[The Basics] Don't get lost at the supermarket! How to correctly read 'ingredient labels' and the secret of the slash ( / )

Hello! I'm Haruka @ Food Choices Kind to the Body, sharing tips on how to incorporate a relaxed, additive-free lifestyle.

I received a lot of feedback on my previous article, 'The Reason You Don't Need to Aim for Zero Additives.' I am truly encouraged by the warm comments like 'I feel relieved' and 'I think I can do this too!'

Now that your mindset is set, we will finally enter the practical part starting today. The theme is 'How to read ingredient labels so you don't get lost at the supermarket.'

When you decide to start an additive-free life, the first wall you hit is, 'Even if I look at the label on the back, it's all katakana and I don't know what's what.' I have also had the experience of being exhausted from searching for additive names on my smartphone in the seasoning aisle of the supermarket.

But please rest assured. There is absolutely no need to memorize the names of hundreds of additives. If you read this article to the end, you will be able to tell in 'just 3 seconds' whether a product is kind to your body or not.

This is knowledge that will become a 'food amulet' you can use for the rest of your life. Please try it out starting with your shopping today.

1. Find the magic boundary line: the ' / (slash)'

Processed foods sold in Japanese supermarkets always have the 'ingredient name' written on the back. When looking here, the first thing we should look for is not the name of a specific additive.

It is just one symbol: the ' / (slash)'.

In fact, due to the new Food Labeling Act that was fully enforced in April 2020, manufacturers are now required to clearly separate 'pure food' and 'food additives' so that consumers can tell them apart at a glance.

The most commonly used 'divider' for this is this ' / (slash)'.

In other words, the rule is surprisingly simple.

• Before the slash ( / ) = 'Pure food' that you might also have in your kitchen

• After the slash ( / ) = 'Food additives' artificially added in a factory

Just by knowing this, even when you see a string of unfamiliar katakana, you will be able to instantly grasp, 'Oh, everything from here on is the additive group.'

2. Compare with real examples! 'Regular wieners' vs. 'Additive-free wieners'

Seeing is believing. Let's compare labels using products actually lined up in supermarkets as examples. This time, we will compare 'wieners,' which are prone to having additives used in them.

A: Label of a typical bargain wiener

B: Label for body-friendly wieners (no nitrites)

What do you think? The A wieners have a long list of additives after the slash. These include 'color fixatives' and 'coloring agents' to make the color vivid, and 'preservatives' to extend shelf life. On the other hand, the B wienersdo not have a slash at all. In other words, you can tell in just 3 seconds that it is a 'completely additive-free' product with no food additives used whatsoever.

3. The 'weight order' rule you should know

Once you've learned the magic of the slash, let's master one more professional perspective. That is the absolute rule that both ingredients and additives are 'listed in order from the most abundant (highest weight) to the least'.

For example, let's look at the label of a bottled green tea.

In this case, you can tell that 'green tea' is the main ingredient, and the additive 'Vitamin C (antioxidant)' is only present in a very small amount.

Knowing this rule allows for applications like this: 'There are two similar dressings, but in A, 'high-fructose corn syrup (artificial sweetener)' comes immediately after the slash. In B, it is written at the very end. This means B is safer because it has a smaller amount of additives.'

Even without knowing difficult names, you can choose safer products just bylooking at the 'order in which they are written' and the 'amount of text'.

4. [Deep Dive] What is the 'carry-over' hidden in labels?

*This part gets a bit technical, but it is important knowledge to have so you don't get fooled by 'fake additive-free' products.

Learning the slash rule makes shopping very fun, but there is actually one 'loophole'. That is a rule called 'carry-over'.

Carry-over is a special exception that says, 'If an additive was used during the ingredient stage and is present in such a trace amount that it does not affect the final product, you may omit it from the label.'

For example, suppose you find 'additive-free potato salad' in the deli section of a supermarket. However, if the 'mayonnaise' or 'soy sauce' used to season that potato salad contained plenty of additives, those additives might not be listed on the final potato salad label.

I may have made you anxious by saying, 'Wait, then is there no point in looking at the label?' I'm sorry.

But please rest assured. That is exactly why the 'relaxed additive-free' approach I advocate is so effective. It is impossible even for a professional to spot every single carry-over. 'If you're going to get neurotic worrying about things you can't see, focus first on reducing what's after the slash right in front of you.' This is the biggest secret to becoming healthy without stress.

A Summary of the '3-Second Rule' That Will Change Your Shopping Starting Tomorrow

Finally, I have summarized an 'action plan' that you can put into practice as soon as you go to the supermarket tomorrow. Please be sure to take a screenshot of this section and save it!
✅ Flip the product over and look for the ' / ' (slash) ✅ Choose the one with fewer 'characters' after the slash ✅ Even if it says 'additive-free,' check the label with your own eyes first

At first, you might be shocked to realize, 'I can't believe my favorite snacks I always buy had this many additives in them...'
But that is where you start! You don't need to switch everything to additive-free. Small, cumulative choices—like 'trying a loaf of bread that has fewer items after the slash' or 'making sure just the soy sauce is additive-free'—will definitely change your body.

Now that you know how to read labels, next time we will dive into an even more practical and important topic: 'The 3 Additives You Should Definitely Avoid! What to Check When Shopping.'
If you find a 'certain specific character' after the slash, it might be better to quietly put it back on the shelf... I will narrow down and clearly explain the three additives you should prioritize avoiding.
The next article will also be a powerful weapon to protect your health and that of your family. I would be happy if you followed me and looked forward to the update🌿

Thank you so much for reading until the end! If you thought, 'I didn't know the secret of the slash!' or 'I'll check at the supermarket tomorrow!', please be sure to press the 'Like (♡)' button to let me know✨