Why Is it Important to Read Labels?

Labels contain a wealth of information about ingredients, possible dangers, health impacts, and correct usage of a product. This information allows buyers to determine the benefits or side effects that could result from the use of the product. Consumers cannot rely solely on a company's advertising and packaging to determine what a product might contain or how it should be used. Therefore, reading labels closely is imperative in protecting our health and overall well-being and using products properly.

Reading the Ingredients

• The ingredients are the most important and vital information regarding a food product. However, the label is often hard to locate and written in very small print. Nonetheless, this list of ingredients assists buyers in determining how healthy a product is. While some ingredients are recognizable, such as milk, eggs, or flour, other ingredients are a bit more complicated to interpret and understand. Ingredients like BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), miso, and casein are not common, everyday terms and can prove challenging to comprehend without further research or asking someone to explain them. Regardless, reading the label of a product and knowing the ingredients is essential.

Considerations

• The longer the list of ingredients, the more likely it is that there are a lot of chemical additives in the product. The shorter the list, the healthier the product may be. However, the length of the list is not the only factor one must consider in determining how healthy or safe the product actually is. The order in which the ingredients appear on the label must also be noted. Ingredients are listed on the label according to their relative proportions in the product. Therefore, the ingredient with the largest quantity will appear first on the list and the ingredient with the smallest quantity will appear last. Of course, all ingredients should be considered, but the first three generally require the most scrutiny.

Health Conditions

• The importance of label reading is not just relegated to food products. Reading the labels of over-the-counter medications and personal care products is imperative as well. For instance, consumers with diabetes or another blood sugar-related health condition need to be careful of any product that contains sugar or a sugar by-product. This means learning about and recognizing all terms used that are synonymous with sugar. Again, this should be done by anyone with a preexisting health condition.

Allergies

• Careful reading of labels is required to avoid allergic reactions.

  People with allergies have to be extremely vigilant and cautious when reading labels. Thankfully, as of January 2006, U.S. food products must clearly state if they contain milk, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, wheat, egg, shellfish or egg, according to the NPR.org website. Unfortunately, this is not true for body products, which can also cause allergic reactions. Consequently, allergy sufferers need to consistently read labels and familiarize themselves with any unfamiliar terms.

Compare Brands and Save

• Often, store brand products contain exactly the same ingredients as the more popular, name brand items. Reading the labels on both products carefully to compare the ingredients could result in significant savings; if the ingredients are the same, purchasing the less expensive brand saves you money. In some cases, the ingredients in the store brand can be even better and may also prove to be of a higher quality.