Green, red and what's in between: The small letters of the product marking law
The Product Marking Act comes into effect, and it's time to dive in depth and understand what the green mark, the red mark, and what the unmarked foods mean. Intelligent Consumer Guide
Even when there is a sticker you should read the list of components. Woman shopping (Photo: shutterstock)
Woman shopping at supermarket with grocery list (Photo: ShutterStock)
On January 1, 2020, the Product Marking Law came into effect, which should help Israelis maintain a healthier diet in a simpler way. Instead of trying to decode ingredient lists with unclear words or trying to figure out how much sugar there is in each product - simply marking the product will help us decide what's right for us, and what to consume just to the extent.
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To the full articleFood products are categorized according to two main routes - red and green. Sugar-rich, fat and sodium-rich products are marked in red, and foods whose nutritional values are high and meet the Health Ministry's criteria are marked in green. Apart from these, there are many products that will not be labeled at all, because the values of fat, sugar and sodium are lower than the requirement for red marking.
What foods will be marked in green?
The green check is voluntary, and is designed to help us with the preference and choice of healthy foods. Only green products will be marked in accordance with the dietary recommendations in Israel, or as defined by the Ministry of Health, "fit the healthy dietary principles". The labeled foods will have to meet the required conditions listed on the Ministry of Health website, with the guideline being that the foods are raw and have minimal processing.
Along with dairy products (up to 5% fat), tofu, seeds and nuts, eggs, legumes, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, this list also includes fresh / chilled / frozen poultry without additives. For example, all fresh chicken products of good chicken, except wings and interior parts, receive a green sticker. Even roasted poultry or fish can get a green mark provided they are free of spices and salt and contain no more than 200 mg of sodium.
Fresh and frozen poultry without additions also get a green sticker. Chicken (Photo: ShutterStock)
Fresh chicken, calves (Photo: ShutterStock)
What foods will be marked in red?
This is how it looks
Excess sodium, sugar, or saturated fat can damage your health. Therefore, foodstuffs containing sugar, saturated fat and sodium will be marked in red by the Ministry of Health threshold: 500 mg sodium or 13.5 g sugar or 5 g saturated fat in 100 g product (for solid foods). To enable the food industry to prepare And to improve its products, the threshold was set in two beats and the following year, dropped to 400 mg of sodium, 10 grams of sugar or 4 grams of saturated fat.
All foods that exceed this threshold will receive a red check. For example, yellow cheese, cream cheese and even dark chocolate are marked in red. It is important to note that the marking is not intended to signal consumers not to eat at all from the product, but to be aware of the nutritional values of the product, and to eat it in a balanced form.
What foods are not labeled at all?
The red and green marking is designed to help consumers choose foods. Even if food does not meet the stringent requirements of green marking, the consumer knew that the absence of red markings indicates that the amount of sodium, sugar and saturated fat is less than the mark requiring red marking. Thus, for example, all other shells, patties and fish products of good chicken are not marked in red.
When choosing these and other products you should read the list of ingredients and nutritional values of the product.
It's important to remember that the product marking law is primarily intended to help people raise awareness and help them choose the foods they bring home. However, unlike the green and red dichotomy, this is not a black and white issue, and alongside marking the products, it is important to exercise personal judgment when it comes to your diet and that of your child.
