Transcript Nutrition Labelling and Management of Diabetes Mellitus

Nutrition Labelling and
Management of Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes Mellitus
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A metabolic disorder
People with diabetes have either
deficiency or resistance to insulin, a
hormone produced by the pancreas. As a
result, it affects the use of glucose in
their bodies.
Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to severe
complications, such as retinopathy, heart
diseases, renal failure, and stroke.
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Dietary Management of Diabetes
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Dietary management and appropriate amount
of physical activity play important roles in
diabetic control
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Balanced diet with a variety of foods
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“3 Low, 1 High” principle, i.e. low fat, low
sodium (or salt), low sugars and high fibre
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Reduce intake of saturated fat, trans fat and
sodium can lower the risk of developing heart
diseases and hypertension
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Controlling intake of energy for the purpose
of weight reduction or maintenance.
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Dietary Management of Diabetes
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Apart from general healthy eating advice, people
with diabetes need to be aware of their daily
intake of carbohydrates, including sugars.
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The amount of foods, particularly carbohydrates
(including sugars), eaten by people with diabetes
during mealtime should be matched with their
diabetic conditions, medications and daily living
needs, and kept consistent on a day-to-day basis
for stabilizing blood glucose level.
People with diabetes should discuss their
diabetic meal plans with a dietitian or healthcare
professional, then make use of nutrition labels
for choosing appropriate pre-packaged foods. A
person with diabetes should not follow other
people’s meal plans. 4
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What Kinds of Food Contain
Carbohydrates?
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Cereals (Starch)
Root vegetables (Starch)
Legumes (Starch)
Dairy (Lactose)
Fruits (Fructose)
Sugars and Sugary food (Sucrose)
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Diabetes and Nutrition Labelling
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Using nutrition label
can help people with
diabetes to
understand and find
out the carbohydrates
contents (including
sugars) in food
products for meeting
the needs of the
personal meal plan.
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Read and Use Nutrition Labels
Examples of Recommended
Format of Nutrition Label
Tabular format
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Examples of Recommended
Format of Nutrition Label
Linear format
(for small packages with total surface area of less than 200 cm2)
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Required Nutrients on Nutrition Labels
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1+7 (energy plus seven nutrients
specified for labelling) –
i.e. energy, protein, total fat, saturated fat,
trans fat, carbohydrates, sugars and
sodium.
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Nutrient(s) involved in nutrition claim(s)
(when the nutrition claim is on any type
of fat, the amount of cholesterol must be
declared as well).
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For other nutrients, declaration is
voluntary
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Making Use of Nutrition Label
Consumers can:
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Compare the nutritional content among
different foods for a healthier choice, e.g.
choose food that is lower in fat, sodium
(or salt) and sugars
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Understand the nutritional content of
food and estimate their contribution to
the overall diet
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To meet individual’s dietary needs
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Three Simple Steps to
Read Nutrition Label
Three Simple Steps to
Read Nutrition Label
Step 1
 Take note of the reference amount of food
being used in the nutrition label
Step 2
 Read the energy and nutrient content
together with the reference amount
Step 3
 Refer to the percentage Nutrient Reference
Value (%NRV), if available, to see if the food
contains a lot or a little of energy or a
nutrient in the food
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Step 1: Take note of the reference amount of
food being used in the nutrition label
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Expressed as
per 100 g (or
per 100 mL) of
food
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Step 1: Take note of the reference amount of
food being used in the nutrition label
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Expressed as per serving (the serving size
(in g or mL) and the no. of servings must be
specified on the package)
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Step 1: Take note of the reference amount of
food being used in the nutrition label
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Expressed as per package (if the package
contains only a single serving )
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Step 2: Read the energy and nutrient content
together with the reference amount
A) Use nutrition label to compare
between products
B) Use nutrition label to calculate the
amount of energy and nutrients
you get from food
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Step 2A: Use nutrition label to
compare between products
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Products with nutritional content expresssed in
the SAME reference amount
(Partial) Nutrition label of Brand A biscuit
(Partial) Nutrition label of Brand C biscuit
If reference amount is the SAME, you CAN COMPARE
between the products DIRECTLY
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Step 2A: Use nutrition label to
compare between products
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Products with nutritional content expresssed in
DIFFERENT reference amounts
(Partial) Nutrition label of Brand A biscuit
(Partial) Nutrition label of Brand D biscuit
If reference amounts are DIFFERENT, you CANNOT
COMPARE between the products DIRECTLY
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Step 2A: Use nutrition label to
compare between products
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Products with nutritional content expresssed in
DIFFERENT reference amounts
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Step 2B:
Use nutrition label to calculate the amount of
energy and nutrients you get from food
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The more you eat, the more you get
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If you eat 1 serving of biscuit
 Get 8 g of fat, 3.5 g of saturated fat
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If you eat 2 servings of biscuit
 Get 16 g of fat, 7 g of saturated fat
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Step 2B:
Use nutrition label to calculate the amount of
energy and nutrients you get from food
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Energy and nutrient content expressed as per 100 g/mL
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Step 3: Refer to the percentage Nutrient Reference
Value (%NRV), if available, to see if the food contains
a lot or a little of energy or a nutrient in the food
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%NRV is usually on a scale from 0% to 100%.
