Ingredients to watch out for on labels
You don't need to read every label like a chemist. A few key terms are enough to avoid the most problematic products and make better choices in seconds.
Sugars: the 10 hidden names on labels
Sugar doesn't always go by the name "sugar". Companies use dozens of variations to spread it across multiple entries in the ingredients list — making it look less significant. Once you know these names, you stop being fooled.
-
🔍
The 10 most common aliases
Glucose-fructose syrup (the worst: metabolised differently from table sugar) · Maltodextrins (starch broken down almost completely) · Dextrose · Fructose · Concentrated cane juice · Corn syrup · Rice syrup · Dehydrated honey · Coconut sugar · Agave nectar
-
⚠️
The "no added sugars" trap
A "100% fruit with no added sugars" juice can contain 10–12 g of sugars per 100 ml — more than a Coca-Cola (10.6 g/100 ml). The fructose from concentrated juice is chemically identical to added sugar.
-
📊
The threshold to keep in mind
The WHO recommends keeping free sugars (added + from juices) below 10% of daily calories — about 50 g per day for an adult on 2000 kcal. Preferably below 5% (25 g).
Fats to avoid: hydrogenated and trans fats
Not all fats are equal. Trans fatty acids (TFAs), produced by the industrial hydrogenation of vegetable oils, are associated with increased cardiovascular risk and have been banned or heavily restricted in many countries.
Look on the label for: "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil", "hydrogenated vegetable fat", "shortening". In Europe they have been banned above 2 g/100 g of fat since 2021, but some exemptions remain. Avoid them regardless.
Palm oil is saturated but not hydrogenated. The concern is different: during refining at high temperatures, potentially carcinogenic compounds form (3-MCPD, glycidol). It's not banned, but worth limiting.
Extra-virgin olive oil, linseed oil, nuts and seeds, avocado, fats from oily fish. These contain monounsaturated fatty acids and omega-3s that have documented protective effects.
Controversial additives: the E codes to know
Most E codes on a label are safe. But some categories have a more significant risk profile, especially for children and regular consumers. It's not about avoiding them entirely, but about being informed.
Hidden sodium: beyond the salt shaker
Excess sodium raises blood pressure and increases cardiovascular risk. The problem is that around 75% of sodium in a Western diet doesn't come from what you add during cooking — it's already in the packaged product.
-
🧂
The main sources of hidden sodium
Bread (the leading source of sodium in many diets), cheeses, cured meats, ready meals, jarred sauces, stock cubes and bouillon, soy sauce, ketchup, mayonnaise, salted snacks, industrial breakfast cereals.
-
🔢
How to convert sodium to salt on the label
If the label shows "sodium" instead of "salt": multiply the value by 2.5. Example: 0.6 g of sodium = 1.5 g of salt. The WHO limit is 5 g of salt per day (about 2 g of sodium).
-
🏷️
Additives that contain sodium (not just salt)
Monosodium glutamate (E621), sodium benzoate (E211), sodium nitrite (E250), sodium bicarbonate, disodium phosphate — all contribute to total sodium intake, even if they don't appear as "salt" on the label.
The rule of 5: the fastest filter
You don't need to become a biochemistry expert to make better choices. The "rule of 5" is a practical filter you can apply in a few seconds standing in front of the shelf.
-
1
More than 5 ingredients? Start reading carefully
It's not an absolute rule (a good artisan granola may have 7–8), but it's a first filter: most simple, minimally processed products stay below 5 ingredients.
-
2
Sugars above 5 g/100 g? Check if it's the first or second ingredient
5 g/100 g is the EU threshold for "low sugar content". Above that it's just information — not a ban — but it signals you should check where those sugars are coming from.
-
3
Salt above 0.5 g/100 g in a sweet product? A sign of ultra-processing
Cookies, cereals and sweet snacks shouldn't contain much salt. When they do, it often serves to mask the artificial taste of sugar substitutes or to compensate for the lack of real ingredients.
-
4
More than 5 E additives? The product is probably ultra-processed
It's not the type of E that counts here, it's the quantity. A product with 7–8 different additives (colorings + emulsifiers + sweeteners + preservatives + flavourings) doesn't need all that chemistry if the quality of the base ingredients is high.
-
5
Don't recognise 5 or more ingredients? Put it back on the shelf
If you don't know what "maltodextrins", "calcium caseinate", "modified tapioca starch", "E471" and "nature-identical flavourings" are — and they all appear in the same product — you've found an ultra-processed food to limit.