What's Really in Your Food?

What Food Labels Don't Always Tell You

You check the packaging, look for sugar, choose products labelled natural or high protein, and assume you are making a healthy choice. But how much do you really know about what you eat?

Food manufacturers use a variety of ingredients, product formulations and marketing claims. Understanding what is in your food means looking beyond the front of the package and checking the ingredient list and nutrition declaration. [4]

At Healing by Nutrition, we believe that knowing what you eat is an important step towards making informed choices.

1. Sugar Has Many Names

Sugar is not always listed simply as sugar. Ingredient labels use different names for sugars, syrups and related carbohydrate ingredients. Some are familiar; others are less obvious.

You may recognise glucose, fructose and sucrose, but what about maltodextrin, invert sugar, glucose-fructose syrup or evaporated cane juice?

Not every term means exactly the same thing. Some are sugars, some are mixtures of sugars, and others are carbohydrate ingredients. Checking the ingredient list alongside the nutrition declaration can help you understand what a product contains. [4]

How many would you recognise on a food label? Our nutrition programmes include a comprehensive reference list to help you identify these ingredients.

2. Foods That Turn into Sugar During Digestion

Added sugar is only part of the picture. Many foods that do not taste sweet are broken down into sugar during digestion.

Common examples include:

• Bread and bakery products: white bread, wholemeal bread, rolls, crackers and biscuits.

• Grains and cereals: rice, pasta, oats, breakfast cereals, wheat, barley and rye.

• Starchy vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, parsnips and cassava.

• Beans and pulses: lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans and other varieties of beans.

• Fruit: bananas, apples, grapes, oranges, mangoes, pears and dried fruits.

• Dairy products: milk and yoghurt, which contain the milk sugar lactose.

• Sweet foods and drinks: cakes, pastries, sweets, honey, syrups, soft drinks and fruit juices.

Many of these foods contain starch, which your body breaks down into glucose during digestion. Others contain naturally occurring sugars that are released and absorbed during digestion.

The important point is that sugar does not only come from sweets, chocolate and sugary drinks. Bread, pasta, rice and potatoes, for example, can also provide substantial amounts of glucose through the digestion of their starch.

Dietary fibre is different because it is not digested into glucose in the same way as starch. [3, 4]

3. Fruit, Fruit Juice and Honey

Whole fruit

Fruit contains naturally occurring sugars, primarily glucose, fructose and sucrose. The amounts vary considerably between fruits. Examples include bananas, grapes, apples, mangoes, pears, oranges and pineapples. Some fruits, particularly bananas, also contain starch, much of which is converted into sugars as the fruit ripens.

Although these sugars occur naturally, they still contribute to the body's sugar and carbohydrate intake. Eating large quantities of fruit can result in substantial sugar consumption, increase blood glucose levels and make it more difficult to maintain a low-carbohydrate diet or manage blood glucose levels.

Fruit juice

Fruit juice can contain substantial amounts of naturally occurring sugar. Orange juice, apple juice, grape juice and other fruit juices can deliver the sugars from several pieces of fruit in a single glass.

Because fruit juice is easy to consume in relatively large quantities, it can result in a significant intake of sugar in a short period. This can cause rapid increases in blood glucose levels and contribute to excessive daily sugar and calorie intake.

The World Health Organization includes sugars naturally present in fruit juice within its definition of free sugars. [3]

Honey

Honey is also a source of sugar, mainly glucose and fructose. Although often regarded as a natural alternative to sugar, it is not sugar-free. Its sugars contribute to carbohydrate and calorie intake and can raise blood glucose levels.

Honey adulteration is a documented food-fraud concern. In an EU coordinated investigation of 320 honey samples collected at EU borders during 2021–2022, 46% were considered suspicious of not complying with EU requirements because markers of added sugar syrups were detected. The European Commission cautions that these findings should not be treated as a representative estimate of all honey sold in the EU. [5]

Natural does not automatically mean sugar-free, metabolically beneficial or suitable for every dietary approach.

4. What About Artificial and Other Sweeteners?

Aspartame, sucralose, saccharin and stevia-based sweeteners have different properties and safety assessments. It is inaccurate to claim that all sweeteners cause cancer.

In 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B), based on limited evidence. This is a hazard classification, not a measure of the risk associated with every level of consumption. [1]

Separately, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) reviewed the evidence and reaffirmed the acceptable daily intake for aspartame of 0–40 mg per kilogram of body weight per day. [2]

Sweeteners are not all the same, and understanding the evidence requires more than a headline.

5. Can Processed Foods Encourage You to Eat More?

Manufacturers can combine sugar, fats, salt, flavourings and textures to make products highly appealing. Researchers are investigating how food processing and formulation may influence eating behaviour.

In a controlled inpatient study, participants consumed more calories and gained more weight during a diet made up of ultra-processed foods than during a diet made up of minimally processed foods. The study involved a small group of adults over a short period, so its findings should not be taken as proof that every ultra-processed food has the same effect. [6]

Researchers are also investigating possible associations between ultra-processed food consumption and addiction-like eating behaviours. A 2024 systematic review found associations in some studies, but the available evidence was limited, and the included studies did not establish that ultra-processed foods cause food addiction. [7]

This does not mean every processed food is addictive or that sugar alone explains these effects. It does raise questions about how food formulation can influence eating habits.

