manufacturer-chosen portion sizes
• Treating traffic lights as a verdict rather than a shortcut
• Assuming a high-protein product is low in sugar or salt

What to do instead

• Compare two products using the per-100g column only
• Read the first three ingredients before the front of the pack
• Check whether the stated portion matches what you will really eat
• Convert sodium to salt on imported products by multiplying by 2.5

The part that is genuinely uncertain

Guidance changes, and it changes because evidence does. The figures above reflect current UK guidance from the bodies named at the foot of this page; where those bodies revise their position, theirs is the account to follow rather than this one.

Where to go next

• Food Labels in Five Minutes
• The Evidence on Food Labels, Without the Hype
• Food Labels — the reference entry
• What the Guidance Really Says About Meal Planning
• Vitamin D: What the Evidence Actually Says

When to speak to a doctor

Ask a GP or dietitian for tailored advice rather than relying on label thresholds if you have been told to follow a specific diet for kidney disease, heart failure, diabetes or coeliac disease. Always check allergen information, which is required to be emphasised in the ingredients list.

Where this comes from

• NHS — Food labels
• Food Standards Agency — front of pack labelling

How this page was put together

Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.

Medical disclaimer

This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.