It's sound advice when watching World Cup soccer matches, to practise moderation in the intake of your favourite football snack - crispy chips of different tastes and ingredients.
In collaboration with the Centre for Food Safety, the Consumer Council has studied the nutrition labels of 32 chip products in a recent survey - 17 potato chips, 5 tortilla chips/corn snacks, 4 cheese balls/cheese rings and 6 prawn chips/crackers.
Chip products are processed foods usually added with salt, seasonings, and mostly involving frying. It is not surprising that besides being crispy and tasty, they are high in energy, fat and sodium contents.
The findings are, therefore, a timely reminder that crispy chips in combination with World Cup soccer matches are potentially a health hazard to their fans - and addicts.
First, in terms of energy level, unlike playing football, watching the game in front of a TV set for a duration of 90 minutes in a stretch will not help burn away the excess calories that over 80% (27 out of 32) of the samples were found to contain - 500kcal or more per 100g.
Consuming 100g of these chips may amount to 25% or more of one's daily energy intake (of a 2,000kcal diet). Excess energy intake is a common cause for weight gain.
Second, apart from high energy level, some 90% (29 out of 32) of the samples were found to contain total fat ranging from 21g to 41.6g per 100g.
Food with more than 20g total fat per 100g is considered high in total fat. According to the WHO/FAO, one should get not more than 60g of fat daily (about 4 tablespoons of oil) for a 2,000kcal diet.
Consumption of a whole pack (60g) of the sample with the highest total fat content, a cheese ring snack, may amount to 25g total fat representing 40% of the WHO/FAO daily intake limit.
Excess fat intake will lead to overweight and obesity.
Furthermore, although the great majority (28 samples) were labeled zero in trans fat content, one sample, however, was found to contain 3g per serving (11g per 100g) which exceeds the daily intake limit of 2.2g of trans fat.
Third, in terms of sodium (salt) content, 50% (16 out of 32) of the samples were deemed high in sodium ranging from 612mg to 1,800mg per 100g.
A food is high in sodium if it contains more than 600mg sodium per 100g. According to WHO/FAO, sodium intake should be limited to not more than 2,000mg (about 1 teaspoon of salt) a day.
Consuming 1 pack (36g) of the sample with the highest sodium content, a prawn cracker, may amount to 648mg sodium or some 30% of the WHO/FAO daily intake limit.
So, enjoy your World Cup soccer matches but be moderate with your snack intake - as you reach for your next chip or bag of chips, not to mention the sugary or otherwise beverages that often come together.
Although the result of the survey found that 40% of the samples were high in both fat and sodium, a sample high in sodium may not necessarily be also high in total fat, or for that matter, vice versa.
For instance, the prawn cracker sample with the highest sodium content of 1,800mg per 100g was in fact also one of the lowest in total fat of only 1.2g per 100g.
Consumers are, therefore, advised to read the nutrition labels carefully in their entirely when comparing prepackaged products for a healthier choice.
As revealed in the survey, the market appears to be prepared in anticipation of the new regulations for nutrition labelling and claims due to come into effect on July 1.
All but one samples in the survey have been appropriately labeled the 1+7 nutrients (energy + protein, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, carbohydrates, sugars and sodium) as stipulated for the new Nutrition Labelling Scheme.
Two samples, a potato chip and a tortilla chip, bore the claims "Zero Grams Trans Fat" and "No Trans Fat" respectively on their package. However, both were labelled to contain saturated fat the content of which in combination with trans fat was higher than 1.5g per 100g of food. They will not satisfy the conditions for making such claims under the new Nutrition Labelling Scheme.
A potato chip sample with its name specifying "Low Salt" has a labelled sodium content of 380mg per 100g. This sample will not satisfy the new requirement of the "low sodium" claim, which requires the sodium content should be less than 120mg per 100g.
The survey found 11 samples to label their nutritional content by serving size only; 14 samples by 100g only; and 7 samples by both serving size and 100g.
Although nutrition labelling information based on per serving helps consumers to assess their nutrition intake, food manufacturers are encouraged to label nutritional content by 100g of food to facilitate consumers in easy comparison of different products on the shelf during shopping.
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