How to Read Labels Without Stress

Labels can seem complicated as they contain everything all at once. In reality, for daily choices, you only need to focus on three lines, which takes less than ten seconds at the shelf.

What Must Be on Packaging by Law

In the European Union, Regulation 1169/2011 requires manufacturers to declare nutritional values per 100 g or 100 ml of the product: energy, fats (of which saturates), carbohydrates (of which sugars), proteins, and salt. The Ukrainian technical regulation on labeling is based on the same logic.

The format of “per 100 g” makes labels comparable. The data “per serving” does not guarantee that: the portion is defined by the manufacturer, and it may be smaller than what is actually consumed.

Three Lines Worth Noting

• Ingredients. They are listed in descending order by weight. If sugar is in the first three ingredients, the product is essentially sweet, no matter how it is marketed.
• Sugar per 100 g. British front-of-pack guidelines consider a high sugar content to be over 22.5 g per 100 g and low sugar content to be up to 5 g.
• Salt per 100 g. A high salt content is considered to be over 1.5 g, and low salt content is up to 0.3 g. WHO recommends less than 5 g of salt per day for adults.

What Not to Do

Claims on the front of the pack are marketing, not information. “Sugar-free” may mean it contains sweeteners; “fitness” and “light” typically have no strict definitions; “whole grain” does not guarantee that whole grain is the main ingredient. All of this can be checked in the ingredient list in ten seconds.

And separately: labels are tools for making choices between similar products, not a way to evaluate yourself. Comparing two yogurts is helpful; worrying about one consumed is not.

In Brief

• Look at the data per 100 g — only they are comparable between products.
• Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight; sugar in the first three is a telling signal.
• Sugar: over 22.5 g per 100 g is a lot, up to 5 g is a little. Salt: over 1.5 g is a lot.
• WHO: less than 5 g of salt per day.
• Claims on the front of the pack do not confirm anything — check the ingredients.

This is general information about nutrition and habits, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, or have a chronic illness, discuss dietary changes with your doctor.