Food Labelling

Food Labels: How Can They Help?
Labels are statutory requirement of manufcaturer to disclose information about the
food products .

Sell by date
Expiration date
Lot number
Vegetarian or Non Vegitarian
Recyclable
Environment friendly
Any social message

INSIDE INFORMATION
Food labels and packaging are excellent sources of information about food and guides
for food safety. If you don't take time to read them, you are not taking full advantage of
this food information resource. Look for the following on food labels and packaging:

Exactly what is in the package. This may include
The quantity by weight or volume or count.
The ingredients, listed in decreasing order. In other words, the ingredient present in
the greatest amount is listed first.
The form of the food, such as sliced, whole, or chunk.

How nutritious the food is. This may include the number of calories per serving, amount
of fat, and percentage of vitamins.

If the food is graded or inspected. Eggs and fresh meat have a grade shield or
inspection mark on the package to signify their safety and quality.

How the food should be stored or prepared.

The food's shelf-life dates. These may include
The date product was manufactured, processed, or packaged.
The "sell by" date. This is the last day the product can be sold. It allows time for the
product to be stored and used at home.
The "best if used by" date. This is the freshness date; product may be safe after this
date but will probably not be at peak quality.
The "do not use after" date. This is the expiration date; the last date the product
should be used.

The lot number of the package. Manufacturers place batch identification numbers on
food packages. If there is a problem with a batch of food, news reports will advise
people to return products with a certain number.

Anti-tampering devices. These will reveal whether the container's original closing has
been broken. It could be a plastic seal around the outside of a container or a safety
button on the lid of a jar. If the seal is broken or the button is up, don't buy and don't
use the product.

The name and address of the manufacturer or packer of the food.