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Reading food labels carefully can reveal hidden ingredients and help you make informed choices for your family
A homemade apple pie uses maybe eight ingredients—flour, butter, sugar, apples, cinnamon, salt, a bit of lemon juice. Simple, recognisable things you'd find in any kitchen. The store-bought version? Often twenty-seven ingredients, including three different types of "modified" something, numbers you don't recognise, and the vague term "flavours" listed twice.
Start comparing processed foods to their homemade equivalents and the patterns become obvious. Ingredients that serve no purpose except extending shelf life. Chemical names that belong in a lab, not food. Terms kept deliberately vague so you don't know what you're actually eating.
Understanding food labels isn't about never eating packaged food again or spending hours researching every number. It's about knowing which ingredients are genuinely concerning, what those vague terms like "flavours" actually mean, and how to quickly spot when a product has been heavily processed with synthetic additives. This guide covers what's really in your food and how Australian labelling works—including the loopholes companies use to hide what you're actually eating.
How Australian Food Labelling Works (and Doesn't)
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) regulates food labelling in Australia. Here's what's worth knowing: while there are rules, there are also significant gaps that allow manufacturers to be less than transparent.
What must be listed:
Most food additives must be listed by their class name followed by either the additive name or number. For example, you'll see "Colour (102)" or "Preservative (sodium benzoate)". Companies can choose which format to use—name or number—which can make it harder to track what you're actually avoiding across different brands.
The loopholes:
- "Flavours" or "Natural Flavours" can hide dozens of individual ingredients under one term
- Ingredients making up less than 5% of a compound ingredient don't need to be listed
- Processing aids used during manufacturing don't need to be declared
- Enzymes used in food production generally don't require listing
- "Vegetable oil" can mean any oil without specifying which
- Multiple types of sugar can be listed separately to avoid sugar appearing as the first ingredient
These gaps mean that what you see on a label isn't necessarily everything that's in the product.
The Reality Check: Real Food vs. Processed
Let's quickly look at what goes into making food from scratch versus what manufacturers put in:
Apple Pie:
- Homemade: 8 ingredients (flour, butter, sugar, apples, cinnamon, lemon juice, salt, water)
- Store-bought: 27+ ingredients including modified starches, multiple preservatives, colours, flavours, emulsifiers, sugar/dextrose/glucose.
Ice Cream:
- Homemade: 5 ingredients (cream, milk, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla bean)
- Commercial: 20+ ingredients including vegetable gums (407, 410, 412, 415), emulsifiers (471, 322), colours, flavours, stabilizers, maltodextrin
The question: Why does processed food need 3-4 times more ingredients than making it from scratch? The answer: shelf life, cost-cutting (cheap fillers replacing real ingredients), and texture manipulation.
The Synthetic Shift: When "Natural" Ingredients Aren't Anymore
Here's something that surprised me when I learned it: many ingredients we assume come from natural sources are now synthetically manufactured. This isn't necessarily listed on labels, and most people have no idea.
Citric Acid (330) - The Black Mold Production
What it is: Citric acid shows up in countless products—soft drinks, lollies, tinned fruits, jams, even some "healthy" snacks. The name suggests it comes from citrus fruits like lemons or limes.
The reality: Almost all commercial citric acid is now produced through fermentation using the black mold Aspergillus niger. This fungus is fed glucose (often from corn) in industrial tanks, and it produces citric acid as a byproduct.
Why it matters: While FSANZ considers it safe, the manufacturing process involves genetic modification of the mold in some cases, and the final product can contain trace amounts of mold metabolites. Some people report sensitivity to synthetically produced citric acid that they don't experience with naturally derived citrus.
Can you avoid it? It's everywhere in processed foods. Your best bet is choosing fresh foods or products specifically stating "naturally derived citric acid from citrus."
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) - Not from Oranges
What it is: Ascorbic acid is listed as Vitamin C on labels and used as both a preservative and a "fortification" in countless products—fruit juices, breakfast cereals, tinned fruits, preserved meats.
The reality: Commercial ascorbic acid is synthetically manufactured, typically from genetically modified corn through a complex chemical process. It's chemically identical to natural vitamin C but lacks the co-factors and bioflavonoids present in whole food sources.
Why it matters: While your body recognizes it as vitamin C, synthetic ascorbic acid doesn't provide the same benefits as vitamin C from whole foods. It's also used in such high quantities as a preservative that some products contain far more than you'd ever get from eating actual fruit.
Can you avoid it? Difficult, as it's in most preserved and packaged foods. Look for products without added vitamin C, or get your vitamin C from actual fruits and vegetables.
Vegetable Oils: The Biggest Deception on Labels
This is one of the most important things to understand about food labels, and it's something that to be honest, I was shocked when I learned about it.
