Understanding Food Labels

You may see different “gums” in your ingredients like “xanthan gum” or “gum arabic.” These ingredients usually come from plants. They are often used to enhance the textures of reduced-fat products or may be used to thicken food. Gelatin is used similarly, but is made from animal byproducts rather than plants. Pectin serves the same purpose, but is made from fiber found in fruit. However, some ingredients are used to keep foods blended and smooth, such as in salad dressings. A very popular ingredient for this is lecithin — usually soy lecithin. These are fats derived from the source.