PLEASE NOTE BUYING PRODUCTS

In this article you will know, what to look for when buying food.

What factors influence human health? First of all, it is the water we drink, the air we breathe and the food we consume daily.
These three components ensure the normal functioning of the whole organism and support its vital activity. None of us can influence the ecological situation in the world; the public should take care of this under the tireless control of the state. But each individual can independently make up the diet and choose foods that are good for the body, thereby improving their well-being.

Four major factors

So, coming to the market or to the supermarket, what should you pay attention to in the first place?

1. Information about food must be in the language of the country in which they are sold;
2. Obtain information about the real properties of the product can only study the information on the composition of the product, which is often printed in small print. On bright inscriptions, such as "Without GMOs", "preservative-free", "natural" and so forth. You should not pay attention;
3. On some products, the expiration date and shelf life after opening. Putting the product in the refrigerator, try not to forget about it;
4. The label must contain the name of the product, the name of the manufacturer, the amount of protein, fat, carbohydrates and caloric content of the product.

Remember, marketers will do anything to draw your attention to the product and implement it. Be sure to review the information specified by the manufacturer. We all know that almost all the products that we see on the shelves contain food additives. Their contents are indicated by a special code, preceded by the letter "E". The code starting with 1 means the presence of dyes, 2 - preservatives, 3 - antioxidants, 4 - stabilizers, 5 - emulsifiers, 6 - flavor enhancers and smell. The letter "E" means Europe. Four-digit index indicates the content of sweeteners. If you adhere to a healthy diet, then the content in your diet of processed foods should be minimal.

How to choose the right products

• Organoleptic evaluation is a very important point when checking the quality of food. The products themselves must have a decent appearance. Of course, for each food product has its own natural beauty. Mainly, avoid dents, cracks and other defects caused by improper storage and transportation.
• When tasting a food product, it is necessary to clearly understand the difference between a good-quality and low-quality food, because lately for many people the taste of non-natural food (for example, soy for meat products) has become the norm and standard. If you are not an experienced taster of any product, then you need to at least once buy a proven good-quality product and remember its correct, natural taste and aftertaste well.
• Be careful with perishable products (meat, fish, milk products, etc.), look carefully at the expiration date, as well as the their storage. But in any case, do not ignore such foods and do not exclude from your diet.
• It is important to remember that the expiration date should be checked only on the manufacturer's label, and not on the label on the store.
• Prefer locally produced products. Brought from afar products can not be very fresh, and if they seem so, then surely due to the additional content of food additives.
• Remember, the most useful products that are already in their original form suitable for food, designed by nature. For example, soybean needs treatment to convert it into food.
• Stock up on food, if available. This will help you save money and not be vulnerable in the event of a food shortage.
• If you strongly want to buy something for special moments, then choose a delicious fruit, do not buy low-quality sweets. It is sometimes useful to buy a good natural chocolate. But know where to draw the line.

How to check the quality of food in the store

In the store it is not always possible to check the product for organoleptic characteristics, but the manufacturer must provide all the necessary information on the packaging material.


• Always carefully study the composition of food. Beware of foods that have a large list of food additives. But do not forget that many unscrupulous manufacturers hide the true composition, so it is sometimes necessary to conduct additional quality checks on their own. This is especially true when buying a product from a certain manufacturer for the first time.
• Long shelf life often indicates the presence of a large amount of preservatives
• Less trust beautiful labels, more - your vision, smell and touch.
• Avoid shopping in “central” aisles, where there may be low-quality products that they want to sell as soon as possible. At the very least, be careful.
• A product that is prominently displayed on the counter may have a short remaining shelf life or may be spoiled altogether. Always check the expiration date and quality of the product in place.
• Focus on products manufactured according to GOST (DSTU - for Ukraine), and not according to some technical conditions (TU), when you can include anything you like in the food product.
• Affectionate, appealing product name such as “cottage cheese”, “sour cream”, etc. most likely speaks about the unnatural product, which includes some kind of substitute. Be carefull.
• Be cautious about food products on whose package the advertised phrase will be dazzling: “Without food additives”, “Highest quality”, “+ Vitamins”, etc. First, it may turn out to be untrue. And, secondly, in such a way, the manufacturer can cover other advantages with one advantage. After all, very often there are products without preservatives, but with the absence of useful substances, and vice versa. Do not catch the bait tricky manufacturers.
• When choosing foods, always consider their price, which is an indirect measure of quality. Ideally, the more expensive a food is, the better it is. But this, if you do not pay attention to such factors affecting the cost of goods, such as transportation, the popularity of the brand, or simply dishonesty of the manufacturer and seller.
• Pay attention to the condition of the packaging material: must be safe and sound. Remember, packaging is designed not only to attract the attention of customers, but also for the safety of the contents. In no case, do not follow the rule: an ugly package means a bad product. Quality goods can be in ordinary low-key packaging.

 How to choose and buy food

• Do not get carried away with promotions and sales. Remember that stocks are often committed out of mercenary motives. For example, to sell a stale product or even overdue. Therefore, check "discount" products very carefully.
• Feel free to ask the store employees. They can help you quickly find the right product. When buying, you can directly ask what is the freshest, what was the last, or when the next batch will be delivered. Of course, one should not always believe the words of the seller, but you can analyze his behavior, directness or evasiveness of the answer. When you know the seller and you can rely on – it is very good situation.
• Remember the places where you successfully bought the product. Also, do not forget about the honest seller and his tidy workplace. For example, it is very useful to know where and you can buy natural honey.

Conclusion

• Try to choose only fresh and unprocessed foods. If you are deprived of such an opportunity, then purchase products that contain the composition that you understand. For example: the composition of canned tuna should contain only fish, salt and pepper.
• Fish and meat should be bought chilled rather than frozen.
• Avoid convenience foods and ready-made meals.
• Buy meat not in slices, but in whole pieces, so it's easier to check its freshness.
• Whenever possible, by purchasing cheese, ask to cut a piece off a large head. You should not buy packaged slices that are laid out on the shelves.
• And most importantly, do not hesitate to smell and touch the purchased product.