What "vegetable oil" actually means:
When you see "vegetable oil" on a label, it tells you essentially nothing. It could be any combination of: canola oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, or palm oil. Manufacturers can use whichever is cheapest at the time without changing the label.
Here's the reality:
These aren't oils from vegetables—they're oils from seeds and grains. Think about it: what vegetable actually produces oil? You can press olives, avocados, or coconuts and get oil. But corn? Soybeans? Cottonseed? These require intensive industrial processing involving chemical solvents (usually hexane), high heat, deodorization, and bleaching to produce oil.
The processing problem:
Unlike cold-pressed olive oil, seed oils go through:
1. Chemical solvent extraction (hexane, a petroleum derivative)
2. Degumming with caustic soda
3. Bleaching with activated clays
4. Deodorization at extreme temperatures (which creates trans fats)
5. Often partial hydrogenation (creating more trans fats)
The end product is highly refined, oxidized, and inflammatory—bearing no resemblance to the seed it came from.
The GMO issue:
Most canola, soy, corn, and cottonseed oils in Australia come from genetically modified crops. Unless the label specifically says "non-GMO" or "organic," assume it's GMO.
Why it matters for your health:
Seed oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids. While we need some omega-6, the modern diet provides a ratio of about 20:1 (omega-6 to omega-3) when optimal is closer to 4:1. This imbalance drives inflammation throughout the body—linked to heart disease, autoimmune conditions, metabolic syndrome, and more.
Oxidized and rancid oils (which seed oils often are due to processing and heating) create free radicals in your body, damaging cells and contributing to aging and disease.
What to look for instead:
- Specific oils listed: "olive oil," "coconut oil," "avocado oil"
- Cold-pressed or extra virgin when possible
- Organic (to avoid GMOs and pesticides)
- Products that use butter, ghee, or animal fats instead
Where vegetable oils hide:
- Most packaged baked goods (biscuits, cakes, crackers)
- Margarine and vegetable spreads
- Salad dressings and mayonnaise
- Fried foods and chips
- Many "health foods" and protein bars
- Pre-made meals and frozen foods
This is one ingredient I prioritize avoiding. The prevalence of seed oils in the modern diet is a significant contributor to chronic inflammation and disease.
Decoding "Flavours" and "Natural Flavours"
This is where labelling gets deliberately vague. In Australia, manufacturers can hide a multitude of ingredients under these umbrella terms.
What "Flavours" or "Natural Flavours" actually means:
This single word can represent 50-100 different chemical compounds. These can include:
- Solvents and preservatives for the flavouring compounds
- Emulsifiers to help the flavours blend
- Flavour enhancers (sometimes including MSG or glutamates not listed separately)
- Synthetic chemicals designed to mimic natural tastes
- Actual food-derived extracts (but highly processed)
The "Natural" deception:
"Natural flavours" sounds healthy, but FSANZ's definition is broad. A flavour can be called "natural" if it's derived from a plant or animal source—even if that source is processed beyond recognition using chemical solvents, heated to extreme temperatures, and mixed with synthetic carriers.
For example, "natural strawberry flavour" rarely comes from strawberries. It might come from a bacteria culture that produces strawberry-like compounds, or from chemical extraction of compounds from other plants entirely.
Why it matters:
You have no way of knowing if you're sensitive to any of the hidden ingredients. People with MSG sensitivity often react to products listing only "natural flavours" because glutamates can hide under that term. Those avoiding certain allergens might unknowingly consume them.
What to look for instead:
Products that list specific spices and ingredients: "cinnamon, vanilla extract, lemon oil" rather than "natural flavours."
The "Natural" Label: A Meaningless Marketing Term
Here's something that frustrated me when I learned it: in Australia, the term "natural" on food packaging is essentially unregulated and meaningless.
What FSANZ says:
There's no legal definition of "natural" for food products in Australia. Companies can use this term on virtually anything without meeting specific criteria. A product can be called "natural" even if it contains synthetic additives, GMO ingredients, or heavily processed components.
Marketing tricks:
- "Made with natural ingredients" - might be 99% synthetic with 1% natural
- "Natural flavours" - as we discussed, often completely synthetic
- "All natural" - means absolutely nothing, no standards
- "Naturally sweetened" - could still be high fructose corn syrup (which technically comes from corn)
What actually means something:
- "Organic" (with ACO or NASAA certification) - This has legal standards
- "Australian Certified Organic" - Regulated and verified
- Specific claims like "no artificial colours" or "no added preservatives" - These can be verified
The bottom line: Ignore "natural" on the front of packages. Read the ingredient list on the back. That's where truth lives.
Sugar: Hidden Under Dozens of Names
Food manufacturers have mastered the art of hiding sugar by using multiple types and names. This keeps any single sugar from appearing as the first ingredient (which must be listed in descending order by weight).
