DON’T BE FOOLED BY MISLEADING MARKETING HYPE. HOW TO READ THROUGH MISLEADING FOOD LABELS.

 

 

How is it possible that obesity and heart disease is on the rise when “health-conscious” food manufacturers are loading up our supermarkets with “healthy foods?” 

The answer – MISLEADING FOOD LABELS. We have been inundated with misleading food labels such as; “lightly sweetened” this and “all natural” that, all of which sound like healthy food choices but are not.  Food manufacturers don’t “break” any rules, but they certainly bend them.   

 

The following are some common misleading food labels and how to navigate around them:    

“Lightly Sweetened” 

This misleading label is usually applied to: cereals, nuts, crackers and many beverages.  The FDA has strict regulations concerning the use of the terms “sugar free” and “no sugar added” so marketing companies came up with “lightly sweetened” or “low sugar”, which the FDA has no ruling over.  Example - Fiber One Caramel Delight Cereal has 10g of sugar per serving which is the same as eating 2.5 teaspoons of sugar.  That doesn’t sound lightly sweetened to me!

Don’t be fooled:  If it has more than 4 grams (1 teaspoon) of sugar per serving it’s not lightly sweetened. 

“Sugar free”

This is self explanatory right - Not exactly.   The FDA permits manufacturers to put this labeling on products that contain less than .5 grams of sugar per serving.  Most products that are sweet but have the “sugar free” label usually contain sugar alcohols.  Sugar alcohol is derived from sugar, which cannot be completely absorbed by the body and therefore has about half the amount of calories as regular sugar.

Don’t be fooled:  The down side of sugar alcohol is if you consume a high amount of them it can cause bloating, gas and diarrhea.  If a “sugar free” diet is something you want to continue, Probiotics* can help reduce these symptoms.  

* Living microorganisms that are believed to help the immune system and digestion in humans. The most common way to take probiotics is in supplement form or as an additive in fermented foods such as yogurt.  

“Good Source Of”

This means the product contains between 10-19% of your daily requirement for a particular nutrient.  In the case of fiber, this may be misleading.  Many food manufacturers are adding “isolated” fiber to many products that have never had fiber before such as: yogurts,   ice cream, drinks and processed foods to make it appear healthier.  There is very little evidence that “isolated” fiber provides any of the disease-protective benefits that the real soluble and insoluble fibers do so if you’re looking for more fiber try and eat more “whole” foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.    

Don’t be fooled: If you see the words “inulin,” “polydextrose,” and “maltodextrin” listed in the ingredients, you are eating “isolated” fiber. 

 

 

“Enhances Your Immune System”

 

Most of the products that state this “claim” either contain probiotics that improves your digestion or has vitamin C.  A healthy digestive track does in fact lead to a healthy immune system, but if the product is loaded with sugar it will negate any positive immune health you will get from eating this product. 

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that has been known to strengthen the immune system against some pathogens.  Make sure you check the prices of these products so you are not over paying for these “immune boosting” items that are relatively inexpensive in supplement form or in fruits and vegetables.  

Don’t be fooled: Stay away from high sugar content that naturally impairs the immune system. If you really want to strengthen your immunity and improve your health eat more legumes and vegetables which contain antioxidants such as vitamin e, selenium, vitamin C Zinc, and consume probiotics in supplement form so you get a higher dose of healthy floral bacteria with zero sugar.

 

“All Natural”

 

We have all heard and seen this term, YET this is probably the most misleading of them all.  The FDA and USDA have set no definition to the usage of this term and are used completely at the manufacturer’s discretion.  Okay, I may be exaggerating a tiny bit. There is one exception - meat and poultry.  Other than those two, its fair game! 

Don’t be fooled:  The rule of thumb I like to go by is if I can’t pronounce the ingredient or is not naturally found in nature then it’s probably not natural. 

For example if the ingredient list says “partially hydrogenated”, “modified”, or “mono or diglycerides” or contains an ingredient that does not grow in nature and therefore it’s not “all natural”.

 

“Nothing Artificial”

 

This is not as prevalent as it used to be, but it is still out there.  This is not a specific claim but it is usually a claim that is stated on the front of the product.  This one is difficult to pin point because there are so many different possible claims, but once I tell you what to look for you will never fall for it again!  Manufacturers can trademark a phrase on a product with the purpose of providing brand distinction.  These trademarks are not nutritional claims but they are made to look like them. 

“Made With Real Juice”  

 

This claim makes you believe that it comes straight from the fruit to your store.  Majority of the time this is not the case.  Most juices come from concentrate, which really come from fruit, but it is highly processed and pasteurized.  This destroys most of the nutrients leaving mostly sugar and making it not much healthier than a can of soda.  Many beverages say “made with real juice”, some “percentage of juice”, “no sugar added” or no “high fructose corn syrup” contain lots of sugar and this is just great marketing to get you to think it’s healthy. 

Don’t be fooled: There are not many positives to drinking juice unless you’re looking for a sugar rush. Most of the healthy ingredients from fruit and vegetables are in the fibrous material that the juicers throw out.   

If you must have juice I would recommend juicing it yourself to preserve some of the natural nutrients of the fruit.