Can you trust low-fat labels?

Hazel Curry12 April 2012

Yesterday, it was reported that health claims on everyday products are misleading. Campaigners want all food labels to indicate the fat, sugar, salt and calorie content, so that consumers know the effect on their health. Nutritionist Ian Marber says: "Certain foods are labelled 'healthy' but they are high in fat and sugar, as well as salt and additives. The labelling is incorrect." In addition, he found that some low-fat foods cut down on saturated fat but made up for it with extra sugar - not useful for someone trying to lose weight. Here, he puts a selection of "healthy" foods to the test.

Quaker Snack-a-Jacks, 47p

Rice-and-corn snacks with "less than 10 per cent fat" written on the front.
Are they healthy? "No. The rice and maize are, but 12 per cent of the product is E621, otherwise known as monosodium glutamate. We should only eat up to 2g of E621 per day. Also, these snacks masquerade as rice cakes, which are healthy, and therefore mislead the consumer."
Are they good for people losing weight? Yes, but rice cakes are better.
Health rating: 3/10

Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Apple Bars, £1.74 for 12 Bars made with wheat, whole-grain oats and apple, 140 calories. Denise Lewis is pictured on the packaging, which claims the bars are "the number-one choice for athletes". Described as "the healthy way to manage energy levels".
Are they healthy? "They contain a lot of whole-grain ingredients, which are a great source of carbohydrate. But there is a lot of altered fat, additives and sugar, which undermine its energy management claim. They contain five per cent apple."
Are they good for people losing weight? No, it has a high sugar content.
Health rating: 5/10

Nestlè Clusters cereal, £1.68 Whole-grain cereal with nuts. Claims the cereal "may help keep your heart healthy (as part of a low-fat diet)".
Is it healthy? "The whole-grains are very good for us, but the cereal is packed with sugar and contains altered fat."
Is it good for people losing weight? No, because of the high sugar content.

Health rating: 7/10

Tesco Healthy Eating Ardennes patè
Medium-coarse pork liver and pork patè. Claims it's "half the fat" of standard Tesco Ardennes p?tÈ.
Is it healthy? "Like all processed food, this has a lot of additives. There's not much in it that is good for us - not much protein, for example."
Is it good for people losing weight? No.
Health rating: 5/10

Somerfield Good Intentions Four Cheese Ravioli with Sweet Red Pepper Sauce, £2.55 Cheese-filled pasta with tomato, red pepper and basil sauce. Claims to be "less than three per cent fat".
Is it healthy? "Not really. There's a good amount of tomato and pepper, but it lacks protein and has a lot of saturated fat."
Is it good for people losing weight? No, because of the saturated fat.
Health rating: 5/10

Sainsbury's Be Good to Yourself Carbonara Sauce, £1.79 A creamy pasta sauce with bacon and cheese. The words "less than five per cent fat" are written on the packet.
Is it healthy? "No - it lacks vegetables and protein."
Is it good for people losing weight? Being full of saturated fat, it will not help you lose weight.
Health rating: 5/10

Asda Good For You! Tomato and Basil Ciabatta, £1.58 Part-baked bread. The packet boasts "less than three per cent fat".
Is it healthy? "No. It has a huge amount of additives and it's white bread, so very low in fibre and hard to digest."
Is it good for people losing weight? Yes - there's not much fat.
Health rating: 5/10

Marks and Spencer Count On Us (Apricot and Yoghurt Cereal Bars, 99p for five) Cereal snack bars, "less than three per cent fat".
Are they healthy? "No - more than 19 per cent of the product is sugar."
Are they good for people losing weight? No. They won't help a diet.
Health rating: 5/10

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