🥗 Nutrition · 4 min read

Reading nutrition labels: what is on the pack and what it means

The mandatory declaration

Prepacked foods in the EU carry a nutrition declaration with seven items in a fixed order: energy, fat, of which saturates, carbohydrate, of which sugars, protein and salt. Further items may be added voluntarily, such as fibre.

Energy appears in both kilojoules and kilocalories. The values must refer to 100 grams or 100 millilitres — and that is exactly what makes them comparable.

Per 100 grams and per portion

In addition to the per-100-grams figure, a per-portion figure may appear. This second column is the most common cause of misjudgement, because portion size is not uniformly defined — the manufacturer sets it.

A small stated portion makes every number look lower without anything about the product changing. When comparing two products, always use the per-100-grams column and only then consider how much is actually eaten.

The ingredients list

The ingredients list is often more informative than the nutrition table, because it shows what a product is made of. The order is prescribed: descending by weight at the time of manufacture. What comes first is present in the greatest quantity.

Two details deserve attention. First, ingredients highlighted in the product name must be declared with their percentage — if the front says “with butter”, the list carries the figure. Second, sweetening ingredients can appear under various names, such as syrup, concentrate or malt extract; listed separately, they slide further down the order.

Allergens must be emphasised in the ingredients list, usually in bold. For people with allergies the list is therefore the binding place — not the front of the pack.

Regulated terms

Claims such as “low sugar”, “fat-free” or “high fibre” are not free formulations. EU law sets the conditions that must be met for such a term to be used. If it is on the pack, the corresponding condition is met.

That protects against false statements, not against skewed impressions. A product may be called “low fat” and still be energy-dense if the energy comes from other sources. Conversely, foods with a higher fat share are not automatically problematic. Regulated terms each describe a single nutrient, not the product as a whole.

Terms without a legal definition, by contrast, are not regulated — words such as “natural”, “mindful” or “balanced” on the front carry no verifiable meaning. They are a reason to read the back.

Where there is no table

Not everything carries a nutrition declaration. Exemptions include unprocessed single-ingredient products — fresh fruit, vegetables, untreated meat — very small packages and loose goods, for instance at a counter or a bakery. Artisanally produced items sold directly to consumers also fall under exemptions.

That is not a shortcoming but a deliberate boundary: for a carrot a table is of little help, and for small businesses analysing every pastry would be disproportionate. In practice it does mean that figures are missing precisely for baked goods, takeaway dishes and loose items — there only general food composition tables help, and their values are averages for a product group, not for the specific piece.

Independently of this, allergen labelling applies to loose goods too. The information may be given verbally, but this must then be announced by a written notice on the premises.

The best-before date and its neighbour

Two date markings are regularly confused although they mean different things. The best-before date states how long a food keeps its typical properties under correct storage — taste, smell, texture, nutritional value. It is a statement about quality, not about safety. Many products remain usable long afterwards; this can be checked by looking, smelling and, if both are unremarkable, tasting a small amount.

The use-by date, by contrast, appears on highly perishable foods such as minced meat or fresh poultry. It is a safety marking: after it has passed, a product may no longer be placed on the market, and it should no longer be eaten — regardless of how it looks or smells.

Both apply only to unopened goods under the stated storage conditions. Once opened, the note on the pack applies, such as “once opened, keep refrigerated and use within a few days”.

What labelling does not do

The nutrition table describes composition, not suitability. Whether a product fits a particular diet depends on the total amount, the other meals and personal circumstances — questions a pack cannot answer.

Voluntary front-of-pack rating systems also summarise only a section. They are intended for comparison within a product group and say less when very different foods are compared.

With intolerances, allergies or medically indicated dietary requirements, no labelling replaces professional advice. The pack supplies the data; the interpretation for an individual case comes from elsewhere.

Last reviewed: 14.08.2026

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