Per 100g column
The 100g column is the most frequently used information.
Use the 100g column to compare similar products or to select foods based on specific guidelines.
For example to find a breakfast cereal with the highest fibre content, compare the fibre per 100g of different cereals.
The following guidelines will help identify healthier food items based on their nutrient content.
Fat:
! Choose foods with less than 2g saturated fat per 100g
! Low fat yoghurt has less than 2g total fat per 100g
! Low fat milk has less than 1g total fat per 100g
! As a general guide, choose other foods with less than 10g total fat per 100g
Sugar:
! Low sugar breakfast cereal and yoghurt have less than 15g sugar per 100g
! Avoid drinks with more than 2.5g carbohydrate per 100g
! Choose other foods with less than 10g sugar per 100g
Fibre:
! Choose foods with more than 6g fibre per 100g
Salt/sodium:
! Food with low sodium content has less than 120mg per 100g
! Food with high sodium content has more than 600mg per 100g
Per serve column
Use the per serve column to find out the amount of carbohydrate in a serving. For example: “One serve of this breakfast cereal is 30g and contains 26g of carbohydrate”.
Check the serving size and servings per pack first. A 600ml drink bottle may contain three serves but if you are thirsty you may drink the whole bottle.
List of Ingredients
All food packages include a list of ingredients but they are not always found as part of the nutrition information panel. Ingredients are listed in order of quantity from largest to smallest. Sugar, fat and salt are often listed in the ingredient list under different names.
