In fact, the dense labels on food packaging, you just need to look carefully-food name, ingredients, production date, shelf life, food certification marks are ok!
1, depending on the name of the food, but also on the name of the feature.
"General Rules for Labeling in prepackaged foods" stipulates that special names reflecting the true attributes of food should be clearly indicated in the eye-catching position of food labels.
Therefore, while looking at the names of foods, we must look at the special names that explain the food categories, otherwise we will misunderstand the products just by reading some words.
For example, a brand of walnut milk has a slightly smaller font and reads "compound protein drink". Since it is a beverage, its main raw material must be water, not milk or walnuts.
Words describing the physical state or processing technology of food, such as drying, concentration, recycling, non-frying, frying, puffing, smoking, powder, granules and so on, cannot be ignored before and after the name of food. Can help you know more about food.
2. ingredient list: you should know these "traps"
The General Rules for Labeling in prepackaged foods stipulates that all ingredients should be arranged one by one in descending order when making or processing food; Components with an addition amount of less than 2% can be arranged in descending order.
There are many ingredients in the ingredient list, but we only need to pay attention to the top ingredient? Because they must be the main components of the product and can also reflect the essence of the product.
If the product emphasizes the addition of a certain component with special value, or emphasizes that the content of a certain component is extremely low, the addition amount or content of the corresponding component should be identified.
For example, xylitol chewing gum needs to be marked with xylitol content; Olive blending oil needs to be marked with the addition amount of olive oil; Sweet corn sausage needs to be marked with the content of sweet corn.
If an ingredient has been treated with ionizing radiation or ionizing energy, it should be marked as "irradiated food"; If it contains genetically modified ingredients, it shall be marked with "genetically modified".
1)0 fat: less fat, more sugar.
When people eat too much fat, they tend to get fat, so when we see the unique "zero fat" on food packaging, we will not hesitate to choose it. However, some "zero-fat" foods are high in carbohydrate (carbohydrate) compounds shown in the nutrient composition table and ingredient list, and besides eating a lot of fat, it is easy to get fat, and eating too much sugar is also easy to get fat.
Take "0 fat" lactic acid beverage as an example. They contain more carbohydrates than yogurt and pure milk. After being absorbed by the human body, it will also generate heat and convert it into fat.
2)0 sugar food: The sugar content is actually not low.
In fact, "sugar-free" does not mean that there is no sugar. Generally, the so-called "sugar-free" food refers to the sweet food that does not contain sucrose (sucrose, beet sugar) and starch sugar (glucose, maltose and fructose), and may contain other sugar substitutes (such as maltitol, sorbitol and xylitol).
In addition, if sugar-free cakes and biscuits contain starch, they will be converted into sugar. For diabetics, eating too much is not recommended.
3) Trans fatty acids are 0, but there are more saturated fatty acids.
Therefore, the "0 trans fatty acid" we see means that the trans fatty acid content in100g of this product is less than 0.3g, which does not mean that it is completely absent. Not only that, trans fatty acids decrease, but saturated fatty acids in many foods increase for taste, which is also unhealthy.
4) Nutrition: Pay attention to the word "hydrogenation"
When the food ingredients contain or use hydrogenated and/or partially hydrogenated oils and fats in the production process, the trans fat (acid) content should be indicated. If the ingredients contain products with hydrogenated oil and/or partially hydrogenated oil as the main raw materials, such as margarine, shortening and cocoa butter substitute (except those without hydrogenated oil), the trans fat (acid) content should also be marked.
5) The preservative is 0, and there is too much sugar or salt.
In fact, many foods do not contain preservatives, but contain a certain amount of antioxidants, which are also food additives. For example, in the ingredient list of instant noodles, butylated hydroxypropyl ether, 2,6-di-tert-butyl cresol, tert-butyl hydroquinone, etc.
In addition, in fact, the salt and sugar we eat most often are good "preservatives". For example, foods preserved with sugar or salt can be preserved for a long time. In other words, such food is also in danger of too much salt or sugar.
3, production date and shelf life
1) production date
The date and time when the goods have completed all processes on the production line, been inspected and packaged into finished products that can be sold in the market.
2) Shelf life
Refers to the time limit for prepackaged foods to keep the quality under the storage conditions specified in the label, that is to say, the food quality is the best in this time limit. Prepackaged foods marked the shelf life. To this end, we must clearly see the date of production of food.
3) Shelf life
It means that although the shelf life is over, it does not mean that the quality of food will definitely change after the shelf life. If the color, smell and taste of the food have not changed significantly or changed qualitatively, it can still be eaten.
If the food you buy has passed the shelf life, you should protect your rights and interests according to law even if it has not deteriorated.
The General Rules for Labeling in prepackaged foods stipulates that the shelf life or shelf life shall be marked in one of the following ways.
a)？ Used for shelf life
"It is best to eat before" or "It is best to drink before";
"Best before drinking", "Best before eating" or "Best before drinking";
"Best before this date …", "Best to eat before this date …" or "Best to drink before this date …";
"Shelf life (to) ...;
"The shelf life is ×× months [×× days (days), × years]".
b)？ shelf life
Before eating or before drinking;
"Eat …" or "Drink …" before this date;
"Shelf life (to) ...;
"Shelf life ×× months" [×× days (days), × years].
If the shelf life or storage period of food is related to the storage conditions, the specific storage conditions of food shall be marked.
4, food certification label to look for.
The certification marks of food mainly include QS mark, pollution-free food mark, green food mark and organic food mark. In addition, if the food contains genetically modified ingredients, the packaging should be marked with "genetically modified logo".
QS mark: QS stands for "production license", which is the most basic requirement for food. Passing QS certification means that the food has passed the certification license of AQSIQ and meets the requirements of the relevant food market access system before it is eligible for production and sales.
The most prominent label of pollution-free food, green food and organic food is "safety", and the safety level rises in turn.
1) pollution-free food: pollution-free, non-toxic and safe high-quality food. In our country, pollution-free food needs to be produced in a clean environment, according to the specified technical operation procedures, and the harmful substances are controlled within the specified standards, and the food marked with pollution-free food can be used only after being authorized by the department.
2) Green food: safe and high-quality edible agricultural products and related products produced in excellent ecological environment, produced according to green food standards, subject to whole-process quality control and obtained the right to use green food marks.
3) Organic food: It comes from an ecologically sound organic agricultural production system. The production and processing of organic food do not use synthetic substances such as chemical pesticides, fertilizers and chemical preservatives, nor do they use genetically modified organisms and their products.
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