Food Labelling – Why Is It Important?

Labeling foods come with many benefits. For this reason, in this short document, we have decided to go through why food labeling is important.

1. Safety

Did you know that about 420,000 people die and more than 600 million people get sick because of eating contaminated foods? It is important to note that there are many forms of contamination such as viruses, bacteria, toxins, parasites, and chemicals. The good news is that labels give warnings and any other relevant information about the way to use a product. A good example is that labels show how to cook and store them. Eco-friendly labels are becoming an increasingly popular demand in the fight to help the planet.

2. Health

Labels play an important role in describing what is contained in the food. The label will tell you if the food contains vitamins, minerals, fats, calories, and others. This will tell you if you are eating the right food that is fundamental for your health. It is a great way to use so that you can avoid deficiencies such as iron and vitamin D. All of these play an important role in preventing illnesses such as diabetes, heart diseases, and more.

3. Identifying Ingredients That Are Harmful To You

Another reason why labels are important is that they will let you know if the product contains an item that is harmful to you. According to statistics, about 25% of the population is affected by food. In other words, 25% experience food reactions and allergies. We all know or come across a person with a food allergy or experience some kind of irritation. The most common types of allergies include milk, soybeans, peanuts, fish, egg, wheat, crustaceans, and tree nut. Depending on a person’s allergic reaction, without identifying the ingredients within a product, it may lead to severe complications.

4. Prevents Buying Counterfeit Products

Labeling Plays an essential role in preventing fraud or counterfeiting. What does this mean? Well, it simply means that without guaranteed labels, food sellers can easily mislead a consumer into buying the wrong product. Just imagine trying to purchase your favorite chocolate or ice cream without a label; it will make it difficult for you to identify it.

5. Supporting local producers

A food label will indicate where the food is from. Examples are Kona coffee (USA), Darjeeling Tea (India), Manchego Cheese (Spain), and Colombia coffee (Colombia). All these are examples of where the product is from which can easily be seen on the product’s label. This will allow a consumer to choose a product of their favorite and the producer.

6. Prevents Food Wastage

When you read a food label correctly, it will prevent you from wasting food. You can easily see the manufacturing date and the expiry date. This will let you know if the food is ready to eat and how long you have to eat it. expired food is known to make people sick. To prevent this, all you have to do is check the dates.

Remember, do not confuse ‘Best Before’ and ‘Use By’ dates. These are two different things. Did you know that about 10% of food waste in the EU is linked to date marking? To prevent this, consider educating yourself more about the dates is a great way to prevent this.

Many people ignore or fail to understand the importance of food labels. However, they play an important role. Therefore, whenever you are reaching out for your favorite snack, keep in mind how important the labels are. They are not simply boring piece of writing on paper but it has a purpose.