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. But reading the whole thing isn't necessary — almost all the information is concentrated in a few places, and you can check them in ten seconds. Below is the order in which to do this, from the most informative to the details.

First: the first three ingredients

Ingredients are listed in descending order of weight, so the first three items make up almost the entire product. The rest often account for only a small percentage.

What this shows immediately:

• if sugar or its synonym is listed first, it is a confectionery product, no matter what it is called;
• if water is the first ingredient in a "meat" product, the meat content is lower than it seems;
• if fruit is listed after sugar in a "fruit" yogurt, there is very little fruit in it.

A full breakdown of the rules for how ingredient lists are compiled can be found in our article on reading ingredient lists.

Second: add up the sugars

Sugar is rarely listed as a single item. It is broken down into several types, and each one individually moves down the list: sugar, glucose syrup, dextrose, molasses, maltodextrin, juice concentrate.

This practice is legal and is analyzed in our article on how additives are hidden. The defense is to add them up in your head: if there are three or four sugars in the list, they may collectively turn out to be the first ingredient.

The names under which sugar appears are collected in our article on hidden sugar.

Third: the "saturated fat" line

In the nutrition facts table, fat is indicated in two lines: total and saturated. The second is more informative than the first.

The WHO guideline is less than 10% of daily energy from saturated fats, which is about 22 g for a 2000 kcal diet. One serving that covers half of this is a significant portion of your day. A breakdown of fat types is in our article on healthy and unhealthy fats.

Fourth: salt

Salt is indicated in the nutrition facts as a separate line or calculated from sodium by multiplying by approximately 2.5. The WHO guideline is less than 5 g of salt per day, and processed foods hit this limit faster than a salt shaker.

Where it is found most and why adding salt at home is not the main source is covered in our article on salt in processed food.

Fifth: list length

Not as a verdict, but as a sign. Thirty items mean that the product was assembled, not cooked: it contains emulsifiers, stabilizers, acidity regulators, and flavorings because the structure wouldn't hold together without them.

This is the very sign on which the classification from our article on ultra-processed food is based. Length alone does not make a product harmful, but it is a good predictor of salt, sugar, and fat content all at once.

What is not on this list and why

Searching for "bad" E-codes. It takes the most time and yields the least: permitted additives are used within established limits, and they affect the composition of your diet less than sugar, salt, and fat. An assessment of each code is collected in our E-additive guide, and it is more reasonable to check that at home, not at the shelf.

Labels on the front of the package. "Fitness," "eco," "sugar-free" — this is a separate topic, analyzed in our article on packaging labels. They have nothing to do with the ingredient list.

The order in full

1. First three ingredients — what the product actually is.
2. Sugars — add up everything you find.
3. Saturated fats — the line in the nutrition facts.
4. Salt — the line in the same place.
5. List length — a general sign of processing.

Five steps, ten seconds, and this covers most of the reasons why people read ingredient lists in the first place.

Count it from a photo

Frequently asked questions

What should I look at first in an ingredient list?

The first three ingredients: the list is in descending order of weight, and they make up almost the entire product. If sugar or water is listed first, it tells you more about the product than the rest of the list.

Why do I need to add up the sugars?

Because sugar is broken down into several types—sugar, syrup, dextrose, molasses, juice concentrate—and each one individually moves down the list. In total, they might end up being the first ingredient.

What is more important—total fat or saturated fat?

Saturated fat. The WHO guideline is less than 10% of daily energy intake, about 22 g for a 2000 kcal diet. In the nutrition facts table, this is a separate line: "of which saturates".

How do I calculate salt if only sodium is listed?

Multiply the amount of sodium by approximately 2.5. The WHO guideline is less than 5 g of salt per day, and processed foods reach this limit faster than adding salt at home.

Do I need to look for "harmful" E-codes in the ingredients?

At the grocery shelf, this takes the most time and provides the least benefit. Approved additives are used within established limits, and sugar, salt, and fat have a greater impact on your diet. It is more convenient to check codes at home using a reference guide.

Read next

• How to read the ingredients list on a label: the rules governing its writing — A label looks like a list of words from which everyone reads something different: one person considers a long list of ingredients a red flag, another looks for E numbers.
• Hidden sugar: under what names it appears in ingredients — The word "sugar" appears in ingredients less often than sugar itself does in a product: it has a dozen legal names, and the manufacturer has every right to use any of them.
• How manufacturers hide additives in the ingredient list — A short ingredient list sells better than a long one, and manufacturers know it.

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.