What do food labels mean?

On the back of most food products you'll find a label. These labels tell you more about the product, and can be useful if you're trying to eat healthily or you need to avoid anything you're allergic to. On most labels, you should find:

• The amount of energy the food provides. This is listed in calories (kcals) - women need to eat about 2000 a day, and men 2500. You'll also find the salt (sodium) content and the total fat content.
• A use by or best before date, along with storage, defrosting and cooking instructions if appropriate. This is to make sure eat the food at its best and to avoid the risk of poisoning.
• A list of ingredients in order of their weight (biggest first). If an ingredient is mentioned in the name, the amount is shown as a percentage. For example a strawberry yogurt may contain 20% strawberries.
• The total weight of the product. If this is followed by a large 'e' it means it's an approximate weight.
• The name and address of the companies that make, sell and package the product, as well as a code to show where the product was made.

Reduced fat, sugar and salt

The Food Standards Agency recommends that low-fat foods contain less than 3% fat and fat free foods contain less then 0.5% fat. However, there aren't any legal definitions for what low-fat means, so you need to read the label carefully - the food may still be high in sugar and other additives.

'No added sugar' usually means that the food hasn't had sugar added to it. However, it may be high in natural sugar. Foods that contain sweeteners instead of sugar usually contain less calories and cause less harm to teeth.

Nearly all of us eat too much salt, and much of it is hidden in ready-meals and foods such as baked beans, bread and breakfast cereal. If a food is labeled 'reduced-salt' this does not necessarily mean it's good for you - no added salt is better. Check the label to find out the salt (sodium) content; if it's more than 0.5% salt, this is too high.

Allergies

Food labels can help if you're allergic to certain foods. For example, people with celiac disease can't eat gluten, which is why some products are labeled gluten-free.

If you have a nut allergy, it can be frustrating that many labels say this product may contain traces of nuts.

f you have diabetes it is not necessary to eat foods that are labeled suitable for diabetics. As long as you have a healthy well-balanced diet, you should be able to eat normal cookies and chocolate in moderation.

Free-range, organic and farm fresh

If something is labeled organic, at least 95% of the ingredients must have been organically grown (without the use of pesticides).

'Free range' is a term used when animals and birds are kept in less cramped conditions than other types, and have access to an outdoor run. However, you should check the label carefully because there are different types of free range.

There are no legal definitions for terms such as farm-fresh, good for you or natural. Food manufacturers aren't allowed to deliberately mislead you, but it's always worth checking the list of ingredients and finding out how and where the product was made.

Suitable for vegetarians

Although there are currently no strict rules about which foods are and aren't vegetarian, anything labeled suitable for vegetarians is unlikely to contain meat or animal-derived products such as gelatin. You should always check the list of ingredients carefully though.