An ingredient list can look technical, but it simply tells you how a product is built. In a few lines, it identifies the main ingredient, highlights allergens and reveals the smaller additions used for texture or flavour balance.
Here is a practical way to read the label on an artisanal nut spread, using recipes that are genuinely available in the Beechifa catalogue.
Start with the order of ingredients
On prepacked food, ingredients are listed in descending order by weight at the time they are used. The first item is therefore the ingredient added in the greatest quantity. This gives a clearer view of the recipe than the picture or product name on the front alone.
In Beechifa’s Cashew spread, cashews come first and make up 70% of the recipe. The Peanut spread also states 70% peanuts. The Hazelnut & Cocoa spread lists 55% roasted French hazelnuts.
Why are some percentages shown?
When an ingredient is emphasised in the name, imagery or presentation of a food, its quantity generally has to be stated. The percentage helps distinguish the foundation of the recipe from supporting ingredients.
One figure is not enough to assess an entire product. Read the percentage together with the complete ingredient order, allergen information and storage guidance.
Reading Beechifa recipes ingredient by ingredient
Nuts or peanuts: the foundation
Hazelnuts, cashews and peanuts provide the main identity of these three spreads. Their position at the beginning of the list and the stated percentage make their role immediately clear.
Peanuts are legumes, but they are also among the allergens that must be declared. Hazelnuts and cashews are tree nuts. Anyone with an allergy should look for the specific name rather than relying only on the broad phrase “nuts”.
Orange blossom honey: the sweetening ingredient
All three recipes use Spanish orange blossom honey as their sweetening ingredient. A product described as “sweetened with honey” is not free from sugars: honey naturally contains sugars. The clearest wording is therefore to name the ingredient used, without attaching an unsupported nutritional benefit to it.
Cocoa or vanilla: the aromatic signature
Cocoa powder provides the chocolate note in Hazelnut & Cocoa. The Cashew and Pistachio spreads in the catalogue contain Bourbon vanilla seeds, while the Peanut recipe lists vanilla caviar. These terms describe composition and flavour; they do not reveal a quantity when no percentage is given.
Cocoa butter and rapeseed oil: fats in the recipe
Cocoa butter and rapeseed oil appear after the main ingredients in all three lists reviewed. Their position shows that they are used in smaller amounts than the nut or peanut base and the honey. The list does not reveal their exact proportions, so those should never be guessed.
Sunflower lecithin: read the full name
Sunflower lecithin is clearly listed in the recipes. Lecithin is commonly used to help disperse fatty phases and reduce separation, although it does not remove the need to stir a jar if natural oil rises to the surface.
Its source matters when reading for allergens: “sunflower lecithin” is not the same declaration as “soy lecithin”. Always read the complete name.
Fleur de sel: a small addition at the end
Fleur de sel is last in each of the three verified recipes, indicating that it is among the ingredients used in the smallest quantity. Its intended role is aromatic, bringing contrast to the recipe, but the order alone does not disclose the precise amount.
Spotting allergens clearly
Allergens that are present must stand out in the list, for example in bold. On the Beechifa pages reviewed, hazelnut, cashew and peanuts are highlighted.
The statement “may contain traces of nuts” warns of possible unintended presence, for example through the production environment. It does not replace the declaration of an allergen intentionally included in the recipe.
What the ingredient list cannot tell you
It cannot determine taste quality, exact texture or the amount of an ingredient without a percentage. Nor should it be used alone to decide whether a product suits a particular diet. Check the nutrition declaration, allergens and storage instructions too, and seek professional medical advice where necessary.
Be cautious with shortcuts such as “natural”, “better” or “healthier” when they are not supported by specific, verifiable information.
A 30-second reading method
- Read the first three ingredients to identify the main structure.
- Find the percentages attached to highlighted ingredients.
- Check emphasised allergens and possible trace statements.
- Identify texture ingredients and flavourings without guessing quantities.
- Then read the net quantity, date and storage guidance.
A clear label supports an informed choice
Reading well is not about classifying ingredients as “good” or “bad”. It is about knowing what is in the jar and checking that the recipe matches your preferences and dietary constraints.
To compare real examples, view the complete compositions of Beechifa’s Cashew, Peanut and Hazelnut & Cocoa spreads.
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