JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2000

WHAT'S FOR DINNER ? Consult food labels to make better choices. With the beginning of the new year, many have taken the resolution to be careful about what they eat. Foods that are wrapped have labels which contain some information. It is important to know how to use this information in order to make wise choices. There are three distinct sources of information on labels: the nutritional allegations the nutritional information the ingredient list Every wrapped food must have an ingredient list. However, the nutritional allegations and information are not mandatory. The nutritional allegations underline a nutritional characteristic particular to that food; for example: "light" or "cholesterol free". In general, these allegations are found on the front of the label in bold characters.When an allegation is on the label, detailed nutritional data must be found on the allegation elsewhere on the label. For example: if the allegation relates to fibre; the producer is obliged to indicate the number of grams of fibre per portion found in the product. This detailed information is found in the "nutritional information" section. Beware of the allegations concerning fats. Often, consumers believe that the allegation "cholesterol free" means that the product contains less fat. That is not the case ! Only the foods of animal origins contain cholesterol. Foods of plant origins (like vegetable oil) do not contain cholesterol but they are still rich in fats.Caution when you see the allegation "light". Consumers often believe that the term light refers to the quantity of calories or fat. That is not the case. A product can be "light" in texture, flavour; independently of its fat or calorie level. In general, we consume more sodium than we need. Salt is the main source of sodium. We do not need to worry about a lack of sodium since it is found in drinking water and in most natural foods. And the intake of these would be sufficient to meet our basic needs. It is recommended to verify the labels in order to reduce our intake of sodium.Other than salt, we find products with the same characteristics such as: monosodium glutamate, sodium bicarbonate, bread yeast, brine, soya sauce, kelp etc... When a product has an indication such as "50% less salt", the food contains 50% less salt than the original product, but this product is not necessarily low in sodium. The nutritional information section is voluntary and the information provided is true. It must have a title, the portion size as well as the basic list (energy, protein, fats and carbohydrates).The portion measured is in grams or millilitres, the portion suggested must be a domestic measure.The basic list contains the energy value in Calories (Cal) and in kilojoules (kj), the protein, fat and carbohydrate levels are in grams. There are three types of carbohydrates: sugars, starch, fibres. Sugars contain the natural sugars as well as the added ones. Starch is a carbohydrate that is found in bread, pasta, rice, cereals, muffins, etc... Fibres are found in variable proportions in cereals mainly whole grain ones, legumes, vegetables and fruits as well as nuts and seeds. They are not digested. They do not provide energy, but contribute mainly to stimulate the intestine function. v In the nutrition information, the term carbohydrate is the total of these three carbohydrates. Example: Carbohydrates: 24g Sugars: 3.7g Starch: 17g Fibres: 3.1g The ingredient list For all wrapped foods, the producers are obliged to provide a list of the ingredients used. These ingredients are listed in decreasing order of importance. The quantity of an ingredient is established by weight and not by volume. The first ingredient is the one that is found in greatest quantity in the product and the last one is found in least quantity. In the ingredient list, sugars may appear with different names: watch for the words ending in "ose" such as glucose, maltose, sucrose, dextrose, saccharose, galactose, levulose. Don't forget brown sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup or corn syrup, dextrin, sorghum, stevia extract, beet powder, cane juice, etc... Ø There are also sweeteners or sugar substitutes: aspartame, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltitol, lactitol, sucralose, isomalt, potassium acesulfate, thaumatine, saccharine, cyclamate, hermefetas, nutra sweet, sucaryl, splenda and equal. Sweeteners must be used in moderation since they maintain a dependency to a "sweet taste" and their effect on health have not been proven. Fats appear under the names: vegetable oil, animal or vegetable shortening, coconut or palm oil, butter, margarine or lard. Don't forget that animal fats contain cholesterol. It is wise to privilege fats of vegetable origin. For margarine, search for the allegation "non-hydrogenated" (Olivina or Becel).Avoid tropical oils such as palm oil or coconut oil since they are mainly saturated oils (solid at room temperature). Look for the term WHOLE in the ingredient list. For pasta, look for whole wheat or whole durum wheat. For breads, choose a bread made with whole wheat, bran or kamut flour etc... Avoid white, unbleached, and enriched flours. It is important to verify the ingredient list since an enriched flour with added bran does not transform itself in a whole wheat flour even if it is darker in colour. For bread and pasta, avoid refined products since they are nutritionally poor. N.B.The Next parution we will continue to discuss food labels and also will discuss food additives. Sonia Faggion