You’re standing in front of the plant-based yogurt shelf. One says “high-protein,” another “no added sugars,” another “0% fat.” Which one do you choose? The answer isn’t on the largest part of the package, but often in small print: on the label.
In just a few minutes you can learn to understand which claims are truly useful, which need to be verified, and which risk causing confusion.
Where to start when reading a label
The first rule is to distinguish the sections of the label.
The nutrition table describes the amount of energy and fat (of which saturated fatty acids), carbohydrates (of which simple sugars), protein, fiber, salt, and any vitamins and minerals.
The ingredients list, on the other hand, tells you about the composition of the food: which raw materials or components it is made of, in what relative order, and with which additives, if any. Allergens must be highlighted in the ingredients list, for example with bold text, a different style or color.
Claims, that is, the phrases highlighted on the package, such as “source of fiber,” “no added sugars” or “low salt content,” should always be checked in the context of the entire label.
In recent years there has also been a lot of discussion about front-of-pack systems, i.e. the simplified labels placed on the front of the package, such as Nutri-Score. The goal is to simplify understanding of the nutritional profile, but the debate remains open, since a simplified system can help with quick comparisons between products in the same category, but it does not replace a full reading of the label or an assessment of the food’s role in the overall diet.
This approach is particularly important for plant-based food products. “Veg,” “plant-based” or “free from animal-derived ingredients” do not automatically mean “healthier.” Some products in these categories can be high in salt, saturated fat, simple sugars, preservatives, thickeners, and emulsifiers. Here too, it is essential to know how to read the labels of plant-based food products: not everything of plant origin is automatically healthy.
What the nutrition table tells us
Calories indicate how much energy the product provides. They are useful for understanding whether a food fits your energy needs, but they are not enough to assess its quality. The right question is not just “how many calories does it contain?” but “what am I getting along with those calories?”
Fats: saturated and unsaturated
The “fat” entry indicates total lipids. More important, in terms of quality, is the proportion of saturated fat. International recommendations suggest limiting saturated fat (no more than 10% of total energy intake should come from saturated fat) and preferring unsaturated fats from sources such as olive oil, nuts and seeds.
In practice, when comparing similar products, it’s useful to prefer the one with less saturated fat, especially if the product is consumed often.
Beware: a food with less fat is not automatically better if it contains more sugar or salt. The nutrition table should always be read as a whole.
Sugars: total, added and “hidden”
The “sugars” entry in the nutrition table indicates total sugars, not just added ones. This means it also includes naturally occurring sugars, such as lactose in plain yogurt or sugars from fruit. To find out whether sugars or sweetening ingredients have been added, you need to check the ingredients list.
Among the sugars or ingredients used for sweetening, you may find:
- sucrose
- glucose
- dextrose
- fructose
- glucose-fructose syrup
- maltose
- honey
- syrups
- concentrated fruit juice or other ingredients with a sweetening function.
WHO recommendations encourage limiting free sugars, i.e. those added to foods and beverages and those naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices. For this reason, when comparing similar products, it’s reasonable to prefer those with less sugar, especially for foods eaten every day.
Fiber: a useful indicator, but not on its own
Fiber is important for diet quality and gut health. As a practical criterion, a food can be defined as:
- “a source of fiber“ if it contains at least 3 g of fiber per 100 g
- “high in fiber“ if it contains at least 6 g per 100 g.
This doesn’t mean that every product with fiber is automatically healthy: some cereals, bars or snacks can be high in fiber but also high in sugar or fat. However, within the same category, a higher fiber content is often a favorable element, especially in bread, cereals, baked goods, pasta, legumes and plant-based alternatives.
Salt: the value we often underestimate
We get most of our salt from processed foods: bread, baked goods, cheeses, cold cuts, ready meals, sauces, salty snacks and processed plant-based alternatives. The WHO recommends adults consume less than 5 g of salt per day, equivalent to less than 2 g of sodium. When comparing similar products, it would be advisable to prefer the one with less salt.
Are nutritional values enough to evaluate a food?
No. The nutrition declaration is essential, but not sufficient. It does not clarify the quality, degree of processing, type of ingredients used, or role within the overall diet.
A simple example: two products may have similar calories, but one might be made of plain yogurt, nuts and whole grains, while the other is made of refined flours, sugars, oils, flavorings and thickeners. The numbers may look similar, but the composition and health impact are different.
The most solid assessment comes from cross-referencing nutrients, ingredients, frequency of consumption and personal needs. There’s no need to look for the “perfect” food: the goal is to recognize which products can be eaten often, which occasionally, and which deserve a closer comparison.
The ingredients list: the product’s true identikit
The ingredients list is one of the most informative parts of the label. Ingredients are listed in descending order of weight at the time of preparation: the first one is the one present in the largest amount. This allows you to quickly understand the basis of the product.
If you want to buy a truly whole-grain bread, don’t trust the claim “whole-grain bread,” check the first ingredient:
- if “whole wheat flour” or “whole soft wheat flour” appears, the product actually has a whole-grain base;
- if instead the list starts with “type 0 flour” followed by “bran” or “wheat middlings,” it is a product made with refined flour enriched with fiber.
