Dual nutrition labeling serves two distinct purposes: practical portion guidance and product comparison. This dual system empowers consumers to make both immediate consumption decisions and informed shopping choices by providing both real-world and standardized nutritional information.
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Food labels show both “per serving” and “per 100g” because each serves a different but equally important purpose in helping you make informed food choices. The “per serving” information tells you exactly what you’re getting when you eat the manufacturer’s suggested portion size – like one cup of cereal, two biscuits, or half a packet of chips. This is practical, real-world information that helps you understand your immediate nutritional intake.
The “per 100g” information, on the other hand, creates a level playing field for comparing different products. Since manufacturers can set their own serving sizes, direct comparison between brands can be misleading. One brand might make their serving size smaller to make their product appear healthier, while another might use larger serving sizes. The “per 100g” standardization eliminates this confusion.
For example, when you’re deciding between two breakfast cereals, you might see that Cereal A has 5g sugar per serving while Cereal B has 8g sugar per serving. But if Cereal A’s serving is 30g and Cereal B’s serving is 45g, the per 100g comparison might reveal that Cereal A actually has more sugar per weight – perhaps 17g per 100g versus 18g per 100g for Cereal B.
Together, these two measurements give you complete information: you can compare products fairly using the per 100g values to find the healthiest option, then use the per serving information to understand exactly what you’re consuming when you eat that product. This dual approach supports both smart shopping decisions and mindful eating habits.
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