How to read nutrition labels: the guide every consumer needs

Nutrition labels are designed to inform you, but the food industry uses them to confuse you. "Light", "natural", "no added sugar"... many of these claims are technically legal but practically misleading.

First: the ingredient list

Ingredients are listed from highest to lowest quantity. If sugar is in the top 3, avoid it. Hidden names for sugar:

• High fructose corn syrup
• Dextrose, maltose, sucrose
• Fruit juice concentrate
• Agave syrup (as caloric as sugar)
• Maltodextrin

The numbers that matter

• Calories per 100g (not per serving — the manufacturer decides serving sizes)
• Protein: look for minimum 10g/100g in protein products
• Sugar: less than 5g/100g is low, more than 15g/100g is high
• Fiber: more than 3g/100g is good, more than 6g is high
• Salt: less than 0.3g/100g is low, more than 1.5g is high

Food marketing traps

• "Light" only means 30% fewer calories than the original
• "No added sugar" does not mean no sugar (fruits have natural sugar)
• "Whole grain" may contain only 51% whole grain flour
• "Natural" has no legal regulation
• "Source of protein" only needs 12% of calories from protein

With Renzy you can scan the barcode of any product and instantly get its calories, macros, and a health score. Without reading the fine print. The OpenFoodFacts database has millions of products.