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Traceability: how to read food labels – Italian Cuisine

Eggs, pasta, meat, fish, milk: what do the labels of these shopping protagonists tell us? Knowing it helps us guide our choices

How much time do you spend on reading the labels when you do the expense? It can seem like a boring and difficult thing, in fact in a few seconds we can recover valuable information that can guide our choices such as, for example, if an egg comes from a hen raised in a cage or on the ground (we have explained here how to interpret the code shown on the egg shell), if a fish has been caught or raised, if the milk we drink is Italian (although, remember, the indication of origin is not necessarily synonymous with quality).

Place of origin and production

The name and address of the manufacturer are not equivalent to Country of origin or place of provenance of the product. In general, the law establishes that the goods entirely obtained in that country originate from a country, but if more countries have contributed to the production, the original country is the one in which it took place. the last stage of processing or transformation. This also applies to i Igp products who can boast the brand even if only part of the production process takes place in the traditional geographical area (this is what happens with the bresaola from Valtellina, for example).

Pasta, rice, oil, tomato derivatives

As for some foods that are the protagonists of Italian shopping like pasta, rice, oil, tomato products, milk, it is useful to know that currently, thanks to some experimental regulations adopted by Italy, it is mandatory to indicate the origin of the raw material. For pasta, for example, it is mandatory to indicate the country of cultivation of the wheat and the country in which it is ground, for rice the country of cultivation, that of processing and that of packaging. For theoil the country of olive harvest and the milling country must be indicated. So for these foods we can know for sure if the raw material is of Italian origin or from other EU or non-EU countries.

But things will change from April 1, 2020 when the European Community label will come into force, which provides for the obligation to indicate the origin of the primary ingredient (the one that constitutes 50% of the finished product) of a food only if different from the origin of the food itself.

The meat label

As for themeat label, there are differences based on the type. The label of the beef must compulsorily report the Country of origin, that of breeding and that of slaughtering the animal.

The meat label swine, sheep, goats and poultry must indicate the country of breeding and that of slaughter.

When only the word appears on the label "Origin" followed by the name of a country means that the animal was born, raised and slaughtered in a single area.

As regards the horse meat, rabbit and hare there are no labeling obligations.

Furthermore, the labeling rules apply only to the fresh packaged meat (also minced) frozen or deep-frozen, while for meat preparations (such as cordon bleu) or processed meats there are no obligations.

Meat labels as currently required by law do not give no information on how the animal was raised (what he ate, where he lived) unless the producer himself indicates it on the package, for example: "Chicken raised without the use of antibiotics".

The fish label

The label of fish fresh must indicate by law if the animal has been caught or bred. For the catch it is mandatory to indicate the area of origin and mode of capture (e.g. trawl nets, hooks, dredgers, traps).

For what concern frozen fish, the freezing date must be indicated, while the defrosted fish must bear the words "thawed" and the warning not to refreeze the product, keep it in the refrigerator and consume it within 24 hours.

Dairy products

For the fresh milk the regulation requires that the manufacturer indicate the milking area, if it is possible to trace the farms, or that of origin of the milk. On the milk label we can find the name of a municipality, a province, a region of Italy or the name of the EU country. If the milk comes from several countries of the European Union it will be written on the label "EU countries", while if it comes from EU countries and non-EU countries or only from non-EU countries it will be written "Third countries".

Also for the uht milk and dairy products such as yogurt, cheeses, mozzarella, butter it is mandatory to indicate the origin of the milk. The label then shows the country of milking or of origin of the milk and then the Country of conditioning for uht milk and the Processing country for dairy products. If we find the word "Origin of milk" followed by the name of a country, it means that the milk was milked, conditioned or processed in that country only.

Eggs, do we know what we buy? Let's read it on the label – Italian Cuisine

They are full of cholesterol and saturated fats, they are bad for the liver and are difficult to digest. How many times have we heard of eggs in these terms? Yet the evidence scientific they are very different. Just think that egg proteins are considered as much "Perfect" to be taken as a reference point by nutritionists to measure the biological value of protein of all foods. And that research on the relationship between eggs and health have given interesting results, dispelling the link between the consumption of eggs and the increase in cholesterol levels in the blood and the increased risk of illnesses cardiovascular.

But be careful: the eggs they are not all the same. How they live, that is how the hens are raised, makes a big difference. Of taste, and not only. We must therefore choose them well. Fortunately, the eggs have one of the labels more complete e transparent from all over the food world.

