The Importance of Food Nutritional Labeling
Food nutritional labeling is very important for different reasons. For starters, it is a requirement in some states to ensure that consumers are well aware of what they’re purchasing, and it also helps them to make conscious decisions on the type of food they are consuming—if you’re a food producer, then having labels on your food helps to make your product more credible as most consumers tend to be doubtful of food items that do not have any nutritional labels. Without further ado, here are a few reasons why food nutritional labeling is important.
Gives Credibility
As mentioned earlier, food nutritional labeling has the impact of making the particular food product seem more credible. The reasoning behind this thought is that when there are labels, then it means that the producer has nothing to hide. Consumers are therefore more likely to trust such products. On the other hand, if the food lacks any labels, then there are plenty of questions to be raised. What is it that the producers don’t want you to know? Why are there no labels? Is this product healthy? These are just a few of the questions that might be raised.
Legal Requirement
Again, as touched on earlier, some laws might require food producers to appropriately and accurately label all their food products, failure to which they could face some serious legal consequences. The labels should contain the following, name of the food, ingredients, percentage of some of the ingredients, as well as a best before date and storage instructions. If you’re found noncompliant, then you will be issued with a notice that details what you’re doing wrong and how you could fix it as well as an ultimatum by when you should be compliant. Failure to do so within the specified period of time could result in prosecution.
They Offer Dietary Advice
With people being more conscious of what they eat today more than ever, labeling on food products is very critical as it gives consumers an idea of what nutrients are contained in the food. This should be a guide on what quantities they are supposed to consume. Also, labels are helpful as they help people avoid consuming foods that they may be allergic to. For example, if a food product contains some milk, having that on the label should help anyone who is lactose intolerant to avoid consuming that particular product.
Production Details
Many people are invested in how their food is produced for a number of different reasons ranging from religious, ethical, and even cultural reasons. Productions details tend to provide information on whether the food is Halal, Kosher, Organic, or Free range. This way, people who are specifically looking for organic food can confidently pick it up from the supermarket shelves.
For more information on food labeling and its importance, as well as how to do it, one can always look up Food Safety Net Services. They provide comprehensive information on everything you need to know about nutritional labeling.