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  • 1.  Food labelling - questions from the advocacy team

    Posted 27-04-2021 16:45

    Hi All,

    The advocacy team have approached me with questions around food labelling. Any answers you have to the below would be helpful.

    The information that is communicated to us on food labels can be confusing and limited.

    • Do you regularly read the food labels of products you buy?
    • Do you do this only for new products, or for products you have consumed before?
    • What is the most difficult/annoying aspect of food labelling?
    • Do you rely on the health star rating, or do you still look at the more detailed components?
    • Would you like to see a 'diabetes' rating, or would that complicate your personal choices?
    • What would be the components you would expect in a 'diabetes' rating?


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    Live Your Life Community Team
    Natasha and Erin
    membership@diabetesqld.org.au
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  • 2.  RE: Food labelling - questions from the advocacy team

    Posted 28-04-2021 13:31
    1. Yes, I regularly read the labels.
    2. Primarily but also routinely check on less than totally familiar items.
    3. Most difficult is when you get the value for 100g and or no indication of what is a serving size. Difficult to assess when in the store. When i get home I weigh the serving size…do the maths and write in Texta on the container.
    4. No, do not have much faith in the star rating.
    5. Do not see any value in a diabetic rating as Type 1 & 2s have different needs and to have a generic, one size fits all rating or even guides would be counter productive to the fundamental appreciation of individual responsibility. More access to nutritional advice and carb counting education..


    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Food labelling - questions from the advocacy team

    Posted 28-04-2021 13:33

    # I read every single label
    # I like to have a variety of food for my family and myself but because I am also coeliac I like to keep abreast of what's in all foods. 
    # Inconsistency of information and print size 
    # Never look at the health start rating. 
    # A diabetes rating would be wonderful.  It certainly would not complicate my choices.  
    # Carbs, sugar, sodium and fat content.  



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    Jane
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Food labelling - questions from the advocacy team

    Posted 28-04-2021 13:40
    I'm always reading labels - either to check they are gluten free (I have coeliac disease) or the carbs per serve. The most annoying aspect for me is the print size. It is often too small making it difficult or impossible for me (or anyone) to read. 



    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Food labelling - questions from the advocacy team

    Posted 28-04-2021 18:51
    • - I always read labels for non-familiar products and occasionally  for regular items to refresh my memory. 
    • - I certainly check for new items.
    • - The content per 100g is the most important for me (its a %) and its very useful to compare products.
    • - I'm not concerned about per serve, apart for bread (per/slice).
    • - Not concerned about the health start rating - never look at it  (I was concerned about the media frenzy over Milo which is one of the better milk additives and nothing said about Quick for e.g.)
    • - The text is small but ok with glasses. 
    • - Text on Bread is often in a colour which is hard to see against the bread.
    • - An estimate of GI on all products which are eaten without cooking would be good - some bread already has it.
    - I also like to read country of origin and select products with the highest Australian content.

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    Jock
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Food labelling - questions from the advocacy team

    Posted 29-04-2021 20:45
    ..I check food labels all the time
    ..I check all new foods I am considering and some I have not used for a while and not sure I remember correctly
    ..I only use the 100gram value for comparison and checking that fat, salt, fibre are not go too far from recommended values
    ..My pet hate is the teeny tiny type on nutritional labels and poor contrast between type and background colours which make them impossible to read and transparent plastic labels on bread etc so you can't read the type. I don't take a lot of notice of the serving size except maybe crackers for example, to work out the carb count per cracker.
    ..Never use star or any other product marketing rating,  but I do look for GI ratings. Any system that says coke is healthier than pure fruit juice or bags milo has to be extremely suspect!!!!!!
    .. Not sure if a diabetes rating would be useful as we all manage differently
    ..The info I always check on labels is carbs, fibre, salt, fat, protein (Pretty much in that order depending on the food)

    What would be helpful is for all foods to at least give carb counts and not just kilojoules as happens with some take away foods. I have been caught out when travelling and had to buy take away. It was interesting to see the kg count but for me carbs would have been more helpful - thank goodness for CAlorieKing app.




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    Rochelle
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Food labelling - questions from the advocacy team

    Posted 30-04-2021 19:27
    P.S. Rochelle - I agree.

    Take-aways and restaurants are a lucky dip.  Even a small bread roll at a restaurant can have a big effect on BGL.  Subway is good.

    DQ:  perhaps "added sugar" would be good too.  I think its on some things.

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    Jock
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    Original Message