I spent over two decades in the food industry. I know how a pack comes about. The front belongs to marketing. It has to sell. The back belongs to the law. It has to say what’s inside. In this article I show you what’s behind “light”, “zero” and “high protein”. And how to recognise a real sourdough bread.
Promises on the front, the truth on the back
A lot can go on the front of a pack. Pictures of meadows, cows and ripe fruit. Words like “natural”, “balanced” or “mindful”. Much of it is hardly regulated.
The back is different. In the EU, the ingredients list and the nutrition table are mandatory. Ingredients must be listed by weight, the largest amount first. This is where it says what’s really inside.
For terms like “light”, “sugar-free” or “high protein”, on the other hand, there are clear rules. In the EU they are set out in the regulation on nutrition and health claims. The problem: the rules say how much of something has to be in there. They don’t say what’s in there instead.
| Claim on the pack | What it means under EU rules |
|---|---|
| light or reduced | at least 30 percent less of a nutrient (e.g. fat or sugar) than a similar product |
| sugar-free | no more than 0.5 g of sugar per 100 g or 100 ml |
| no added sugar | no sugar added, but the product can contain sugar naturally |
| high protein | at least 20 percent of the energy comes from protein |
| zero | not a regulated term, purely a marketing word |
Light: what’s missing gets replaced
When fat is taken out of a product, something is missing. Flavour, creaminess, mouthfeel. And that has to be made up for somehow.
That is exactly what I saw in the industry for years. When the fat is missing, starch, thickeners, sugar or sweeteners often go in. The product is then “light” on fat. But not necessarily lighter for your body.
That’s why I prefer the original. The yoghurt with its natural fat. The real cheese. And I enjoy it mindfully.
Zero: sweet without sugar
“Zero” is not a legally regulated term. It is a marketing word, usually for drinks without sugar. The sweetness then comes from sweeteners.
In 2023 the World Health Organization published a clear recommendation: non-sugar sweeteners should not be used to control body weight. The studies it reviewed showed no long-term benefit for weight. The WHO itself calls its recommendation conditional because the evidence is not clear-cut. But it shows: “zero” is not a free pass.
My way is a different one: I slowly get my taste used to less sweetness. Water with a drop of lemon instead of soda. After a few weeks, a lot of what used to taste normal suddenly tastes far too sweet.
High protein: the pudding put to the test
Protein is a big trend. Accordingly, the chiller cabinets are full of puddings, bars and drinks with “high protein” in big letters.
German consumer organisations have taken a closer look at these products:
- Federal Consumer Organisation (2022): of 59 protein products, 49 were more expensive than similar products without protein marketing. One in five cost more than twice as much. 14 products contained hardly any or no more protein than the comparison products.
- Hamburg Consumer Centre (2025): 14 protein products were on average 88 percent more expensive than comparable foods. They contained an average of five additives, about two more than the comparison products. 10 out of 14 contained flavourings. Some contained a lot of sugar despite the protein marketing.
The consumer organisations conclude that most people in Germany get enough protein. How much you really need I have worked out in my article “How much protein do you really need?”.
My alternative is simple: natural yoghurt or quark with berries and a few nuts. Lots of protein, a short ingredients list, a fraction of the price.
Sourdough: real craft is in the ingredients list
Bread shows particularly well how much you can learn from the back of the pack.
Real sourdough is a living dough. Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts work in it for many hours. They sour the dough, make the bread aromatic, keep it fresh for longer and make it light. In Germany, the official guidelines for bread lay down that the acid in sourdough comes exclusively from natural fermentation. And for a sourdough bread, all the added acid has to come from the sourdough.
A look at the ingredients list tells you where you stand:
- Does it say “sourdough”? Good.
- Does it say “acidity regulator”, “lactic acid” or “acetic acid”? Then the dough was soured wholly or partly with additives instead of time.
- Is the list long? Real bread only needs flour, water, salt and sourdough or yeast.
People often say sourdough and long fermentation make bread easier to digest. That’s not entirely wrong. Researchers at Germany’s Max Rubner Institute have shown that a longer proofing time breaks down part of certain hard-to-digest carbohydrates, the so-called FODMAPs. But only part. Sourdough is no miracle cure. It is simply good craft. And you can taste it.
My rule for shopping
- Turn the pack over before it goes in the trolley.
- Read the ingredients list: do I know all the ingredients? How long is the list?
- Look at the first three ingredients. They make up most of the product.
- When in doubt, go for the original and enjoy it mindfully.
How to spot hidden sugar is in my article “Back of the pack first”.
Frequently asked questions
Are light products unhealthy?
Not automatically. But “light” only says that there’s less of one nutrient. What’s in there instead only the ingredients list will tell you.
Is “no added sugar” the same as “sugar-free”?
No. “No added sugar” only means no sugar was added. A juice or a fruit spread can still contain a lot of natural sugar.
How do I recognise good bread at the bakery?
Ask. A good baker will gladly tell you how long the dough rests and whether they work with their own sourdough.
Real food, clearly explained
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- Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods, Annex (conditions for nutrition claims): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2006/1924/annex
- Federal Consumer Organisation (vzbv): protein marketing, more show than substance (market check, May 2022, German): https://www.vzbv.de/pressemitteilungen/werbung-mit-protein-mehr-schein-als-sein
- Hamburg Consumer Centre: high protein, but also lots of sugar, additives, flavourings and a high price (10 Apr 2025, German): https://www.vzhh.de/presse/high-protein-aber-auch-viel-zucker-zusatzstoffe-aromen-hohen-preis
- World Health Organization: WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control in newly released guideline (15 May 2023): https://www.who.int/news/item/15-05-2023-who-advises-not-to-use-non-sugar-sweeteners-for-weight-control-in-newly-released-guideline
- German Food Code: guidelines for bread and small baked goods (2021 revision, German): https://umwelt-online.de/recht/lebensmt/lebensmb.ges/ybrot21.htm
- Max Rubner Institute: research for greater gut health (FODMAP content of bread, 21 Mar 2022): https://www.mri.bund.de/en/news/news/short-message/research-for-greater-gut-health/