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Step 3: Refer to the percentage Nutrient Reference
Value (%NRV), if available, to see if the food contains
a lot or a little of energy or a nutrient in the food
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For nutrients that needed to limit their intake
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E.g. total fat, saturated fat, sodium and sugars
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Look for foods that have lower %NRV
Get enough of nutrients that are good for health
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E.g. dietary fibre
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Look for foods that have higher %NRV
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Use Nutrition Label to
Choose Healthy Food
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Principles of Healthy Eating
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Choose a variety of food and eat cereals as the
largest portion of food in every meal.
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Eat a lot of vegetables and fruit.
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Reduce the consumption of foodstuffs with
high salt, fat and sugar content as well as
those which are preserved.
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A daily fluid intake of 6 to 8 glasses (including
clear soup, fruit juice and tea).
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Take meals regularly and in adequate amounts.
(Source of information:
Department of Health)
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Nutrition Labelling is a Useful Tool
for Practising Healthy Eating
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Nutrition label and nutrition claim can
help consumers choose healthier food in
accordance with healthy eating principles
and the Food Pyramid, e.g.
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Choose biscuits lower in fat and sodium
(or salt)
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Choose dairy products lower in fat
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Choose beverages lower in sugars
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How to Choose Prepackaged
Food for People with Diabetes?
Choosing Prepackaged Foods for
People with Diabetes
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Find out the contents of
carbohydrates (including sugars)
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“3 Low, 1 High” dietary principle
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Reduce intake of saturated fat and
trans fat
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Choosing Prepackaged Foods for
People with Diabetes
1. Take note of relevant nutrition
claim as a quick screening tool;
and
2. Take three simple steps to read
nutrition label
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Choosing Prepackaged Foods for
People with Diabetes
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Pay attention to nutrition claims, for example –
 “Sugars free” does not mean that the product does
not contain sugars or carbohydrates (e.g.
prepackaged sugars free moon cake)
 “No added sugars” means that sugars or ingredients
that contain sugars for sweetening purpose are not
added during the food production process. The
product may still contain sugars that are naturally
present. (e.g. prepackaged pure fruit juice)
 “Less sweet” means lower sweet intensity.
Sweetness is a taste which is a subjective experience.
Statements on sweetness may not be directly related
to its sugars content. Therefore, a product with the
“less sweet” claim does not necessarily mean that
the product has low or no
sugars.
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Choosing Prepackaged Foods for
People with Diabetes
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Nutrition claim only gives a rough idea
about the content of a particular nutrient,
one should not make a food choice solely
on the basis of a nutrition claim. In order
to eat healthily, we should take note of
other nutrients as well. For example,
when buying a product with a “low
sugars” claim, one should take note of
the content of fat and other nutrients.
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Choosing Prepackaged Foods for
People with Diabetes
Nutrient content claims on sugars are classified into “Free”
and “Low” claims.
Specific Conditions of Nutrient Content Claims –
Claim：
Free; No; Zero; Without; Does
not contain
Claim：
Low; Little; Low source; Few;
Contains a small amount of
Meaning of Claim :
Meaning of Claim :
A small amount of nutrient
Insignificant amount of a
particular nutrient found in the found in the food
food
Example: Sugars free
(Contain not more than 0.5g of
sugars per 100g/mL of food)
Example: Low sugars
(Contain not more than 5g of
sugars per 100g/mL of food)
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Choosing Prepackaged Foods for
People with Diabetes
Three Simple Steps to Read Nutrition Label
Step 1
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Take note of the reference amount of food being used in the
nutrition label
Step 2
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Read and compare the nutritional content
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After selecting the food that is healthier, people with
diabetes should calculate the intake amount of
carbohydrates, so that they can calculate the intake amount
of other foods in the day
Step 3
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Refer to the percentage Nutrient Reference Value (%NRV) (If
available)
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Choosing Prepackaged Foods for
People with Diabetes (Example 1)
Milk Beverage A
Milk Beverage B
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Choosing Prepackaged Foods for
People with Diabetes (Example 2)
Corn Flakes C
Corn Flakes D
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Choosing Prepackaged Foods for
People with Diabetes (Example 3)
Soup E
Soup F
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ENDS