Reading Food Labels

As noted earlier, FODMAPs are only problematic when they’re consumed in measurable quantities. Foods with tiny amounts of FODMAPs don’t usually cause IBS symptoms. The US Food and Drug Administration’s labeling guidelines for food manufacturers require that product labels list ingredients in descending order of predominance by weight, which means that the first ingredient listed is in the highest quantity and the last ingredient listed is in the lowest quantity. If an ingredient is present in small amounts or is near the end of a lengthy ingredient list, it should be safe to consume. When you start to reintroduce higher-FODMAP foods, you may want to try products that contain high-FODMAP ingredients, such as garlic powder, when they’re listed as minor players. You can then monitor your tolerance of them.