How to Read Food Labels and Expiry Dates Correctly

The front of the package is a marketing space, and the back is an information space. Most of what's written on the front is designed to sell, and what's on the back is designed to comply with the law — and that's what's worth reading.

The Ingredient List — The Most Important Line

Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. So if sugar is the second ingredient, it means it's more than all the ones after it combined.

And watch out for the sugar-splitting trick: Instead of writing "sugar" so it tops the list, they split it into types — sugar, glucose syrup, dextrose, corn syrup, concentrated fruit juice, maltose — so each one drops down the ranking. Add them all up in your head.

And hidden sugar names (they are all sugar): sucrose, fructose, lactose, maltose, dextrose, maple syrup, agave syrup, molasses, honey, evaporated cane juice.

Dates — The Difference That Saves Money

"Use by": A safety date. After it, the product might become dangerous even if its appearance and smell are normal. Found on meats, fresh dairy, and ready meals. Stick to it literally.

"Best before": A quality date, not safety. The product after it is usually safe but might lose its crunch or flavor. Found on canned goods, pasta, biscuits, and rice.

And this is very important: A large part of household food waste is caused by throwing away products that have passed the "best before" date while being completely fine. Pasta, rice, and canned goods stay good for months after this date.

The Nutrition Facts Table

The first thing to look at: The serving size. The numbers are usually per 100g or per serving, and companies set small, unrealistic servings to make the numbers look lower.

And always compare on a 100g basis when comparing two products.

Quick indicators per 100g:

• Sugars: Less than 5g = low · More than 22 = high
• Fats: Less than 3 = low · More than 17 = high
• Saturated fats: Less than 1.5 = low · More than 5 = high
• Salt: Less than 0.3 = low · More than 1.5 = high
• Fiber: More than 6 = excellent

Front-of-Pack Claims and Their Translations

• "Natural" — An unregulated term in most countries, guarantees nothing.
• "Light" — Could be light in color or taste, not calories. Read the table.
• "Fat-free" — Usually compensated with more sugar.
• "Low sugar" — Could be with artificial sweeteners or more fat.
• "Whole grain" — Make sure the first ingredient is the whole grain, not white flour.
• "Strawberry flavored" — Flavoring, not strawberries. And "with strawberries" means it actually contains strawberries.
• "Cholesterol-free" on a plant-based product — All plant products are naturally free of it.

Additives and Numbers

Not all numbers starting with E are harmful — E300 is vitamin C, and E160a is beta-carotene. But too many additives are an indicator of a highly processed product.

And a simple practical rule: The shorter the ingredient list and the more familiar its names, the closer the product is to natural. A product with 4 ingredients you recognize is better than a product with 25 ingredients, half of which are chemical names.

Other Things on the Label

• Country of origin — Important for certain products like olive oil and honey.
• Allergy warnings — Usually in bold: wheat, dairy, eggs, nuts, sesame, soy.
• "May contain traces of" — A warning for cross-contamination in the factory.
• Batch number — Important if a product recall happens.
• Storage conditions — "Keep refrigerated after opening" is a line read way too late.

Five Seconds in the Supermarket

If you don't have time to read everything, do this quick check:

1. Read only the first three ingredients — These represent most of the product.
2. See where sugar is on the list — If it's in the first three, think again.
3. Look at the salt per 100g.
4. Compare the length of the list between the two products in your hand — the shorter is usually better.

Fresh Food Without a Label

Vegetables, fruit, and meat from the butcher don't have a label, so judgment relies on the senses:

• Meat: Its color is purplish-red (what's exposed to air becomes bright red — that's normal), its texture is firm not sticky, and its smell is neutral. Sliminess and sour smell = throw it out.
• Fish: Its eye is clear and protruding not sunken, its gills are bright red, its texture bounces back when you press it, and it smells like the sea, not pungent.
• Chicken: White-pink not gray, free of spots, and has a neutral smell.
• Eggs: The water test — a fresh egg sinks horizontally, an old one stands up, and one that floats, throw it out.

Things the Label Doesn't Tell You

The date assumes ideal storage. A product that sat in the car trunk for an hour in summer, or was put in the fridge door instead of the shelf, has an actual lifespan much shorter than written.

And the golden rule: The date is a guide, not a final verdict. Use your senses too — and at the same time, a product that looks fine but has passed its "use by" date should be thrown away because dangerous bacteria do not change appearance or smell.

Summary

Read the back of the package, not the front. The first three ingredients define the product, and sugar is split into many names to drop it down the ranking. Stick to "use by", and "best before" is a quality date, not safety.