Food labels can be deceiving

MANILA, Philippines — Labels do matter. This is particularly true in packed food items.

This is why experts are alarmed by the tendency of consumers to just shrug off nutrition and health labels in the food items they buy, not minding the impact of these important bits of information on their health. Maria Leonora Lotis   Francisco, food scientist, is reminding Filipinos to be mindful of the labels in the products they buy.

Francisco said claims made by food manufacturers on certain benefits of their products can be misleading at times. She said this somehow leads consumers to buy products that they deem to be beneficial to them, but in reality are not.

“Consumers need to be conscious with the advertisements they see.  Do not easily believe what companies are saying in their ads. Manufacturers work hard on their labels, because they have compliance standards to meet. So on our part as consumers, read the labels – it is better if you are informed of the contents of what you are eating, or else, it  could affect your health without you knowing,” Francisco said.

Francisco cited as example the case of bread products in the local market. As technology improves, food manufacturing has found a way to develop bread products that contain more nutrients needed by the body.

Some bread manufacturers have also come up with products that they claim to be sugar-free. 

But beware, Francisco said.

A product, she informed, could be “technically” sugar-free as long as the contents are compliant with the conditions set by the Codex Alimentarius Guidelines for Use of Nutrition and Health Claims.

Under the Codex Alimentarius, when a bread company claims that its product variant is sugar-free, it must contain no more than 0.5 grams of sugar per 100 grams of loaf. 

The Codex Alimentarius, or commonly known as the food code, is a collection of internationally recognized standards, codes of practices and guidelines. It serves as a guiding principle for countries’ policies on food products, food production and food safety. The food code has been established to create consumer trust on the safety and quality of the food products that they buy in the market.

The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) aligns its domestic policies on food-nutrition labeling with the guidelines provided by the Codex. 

However, in some cases, relying just on international policies may not be the only way to ensure buyers are consuming the right products. Francisco, for instance, stressed that while a manufacturer can claim that its product is sugar-free based on the Codex, a closer look at the list of ingredients should be done accordingly. Sugar is not only sucrose, or table sugar. As per Codex, sugar means all mono-saccharides (eg. Glucose, galactose, maltose) and di-saccharides (eg. sucrose, lactose, fructose) present in food.

Laboratory results showed that some of the self-claimed “sugar-free” breads sold in the market today do not pass the Codex standards. The UP expert, thus, urged that manufacturers should be more responsible when it comes to labeling their food products.

Francisco, in the same manner, pointed out that consumers should be wary of “misleading” claims, as their health could be put at a disadvantage, especially those who are suffering from illnesses sensitive to certain ingredients, particularly diabetics.

“Labeling serves as guide to assure consumers that what is declared in it – including the ingredients and nutritional contents – is what buyers will be getting from the product. If ever something happened to the consumers, they cannot easily blame the manufacturers, as the companies have stated in their food labels certain nutrients and risks, such as allergens,” she said. “And if you have sickness, you should read the nutrition facts (and ask yourself) is this okay for me? Example is sugar, fat, cholesterol, and sodium content.”

Citing a study conducted by her students at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Francisco said Filipino consumers tend to overlook food labels when the product is made by a renowned manufacturer or endorsed by someone they patronize.

Francisco also reminded consumers to choose better alternatives such as food that are rich in fiber. Fiber has been proven to be beneficial to the body. It helps the body regulate bowel movement and avoid health complications.

Fiber is naturally present in a wide array of food items, such as fruits, vegetables and grains.

Francisco recommends that Filipinos consume bread rich in fiber. “Fiber is something that the body cannot break down into pieces. When it enters the body, it serves as a shield to some nutrients that may be detrimental to health, such as sugar.”

“Today, we have more and readily available fiber-rich foods like bread, which may be considered, apart from the consumption of fruits and vegetables,” she said.

Under the Codex guidelines, a food item could be considered as a source of fiber when it contains three grams of fiber per 100 grams or 1.5 g per 100 kcal. It will be considered as high in fiber if it contains 6 g3 (cube grams) per 100 grams, or 3 g3 per 100 kcal, or 20 percent of daily reference value per serving.