How to Read Labels: Things Food Manufacturers don't want to tell you
There are some hidden secrets that most people don't know. Here are some common ones that you need to know about labels.
Serving Sizes stated on the packages are not a recommendation of how much you should eat or drink. They are determined by the Food Manufacturers.
Some Food Manufacturers will use salt in the Nutrition labels instead of sodium, so read the label carefully. Most of the time, it is to hide the fact that the product is high in sodium. A lower amount would trick you into believing that it is low in sodium. To help you convert the amount of salt back to sodium, please use the converter.
Claims are just advertisements. Some claims are regulated while other claims are not. Claims doesn't help you much in determining whether it is a healthy product or not. You would still need to read the Nutrition Labels.
Look out for those with the Healthier Choice Symbol but do still compare the Nutrition labels as some healthy products do not have the Healthier Choice Symbols especially those that are imported. FYI: Food manufacturers would need to pay and go through a long process to get the Healthier Choice Symbol and it is not compulsory. Nutri-Grade is compulsory.
Nutrition Labels are not mandatory and not regulated in Singapore. You may find Local products that do not have Nutrition Labels. You would need to trust that the supplier is providing you with the right amount of nutrients and ingredients.
Some Food Manufacturers will state Ingredients in their scientific name or an alternative name of that ingredient (i.e. not the common names that we understand),