Irish Food, Ingredients & Nutrition Guides

The Sláinte Journal: plain-language guides to the stuff on your shelves.

We write about ingredients, labels, Irish products, and the gaps between what brands claim and what they actually put inside. No jargon, no fear-mongering, no paid placements.

Food and Drinks

Not From Concentrate Orange Juice vs Whole Oranges: What's Actually Healthier?

A carton labelled 100% juice can contain no added sugar and still deliver more than 20g of sugar in a large glass. Here's why whole oranges differ.

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Food and Drinks

Kerrygold Butter vs Dairygold and Flora: Which Is Actually Healthier?

Irish butter has a short ingredient list, but shorter does not automatically mean better for your heart. Compare the exact spread and the portion you use.

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Food and Drinks

The Irish Chicken Fillet Roll: What Is Actually in a Deli Lunch?

A hot chicken fillet roll is an Irish institution. We investigate the bread, coated chicken and sauces without inventing a calorie figure for every deli counter.

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Food and Drinks

Is Supermarket Chicken Pumped With Water? What Irish Labels Really Say

Are supermarket chicken fillets full of added water? We checked the labels. The answer changes depending on whether you're buying raw meat or a prepared product.

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Food and Drinks

The Irish Sliced Pan: What's Actually Different About Sourdough?

Brennan's, Pat the Baker, McCambridge and sourdough may all sit on the same bread shelf. Their ingredients, fibre and fermentation tell different stories.

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Food and Drinks

Aldi Brooklea vs Lidl Milbona: Which High-Protein Range Is Worth Buying?

A 20g protein claim is useful, but so is the price tag. We examine the budget protein ranges without assuming they're nutritionally identical.

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Food and Drinks

Simply Better vs Signature Tastes: Are Premium Supermarket Foods Actually Better?

Two premium supermarket ranges, six familiar products, and one question: does paying extra actually change what's in the food?

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Nutrition

Bottled Smoothies: Do They Really Have More Sugar Than Coca-Cola?

A green smoothie can contain nearly as much total sugar as cola, even when the label says no sugar has been added. Here's why that comparison needs context.

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Nutrition

Are Rice Cakes Healthy? Kallo, Snack a Jacks and Kelkin Compared

Rice cakes can be low in calories per cake, but that isn't the whole story. We compared three Irish supermarket products and looked at what glycaemic index really means.

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Supplements

Greens Powders in Ireland: Is AG1 Worth the Money?

A scoop of green powder can contain vitamins, minerals and dozens of plant ingredients. Is that a replacement for eating vegetables? We checked the evidence and the price.

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Nutrition

Baby Food Pouches: What Fruit Purée Labels Do Not Tell You

A pouch can contain only fruit and still be surprisingly sweet. Here is what Irish parents should know about labels, textures and no-added-sugar claims.

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Nutrition

Are Cereal Bars Actually Healthier Than Chocolate Bars?

That cereal bar in your desk drawer might have as much sugar as a small chocolate treat. We checked the actual Irish supermarket labels.

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Nutrition

Are Supermarket Protein Puddings Healthy? Five Irish-Shelf Products Compared

Health Halo Busters, part 2: four protein puddings and a plain yoghurt, all with 10g protein per 100g, scored live.

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Nutrition

Is Oat Milk Healthy? The Truth Behind Irish Coffee Cups

Health Halo Busters, part 1: four oat drinks scored, and the three-ingredient carton has the most sugar.

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Labels

We Scored 20 Everyday Supermarket Foods in Ireland. Here's What 30 Days of Reading Labels Taught Us

Day 30: ten real shelf comparisons, from oats against Coco Pops to Coke against Coke Zero, each scored live with the same engine as a barcode scan.

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Food scanners

Yuka vs Sláinte: How the Food Scores Are Actually Calculated

Two food scanners can read the same label and return different scores. Here are the published weights, additive rules, organic bonus and processing checks behind Yuka and Sláinte.