Also promoted by the WHO
The results of recent scientific studies are so interesting that they have pushed theWHO to remove the eggs from the list of foods to limit and to induce dieticians to recommend them to (almost) everyone, and especially to those who want to lose a few pounds. For those who want to diet eggs are an irreplaceable resource: they have few calories (78 for a large egg), stimulate the metabolism (all thanks to the choline) and provide lots of protein without the kit salt, additives or added fats of others products with which eggs are often replaced. Moreover, it is about source of protein that costs less than ever and therefore the eggs are suitable for any budget of expenditure. Not to mention cooks is chef that continue to enhance them in table, to the point that even restaurants where only served are born recipes egg-based gourmet, from Breakfast at dinner. Therefore, the time seems to have arrived unhinge the old ones "Legends" food and give the eggs the role they deserve table.

Why reassess them
They are already perfect because theequilibrium between yolk and albumen it makes them balanced: theegg white contains about87% of water and the 50% of proteins (among which albumin stands out), while the yolk has the other 50% protein, but less water (about 50%), more fat, cholesterol and other nutrients, such as lecithin, which favors the digestion, and carotenoids, for action antioxidant. The yolk is also concentrated iron, which is better absorbed by our body when taken together with polypeptides and amino acidsegg white. In short, it is the mix its two parts to make the egg a high food nutritional quality: this is why it is better consume it whole rather than limiting oneself to the "white" and discarding the "red", as many do. Eating a egg great whole are obtained well 6.4 grams of "noble" protein and 5 grams of fat (especially unsaturated, including Omega 3), ie less than 8% of those recommended each day. And those 200 mg of cholesterol are a small thing compared to what you can take every day with food and has the effect of lower the cholesterol total in a circle in the blood, why increases the "good", which protects the arteries. Starting from these numbers, nutritionists have "Rehabilitated" the eggs. On condition of cook in the right way. For example, simply leave the egg for 3-5 minutes boiling water. In this way there are a couple of advantages: zero fat added and maximum absorption of vitamin B7 present in the album.

Life as a chicken
Over 40 million laying hens only in Italy; 13 billion eggs a year consumed only in our country; about 215 eggs a year each. Chicken breeding is a huge business. But how they are raised these hens? The simplest distinction is that concerning eggs biological (as long as it is a true biological one): they guarantee at least that the hens are not given antibiotics, feed no GMOs or fishmeal and that number of animals per square meter does not exceed a maximum number. There scientific research existing in this respect confirms what applies to meat and milk, that is to say the biological ones they are superior at both level nutritional (in part with more Omega3, vitamins A and E, beta-carotene) that of taste. obviously what the hens eat makes the difference. As for cholesterol in particular, it is clear from the studies that the eggs come from hens with a varied diet – and not the standard of soybean + corn only – contain less cholesterol. As they increase antioxidant substances. The diet of the hens also affects the taste of their eggs, it is more than logical. Certainly chickens that graze have access to one variety of aromas incomparable with that of the bird seed from the battery.

The egg is really the superfood cheapest in the world, and for few cents more, it's really worth it compare it good.

Transparency on the label
Therefore it is fundamental how those who create the eggs live, that is the hens. Once established that, this food has another advantage not just: it does not contain any ingredient or additive added. And it boasts one of the labels more complete (although not always easy to interpret). The alphanumeric code which also comes stamped on the shell gives us theidentikit complete with the egg we are about to buy. Here is a guide for read correctly without getting lost or confusing. There first digit indicates the type of breeding: 0 stands for agriculture biological, of which we have already spoken. The number 1 indicates theoutdoor breeding, where each animal is guaranteed a living space of 4 square meters. The number 2 is that for breeding a land, a method increasingly used by manufacturing companies but whose name is misleading, because the conditions of the animals are worse than they sound: they are huge warehouses closed with 7 animals per square meter, and this type of breeding does not require any rule in terms of feed. Finally the number 3 indicates breeding in 'equipped cage ', with twice as many animals per square meter (14) and cages as high as 40 cm. The next abbreviation is that of country of production: for example, Italian eggs can be recognized by the initials IT. Following is the figure of the Istat code of the Municipality, that of the Province. These two information They are only on Italian eggs. Finally, the last three digits identify the distinctive code of the breeder.

