The front of the package is marketing. Some words sound healthier than they are. For example:

• Multi-grain most of the grains are likely refined grains — unless the product is marked as "whole grain".
• Made with whole grains the product may contain very little whole grains.
• Wheat flour is likely white flour.
• Enriched flour is white flour, where nutrients are removed and then some of the nutrients are added back in.
• All natural doesn’t contain added colors, artificial flavors, or “synthetic substances.” It can contain preservatives and highly processed foods like sugar, refined grains, oil.
• Vegan means it contains no animal products. It can contain any amount of processed foods e.g. Oreo cookies are vegan.

Never believe anything on the front of a package. Caveat emptor.

Product ingredients are listed in descending order, with the greatest amount by weight listed first. Purchase products that have only whole foods listed as the first two ingredients. Avoid products with refined food in the ingredients list.

Sugar names:

• Sugars ending in "tose": fructose, lactose, galactose, maltose.
• Syrups: carob syrup, golden syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, agave nectar, malt syrup, maple syrup, oat syrup, rice bran syrup, and rice syrup.
• Other added sugars: barley malt, malt powder, molasses, evaporated cane juice, corn sweetener, dextran, glucose, ethyl maltol, fruit juice concentrate, disaccharides, maltodextrin.

Oil names:

• oil, fat, lard
• Partially hydrogenated oil and hydrogenated oil contain trans fats.
• "Zero trans fat" on the nutritional label means "less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving." Thus, if the serving size is misleadingly small, the product may still contain significant amounts of trans fat.

Refined grains:

• white flour
• white rice

Protein isolates:

• soy protein isolate
• pea protein isolate
• seitan, gluten

The US Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR 101.4) states that ingredients must be listed in descending order of predominance based on weight. The following exception is made in 21 CFR 101.4(2):

The descending order of predominance requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section do not apply to ingredients present in amounts of 2 percent or less by weight when a listing of these ingredients is placed at the end of the ingredient statement following an appropriate quantifying statement, e.g., "Contains _ percent or less of _ _ _" or "Less than _ percent of _ _ _." The blank percentage within the quantifying statement shall be filled in with a threshold level of 2 percent, or, if desired, 1.5 percent, 1.0 percent, or 0.5 percent, as appropriate. No ingredient to which the quantifying phrase applies may be present in an amount greater than the stated threshold.

For example,

Contains 2% Or Less Of The Following: Olive Oil, Corn Oil, Palm Oil.

The 2% applies to each item individually. So in the above example, up to 6% of weight could be oil.

They are also exempt from the order by weight requirement. The manufacturer is free to order the subset of less than 2% ingredients however they please. So the above example could contains more Palm Oil than Olive oil.

Never believe anything on the front of a package.

Most whole plant foods average around 10% fat by calories. That means if nutrition label says the food contains more than 10% of calories from fat, then it contains either a high-fat plant or more likely added oil. [reference: book "China Study Solution" page 164].

Many WFPB doctors allow small amounts of added sugar to make food palatable to people accustomed to unnaturally sweat food. However, WFPB doctors insist on no oil because calorie density.

https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/understanding-ingredients-on-food-labels

http://www.plantplate.com/Guide/Detail?guideID=7039

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/reading-food-labels

https://www.mamasezz.com/blogs/news/how-to-read-a-nutrition-label

https://www.forksoverknives.com/reading-food-packages-and-nutrition-labels-four-tips-for-savvy-shopping/

https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2019/03/stop-reading-your-pet-food-ingredient-list/

• Ingredients lists are used as a powerful form of marketing
• Manufacturers include ingredients that will appeal to consumers but are often in such tiny quantities that I call them "fairy dust"

https://nutritionstudies.org/whole-food-plant-based-diet-guide/

• If purchasing a pre-packaged food product, be sure to carefully read the ingredients list.
• Product ingredients are listed in descending order, with the greatest amount by weight listed first.
• Purchase products with just a few recognizable plant-based ingredients.
• The less processed the better.

Avoid products with oils in the ingredient list.

https://plantbasednana.org/resources/resource-articles/324-reading-food-labels
Jeff Novick Rules and Guidelines:

• Never believe anything on the front of a package.
• Always read the nutrition facts label and the ingredients list.
• Check serving size.
• Check amount of servings per box.
• Check the calories per serving.
• Check the calories from fat.