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Processing

NOVA Food Classification: 12 Irish Supermarket Foods Explained

Oats, frozen veg, cheese, bread and protein bars can sit in different NOVA groups. We work through 12 everyday food examples and show why processing is not the whole nutritional picture.

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Nutrition

Best High-Protein Yoghurts in Ireland: Six Real Products Compared

A natural yoghurt and a flavoured protein pot can both contain 10g protein per 100g. What separates them? We compare six specific Irish supermarket listings.

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Nutrition

Best Protein Bars in Ireland: What Five Popular Labels Actually Tell Us

Five protein bars can all look like smart snacks. Their labels reveal big differences in protein, fibre, sugar, saturated fat and sugar alcohols.

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Labels

How to Compare Two Foods Using the Nutrition Label

Two tomato pasta sauces, two sets of numbers. We compare Tesco and Dolmio using equal weights and show why serving sizes can make similar foods look different.

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Labels

Natural, Organic, Healthy: What Food Marketing Claims Actually Mean

Natural, organic, high protein and healthy sound like similar promises. They are not. We separate regulated claims from general marketing and show which details deserve your attention.

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Porridge oats, yoghurt, eggs, chickpeas, milk and chicken on a stone kitchen counter

Nutrition

How Much Protein Do You Actually Need Per Day?

From protein yoghurts to shakes and bars, protein is everywhere. But how much do you actually need? We look at the science and real Irish supermarket foods.

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Four bowls of white sugar, honey, maple syrup and date syrup

Nutrition

Honey vs Sugar vs Maple Syrup: Are Natural Sweeteners Actually Healthier?

Honey, maple syrup and date syrup are often promoted as healthier alternatives to sugar. We compared real Irish supermarket products to see whether the labels support that reputation.

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Cola, orange juice and natural yoghurt beside an of which sugars label

Nutrition

How Much Sugar Is Too Much? Reading Irish Food Labels

A can of Coca-Cola contains 35g of sugar, but the label says that’s 39% of your daily reference intake. We explain why that percentage doesn’t tell the whole story.

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Muesli and crunchy granola in two ceramic breakfast bowls

Nutrition

Granola vs Muesli: Which Is Actually Healthier?

Granola and muesli can look almost identical, but their nutrition labels tell different stories. We compared three Irish products to see what matters.

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Oats, corn flakes and granola beside a card reading Read the whole label

Nutrition

Breakfast Cereal: What Actually Makes One Better Than Another?

How to compare fibre, sugars, salt, wholegrains, fortification and serving size without letting the front of the box decide.

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Natural and high-protein yoghurt pots beside a card explaining that more protein does not automatically mean better

Nutrition

Protein Yoghurt: Is It Actually Better Than Normal Yoghurt?

What high protein legally means, where the extra protein comes from and how to compare sugars, ingredients and pot sizes without letting one number decide.

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Illustration of a bottle of cooking oil between a pan of home-cooked vegetables and a tray of deep-fried snacks

Nutrition

Seed Oils: Are We Blaming the Wrong Thing?

What omega-6 fats actually do, what human trials show about inflammation, what happens when oils are heated and why the food around the oil matters more than its name.

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Ingredients

Maltodextrin: What Is It Doing in Your Food?

What maltodextrin is, why foods use it, how it affects blood glucose and why low sugars does not necessarily mean low carbohydrate.

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Ingredients

Why Is Sodium Nitrite (E250) Added to Bacon and Ham?

What E250 does in cured meat, why it matters for stopping botulism, what EFSA says about nitrosamines and how the EU tightened nitrite limits in 2025.

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Ingredients

Is MSG Actually Bad for You? What E621 Really Means

What monosodium glutamate is, what EFSA's 30 mg/kg group ADI means, what the headache studies actually found and why No MSG isn't a nutrition score.

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Ingredients

Is Sugar-Free Really Better for You? What Acesulfame K (E950) Actually Means

What replaces the sugar in zero-sugar drinks, what EFSA's 2025 review of E950 found, why the ADI rose to 15 mg/kg and why safe isn't the same as nutritious.