A short, recognizable list can be a good sign, but it’s not an absolute rule. “Fewer ingredients, the better” only works as a practical shortcut to a certain extent. The point is not to mechanically count the ingredients, but to ask yourself: what are the first ones? Are they consistent with the type of food? Are there many sugars, oils, starches, flavorings or additives?
The ingredients list is also where you should check for allergens. Anyone with allergies or intolerances must always read it carefully, checking for highlighted ingredients and wording such as “may contain traces of…,” which indicates possible cross-contamination. For allergic individuals, this information is not a detail: it’s a safety measure.
Food additives: why they are used and how to interpret them
Food additives are substances added to foods to preserve, color, sweeten, emulsify, stabilize, thicken, gel or prevent oxidation. In Europe they are also identified with a number preceded by the letter E, which indicates that the additive has been evaluated and authorized under the European system.
Authorized additives undergo safety assessments and can be re-evaluated in light of new evidence. However, a high daily consumption of industrial products with multiple additives can increase exposure to combinations whose long-term effects on human health are not yet fully understood.
Prospective studies conducted in the French NutriNet-Santé cohort (over 100,000 participants) specifically assessed exposure to certain food emulsifiers, estimated through repeated food diaries, food composition databases, and laboratory analyses of industrial products.
These analyses revealed associations between a higher intake of certain emulsifiers and various health outcomes.
In particular, a higher risk of cardiovascular disease was observed in relation to:
- certain celluloses, including E460 and E466;
- mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, such as E471 and E472;
- certain specific derivatives, such as E472b and E472c.
Associations were also observed with type 2 diabetes, particularly for other emulsifiers, including:
- carrageenans, E407;
- tripotassium phosphate, E340;
- sodium citrate, E331;
- guar gum, E412;
- gum arabic, E414;
- xanthan gum, E415;
- acetylated tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, E472e.
These results alone do not prove a cause-and-effect relationship, but they reinforce the hypothesis that habitual exposure to certain emulsifiers used in industrial products deserves particular attention.
At the same time, the presence of many additives can be a useful clue for understanding the type of product in front of us: ultra-processed foods often use combinations of additives, flavorings, emulsifiers, colorings or stabilizers to achieve the desired taste, texture, shelf life and appearance.
The label should be read with a method
Interpreting a food label means putting together several layers:
- nutritional values
- ingredients list
- allergens
- additives
- claims
- serving size and frequency of consumption.
No single section is enough on its own.
A conscious choice doesn’t come from fearing the label, but from the ability to read it with a method.
A practical example: choosing a plant-based yogurt
In a plain plant-based yogurt, you’d expect to find few ingredients, ideally:
- a plant-based base, for example soy, oats, almond or coconut;
- live cultures;
- possible fortification with vitamins (e.g. Vitamin D) or minerals (e.g. calcium).
In some products, thickeners or stabilizers (e.g. pectins) may be present, used to achieve a texture similar to traditional yogurt. Their presence doesn’t necessarily make the product low quality, but it’s still worth evaluating the overall composition.
If, on the other hand, the following appear:
- sugar
- syrups
- flavorings
- colorings
- starches
- sweetened fruit preparations
the product is already different from a simple plant-based yogurt, even if it may look similar on the package.
The second step is to look at the nutrition table.
Unlike dairy yogurt, plant-based yogurts don’t naturally contain lactose. The sugars present therefore depend on the raw material used (e.g. coconut milk) and any added sugar.
Plain, unsweetened versions generally contain lower amounts (in soy-based yogurts we’d expect around 0 g of sugar per 100 g of product), while fruit or flavored plant-based yogurts may have higher amounts due to added sugars or sweetening ingredients (around 12 g of sugar per 100 g of product).
When comparing similar products, it’s useful to prefer the one with less added sugar and always check whether a sweetener appears in the ingredients list.
It’s also important to evaluate the protein content. Soy yogurts generally have a protein content most similar to dairy yogurt (4g of protein per 100g of product), while products based on coconut, almond, rice or oats may contain lower amounts.
The type of fat also varies depending on the raw material. Coconut-based products can contain high amounts of saturated fat, while soy, almond or oat-based ones generally have a more favorable lipid profile. The choice should still be made in the context of individual nutritional needs and the overall diet.
Finally, claims should be verified. Wording such as “0% fat,” “high-protein,” “no added sugars” or “with fruit” is not enough on its own to define the quality of the product.
The most informed choice comes from cross-referencing the ingredients list, nutritional values and the overall diet.
Before putting a product in your cart, always ask yourself:
- What are the first ingredients?
- Are sugar, salt and saturated fat high compared to similar products?
- Beyond the claims, what does the label show about the overall quality of the product?
- Is this a food I eat every day or only occasionally?
- Is the ingredients list consistent with what I thought I was buying?
Reading labels means having one more tool to choose with greater awareness.
To keep exploring these topics, from plant-based product labels to front-of-pack systems, all the way to ultra-processed products, you can subscribe to the REFOOD newsletter: a space to receive updates, practical guides and evidence-based tools to help you navigate nutrition, health and sustainability.
