Carb labelling - don't understand!

velofan

Active Member
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Prediabetes
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I would appreciate some help in understanding why carb labelling for what look like almost identical foods can vary so much.
A specific example per 100g: KP original salted peanuts: 5.6g inc 5.1g sugars, fibre 8.5g. Morrisons own brand equivalent: 12.7g Inc 5.4g sugars, 8.7g fibre. Other figures are within 5% similar. Ingredient lists for both are peanuts, oil and salt, rapeseed for Morrisons, sunflower for KP. I've got several other similar examples, for both peanuts (different between different sized packs of same Aldi brand!), and peanut/oil/salt only peanut butter. I've also noted it for other products too, but this is the most extreme and obvious.
Any help?
 

Goonergal

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I assume it might be to do with the variety of nuts. You get similar with 100% chocolate with some having surprising levels of carbs despite no sugar. I’ve always assumed that’s down to the variety of cocoa bean.

In practice I don’t find that the variation (sometimes with a far larger difference than your example) shows up in my blood sugars.
 

Antje77

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KP original salted peanuts: 5.6g inc 5.1g sugars, fibre 8.5g. Morrisons own brand equivalent: 12.7g Inc 5.4g sugars, 8.7g fibre.
Are you using UK sources/the information on the back of the pack for your information?
The sugars and fibre seem to be close to the same for both, it's only the total carbs that are very different.

If you use google to find the carbs chances are you find US information.
In the US fiber is included in the total carbs so you have to subtract the fiber to get the equivalent of the UK nutritional information.

Easiest way to see if the information is US or UK based is checking if it says fiber or fibre.
 

MrsA2

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I find yoghurt even more confusing.
Plain, unflavoured greek style consists of just milk, but the quoted values vary widely.
I used to try and work it out, but find any variety doesn't seem to affect my bg, so I don't bother reading the labels any more.

As regards peanuts, the raw nuts themselves are one of the carbier nuts but what makes roasted ones extra concerning nutritionally is the seed oils they are roasted in. Seed oils are highly processed and lots of people think they have a negative effect on us humans. I avoid roasted nuts for this reason
 

velofan

Active Member
Messages
35
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Are you using UK sources/the information on the back of the pack for your information?
The sugars and fibre seem to be close to the same for both, it's only the total carbs that are very different.

If you use google to find the carbs chances are you find US information.
In the US fiber is included in the total carbs so you have to subtract the fiber to get the equivalent of the UK nutritional information.

Easiest way to see if the information is US or UK based is checking if it says fiber or fibre.
UK (which is why I use British spelling).
Yes, it’s the total carbs figure that always seems to vary most. Other nutritional info stays similar too.
 

velofan

Active Member
Messages
35
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
As regards peanuts, the raw nuts themselves are one of the carbier nuts but what makes roasted ones extra concerning nutritionally is the seed oils they are roasted in. Seed oils are highly processed and lots of people think they have a negative effect on us humans. I avoid roasted nuts for this reason
I agree, but they remain the least carby snack in most pubs etc - my backup when I’m not mentally strong enough to completely abstain when others are scoffing!
Peanut butter is equally varied: Whole Earth non-organic is about 8g carbs/100g, whilst organic is 12-13 ( approx figs as haven’t got either to hand). Again, other nutritional figs are similar.
But it’s not really the specific foods, rather the variation. I’m not convinced it’s variety of nuts etc - figs vary by large percentages, yet range never mentioned in carb guides, and it’s generally only the total carbs figure that does this, but may be wrong. I wondered initially if it was some companies using the US system of including fibre in total, but that doesn’t work especially as there are variations within company ranges ( with Aldi it was exactly the same brand, just
different pack sizes).
We’ve just found Aldi Greek style yoghurt at lower carbs in Chester (4.3) than in Leeds (5.8).
 
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Antje77

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UK (which is why I use British spelling).
Yes, it’s the total carbs figure that always seems to vary most. Other nutritional info stays similar too.
I just looked it up on both their websites and you're right!
One has peanuts, sunflower oil, salt for ingredients, the other has rapeseed oil instead of sunflower oil but that shouldn't make a difference to the carbs.
Yet the carbs in the nutritional info is vastly different.

The only conclusion I have is that one of them made a mistake on their label.