Calorie labels underestimate energy content in processed foods, say experts

Calorie labels are misleading consumers by underestimating the energy content present in processed foods and overstating the energy content of raw ingredients, according to food experts.

A group of international nutritionists at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting in Boston said that failures of retailers to update calorie counting systems with the latest technology can lead to errors of up to 30% in figures on labels and websites.

The Atwater system, the current basis for estimating energy content in processed foods, has been in use since the early 20th century.

According to the group, the system has failed in several ways and needs to be upgraded in order to provide consumers with accurate food labels which, in turn, will have significant global health and economic benefits.

Commenting on the issue, TraceOne North Europe senior vice president Nick Martin said that while opinion is divided on whether the findings demand a wholesale change to product labelling, new discoveries are constantly being made about how food works, and retailers will feel the impact of these changes more and more directly as they become more dependent on own-label products.

"With this in mind, even if the current findings do not alter how food is labelled and presented there will inevitably come a time when standards have to change," he said.

"When this time comes, retailers need to ensure they can put any changes into effect as smoothly, accurately and quickly as possible in order to reduce expense and ensure their products are kept on the shelves," Martin noted.

The team of experts at AAAS also noted that government standards and assessments for energy levels in foods assume that calorific value is the same in cooked and raw foods; however, raw food provides 10%-30% fewer calories as the body expends energy breaking it down.

The researchers also noted that current guidelines fail to account for the calorific value of food groups such as fibre.

Trace One is a European software company offering e-collaborative solutions for managing consumer goods products for retailers and manufacturers.