Food in an unfamiliar supermarket: what to look for on the label

In an unfamiliar supermarket, a package can look entirely unreadable, but usually only the words are. Numbers, symbols, line order, and type treatment follow rules; in most countries those rules are similar. They are enough to start reading a label before you translate the ingredients.

What you can read without knowing a single word

• Ingredient order. Ingredients are almost always listed in descending order by weight. The first two or three entries are therefore the product’s main components, whatever language they are in.
• Type treatment. In the European Union, mandatory allergens are emphasized in bold type or capitals in the ingredient list. A line set differently from the rest identifies an allergen even without a dictionary.
• Percentages. A figure next to an ingredient is its proportion. “Meat 42%” tells you more about a product than its front-of-pack name.
• E-numbers. They are international: E250 means the same thing in every country. See the additive directory for an explanation.
• The nutrition table. The numbers and units are self-explanatory; the difficult part is identifying what they refer to, as explained below.

The main trap: per 100 g or per serving?

In the European Union, a table must give values per 100 g or 100 ml, and it often also gives a serving value. In the United States, the main table is per serving, and the manufacturer sets the serving size. The same bag of chips may show 150 kcal honestly—it may simply contain three and a half servings.

That is why the first thing to find in an unfamiliar nutrition table is not calories, but the basis for the numbers. It is usually the first or last line of the block and gives a number in grams or milliliters.

A related detail is kilojoules. In the European Union, Australia, and some other countries, energy is given in kJ, sometimes without kilocalories at all. The conversion is simple: divide by 4.184.

What package marks mean

Where people most often go wrong

1. Judging the front of the package. “Protein,” “Light,” and “Natural” on the front are marketing; the back is regulated.
2. Not checking net weight. A familiar package may be a different size in another country, so the “same bag” can hold one and a half times as much.
3. Counting sugar only when it says “sugar.” Every language has many names for it: syrups, dextrose, juice concentrate. See how to read an ingredients list.
4. Relying on a familiar brand. The formulation of the same product can differ between countries, sometimes substantially.

Where reading by structure ends

All of this works while the question is about structure. As soon as it becomes substantive—what a thickener is, whether a product contains milk, or what replaced sugar—you need a translation of the ingredients list.

Barcode or label-photo analysis can translate the ingredients list and explain additives by code, extracting codes from the original line. For questions of ingredient origin that the list itself cannot answer, see gelatin and pork on labels.

Scan a barcode

Frequently asked questions

How can I understand a label when I do not know the language?

Start with its structure: ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, mandatory allergens are emphasized on European packages, percentages appear next to ingredients, and E-numbers are international. That is enough for an initial understanding; substantive questions require an ingredients translation.

Why do calories look low on US packaging?

Because the table is per serving, and the manufacturer sets the serving size. A package can contain three and a half servings. The first thing to find in an unfamiliar table is the serving-size line.

What does Nutri-Score mean on a package?

It is a summary score from A to E, calculated by a formula used in some EU countries. It is not a prohibition or a recommendation: the letter is calculated for the product, not for your diet or the amount you eat.

How do I convert kilojoules to calories?

Divide by 4.184. In the European Union and Australia, energy is given in kilojoules, sometimes without kilocalories; that is a different labeling standard, not a label error.

Read next

• How to translate a product’s ingredients list into Russian — An ingredients list in a foreign language in a Russian shop means either a violation, a detached sticker, or a purchase made outside Russia.
• Gelatin, pork, and alcohol on labels: how to check in another language — Pork is rarely called pork in an ingredients list.
• What to look for in an ingredient list in ten seconds — Reading an entire ingredient list at the shelf is impossible: the print is small, and there is no time.
• One additive, different rules: why lists do not match — The argument that "this additive is banned in Europe" sounds convincing and almost always requires clarification.

This article is for general information. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a prescription for treatment or a diet, and it does not replace a consultation with your doctor. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, take medication, or follow a diet prescribed to you, decisions about food belong with your doctor.

Figures from regulations, guidelines and studies are given as they stood when this article was prepared and may since have changed; check them against the primary sources. This article is not advertising, an offer, or individual advice, and neither the author nor the site owner is responsible for decisions taken on the basis of it.