What mistakes do people make when looking at a food label?

October 31, 2025 •

4 min read

According to one study, many consumers tend to overestimate how healthy a food is when it is labelled 'organic,' even though this relates to production methods, not nutritional quality. This misinterpretation is just one of many mistakes do people make when looking at a food label, often leading to less-than-ideal dietary choices.

Quick Summary

Common errors in food label interpretation include ignoring serving sizes, misreading marketing terms like 'low-fat' or 'natural,' and failing to decode the ingredients list's descending order. Consumers frequently misinterpret percent daily values and fixate only on calories, missing crucial nutritional details.

Key Points

Serving Size Awareness: Always check the serving size and servings per container, as manufacturers may use unrealistic portion sizes to downplay calorie and nutrient content.
Disregard Health Buzzwords: Be skeptical of marketing terms like 'natural,' 'low-fat,' or 'gluten-free,' as these are often misleading and don't guarantee a product is healthy.
Decipher the Ingredient List: Pay attention to the order of ingredients, as they are listed by weight. Look for multiple names for sugar, which can hide the true amount of sweeteners.
Use %DV Correctly: Understand that the % Daily Value is based on a 2,000-calorie diet and does not apply to everyone. Use it to compare products and identify which are high or low in specific nutrients.
See Beyond Calories: Focus on nutrient density rather than just the calorie count. The source of calories from beneficial nutrients is more important for overall health.
Spot Hidden Fats and Sugars: Look for alternative names like 'partially hydrogenated oils' for trans fats and various syrups or 'ose' words for added sugars.
Always Check Allergens: Do not overlook allergen warnings, as they are crucial for safety, regardless of the product's perceived healthiness.

Understanding the Foundation: Serving Size First

One of the most common oversights people make is neglecting to look at the serving size and servings per container listed at the very top of the nutrition facts panel. Manufacturers often manipulate serving sizes to make the calorie and nutrient values appear lower per serving than they actually are for the entire package. For example, a single-serving bag of chips might actually contain 2.5 servings, meaning if you eat the whole bag, you consume two and a half times the calories, sodium, and fat listed for a single serving. Being mindful of this detail is the critical first step to getting an accurate picture of a food's nutritional value. By understanding how many servings you are truly consuming, you can more accurately track your overall intake.

Deceptive Claims: Beyond the Buzzwords

Food marketers use a variety of buzzwords and claims on the front of packaging to attract buyers, creating a 'health halo' that can be misleading. Just because a package makes a claim doesn't mean the product is genuinely nutritious. To make informed decisions, it is crucial to look past these marketing phrases and inspect the back of the package for the hard facts.

The 'Natural' and 'Organic' Fallacy

Terms like 'natural' and 'organic' don't guarantee a food is healthy. While organic refers to specific farming and production methods, an organic cookie can still be high in sugar and fat. Similarly, the term 'natural' is often unregulated and can be applied to products with processed ingredients. People frequently assume these labels equate to fewer calories, but studies show this perception is often inaccurate.

'Low-Fat' or 'Reduced-Sugar' Tricks

Another common mistake is believing 'low-fat' means low-calorie. When fat is removed from a product, manufacturers often add extra sugar or thickeners to compensate for the flavor and texture. This can result in a product with a similar or even higher calorie count than the full-fat version. Similarly, 'reduced sugar' simply means a product has 25% less sugar than its standard counterpart and does not guarantee a low sugar content overall. Some products labeled 'no added sugar' may still be high in naturally occurring sugars from fruit concentrates or milk.

The Ingredients List: Decoding the Fine Print

The ingredients list is one of the most revealing parts of a food label. Ingredients are always listed in descending order by weight, meaning the first ingredient is the most abundant. A key mistake is failing to recognize the different names used for ingredients like sugar and fat.

The Many Names of Sugar

Manufacturers are known to use multiple types of sugar to prevent any single one from appearing high up on the ingredients list. If you see several types of sugar listed, even if they are further down, the product may still be laden with sweeteners. Common hidden sugar names include:

High-fructose corn syrup
Dextrose
Maltose
Sucrose
Evaporated cane juice
Honey
Maple syrup
Agave nectar

The Sneaky Trans Fats

Though many uses of artificial trans fats have been phased out, the label can still be deceptive. Food can be labeled as having '0g trans fat' if it contains less than 0.5 grams per serving. However, if the ingredient list includes 'partially hydrogenated oil,' the product contains trans fat, and with multiple servings, your intake can add up.

How to Properly Use the Percent Daily Value (%DV)

Many people are confused by the Percent Daily Value (%DV) section on the label. The %DV shows how much a nutrient in a serving contributes to a total daily diet based on a 2,000-calorie reference. A common error is assuming the %DVs add up to 100% or that the 2,000-calorie guideline applies to everyone. The FDA uses a simple guide for the %DV: 5% or less is low, and 20% or more is high. Use this to compare similar products and make smarter choices, aiming for more beneficial nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and less of nutrients like saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.

Comparison Table: Serving Size vs. 100g

To highlight the misleading nature of serving sizes, here is a comparison based on a hypothetical snack with a 30g serving size, but a 150g total package. This illustrates why comparing 'per 100g' values is more reliable when evaluating similar products.


Nutrient	Per 30g Serving	Per 100g	150g Package (5 Servings)
Calories	150 kcal	500 kcal	750 kcal
Fat	8g	26.7g	40g
Saturated Fat	2g	6.7g	10g
Added Sugars	5g	16.7g	25g
Sodium	100mg	333mg	500mg

The Importance of the Big Picture

Fixating solely on one number, such as the total calorie count, is a major mistake. Not all calories are created equal. 150 calories from a handful of almonds is nutritionally different from 150 calories from a sugary snack. Healthy eating involves considering the nutrient density—the ratio of nutrients to calories. By looking at the label as a whole, including the quality of ingredients, and not just focusing on one metric, you can make more balanced choices.

Conclusion: Becoming an Informed Consumer

Navigating food labels can be confusing, but avoiding these common pitfalls can significantly improve your nutrition diet. By paying close attention to serving sizes, being skeptical of front-of-package claims, and meticulously checking the ingredients list for hidden sugars and fats, you empower yourself to make better, more informed choices. A thoughtful approach to reading labels transforms you from a passive recipient of marketing messages into an active, health-conscious consumer.

For more detailed guidance on how to use the nutrition facts label effectively, refer to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's official guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

The most common mistake is ignoring the serving size and servings per container. Many packages contain multiple servings, so if you consume the entire package, you need to multiply all the nutritional information accordingly, which many people fail to do.

Not necessarily. When manufacturers remove fat from a product, they often add extra sugar or other additives to enhance flavor and texture. This can result in a 'low-fat' product having a similar or even higher calorie count than its full-fat version.

The ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so the first few ingredients make up the bulk of the product. Reading this list helps you identify heavily processed items, added sugars under different names, and unwanted additives.

Hidden sugars can be identified by looking for multiple names for sugar, such as high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maltose, or any ingredient ending in '-ose'. Since ingredients are listed by weight, manufacturers may use several types of sweeteners to push sugar further down the list.

Beyond calories, you should pay attention to the amounts of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars, aiming for lower values. Conversely, look for higher amounts of beneficial nutrients like dietary fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

The FDA allows food to be labeled as '0g trans fat' if it contains less than 0.5 grams per serving. However, the presence of 'partially hydrogenated oil' in the ingredients list indicates that trans fat is still present, and consuming multiple servings will increase your intake.

No, comparing products using the 'per serving' column is not accurate because serving sizes vary between manufacturers. For a fair comparison, always use the 'per 100g' or 'per 100ml' column to evaluate and contrast similar items.