Use Nutrition Label to Choose Healthy Food (Abridged version)

1. Use Nutrition Label to Choose Healthy Food (Abridged version)

2. Information on Food Labels

3. Nutrition Information on Food Labels:Nutrition Label

4. Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling)(Amendment: Requirements for Nutrition Labellingand Nutrition Claim) Regulation 2008 Nutrition information on Food Labels Nutrition Labelling Nutrition Claims Nutrient content claims Nutrient function claims Nutrient comparative claims

5. Making Use of Nutrition Label Consumers can: • Compare the nutritional content among different foods for a healthier choice, e.g. to choose food that is lower in fat, sodium (or salt) and sugars. • Understand the nutritional content of food and estimate their contribution to the overall diet. • To meet individual’s dietary needs.

6. Three Simple Steps to Read Nutrition Label Step 1 • Take note of the reference amount of food being used in the nutrition label Step2 • Read the energy and nutrient content together with the reference amount Step3 • Refer to the percentage Nutrient Reference Value (%NRV), if available, to see if the food contains a lot or a little of energy or a nutrient in the food

7. Step 1: Take note of the reference amount of food being used in the nutrition label • Expressed as per 100 g (or per 100 mL) of food

8. Step 1: Take note of the reference amount of food being used in the nutrition label • Expressed as per serving (the serving size (in g or mL) and the no. of servings must be specified on the package)

9. Step 1: Take note of the reference amount of food being used in the nutrition label • Expressed as per package (if the package contains only a single serving)

10. Step 2A:Use nutrition label to compare between products (Partial) Nutrition label of Brand A biscuit (Partial) Nutrition label of Brand C biscuit • Products with nutritional content expresssed in the SAME reference amount If reference amount is the SAME, you CAN COMPARE between the products DIRECTLY

11. Step 2A:Use nutrition label to compare between products (Partial) Nutrition label of Brand A biscuit (Partial) Nutrition label of Brand D biscuit • Products with nutritional content expresssed in DIFFERENT reference amounts If reference amounts are DIFFERENT, you CANNOT COMPARE between the products DIRECTLY

12. Step 2:Read the energy and nutrient content together with the reference amount • Products with nutritional content expresssed in DIFFERENT reference amounts

13. Step 2:Read the energy and nutrient content together with the reference amount • The more you eat, the more you get • If you eat 1 serving of biscuit • Get 8 g of fat, 3.5 g of saturated fat • If you eat 2 servings of biscuit • Get 16 g of fat, 7 g of saturated fat

14. Step 3: Refer to the percentage Nutrient Reference Value (%NRV), if available, to see if the food contains a lot or a little of energy or a nutrient in the food • Energy and nutrient content sometimes are expressed as a percentage which is usually on a scale from 0% to 100%.

15. Nutrition Label and Healthy Eating

17. Principles of Healthy Eating • Choose a variety of food and eat cereals as the largest portion of food in every meal. • Eat a lot of vegetables and fruit. • Reduce the consumption of foodstuffs with high salt, fat and sugar content as well as those which are preserved. • A daily fluid intake of 6 to 8 glasses (including clear soup, fruit juice and tea). • Take meals regularly and in adequate amounts. (Source of information: Department of Health)

18. Nutrition Labelling is a Useful Tool for Practising Healthy Eating • Nutrition label and nutrition claim can help consumers choose healthier food in accordance with healthy eating principles and the Food Pyramid, e.g. • Choose biscuits lower in fat and sodium (or salt) • Choose dairy products lower in fat • Choose beverages lower in sugars

19. Use Nutrition Labels to Choose “3 Low” Prepackaged Food

20. How to Choose “3 Low” Prepackaged Food “3 Low”--- Low fat, Low sodium (or Low salt), Low sugars • Use nutrition claim as a quick screening tool; and • Take three simple steps to read nutrition label, and choose food lower in fat, sodium and sugars

21. How to Choose “3 Low” Prepackaged Food The words below are considered as synonyms for nutrition claims, they may help you choose food with low/free fat, sodium or sugars:

22. How to Choose “3 Low” Prepackaged Food – Example 1 Milk Beverage A Milk Beverage B

23. How to Choose “3 Low” Prepackaged Food – Example 2 Corn Flakes C Corn Flakes D

24. How to Choose “3 Low” Prepackaged Food – Example 3 Soup E Soup F

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26. Required Nutrients on Nutrition Labels • 1+7 (energy plus seven nutrients specified for labelling) – i.e. energy, protein, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, carbohydrates, sugars and sodium. • Nutrient(s) involved in nutrition claim(s) (when the nutrition claim is on any type of fat, the amount of cholesterol must be declared as well). • For other nutrients, declaration is voluntary.

27. Control of Nutrition Claims • Nutrition claim means any representation which states, suggests or implies that a food has particular nutritional properties. • From 1 July 2010, all nutrition claims must meet certain specified conditions, e.g. • Product with “Low sodium” claim should contain not more than 120 mg of sodium per 100 g/mL of food. • Product with “Low sugars” claim should contain not more than 5 g of sugars per 100 g/mL of food. • Nutrition claims on food labels and advertisements are all regulated.

28. Wordings on Food Packages may be Blacked out or Covered • Some nutrition claims may not meet certain specific criteria as required by the new Regulation in Hong Kong. • Therefore, traders might black out or cover the relevant wordings on the food packages.

29. Wordings on Food Packages may be Blacked out or Covered 此乃豁免 營養標籤產品 Nutrition Labelling Exempted 此乃豁免 營養標籤產品 Nutrition Labelling Exempted 此乃豁免營養標籤產品 Nutrition Labelling Exempted • Food products with low sales volume could be exempted from nutrition labelling if they do not carry any nutrition claims. • Therefore, some traders may black out or cover the wordings on these products’ packages in order to make their products exempted.