Blog Entry 5 - Food Label Analysis

Food Label Analysis on one of my Favorite snacks: A Deeper Insight on SUGO Greaseless Hot and Spicy Peanuts

I have always liked nuts, and it became a habit ever since I was a kid where I would go to the ones that are sold on the street with the belief that it will help me get better grades. Nuts have always been with me during those long study sessions, or even just lounging around at home. Good thing SUGO Greaseless Hot and Spicy Peanuts add the kick to my cheap indulgence. It has become my go-to because of its hot and flavourful nature, with a greaseless feel to it. That is why for this blog we will tackle FDA Administrative Orders and even the Consumer Act learnings I had in class to analyse the food label. What I found was both encouraging and eye opening.

As a BA Student I usually start off with how it looks. What SUGO does right in the marketing perspective is that it has very clear and inviting packaging that is very contrasting with the loud red and yellow text. The best feature to me as someone who occasionally snacks on it is the resealable feature it offers, which is also clearly advertised and placed on the body of the product. So, it not only keeps the peanuts fresh but allows you to bring it everywhere. The net weight is also indicated at the bottom, and the front visuals effectively communicate that this product is spicy and crunchy. A brand that keeps its promises.

For the back, it is where the Nutrition Facts lie. It is fairly complete in my opinion. It includes the values for calories, fats (all of them may be saturated, unsaturated, or trans), sodium, sugar, protein, and carbohydrates. I am impressed because it also has the indicated % RENI (Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake), which even though is not mandatory, it is a public friendly addition that I don't see much in the products we buy. What I do want to pick on is the small text at the back. This is particularly important especially with the ingredients and manufacturer details. I look into it because these are nuts, and I know that it is one of the more prevalent ingredients that causes allergic reactions. So, I think that even though it has a big text in front, you should still emphasize it at the back. 

Moving on, I enjoy this product a lot but there are still some regulatory rules that I think it can improve on too. Even though it has the dates at the back with the acronym ED, I would prefer that the packaging be more intentional in spelling it out, as not all consumers really look into it at first glance. I also would like to have the manufacturing and lot number to be more prominent. Even though it is there, I believe that its placement could be put on top, for immediate viewing.

Mostly the biggest issues that I have is all about font size and readability, especially at the back. The packaging is large enough, and I wish that they could use all of the space. The ingredient list especially. I believe that it violates AO 2014-0030, which tells us that all essential information should be legible at the point of sale. Not only a design flaw, but a compromise in the consumer choice at the supermarkets.

There is also no clear Allergen Warning for the packaging. It is obvious that it does have nuts, but the Administrative Order requires a dedicated allergen statement. It could be “CONTAINS: PEANUTS” or “May Contain Traces of …” printed in Bold Text. It is important because its life threatening so even though it may seem repetitive, it is still needed. 

Looking at the nutrition label, I am concerned about the trans-fat compliance of this label. It lists Trans Fat at 0g but in DOH FDA Circular no. 2020-033, it should be also accompanied by a “Trans Fat Free” Declaration. A step into transparency and aligns the brand with the food and safety standards.

Something also that I looked into is how claims like “Satisfaction Guaranteed” do not have an explanation or a redress mechanism to support it. According to the same Administrative Order mentioned earlier, claims must also be verifiable and not misleading. I am not sure if they can measure satisfaction, even if I am one of those satisfied customers.

For recommendations and changes I think these are the ones I would like to do:

A larger ingredient list and manufacturer address, with better clearer fonts. It should comply with legibility standards. The nutrition box can also be reformatted for clarity. It could group macronutrients and also have the allergen warning with the % RENI note above it. To make it more accessible, a bilingual label with short Tagalog translations could go a long way. I believe that this is influenced by the fact I am taking my last GE for this semester, but language does help bridge the gap between consumers in the country.

So, is SUGO still my favorite snack? Of course it didn’t change. That doesn’t mean that I am not critical or am ignorant about what the product lacks. I am more critical of what I like and especially with food as it poses public health and safety. Being more transparent shows that the product is ethical and committed to its consumer base. With the quality being great, it needs an even greater label. So, check the label mommies.