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Ingredients

Sucralose (E955): Is It Safe? What the Evidence Says

What E955 is, what EFSA's February 2026 review found, what the 15 mg/kg ADI means and why heating sucralose is still an open question.

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Ingredients

Aspartame (E951): What It Is and What the Evidence Says

What E951 is, why it's used, what the ADI means, why labels mention phenylalanine and how to read the 2023 IARC and JECFA findings.

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Ingredients

10 Common Food Additives on Irish Food Labels, Explained

What E300, E322, E415, E621, E950 and five more common additives actually are, what they do and how to read them on a label.

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Ingredients

Preservatives in Food: What They Do and Why They're Used

What E250 sodium nitrite, E202 potassium sorbate and E211 sodium benzoate actually do, and why one preservative never tells you the whole story.

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Nutrition

High Protein Doesn't Always Mean Healthy

What high protein and source of protein legally mean, and the sugar, fibre, salt, ingredient and serving checks that come next.

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Illustration of oil and water separated in one glass and smoothly mixed in another

Ingredients

Emulsifiers in Food: What Are They and Should You Care?

What E322 lecithins and E471 actually do, how emulsifiers are authorised in Ireland and what the gut health research really shows.

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Illustrated food packet with its ingredients list enlarged and labelled

Labels

How to Read an Ingredients List in Ireland

Ingredient order, QUID percentages, bold allergens, may contain warnings, brackets, E numbers and what no added sugar really means.

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Nutrition

Are Protein Bars Actually Healthy? What the Label Tells You

What high protein, low sugar and high fibre claims mean, why polyols turn up in protein bars and how to compare two bars fairly.

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Illustrated zero-sugar drink, protein bar and yoghurt with E950, E951 and E955 tags

Ingredients

Artificial Sweeteners Explained: Aspartame, Sucralose & Acesulfame K

What E950, E951 and E955 are, what an ADI means, how Irish labels show sweeteners and why zero sugar is not a verdict on its own.

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Illustrated ingredient label highlighting E100, E300, E322 and E950 beside familiar foods

Ingredients

What Are E Numbers? A Simple Guide for Irish Shoppers

What the E means, why additives are used, how Irish labels identify them and why one unfamiliar number is never the whole verdict.

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Illustration of a supermarket shelf and an enlarged ingredient label with formulation callouts

Processing

Ultra-Processed Foods in Ireland: How to Spot Them on a Food Label

The four NOVA groups, the formulation signals worth noticing, and why an E number or long ingredient list is not a verdict on its own.

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Illustration of a phone scanning barcodes on a group of everyday groceries

Food scanners

Best Food Scanner Apps in Ireland: A 2026 Guide

Yuka, Open Food Facts, Fooducate and Sláinte compared by coverage, transparency and usefulness for an Irish supermarket shop.

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Illustration of a food packet's nutrition label under a magnifying glass

Labels

How to read a food label without a chemistry degree

Serving sizes, % RI, ingredient order, and the additives hiding behind friendly names. A five-minute guide to decoding the back of any packet.

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Illustration of flasks and droppers beside a food jar

Ingredients

Additives: what 'natural flavouring' really means

Why 'natural' doesn't always mean harmless, how E-numbers are classified, and which additives regularly show up in Irish supermarket products.

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Illustration of a supermarket shelf of grocery staples

Irish shopping

Irish Supermarkets Worth Knowing

Dunnes Stores, SuperValu, Tesco, Lidl, Aldi and Centra explained, including ownership, own labels, origin marks and fair price comparisons.

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Illustration of a basket filled with Irish grocery staples

Nutrition

Nutrition Questions, Answered

Clear Irish answers on sugar, salt, protein claims, processing, vitamin D, folic acid and how to compare two packs fairly.

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Illustration of a score dial with bar chart shapes and an apple

Methodology

How the Sláinte Score is calculated

The full breakdown of nutrition, ingredients, processing, category guardrails, and why a donut will almost never be 'good' for you.

