Healthy living
Healthy eating
Food labels
If you think foods claiming to be 'low-fat', 'lite' or 'bio' are bound to be good for you, think again. They aren't always what they seem
A survey, conducted by the <a href="http://www.food.gov.uk" target="_blank">Government's Food Standards Agency (FSA)</a>, confirmed that many food labels intended to reassure were actually confusing consumers. Use our guide to make sense of the pictures and promises on your supermarket shelves...
Bio
The term 'bio', frequently applied to yoghurts, has no official meaning. There are no rules about when it may be used, nor what it means.
British Farm Standard
Recognisable by its red tractor logo, the British Farm Standard means that the food in question meets the requirements of specific farm quality assurance schemes developed by the <a href="http://www.nfuonline.com/" target="_blank">National Farmers' Union</a>.
More than 550 items, produced under 11 different schemes, fall under the umbrella of Assured Food Standards (AFS), the independent body which administers the logo.
According to AFS, the scheme offers the reassurance that 'good agricultural practice' has been observed. The red tractor logo can be applied to intensive as well as free-range farming methods and can be used on imported products, so long as they meet the required standards.
British Meat Quality Standard
This scheme is run by the <a href="http://www.mlc.org.uk/" target="_blank">Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC)</a>, which is funded by the meat industry. Producers who apply to join the scheme must meet its required standards, which include those required by law, plus additional welfare, environmental and safety standards. The scheme applies to all types of farming, including intensive methods, and can be used on non-British, as well as British, meat.
Free from
Even claims such as 'Free from...' can be misleading. For example, a bottle marked 'alcohol-free' can, legally, contain up to 0.05 per cent alcohol. Levels for claims such as 'gluten-free' have yet to be established. If you want to know what is or isn't present in a particular food, the FSA suggests you read the ingredients list carefully.
Authentic, Farmhouse, Fresh, Home-made, Natural, Original, Pure, Traditional
Although each of these terms conjures up positive images, none is currently defined in law, although the FSA is looking into developing a set of standards. In the meantime it suggests using other information on the label to substantiate any such claims for yourself.
Lion Quality Mark
Contrary to popular opinion, the Lion mark is not a Government scheme, but is actually run by the <a href="http://www.britegg.co.uk/" target="_blank">British Egg Industry Council</a>. Eggs displaying the Lion mark are produced in the UK by hens that are vaccinated against salmonella. Lion-marked eggs are traceable and carry a 'best before' date stamp on the shell. To comply with the code, producers must adhere to hygiene and animal welfare standards above and beyond the minimum legal requirement.
Lite/ Light
The law doesn't define what 'lite' or 'light' mean. Manufacturers can therefore use these terms to convey different qualities of a food, for example its texture, or to give the impression that it has less fat or fewer calories than rival products. So the only way to be sure of what's actually in any food or drink is to read the nutritional information panel. Here you will find a breakdown of the calories and fat content per 100g, which you can then compare with other similar products.
Low-fat, Fat-free, Reduced fat
Again, these claims should not be taken at face value. Although the law dictates that they cannot be used in a misleading manner, there are differences in the way manufacturers define each term. Once again, it's a case of using the nutritional information panel to check the fat content for yourself, says the FSA.
No added sugar, Unsweetened
The important word here is 'added' as all it means is that the food has not had sugar added to it as an ingredient. It doesn't mean that the food will taste sour, nor that it will have a low sugar content.
A product with a 'no added sugar' label may contain artificial sweeteners or natural sugars from fruits. 'Unsweetened' usually means that no sugar or sweetener has been added to the food but it doesn't mean that it contains no sugar. Check the ingredients and the nutritional panel to get the full story.
Organic
Organic food production is very tightly controlled. Producers making this claim for their food must be able to prove that no fertilisers or pesticides have been used that are not approved for organic production and that land has been farmed organically for a set period (normally two years). Organic produce must contain at least 95 per cent organic ingredients as not all ingredients are available in organic form.
What are endorsements worth?</h1><h1 class="h1smlsect"><a href="http://www.bda-dentistry.org.uk/" target="_blank">British Dental Association (BDA)</a>
To receive endorsement by the BDA, a manufacturer must provide scientific evidence that their product runs virtually no risk of causing dental decay or erosion.
The most famous example of BDA endorsement is Ribena Toothkind, which pays both for BDA accreditation and for the right to display its logo.
<a href="http://www.heartuk.org.uk/" target="_blank">The Family Heart Association (FHA)</a></h1><h1 class="h1smlsect">
The FHA endorses products which it considers can justifiably claim to help make up a health diet from a medical and nutritional point of view.
However, there's no formal approval scheme, nor do manufacturers need to pay to display the FHA's logo.
<a href="http://www.nos.org.uk/" target="_blank">The National Osteoporosis Society (NOS)</a> Bone-friendly logo
According to the consumer magazine Which?, the NOS does not divulge the criteria by which it endorses a product, although it claims to triple-check any claims made by manufacturers.
Cheese, bread, yoghurt and mineral water producers pay NOS for their endorsement but Pauline Davey, assistant communications manager at the National Osteoporosis Society, points out that the bone-friendly logo is not something that can be bought by the highest bidder.
"We would love every foodstuff which has a high source of calcium to carry the logo," she says, "but we are a relatively small charity and we still have work to do to raise the logo's awareness among manufacturers.
"It is certainly not the case that anyone who wants to use the logo, can. Our forum of nutritional experts will only allow manufacturers to pay to use the logo if they are satisfied that each individual item has a high-calcium content."
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.