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Label lesson:what's in it?

What do those E numbers stand for and is this sauce really sugar-free? With this quick course in screening labels, you really know what you are eating.

The quick label check in 6 steps
Health coach Ralph Moorman studied food technology. He explains how to screen messages.

1 Search well Find the tiny letters, stickers over a text or ingredients half hidden under a flap!

2 Note the order
The name of an ingredient that is most often in a product is always first.

3. Check the amount of E numbers
The more E numbers, the more you have to doubt how 'real' the product is.

4. Know the pseudonyms
Nobody wants to voluntarily eat trans fats. That is why they are given other names, such as 'hydrogenated vegetable oil'.

5. Look at carbohydrates
It's not just sugar that is unhealthy. Other carbohydrates can also mess up your blood sugar levels. Do not only look at the sugar content, but also at the amount of white flour and starch in a product.

6. Avoid abracadabra
Here too, the more chemical terms there are on a label, the more reason to doubt the health content of the product

Learn more
From page 86 in the September issue of Santé you will find the entire crash course. Includes a handy ABC, an overview of e-numbers and more.