The labels are however clear. Unfortunately the same thing cannot be said about the eggs used in industrial preparations: anywhere, from biscuits to mayonnaise to vegetable pies, the type of eggs is not indicated used. We can only suspect that it is from default the cheapest, in spite of health and taste … For this reason some big companies are communicating to declare that they now use only eggs from free-range hens.

I'm ok for a month
On package of eggs, then, comes the expiration date and above all the freshness of the eggs.

Eggs have a life of 28 days from the date of laying but must be withdrawn from the market seven days before the storage term indicated on thepackaging (24 to 48 hours between production and packaging). The wordings "extra" and "Extra fresh" they can be used only if the date of deposition and the term of consumption within which the eggs can be defined as extra and extra fresh, ie nine days from the day that the hen made the egg or seven since it was packed. These eggs are those of 'category A', the only ones for sale in stores. The category is established based on the characteristics of the shell, of the yolk, of theegg white and theirs freshness. Category B eggs are those with lower quality characteristics (for example, they can be frozen at a temperature below 4 °) while category C (and possibly D) is used for further downgraded eggs. All these eggs are intended for the food industry …

The expiration date is stamped also on shell, usually accompanied by the phrase "to be consumed preferably by …".

The place worse to store the eggs in the fridge are just the niches dedicated to them that are usually found in the top shelf of the front office. Frequent opening and closing causes temperature changes and abrupt movements they create microfractures in the shell, diminuendo the time of storage some eggs. Better to keep them in package original in one of the internal shelves.

Size and details
In terms of size, the eggs are not all the same. They can be varied size, that's why they are classified with letters capital letters like clothing sizes: XL le larger (over 72 grams); L le great (63-73 g); M le medium (53-63 g); S small (less than 53 g).
Furthermore, the eggs are classified into four categories of quality, identified by the first four letters of the alphabet.

Egg producers can add on other packages information, which underline any particular quality of the product and thus help consumers in their choice. For example the type of supply of the hens. If on the packaging there is written that they are nourished with cereals, means that at least the 60% of the ingredients of feed data to the hens is composed of cereals. If the label refers to a specific cereal (for example the corn) this must be at least the 30% of the feed. If we talk about more cereals, then each of them must constitute at least the 5% of the "recipe" of fodder.

Manuela Soressi
February 2018
updated in August 2019
by Carola Traverso Saibante

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That's why you need to read Italian Cuisine in July – Italian Cuisine

Incredible stories, travels and summer recipes: the July issue awaits you on newsstands with many surprises. We'll give you a preview of some of them

July Italian Cuisine is special. You can already guess from the cover, which represents a small revolution for us, but above all for you. It is the first time that there is one of your recipes, the one of a reader: spaghetti ai purpitielli, a symbol of Neapolitan cuisine.

Here is our first taste, to feel immediately in summer!

As always, you will find a cookbook rich is seasonal prepared by our cooks, but not only. In the July issue there are other wonderful wonders: a lunar picnic, a menu based on cherries from the appetizer to the dessert, and finally three traditional recipes prepared for the occasion by our editors! Here are some samples below.

Look at the moon

To celebrate i 50 years from the landing, we of the editorial team got together and we tasted an original menu designed by us Joëlle Nedèrlants. Obviously, looking at the Moon. On 20th July, the company's anniversary, try it yourself with all the recipes that will take you into space.

In addition, two-person interviews astronauts Italians, who told us about their relationship with food: Paolo Nespoli is Luca Parmitano.

The goodness to try immediately? This beautiful moon to eat.

Nudes or clothes?

There are perfect (and delicious) foods in their simplicity. With a few additions, however, they gain flavor, substance and joy.
The editorial team came into play preparing some classics of the Italian tradition: the flat bread, the chickpea farinata and i nooks. Three recipes to try in their purity and to enrich, following our advice or according to your taste.

Cherry Passion

Among the main ingredients of the summer cherries stand out, delicious to the natural, but to be rediscovered with the July recipes of Walter Pedrazzi. Malloreddus with santoreggia and stracciatella sauce, sea bass marinated in lime, octopus roasted with sweet and sour dressing, bruschetta with bitter herbs and ginger compote. You may not believe it, but in all these dishes there are cherries. Finally, he could not miss a easy easy cherry ice cream. We will let you taste it in preview.

These are just some of the reasons to read July Italian Cuisine. Discover them all, now on newsstands!