🧾 What You'll Find on a UK Food Label:

1. Nutrition Information Table

Usually shown per 100g/ml and per portion. It includes:

• Energy (in kilojoules [kJ] and kilocalories [kcal])

• Fat

  • of which saturates

• Carbohydrate

  • of which sugars

• Protein

• Salt

2. Traffic Light Colour System

Found on the front of the pack, this shows at-a-glance levels of key nutrients:

ColourWhat It Means🟢 GreenLow – healthier choice🟡 AmberMedium – okay in moderation🔴 RedHigh – limit intake when possible

These colours are shown for:

• Fat

• Saturates (saturated fat)

• Sugars

• Salt

🧪 Example (like in the chart above):

NutrientPer 100gColourFat10gAmberSaturates3gRedSugars15gRedSalt0.8gAmber

Red doesn’t mean “don’t eat it”—it just means be mindful of how often and how much you’re having.

3. Ingredients List

• Ingredients are listed from most to least by weight.

• Watch for sugar listed in many forms: glucose, fructose, syrup, etc.

• Helpful for spotting additives or allergens

4. RDA / RI – What Do They Mean?

• RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance (older term)

• RI = Reference Intake (current UK term)

This shows you how much of each nutrient you need in a day, based on an average adult.

🧠 Typical RI values (for an adult):

• Energy: 2000 kcal

• Total fat: 70g

• Saturates: 20g

• Sugars: 90g

• Salt: 6g

On packaging, you’ll see something like:

"Sugars: 15g – 17% of your daily intake"

This helps you understand how much of your daily allowance that food uses up.

RDA for sugar is showing an astronomical 90g. That’s insane. In reality, we should try our best to consume not more than 30g a day.

📦 Key Tips for Reading Labels

✅ Check the portion size – sometimes “1 serving” is unrealistically small
✅ Watch the reds – especially in snacks and processed foods
✅ Look for short ingredient lists – fewer, whole ingredients are best
✅ Compare products – even similar items (like yogurts) can vary widely