Reasons why food labels are crucial!

It is becoming increasingly difficult for us to identify the origins of specific food products due to increased global trade, however, original labels aid in bridging this gap. Food labels fall under the legal obligations of packers and are significant for various reasons.

1. It helps to maintain your health. 

Food labels assist you in understanding the vitamins, minerals, fats, calories and other ingredients that make up your food. This knowledge of food composition is essential for ensuring that you are eating the right kinds of food. 

In fact, you can check your intake of micronutrients to cure deficiencies, particularly those that are common, like iron and vitamin D deficiency. You can control how much salt and sugar you consume while also eating a balanced diet. All of these behaviours can aid in the prevention of chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and more.

2. Restore food quality

Do you know every year, consuming contaminated food (with bacteria, viruses, parasites, or other microorganisms or chemicals) causes a large number of foodborne illnesses? When it comes to protecting food from microbial contamination, labels contain important directions for cooking and storage. If an ingredient is not on the label, it should not be in the product.  Labels help keep our food safe.

3. It prevents you from purchasing fake goods.

One of the critical reasons behind proper food labelling is avoiding food fraud. Without internationally verified labels, food vendors could purposefully mislead consumers by making false claims. . Therefore, the next time you purchase seafood or imported chocolate, you should confirm that the product is what it says it is before purchasing.

4. Mark food allergens

Food allergies are prevalent nowadays, and the common sources are peanuts, soybeans, milk, eggs, fish, wheat, and others. You run the risk of developing an allergy or experiencing a severe response if you are not informed of allergens in food. Unaware of a product's components, if you ever unintentionally consume something, it can get worse within a few hours. So refer to food labels cautiously to avoid such unfortunate instances!

5. Protect locally-sourced ingredients

Are you aware of the GI tag or geographical identification mark on food packages? It ensures the uncompromised quality of local food. With this, the origin of some foods is noted on the packaging, such as Darjeeling tea from India. Additionally, customers can support good manufacturing practices by looking for labels on the food source.

Wrapping up

In summary, it's simple to ignore food labels when you reach for your preferred item or snack. Nevertheless, knowledge is power, and this power can assist in supporting public health.