What they don't tell us

Even when food is labelled, the information given is not always clear, easy to understand or complete. For example:

• Weasel words -  such as 'traditional', 'farmhouse', 'original', 'special', 'selected' and 'wholesome' all aim to reassure us about a food's origins or persuade us that we are buying something ‘natural’ or a little bit special. But without any further explanation, these are all meaningless.
• Country of origin -  'British' bacon can be made from imported pork, 'English' butter can be churned from imported milk and olive oil 'bottled in Italy' need not be made from Italian olives. That's because labels can declare the 'country of origin' as the place where the food last underwent a 'substantial change'.
• Nutrition information -  Companies aren’t obliged to tell you how much fat, sugar or salt is in their food (unless they make a claim such as ‘low fat’). Many do provide some information, although shoppers say they often find the way this is presented is unhelpful and confusing.
• Health claims -  Terms such as 'no added sugar' and 'low fat', or claims for added vitamins and other mysterious-sounding ingredients that promise to 'maintain a healthy heart', 'reduce cholesterol' or 'aid digestion', persuade us to believe these products are good for us. But treat such claims with caution. There are few regulations covering their use, which makes it hard to judge the products with genuine benefits from those that are pure marketing hype. Claims can also be used selectively - for instance, a breakfast cereal claiming to be 'low in fat' may also be high in sugar and salt.  
• Hidden ingredients -  Products labelled 'No added sugar' may contain all kinds of other sweeteners such as fruit juices, syrups or honey, which are just as sweet and tooth-rotting. Allergy sufferers may find it hard to spot 'hidden' allergens - for example, peanut oil may be labelled as 'vegetable oil'. And not all ingredients derived from genetically modified crops need to be labelled.
• Not all they seem -  Fish ‘steaks’ can be made up of offcuts and flakes of fish, blended and reformed. Similarly, 'smoked' bacon may have just been soaked in a 'smoke flavour' solution.