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Sláinte

What Does Sláinte Mean? The Irish Word Behind Our Name

What does Sláinte mean in Irish? Learn the meaning, pronunciation, why the fada matters and why an Irish food scanner uses the name Sláinte.

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Food scanners

Sláinte vs Yuka: What’s Actually Different?

Sláinte vs Yuka: compare their published features, food-scoring approaches, product information and relevance for shoppers in Ireland.

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Food scanners

Looking for a Yuka Alternative in Ireland? Start With What You Need

Looking for a Yuka alternative in Ireland? Compare Sláinte, Open Food Facts and different food-scanning approaches based on what you actually need.

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Food scanners

What Actually Happens When You Scan a Food Barcode?

What actually happens after you scan a food barcode? Learn how product identifiers, databases, nutrition records and scanner results connect.

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Food scanners

Ingredient Scanner Apps: What Can They Actually Tell You?

Ingredient scanner apps can use barcode records or visible label text. Learn what they can identify, what they cannot know and what you should still check.

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Food scanners

Why Can the Same Food Get Two Completely Different Scores?

Why does the same food get different scores in different apps? Product data, nutrition models, ingredient rules and methodology can all change the result.

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Food scanners

Where Do Food Scanner Apps Get Their Product Data?

Food scanner apps can use manufacturers, retailers, public databases and pack photographs. Learn where food-product records come from and why they can become outdated.

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Food scanners

Can You Trust a Food Scanner App? Check These 5 Things

Can you trust a food scanner? Check product identity, label freshness, missing data, methodology and uncertainty before relying on the result.

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Irish shopping

Scanning Food in Tesco Ireland: Match the Pack Before You Compare

Scanning food in Tesco Ireland? Learn how to match the exact pack, compare per-100g nutrition and avoid confusing Irish and UK product records.

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Irish shopping

Scanning Food in SuperValu: Own Brand vs Branded Staples

How should you compare SuperValu own-brand and branded foods? Learn what the nutrition and ingredients actually show.

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Irish shopping

Scanning Food in Dunnes Stores: What a Bread Label Can Teach You

Scanning food in Dunnes Stores? Learn why product identity, serving values, ingredients and the current physical label all matter.

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Irish shopping

Scanning Food in Aldi Ireland: What to Do When Online Details Are Limited

Aldi Ireland product pages do not always contain every label field. Learn how to match own-label foods and capture the information needed for a reliable result.

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Irish shopping

Scanning Food in Lidl Ireland: Packaged Products vs Bakery Items

Packaged Lidl products and loose bakery foods require different checks. Learn what a barcode can identify and where nutrition and allergen information may come from.

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Product comparisons

Oats vs Corn Flakes: What Two Irish Breakfast Labels Actually Show

Compare Flahavan’s oats and Kellogg’s Corn Flakes using Irish labels, including sugar, fibre, protein, salt and serving context.

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Product comparisons

Plain vs Flavoured Yoghurt: Where Does the Sugar Come From?

Plain yoghurt naturally contains milk sugar. Compare verified Irish yoghurt labels and learn what total sugar and ingredients actually tell you.

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Product comparisons

Sugar-Free Energy Drinks Can Still Have the Same Caffeine

Sugar-free energy drinks can still contain caffeine. Learn how to compare sugar, caffeine, sweeteners and whole-can intake.

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Nutrition

Is Sugar-Free Really Better for You?

Is sugar-free actually better for you? Learn what the claim means, what replaces sugar and why soft drinks, yoghurt and protein bars need different comparisons.

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Nutrition

“No Added Sugar” Does Not Mean “No Sugar”

What do no added sugar and zero added sugar mean? Compare Irish supermarket labels, actual Sláinte Scores, sweeteners and EU sugar-free claim rules.

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Product comparisons

Fulfil Chocolate Brownie Bar: What the Label Actually Tells You

What is actually in a Fulfil Chocolate Brownie 55g bar? We break down its protein, sugar, polyols, fibre, saturated fat and sweeteners using the current label.

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