Walk through any UK supermarket and you will see products shouting about how good they are for you — “natural”, “light”, “high protein”, “no added sugar”. But what do these claims actually mean under UK food law? And do they tell you the whole story? Often, the gap between marketing and reality is wider than you might think.
Food manufacturers in the UK must comply with labelling regulations enforced by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and local trading standards. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) also oversees how food products are marketed. However, these rules still leave considerable room for claims that are technically legal but practically misleading.
The issue is not that companies are lying — most claims are legally accurate. The problem is that consumers reasonably interpret them differently from what they legally mean. A product labelled “light” might simply have 30% less fat than the brand’s original version, which could still be high in fat overall.
Here is what common label claims actually mean under UK and EU-retained food law, versus what most people assume they mean.
| Claim on Label | What It Legally Means | What Consumers Assume | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Natural” | No legal definition in UK food law for most products | Minimally processed, no artificial ingredients | “Natural” cereal bars with 8+ ingredients including syrups |
| “No added sugar” | No sugar was added during manufacturing | Low in sugar overall | Fruit juice with 10g sugar per 100ml (same as cola) |
| “Light” or “Lite” | 30% less fat or calories than the standard version | Low in fat or calories | “Light” mayo at 290 kcal/100g (regular is 720 kcal) |
| “High protein” | At least 20% of calories from protein | A significant source of protein, and therefore healthy | Protein bars with 20g protein but also 15g sugar and 250+ kcal |
| “Made with real fruit” | Contains some amount of fruit (even 1%) | A significant amount of real fruit | Fruit snacks that are 70%+ sugar with minimal actual fruit |
| “Multigrain” | Contains more than one type of grain | Wholegrain and high in fibre | Multigrain bread made primarily from refined white flour |
| “Source of fibre” | Contains at least 3g fibre per 100g | High in fibre | Products barely meeting the threshold at 3.1g/100g |
Some foods enjoy a persistent reputation for being healthy when, upon closer inspection, they are not necessarily better than the alternatives they claim to replace. This is sometimes called the “health halo” effect.
Often perceived as a wholesome breakfast, many shop-bought granolas contain 15–25g of sugar per 100g. A typical 60g serving can contain more sugar than two chocolate digestive biscuits. The oats themselves are nutritious, but the honey, syrups, and dried fruit coatings add up quickly. Check the label — some supermarket granolas are as high as 400–500 kcal per 100g.
A 250ml glass of orange juice contains roughly 22g of sugar — almost the same as a 250ml serving of cola (26g). The NHS counts fruit juice as one of your 5-a-day, but only up to 150ml, and recommends having it with meals to reduce the impact on teeth. The fibre present in whole fruit is largely absent from juice.
Many protein bars sold in UK supermarkets and gyms are nutritionally similar to chocolate bars with added whey protein. They can contain 200–300 calories, 10–20g of sugar, and a list of additives including maltitol, polydextrose, and palm oil. The protein content is real, but so is everything else.
When fat is removed from yoghurt, it often tastes bland. To compensate, manufacturers frequently add sugar, sweeteners, or thickeners. A low-fat strawberry yoghurt may contain 12–15g of sugar per pot — roughly 3 teaspoons. Full-fat natural yoghurt with fresh berries is often a more balanced choice.
The imagery on veggie crisp packets suggests a healthier alternative to regular crisps. In reality, many veggie crisps are deep-fried and contain similar calories (480–530 kcal per 100g) and fat content to standard potato crisps. The main ingredient is often potato starch with vegetable powders added for colour.
A typical shop-bought smoothie can contain 250–350 calories and 40–60g of sugar per bottle. Even though the sugar comes from fruit, it is still sugar from your body’s perspective. The blending process also breaks down fibre, meaning the sugar is absorbed more quickly than eating whole fruit.
Here is a comparison of products commonly perceived as healthy alongside what their nutrition labels actually reveal (per 100g, typical UK supermarket products).
| Product | Calories (per 100g) | Sugar (per 100g) | Fat (per 100g) | Key Additives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shop-bought granola | 450 kcal | 21g | 18g | Golden syrup, palm oil |
| “Protein” flapjack | 380 kcal | 16g | 14g | Maltitol syrup, palm oil, sweeteners |
| Veggie crisps | 510 kcal | 5g | 30g | Sunflower oil, potato starch |
| Low-fat fruit yoghurt | 82 kcal | 12g | 1g | Modified starch, flavourings |
| Smoothie (per 100ml) | 57 kcal | 12g | 0.1g | Concentrates, purees |
| Regular chocolate digestive (for comparison) | 493 kcal | 28g | 22g | Sugar, palm oil, cocoa |
Several “healthy” products have calorie and sugar profiles that are not dramatically different from standard biscuits and crisps. The point is not that these foods are “bad” — it is that the marketing creates expectations that don’t always match reality. Informed choices start with reading the actual label.
The UK requires all pre-packaged food to carry a nutrition declaration showing energy (kcal), fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein, and salt per 100g (and optionally per serving). The food label must also list all ingredients in descending order by weight.
The voluntary front-of-pack traffic light system (red, amber, green) was introduced to help consumers make quicker decisions. While useful, it has limitations — a product can show green for sugar while still containing artificial sweeteners, or show green for fat while being very high in salt.
Under UK and EU-retained food regulations, “natural flavouring” must be derived from a vegetable, animal, or microbiological source. However, the flavouring can be heavily processed through extraction, distillation, or fermentation. A “natural strawberry flavouring” does not have to come from strawberries — it can come from any natural source that produces the same chemical compound. The term gives no indication of the degree of processing involved.
The UK traffic light system is one of the better front-of-pack labelling schemes globally, but it has blind spots:
This is why looking beyond the traffic lights — at the ingredients list and full nutrition panel — gives a more complete picture. Tools like a food scanner can help you decode this quickly.
Front-of-pack marketing tells you what the manufacturer wants you to know. The back-of-pack label tells you what the law requires. NutraSafe bridges the gap by giving you a clear, honest view of what is actually in your food.
Scan any product to see its full ingredients, additives, and nutrition — beyond the front-of-pack claims.
Try NutraSafe FreeUnder UK food law, natural flavouring must be derived from a plant or animal source, but it can be heavily processed. A “natural strawberry flavouring” does not have to come from strawberries. It simply means the original source material was natural, even if it has been chemically extracted and modified.
Not necessarily. When fat is removed from a product, manufacturers often add sugar, salt, or thickeners to maintain taste and texture. A low-fat yoghurt may contain significantly more sugar than the full-fat version. Always check the nutrition label rather than relying on front-of-pack claims.
No added sugar means the manufacturer has not added any sugar during production. However, the product can still be very high in naturally occurring sugars. Fruit juice, for example, may carry a “no added sugar” claim while containing as much sugar per 100ml as cola.
Often not by much. Many vegetable crisps are still deep-fried and contain similar calories, fat, and salt to regular potato crisps. The main ingredient is frequently potato starch with vegetable powder added for colour. Check the nutrition panel rather than the front-of-pack imagery.
Check three things: the ingredients list (shorter is usually better), the nutrition panel (look at per 100g figures rather than per serving), and the traffic light label if present. Scanning products with an app like NutraSafe reveals the full nutritional picture including additives and hidden ingredients.
Last updated: February 2026. Sources: FSA, NHS, ASA (Advertising Standards Authority).