Learn how to interpret food labels so you can make informed food choices and buy food that supports your health and wellbeing.
- Duration3 weeks
- Weekly study3 hours
- LearnFree
Understanding Food Labels
Get the facts you need to put your trust in the food system
Huge amounts of information are provided on food product labels, but surveys have shown that we’re often unsure of its meaning.
On this course, you’ll learn how to make sense of the regulations, data, and logos on packaging so that you can make more informed food choices.
You’ll become more aware of what’s in the food you’re buying, the reference intakes for different people, and the nutritional value and environmental sustainability of different foods.
You’ll also gain a better understanding of food labelling regulations, as well as the claims food producers are allowed to make.
What topics will you cover?
• How to navigate a typical food label - become familiar with the categories of information labels contain and why they are important.
• The limitations of food labels - what they don’t tell you.
• Decoding ingredients lists and discovering your recommended daily allowances.
• Differentiating between trustworthy health claims and those inspired by marketeers.
• How to resist the power of branding and gather reliable information to base your buying decisions on.
• The complexities of labelling food according to production values such as sustainability and animal welfare.
When would you like to start?
Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Interpret a typical food label - be familiar with the categories of information labels contain and why they are important.
- Explore ingredients lists and discover your recommended daily allowances.
- Compare trustworthy health claims and those inspired by marketeers.
- Collect reliable information to base your buying decisions on.
- Assess the complexities of labelling food according to production values such as sustainability and animal welfare.
- Reflect on the limitations of food labels - what they don't tell you.
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for anyone who makes food purchasing choices and wants to learn more about what goes into their food, the health benefits of what they eat and the sustainability of how it’s produced.
Who will you learn with?
I am a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development at the University of Reading. I am a food scientist interested in developing new healthy and sustainable foods.
I'm a PostDoc at Aarhus University in Denmark. My main interest is in research on consumer behaviour towards food. I focus on food labelling, food choice and sustainable behaviour.
I'm a food engineer involved in EIT Food projects working in the School of Agriculture, Policy & Development at the University of Reading. I've experience working in industry-academia collaborations.
Who developed the course?
EIT Food
EIT Food is Europe’s leading food innovation initiative, with the aim to create a sustainable and future-proof food sector.
University of Reading
The University of Reading has a reputation for excellence in teaching, research and enterprise.
European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
This activity has received funding from EIT Food, the innovation community on Food of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the EU, under the Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
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