What Exactly Are You Eating – Understanding Food Labels
Knowing your food labels…
Labelling is required on all the foods we buy and eat. They should stipulate clearly what it is the product, from nutritional content to extra consumer associations. The rules and guidelines have become far more tighter but there are large corporations which still getaway with effective marketing, unfounded claims. Decoding the back of a can might seem daunting, especially if you are stuck for time, but once you familiarise yourself with the nutritional facts you will be able to make wiser decisions when it comes to your and your family’s health.
Grains, fruits and vegetables…
100% Natural – Legally, food labelled “natural” does not have any artificial ingredients, colouring ingredients, or chemical preservatives, and, in the case of meat and poultry, is “minimally processed.” Meat from animals administered with artificial hormones can (and is) labelled “natural,” as is meat injected with saline solution (this adds weight to a product, which is sold by the kilo). Foods having “natural flavours,” such as processed proteins that you may or may not consider pleasing, can legally sport the label “natural.” The “natural” label on food does mean something and there are guidelines about which foods can be labelled “natural,” but they aren’t very strict and clear.
100% Organic – Organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products are not given antibiotics or growth hormones.
Organic – Means that the product has been made with at least 95% organic ingredients.
Made with organic ingredients – It is made with a minimum of 70% organic ingredients with strict restrictions on the remaining 30% including no GMOs (genetically modified organisms)
100% Whole grain or whole wheat – The term ‘wholewheat’ is not a guarantee that a product you are buying is nutritious or healthy for that matter. Look at the ingredients list; if wholewheat flour isn’t at the top of the list, it’s not 100% wholewheat.
Gluten free – A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes foods containing gluten. Gluten is a protein composite found in wheat, barley, rye and triticale. Despite the health claims for gluten-free eating, there is no published experimental evidence to support such claims for the general population.
Keeping nature safe…
Badger friendly honey – The Badger-Friendly Honey Initiative aims to minimise the conflict between badgers and commercial beekeepers in South Africa and provide positive incentives for badger-friendly beekeeping. Over 320 beekeepers have subscribed to the SABIO Code of Conduct and badger-friendly honey products are available in most retail outlets in South Africa.
Dolphin friendly tuna – The dolphin-safe label only indicates the by-catch contained no dolphins. It does not specify that the by-catch contained no other species, nor does it imply anything about the environmental impact of the hunt itself. The label was designed to denote and to minimize dolphin fatalities during fishing for tuna destined for canning. Two types of tuna fishing are notorious for killing dolphins, purse seine nets and driftnets. The reason for these fatalities is that dolphins and yellowfin tuna swim together and because dolphins are more visible and closer to the surface than tuna, the fishing boats will look for dolphins to find the tuna. Read your tuna can label, as a vast majority of canned tuna is skipjack tuna and not yellowfin tuna. Skipjack tuna do not swim with pods of dolphins.
Dairy items…
Full cream – Full-cream milk is whole milk, milk that has had its cream blended in and homogenized, not milk that has been separated from its cream and sold as low fat, skim, reduced fat, non-fat, 1%, or 2%. Whole milk is about 3.5% milk fat.
2% milk – 2% means that 2% of the weight is milk fat.
Low fat – It means that the product contains 1% of cream.
Fat free, skim milk – Skim milk is milk with an extremely low percentage of fat and where the cream has been removed.
Meat and poultry…
Grain fed – Grain-fed diet for livestock defines these as grains: barley, canola, corn, flaxseed, mixed grain, oats, rye, sorghum, soybeans, sunflower seed, triticale, and wheat, and any other food grains, feed grains, and oilseeds for which standards are established.
Grass fed – Grass fed means that grass and forage are the feed source for cattle and sheep for the duration of their life after weaning. Animals can’t be fed grain or grain byproducts. They must have continuous access to pasture during the growing season. Hay, silage, crop residue without grain, cereal grain crops in the pregrain stage and other roughage sources are acceptable feed.
Free range – Free-range means that poultry have been allowed some access to the outdoors, as for how long and other poultry control, that is not stipulated in the bylaws.
Religious…
Kosher – It is food that conforms to the regulations of kashrut (Jewish dietary law). Reasons for food not being kosher include the presence of ingredients derived from nonkosher animals or from kosher animals that were not slaughtered in a ritually proper manner, a mixture of meat and milk, wine and grape juice (or their derivatives) produced without supervision, the use of produce from Israel that has not been tithed, or the use of non-kosher cooking utensils and machinery.
Halaal – Halal means permitted or lawful in Arabic. Halal foods are foods that are allowed under Islamic dietary guidelines, according to those guidelines that are gathered from the Qu’ran.
Extra labelling…
Fair trade – Fair Trade is an alternative approach to conventional trade and a global movement that stands for sustainability and development through trade. Fair Trade standards focus on improving labour and living conditions for farming communities and on promoting a way of farming that doesn’t harm either people or the environment.
Proudly South African – These are products that are produced and made in South Africa. It is a campaign to promote South African companies, products and services which are actively helping to create jobs and economic growth.
SASSI – South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative was created to make a difference in the role we play in supporting and sustaining the seafood supply chain. When buying any kind of fish look for the SASSI logo, green means that the source is sustainable, orange means that the certain species of fish is reaching levels of concern and red means that the fish species is unsustainable and under threat.
Heart and stroke foundation – The heart logo found on many products in the store are approved by the Heart and Stroke Foundation. They are considered a healthier option for those wanting to live a healthier life, prevent heart disease and loose weight than those not bearing the mark.
CANSA seal of recognition – The seal is placed on products that offer protection against natural environmental elements that may lead to cancer.
Non GMO – This means the the product is 100% natural and contains no genetically modified ingredients in it.
With some practice combined with your weekly shopping rounds you will find that reading labels will become quick and easy. Changes of how manufacturers are allowed to make claims or market their products are coming into play as the world becomes more health concious.You will find that reading labels will become even less confusing, making it easier to make informed healthy food choices.
Extra reading…
- Is genetically modified bad for you?
Source: Discovery Health, Molly Watson – Ask.Com, Organic.Org, Doris Lin – Ask.Com, Keith Begg – Honey Badger Action, Cape Action, O Chef, Wise Geek, Wikipedia, Saad Fayed, Fair Trade, Proudly South African, South African Heart and Strok Foundation,
Read more of the label to know exactly what you are buying.
More info on the town of Hermanus |