How to Read Food Labels - A Guide for Diabetics, Banters and Low-Carb Shoppers

You pick up a product, turn it over, and suddenly you're faced with a wall of numbers, percentages and ingredients you can barely pronounce. Food labels can feel overwhelming - but once you know what to look for, they become one of the most powerful tools you have for making better choices on a sugar-free, low-carb or banting lifestyle.

Here is a plain-language guide to reading food labels like a pro.

Every number on a nutrition label is based on a specific serving size - not necessarily the whole packet. This is one of the most common ways people are misled by food labels.

For example, a product might show only 2g of sugar per serving - but if the serving size is 20g and you eat 60g, you're actually consuming 6g of sugar. Always check the serving size first and calculate accordingly based on how much you actually eat.

The carbohydrate section of a nutrition label typically shows several figures. Here is what each one means:

✔ Total carbohydrates - every type of carbohydrate in the product, including sugars, starches, fibre and sugar alcohols (polyols). This is the headline number but not the most useful one on its own.

✔ Of which sugars - the amount of total carbohydrates that comes from sugars specifically, including both natural and added sugars. For diabetics and banters this should be zero or very close to zero.

✔ Dietary fibre - fibre is a carbohydrate but it is not digested or absorbed as glucose. It can be subtracted from total carbs when calculating nett carbs.

✔ Sugar alcohols (polyols) - sweeteners like maltitol, xylitol, erythritol and isomalt. These are only partially absorbed by the body and have a lower glycemic impact than regular sugar - but not all sugar alcohols are equal.

✔ Nett carbohydrates - total carbohydrates minus fibre and sugar alcohols. This is the number that matters most for banters, keto followers and diabetics.

Formula: Total Carbohydrates - Dietary Fibre - Sugar Alcohols = Nett Carbohydrates

For a deeper explanation of these terms, read our guide: Total Carbs vs Nett Carbs vs Glycemic Carbs - What's the Difference?

When a product contains sugar alcohols, the type used makes a significant difference to its blood sugar impact. Always check which sweetener is listed in the ingredients - not just that sugar alcohols are present:

✔ Erythritol (GI 0) - best choice. Essentially no blood sugar impact

✔ Isomalt (GI 9) - excellent choice. Zero nett carbs. Used in Caring Candies hard candy and lollipops

✔ Xylitol (GI 7) - excellent choice. Very low blood sugar impact

✔ Powdered maltitol (GI 35) - good choice in moderation. Used in Caring Candies no added sugar chocolate

✔ Maltitol syrup (GI 52) - avoid. Almost as high as regular sugar (GI 65). Common in cheaper sugar-free chocolates

✔ Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K) - avoid. Commonly used in commercial diet products and best avoided

Sugar hides under many names on food labels. A product can claim to be "no added sugar" or "sucrose-free" while still containing significant amounts of sugar under a different name. Some of the most common hidden sugar names to look out for:

✔ Fructose, glucose, dextrose, maltose, lactose

✔ High-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, glucose syrup, malt syrup

✔ Honey, agave syrup, maple syrup, coconut sugar, date syrup

✔ Fruit juice concentrate, evaporated cane juice, molasses, treacle

✔ Rapadura, panela, muscovado, turbinado, demerara

A simple rule - if an ingredient ends in "-ose" or "-syrup", it is almost certainly a form of sugar. For the full list of hidden sugar names, read our guide: Sugar-Free vs Sucrose-Free vs No Added Sugar - What's the Difference?

Food manufacturers know that health-conscious shoppers make quick decisions based on front-of-pack claims. Here are the most common misleading terms to watch out for:

No added sugar - means no sugar was added during manufacturing, but the product may still contain naturally occurring sugars from fruit or dairy. Always check the nutrition label.

Sugar-free - means no sugar of any kind, but the product may still be sweetened with high-GI sugar alcohols like maltitol syrup. Check which sweetener is used.

Low fat or fat-free - these products almost always compensate for the lack of fat by adding extra sugar. On a banting or low-carb diet, fat is not the enemy - sugar is. Avoid low-fat products.

Natural or organic - these terms say nothing about sugar or carbohydrate content. Honey is natural. Coconut sugar is natural. Both will spike your blood sugar just like table sugar.

Reduced sugar - simply means less sugar than the original version. It may still contain a significant amount of sugar.

Diabetic friendly - not a regulated term in South Africa. Always verify by checking the actual nutrition label rather than relying on this claim.

Ingredients are listed in descending order of quantity - the first ingredient is present in the largest amount, the last in the smallest. This is one of the most useful things to know when reading a label.

✔ If sugar (or any of its aliases) appears in the first three ingredients - avoid the product

✔ Look for low-GI sweeteners like erythritol, xylitol, stevia, isomalt or powdered maltitol

✔ Avoid products that list artificial sweeteners like aspartame, saccharin or acesulfame-K

✔ Watch out for seed oils (sunflower oil, canola oil, soybean oil) - these are on the banting red list

✔ The shorter and more recognisable the ingredients list, the better

✔ Check the serving size before anything else

✔ Look at nett carbs - not just total carbs

✔ Check the sugars line - it should be zero or very close to zero

✔ Check which sweetener is used and its GI value

✔ Scan the ingredients list for hidden sugar names

✔ Ignore front-of-pack claims and always read the actual label

✔ If the ingredients list is long and full of numbers and chemicals - put it back

Please note: Always consult your doctor or dietitian if you have a medical condition that requires you to manage your sugar or carbohydrate intake carefully.

At Caring Candies we believe in complete transparency on our labels. We display nett carbs prominently on all our own-branded products, clearly list our sweeteners, and never use artificial sweeteners, artificial colourants or seed oils. All our products are made with natural low-GI sweeteners and real ingredients - so you never have to guess what you're eating.

All our own-branded products are Kosher and Halaal certified, made in Cape Town and delivered nationwide across South Africa.

Shop: caringcandies.com/collections/sugarfree