When it comes to ensuring you're getting the best possible diet it isn't always easy, as basic nutrition information is not mandatory on food labels in South Africa (and may never be). However, with a little bit of effort (think of it as simple detective work) you can help your health by choosing the foods that do offer an ingredients list.

Research shows that only 42 percent of adult South Africans living in metropolitan areas look for health information on food packaging, which is alarming considering the frightening increase in the incidence of heart disease and diabetes in SA.

And new research by the Medical Research Council only adds to the concern — it shows that the average South African only eats about three of the recommended minimum five-a-day servings of vegetables and fruit.

The ingredients list

Where there is no nutrition information table, an ingredients list can be useful. It is law that all food products must have an ingredients list, and this list must name all the ingredients included in the product in decreasing order of ingoing mass.

This means the first item on the list is the main ingredient in the product, then the next biggest and so on, until, at the bottom of the list, are the ingredients present in the least amounts.

In other words, when a cereal lists sugar second on the ingredients list, you know that apart from the cereal component, sugar is dominant in the product.

Likewise if salt, is right at the bottom of the list, you know that is included in a relatively low amount.

Current law allows for certain ingredients to be named by their category only — such as flavourants and colourants — but that's ok because the law is very strict in defining what can and can't be used in food products and sets maximum limits for additives. The problem, as always, comes in monitoring and enforcing the law.

If you are concerned about an ingredient, or what is included on the ingredients list, most products list a phone number for a customer care line. Use it!

The nutrition information table

Generally nutrition information is only given when a product makes some health claim. However, many companies are now voluntarily providing this information on their packaging.

The frustration comes when one brand of the same food item gives information and the others don't, so you're unable to compare.

As a rule I would choose the product that has the information because it helps me make wise choices based on my dietary concerns — i.e. I might be worried about my salt intake while fat may be an issue for you.

The values given are considered average values and can either be determined by laboratory analysis or by calculation. In the case of laboratory analysis, the manufacturer sends a number of samples to the lab, which then determines the exact levels of nutrients such as protein, fat and sodium. With calculation, a sum is made of the contribution that each ingredient makes towards the different nutrients.

Most often the nutrition information table will provide information both for 100g or ml of the product as well as for a single serving. The 100g is useful for comparing different brands of the same product, as you can easily compare like with like — how much fat does product A have in 100g versus how much fat does product B contain in 100g?

Serving sizes, however, may vary so comparisons are more difficult. For example, one yoghurt might be in a 100ml tub and the other in a 125ml tub. Serving sizes are useful for single serving packs where you are going to eat the whole amount and can then determine exactly how much fat, sodium etc it contains.

It's important to know that in SA energy values should be given as kilojoule, which is abbreviated to kJ. If you want to convert to calories, 1 calorie = 4.2kJ. Depending on her activity levels, the average woman needs between 5000kJ and 6500kJ per day.

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Shape Magazine

There are different RDAs for different stages of the life cycle and so there will usually be a descriptor indicating which age group is being referred to. Most commonly, the RDAs on foods are for people 13 years and older.

If you are meeting 100 percent of your RDA of these nutrients each day through all the foods you are consuming, you are unlikely to develop any deficiencies.

Currently when nutrition information is given, there is no mandatory specification for what information has to be given unless a nutrient content claim is made. Generally however, energy, protein, carbohydrate, total fat, cholesterol, fibre and sodium are listed, but it is becoming more common to also list how much sugar is included, as well as the different types of fat (saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated) and even now the trans fatty acid levels. Of course, all this information is only valuable if you know what it means or how much you are aiming for.

What to look out for:

• Take note of the two most important health considerations: fat and sodium.


• Aim for products that have less than 3g of fat per 100g for solids and less than 1.5g per 100ml for liquids.


• Low saturated fat is considered to be less than 1g per 100g and 0.75g per 100ml.


• Trans free products should contain less than 0.1g per 100g/ml. It is important to remember to watch the saturated fat level as often, when trans fats are removed, saturated fat levels go up.


• To be low in cholesterol a food should contain no more than 20mg per 100g or 10mg per 100ml and to be considered cholesterol-free it should have less than 5mg per 100g/ml. The goal is to have less than 300mg per day. Remember to also watch for the saturated fat and trans fat levels of cholesterol-free products.


• Keep your salt (sodium chloride) intake to less than 5g per day, which is equal to one teaspoon of salt from all sources. If you are restricting sodium then aim for less than 2g per day.

With a bit of practise you will soon be able to make wiser, better-for-me food choices. Start label reading today.

Top tips

• If you are concerned about your diet and your nutrient intake, see a registered dietician. She'll help determine your nutritional requirements and will design an eating plan to suit your needs, while taking into consideration your likes and dislikes. She can also give additional tips on reading labels.


• Be a better consumer. Demand nutrition information from the manufacturers of your favourite products.


• E numbers are not required in South Africa. If you see an E number on a local product it's probably there because that product is exported to a country that requires them.


• All food labels should provide the physical (not postal) address of the manufacturer so that Environmental Health Officers are able to carry out random inspections.