Common sugar aliases you'll see:
- Glucose, glucose syrup
- Dextrose
- Maltodextrin
- Rice malt syrup, rice syrup
- Malt extract, barley malt
- Corn syrup
- High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) - As of 2025, High Fructose Corn Syr is officially banned from use in food manufactured in Australia. If you spot it on a supermarket product, it's either imported, or very old stock.
- Fructose, fruit juice concentrate
- Agave nectar/syrup
- Molasses, treacle
- Maltose, sucrose, lactose (anything ending in -ose)
- Cane sugar, raw sugar, brown sugar
- Caramel
- Invert sugar
Why it matters:
A product might list "whole grain flour" as the first ingredient, but if the next five ingredients are various types of sugar, you're essentially eating a sugar product with some grain in it. Total sugar content can be 40-50% of the product.
The health impact:
Excessive sugar consumption is linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver disease, inflammation, and accelerated aging. The average Australian consumes about 60 grams of added sugar daily—roughly 14 teaspoons—when the WHO recommends less than 25 grams.
How to spot it:
Add up all the sugar-type ingredients in the list. If you see 3-4 different types, the product is sugar-heavy regardless of what the marketing says. Check the nutrition panel for "total sugars"—anything over 15g per 100g is high in sugar.
The 30-Second Label Check
Here's my practical method for quickly evaluating packaged food:
Step 1: Count the ingredients
- Under 5 ingredients: Likely minimally processed
- 5-10 ingredients: Moderate processing
- 10-20 ingredients: Heavily processed
- 20+ ingredients: Industrial food product
Step 2: Look for the red flags
- "Vegetable oil" or "seed oil" (unspecified)
- "Flavours" or "Natural Flavours"
- Multiple types of sugar with different names
- Multiple numbers (especially colours, preservatives, flavour enhancers)
- "Modified" anything
- Artificial sweeteners (951, 950, 955, 954)
- Titanium dioxide (171)
Step 3: The grandmother test
Would your grandmother recognize these ingredients? If not, it's heavily processed.
Step 4: Compare to reality
Could you make this at home? If the packaged version has triple the ingredients, ask why.
Making Practical Choices
I'm not suggesting you make everything from scratch or never eat packaged food. I still buy some packaged items—I just choose more carefully. For me personally, I always opt for organic products. (this is a topic I will cover in another blog). Here's my approach:
Prioritize what you eat most often:
If you eat bread daily, finding real bread (or making sourdough) makes more impact than worrying about occasional treats.
Read labels on staples:
Check pasta sauces, cereals, yogurt, condiments, and other items you buy regularly. Often you can find versions with clean ingredient lists for similar prices.
Watch out for "health food" tricks:
Just because something is labeled "organic," "natural," or "healthy" doesn't mean it has a clean ingredient list. Organic junk food is still junk food.
Question complexity:
If a product has twice as many ingredients as the homemade version, ask why. The answer is usually shelf life and cost-cutting.
Avoid seed oils:
This is my personal priority. I check every packaged item for "vegetable oil" and choose alternatives.
Getting Started
Start with one category your family eats regularly. Maybe it's bread, yogurt, or pasta sauce. Next time you shop, read labels of different brands. Compare ingredient lists. You'll often find one brand uses eight ingredients while another uses twenty—for the same product.
Choose the simpler option. Then move to another category. Gradually, reading labels becomes second nature, and you'll develop an eye for spotting heavily processed products.
Which packaged food does your family go through fastest? That might be a good place to start comparing labels and finding a cleaner alternative.
References
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). (2025). "Food Labelling Standards." FSANZ.gov.au. Accessed January 2025.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). (2025). "Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code." FSANZ.gov.au.
- NSW Food Authority. (2025). "Labelling laws." NSW Food Authority. August 31, 2025.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). (2024). "Allergen labelling for food businesses." FSANZ.gov.au. February 25, 2024.
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). 2021. Safety assessment of titanium dioxide (E171) as a food additive. EFSA Journal, 19(5):6585.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). (2022). "Titanium Dioxide as a Food Additive: Assessment Report." FSANZ.gov.au.
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). (2021). "Titanium dioxide: E171 no longer considered safe when used as a food additive." EFSA Press Release, May 6, 2021.
- World Health Organization (WHO). (2023). "Aspartame hazard and risk assessment results released." WHO News, July 14, 2023.
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). (2023). "Summary of findings of the evaluation of aspartame." IARC Monographs Programme, July 2023.
- Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). (2024). "Glyphosate." APVMA.gov.au.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand. (2024). "Food Standards Code - Consolidated PDF." FSANZ.gov.au.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). 2025. Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – Compilation (June 2025). FSANZ, Canberra.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). 2025. Food labelling and ingredient standards. FSANZ, Canberra.