Take a packaged item in your hand and stare at the front for just five seconds. Chances are, you’ll catch the brand, the item name, some colors, maybe an illustration or two, and a handful of catchy words. Flip the item over. That’s where all the information you really need to make an informed decision about it usually lives, in small print, on a side or base or the lid. Being a good label reader requires you to go beyond what you see on the front at a glance. You need to find out what the product is, who made it, how much there is, how to keep it and how long it’s good for.
The first thing you should do is figure out what you are looking at and what it’s for. The name on the front may describe it but that name doesn’t necessarily identify the contents. For example, something can be called “Premium”, “Natural”, “Classic” or “Advanced” but you still wouldn’t have any idea what you were buying. Find the name of the product or its composition or purpose. In the case of a food product, that might mean the name of the actual food, and not the prominent name of a flavor. With a cleaning product, it may mean deciding whether it is a cleaner or a disinfectant or a polish or a concentrate or a ready-to-use type product.
The next part you want to look at is the composition or ingredients list and the net quantity. The ingredients or materials tell you the contents and the quantity tells you how much product there is, not including packaging. Package size or appearance is not the same as the amount of product, either. A larger container may not contain much more product than a smaller container. Two or more products that appear to be virtually the same may contain very different amounts, so when you compare products, make sure you are comparing the net quantity expressed in the same units, or determining whether one product is more concentrated or less concentrated, or portioned or sold as is.
Date markings are separate and often misunderstood. The date of manufacture tells you when the product was made. The best before date is an estimate of the time the product will stay at a quality and safety level acceptable for you, when you store it properly. This is not the same as the use by date. The date you should use or discard a food product is also sometimes listed. Make sure that you do not use the two terms as though they mean the same thing. If it seems like there are a number of dates or numbers on a package, check to see which ones are dates. Look for a number that might be a batch number. If you have no idea which numbers are dates and which are not, look for wording that might tell you.
You need to pay attention to how a product needs to be stored, as this is also part of the product information. Check for the temperature range, light and humidity limitations, and handling directions after the package has been opened. Some products have a shelf-life when unopened but require refrigeration or immediate use once opened. You also may see warnings such as: keep away from sunlight, keep dry, keep upright, keep tightly closed, or store separately. Keep these in mind because the way you store a product may mean the difference between a product you like that is still good and one that no longer is.
Finally, check for information about the manufacturer or supplier and the country of origin as well as safety warnings and any other marking or symbols. This is also the time you would check the packaging for any damage such as holes or leaks, to see how well the label is printed or how clean the packaging looks. If you find that it’s cracked or chipped or dirty, you’d want to note that down too. Don’t jump to conclusions without being able to explain exactly why the packaging looks or smells that way to someone who wasn’t present. Your goal should be to provide enough information so someone could assess whether further inspection or professional testing is warranted.
Try this exercise: Take one packaged food item or non-food household product. Write down the product name, category, ingredients or materials, quantity, date markings, storage and use information, manufacturer or supplier information and any safety warnings. Then, turn your back to the front of the packaging and go through each of those items again. Being a good label reader means you can tell someone what a product is, why you’d buy it and how it should be handled, without using those marketing or sales words that appear in large letters on the packaging.