Beware of zero-fat claims, say experts

As Chinese consumers increasingly seek food and beverages made with healthier ingredients, packaging labeled with claims such as "zero-fat" or "zero-sugar" is growing in popularity. However, health experts warn that such claims can be misleading and advise consumers to always check the full list of ingredients.

The issue recently became one of the hottest topics on China's social media platforms after netizens discovered that labels claiming the absence of sugar or fat are being used on high-calorie, inherently unhealthy products. Some brands have even attempted to register trademarks for phrases such as "zero-sugar drink".

According to researchers from the National Institute for Nutrition and Health at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, China's regulations on prepackaged food labeling stipulate that "sugar-free" means containing no more than 0.5 grams of the three common types of added sugar — sucrose, fructose and glucose — per 100 g or 100 milliliters of food, while "fat-free" means no more than 0.5 g of fat.