The Ultimate Guide to Reading Food Labels in Australia

Walking through the supermarket aisles can feel overwhelming when you're trying to make healthy choices. Food packages are covered in marketing claims like "natural," "lite," and "low-fat," but what do these terms actually mean? Understanding how to read food labels is one of the most valuable skills you can develop for improving your diet. This comprehensive guide will teach you everything you need to know about decoding Australian food labels so you can shop with confidence.

Understanding the Nutrition Information Panel

Every packaged food in Australia must display a Nutrition Information Panel (NIP). This standardised table provides essential information about the nutritional content of the food. Learning to read this panel is your first step toward making informed choices.

The NIP displays information in two columns: per serving and per 100g (or 100mL for liquids). The per 100g column is particularly useful because it allows you to compare products directly, regardless of their serving sizes. For example, if you're comparing two different brands of breakfast cereal, looking at the per 100g column gives you an accurate comparison.

Key Nutrients to Check

When examining the NIP, focus on these critical nutrients:

Energy (kilojoules): This tells you how much energy the food provides. The average adult needs approximately 8,700 kilojoules per day, though this varies based on age, gender, and activity level. Use our free calorie calculator to determine your personal daily energy needs.

Protein: Essential for muscle maintenance and repair. Most adults need 0.8-1g of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. Look for foods that provide substantial protein relative to their energy content.

Fat (Total and Saturated): While some fat is necessary for health, the type matters. Saturated fat should be limited to less than 10% of total energy intake. As a quick guide, look for products with less than 3g of saturated fat per 100g.

Carbohydrates and Sugars: The sugar figure is included within the total carbohydrate count. Aim for products with less than 15g of sugar per 100g for general foods, and less than 25g per 100g for foods containing dried fruit.

Sodium: High sodium intake is linked to high blood pressure. Look for products with less than 400mg of sodium per 100g, or ideally less than 120mg per 100g for the healthiest options.

Dietary Fibre: While not always listed, fibre is important for digestive health. Look for whole grain products that contain at least 3g of fibre per serve.

Decoding the Ingredients List

The ingredients list is equally important as the nutrition panel. In Australia, ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight, meaning the first ingredient makes up the largest proportion of the product.

What to Look For

When scanning ingredients, consider these guidelines:

The first three ingredients matter most: These make up the bulk of the product. If sugar, fat, or refined flour appears in the first three ingredients, the product may not be the healthiest choice.

Recognise hidden sugars: Sugar goes by many names, including sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, dextrose, corn syrup, honey, agave, and fruit juice concentrate. A product might list several different sugars to make each appear lower on the ingredients list.

Watch for additives: Numbers in the ingredients list indicate food additives. While most are safe, some people prefer to avoid certain additives. Common ones include preservatives (200-299), colours (100-199), and flavour enhancers like MSG (620-625).

Look for whole foods: The best products have short ingredients lists with items you recognise. If you can't pronounce half the ingredients, it might be more processed than you'd like.

Understanding Health Claims on Packaging

Food manufacturers use various claims to make their products appear healthier. In Australia, these claims are regulated, but they can still be misleading if you don't understand what they mean.

Common Claims Explained

"Low fat" or "Light/Lite": A product labelled "low fat" must contain no more than 3g of fat per 100g. However, reduced fat products often contain added sugar to compensate for the lost flavour. Always check the sugar content.

"Reduced" claims: When a product claims to be "reduced" in something (reduced fat, reduced salt, reduced sugar), it must contain at least 25% less of that nutrient compared to the regular product. But this doesn't necessarily mean it's low in that nutrient overall.

"No added sugar": This means no sugar was added during processing, but the product may still contain naturally occurring sugars (such as lactose in milk or fructose in fruit). Check the total sugar content on the nutrition panel.

"Natural": Surprisingly, this term has no legal definition in Australia. A product labelled "natural" may still contain processed ingredients, additives, or high amounts of sugar and fat.

"Whole grain": Look for products that list a whole grain (such as whole wheat, rolled oats, or brown rice) as the first ingredient. "Made with whole grains" might mean only a small percentage is actually whole grain.

The Health Star Rating System

Australia's Health Star Rating (HSR) system was introduced to help consumers quickly identify healthier options. Products are rated from half a star to five stars, with more stars indicating a healthier choice within that food category.

The HSR considers positive nutrients (fibre, protein, fruit, vegetable, nut, and legume content) against risk nutrients (energy, saturated fat, sugars, and sodium). While useful as a quick comparison tool, it's best used alongside reading the full nutrition panel.

Important note: The HSR is voluntary, so not all products display it. Products scoring poorly are less likely to include the rating on their packaging. Don't assume a product without a star rating is unhealthy—it may simply mean the manufacturer chose not to display it.

Practical Tips for Smarter Shopping

Armed with your label-reading knowledge, here are practical strategies for your next supermarket trip:

Compare similar products: Use the per 100g column to compare different brands of the same product. You might find significant differences in sugar or sodium content between brands.

Don't be swayed by front-of-pack claims: Marketing messages are designed to sell products. Always flip the package over and check the nutrition panel and ingredients list.

Consider serving sizes: Manufacturers sometimes use unrealistically small serving sizes to make nutrition figures appear more favourable. Check if the serving size matches how much you would actually eat.

Choose whole foods when possible: Fresh fruits, vegetables, and unprocessed meats don't need nutrition labels because they're naturally nutritious. The more of these you include in your shopping basket, the less label reading you'll need to do.

Take your time: When trying a new product, spend a moment reading the label. Once you find healthier options you like, they become easy repeat purchases.

Putting It All Together

Reading food labels effectively is a skill that improves with practice. Start by focusing on one or two nutrients that matter most for your health goals—perhaps sugar if you're trying to reduce your intake, or sodium if you're watching your blood pressure. As you become more comfortable, you can consider multiple factors simultaneously.

Remember that no single food makes or breaks a healthy diet. It's your overall eating pattern that matters most. Use your label-reading skills to make better choices most of the time, while still enjoying the foods you love in moderation.

For help understanding your nutritional needs and how many calories you should be consuming daily, try our free health calculators. Knowing your personal requirements makes reading labels even more meaningful, as you can assess how each food fits into your daily nutrition goals.