6. Does a Healthy-Sounding Label Tell the Whole Story?

Words such as low fat, wholegrain, natural, high protein, fortified with vitamins and no added sugar can draw attention to a particular feature of a product. However, none tells you everything about its nutritional composition.

A low-fat product can still contain considerable sugar. A product with no added sugar can contain naturally occurring sugars or starch. Adding vitamins does not automatically make a highly processed product a good everyday choice.

In the EU, nutrition claims such as low fat and high fibre are subject to specific legal conditions. The ingredient list and nutrition declaration provide additional information to consider alongside claims on the front of the package. [4, 8]

7. Do Health Association Ticks Mean a Food Is Healthy?

You may see products carrying ticks, hearts or other logos from health organisations on their packaging. These symbols can give consumers the impression that a product is a healthy choice.

However, a logo does not tell you everything about a food's ingredients, nutritional value or suitability for your individual needs. The meaning of a logo depends on the organisation and the criteria behind that particular scheme.

Read the ingredients, check the nutritional information and look beyond the packaging when deciding what you eat.

8. What Do “Natural,” “Organic” and Health Claims Really Mean?

Words such as natural and organic can create a positive impression, but they do not mean the same thing. In the EU, organic production and labelling are governed by specific rules. The word natural, by itself, does not guarantee that a product is healthier. [9]

Packaging may also claim that a product supports your immune system, digestive system or heart health. EU rules govern nutrition and health claims made on food labels and in advertising. A permitted health claim may relate to a specific nutrient or function rather than the overall quality of the food. [8]

A product can carry a legitimate health claim and still contain ingredients or amounts of carbohydrates that you want to consider.

A claim about one aspect of a food is not a guarantee that the whole product is healthy.

9. Who Funds the Nutrition Research?

We often rely on scientific studies to help us understand food and nutrition. But have you ever considered who pays for that research?

Food manufacturers and other commercial interests sometimes fund nutrition studies. This does not automatically mean that a study is unreliable, but financial relationships are worth considering when interpreting the findings.

A 2016 systematic review and meta-analysis examined the relationship between food-industry sponsorship and nutrition research outcomes. Industry-sponsored studies were more likely to have conclusions favourable to their sponsors, but the difference was not statistically significant. The authors concluded that the evidence suggested a possible relationship but did not establish one. [10]

Funding can influence which questions researchers investigate, which products are studied and how findings are presented. When reading a study, consider who funded it, whether financial interests were disclosed, what the researchers actually measured and whether independent research supports the same conclusions.

Scientific research matters, but understanding who funded it and what it really found matters too.

Know More About What You Eat

Food labels can be confusing. Sugar appears under many different names, carbohydrates are not always obvious, and health claims do not tell you everything about a product.

At Healing by Nutrition, we help you look beyond the packaging. Our personalised nutrition programmes include a comprehensive reference list of sugar names and related ingredients, alongside guidance tailored to your chosen dietary approach. Our programmes also take account of carbohydrate-containing foods and how they fit into your nutrition plan.

We create each programme around your goals, food preferences and everyday life. Rather than relying on generic, AI-generated plans, Claudia and Michael develop each programme individually, drawing on their own experience with nutrition and consistent strength training.

Although we favour the Carnivore diet ourselves, we recognise that people have different preferences and goals. Our nutrition plans can be tailored to different dietary approaches.

Whether you want an individualised nutrition plan or a programme combining nutrition and exercise, our aim is to give you guidance that fits your needs.

Nutrition and Training That Fit Your Life

You don't have to work everything out on your own.

Explore our personalised nutrition plans and exercise programmes to find the option that fits your goals.

This page is intended for general educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose, treat or prevent disease.

Scientific References

[1] International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). (2023). Aspartame hazard and risk assessment results released. World Health Organization, 14 July 2023.

[2] Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). (2023). Evaluation of certain food additives: Ninety-sixth report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives.

[3] World Health Organization. (2015). Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children. Geneva: World Health Organization.

[4] European Parliament and Council of the European Union. (2011). Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers.

[5] European Commission. (2023). EU coordinated action “From the Hives” (Honey 2021–2022).

[6] Hall, K. D., et al. (2019). Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake. Cell Metabolism, 30(1), 67–77.e3.

[7] Pereira, T., Mocellin, M. C., & Curioni, C. (2024). Association between ultraprocessed foods consumption, eating disorders, food addiction and body image: A systematic review. BMJ Open, 14(12), e091223.

[8] European Parliament and Council of the European Union. (2006). Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods.

[9] European Parliament and Council of the European Union. (2018). Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production and labelling of organic products.

[10] Chartres, N., Fabbri, A., & Bero, L. A. (2016). Association of Industry Sponsorship With Outcomes of Nutrition Studies: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine, 176(12), 1769–1777.