Characteristics of food labeling intended for consumers with type 2 diabetes

Abstract

Supporting making right food choices in accordance with one’s physician’s recommendations would be a significant health-promoting factor for consumers dealing with the modern-age disease of type 2 diabetes. Undoubtedly, appropriate food labelling would be very helpful. Including only the amount and calorific value of food on its packaging is not enough to enable consumers with type 2 diabetes to properly control their glycemia. In the authors’ opinion it is necessary to consider including information on glycaemic index and glycaemic load on every food product’s packaging, especially when it comes to functional foods that consumers with type 2 diabetes trust the most. Unfortunately, both the health-promoting food labelling system – the Nutri-Score (5-Colour Nutrition Label, 5-CNL) and the Mediterranean Index – Med Index do not have regard to the glycaemic index nor the glycaemic load.