A food label refers to the legally required nutritional or consumer safety information about the food

product. It is there for safety and suitability reasons. The required information includes the Nutrition
Information Panel (NIP), the ingredients, allergens, cooking requirement, and use by dates.
Most of the space on a food package is used for branding, advertising or marketing purpose.
Advertising or marketing material must comply with the Fair Trading Act (1986) and the Food Act (1981)
and not mislead consumers about the benefits of consuming the product.
Food manufacturers must ensure that their labels are accurate and can be verified. Targeted
surveillance studies are carried and reports or complaints about non-compliance are acted upon. If there is a
significant health issue with a food label, the manufacturer will be asked to correct its labeling. If there is a
serious risk to the consumer, then action may escalate to a product withdrawal.
At present, products can only make some nutrient claims (eg. “This food is high in fiber”).Other types of
health claims are prohibited except for the claim that maternal consumption helps prevent neural tube defects
in developing foetuses.
In general, advertising on food packages should not make claims that the food is for slimming or has
intrinsic weight reducing properties, or has therapeutic or prophylactic action. It shouldn’t give information
that could be interpreted as medical advice or refer to any disease or physiological condition.
1.Read the text then say if these statements are (T) or (F)
a) Food label refers to the data mentioned for the security of the clients.
b) Trading Act and Food Act are meant to protect the consumers.
c. Trading Act checks the labeling without causing any harm to the manufactures.
d. Advertising on food package shouldn’t give any medical advice.
2.Answerer these questions according to the text:
a- Why is it necessary to know the nutrient content of the food we buy?
b- What happens if the label proves wrong?
c- Why should manufacturers avoid referring to any disease or physiological condition?
d. What does NIP refer to?
3. In which paragraph are the following ideas mentioned?
a) Products that don’t comply with the norms are removed from the market.
b) The necessary information that food label should contain.
4.Find in the text words that are closest in meaning to:
a) Follow §2:……………… b) guarantee: §3…………… c) precise:……………….§3
d)imperfections:……………..§4 banned:………………§4 assertions :……§5
5.Match words with their definitions.
words definitions
1.nutrition a) A brief description given for purposes of identification
2.escalate b) Tending to cure or restore to health
3.label c) Increase in extent or intensify
4.therapeutic d) the organic process of nourishing or being nourished;
6.Which adjectives can be derived from these words?
Consume – product – benefit – defect
7.Put the verbs in ( ) in the correct form.
a) (to feed) kids (be) the parents’ responsibility.
b) He (must be ) proud of (teach) handicapped people.
c) People (be ensure) to (be protect) from any health risks.
8.Join the following pairs of sentences
a-The food was poisoned. He felt sick.(because of)
b)I recommend you to study hard. You shouldn’t be lazy. (‘d better)