Title : The Most Misleading Food Labels
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The Most Misleading Food Labels
Nearly 59% of consumers have a difficult time understanding nutrition labels, so here's a helpful list of the most common and shady phrases that cleaver manufacturers use on food, to help you look past the hype to make smarter supermarket choices.
All Natural
Don’t be tricked by this widely used phrase, as "all natural" doesn’t really mean anything because The Food and Drug Administration doesn’t define it. So food makers won’t get in trouble as long as so-labeled food doesn’t contain added colors, artificial flavors, or “synthetic substances.”
That means there’s room for interpretation, and food labeled natural can still contain preservatives, be injected with sodium, or even contain high fructose corn syrup, with companies arguing that since it comes from corn, it’s healthy. However...it's not.
Light
The wording on "light" products can be confusing for consumers, but it is important to read the nutritional facts. When food labels say a product, like olive oil, is light, the manufacturers are using the term to refer to the flavor rather than the ingredients. So remember, the flavor might be lighter, but you aren’t saving any calories. To truly be considered a light product, the fat content has to be 50% less than the amount found in comparable products.
Sugar Free
First of all, sugar free does not mean a product has fewer calories than the regular version, and it may have more. Sugar-free products have less than 0.5 grams of sugars per serving, but they still contain calories and carbohydrates from other sources.
These products often contain sugar alcohols, like mannitol, xylitol, or sorbitol, which are lower in calories (roughly 2 calories per gram, compared to 4 per gram for sugar), but compare labels to see if the sugar-free version is any better than the regular version. Sugar alcohols can also cause diarrhea so don’t consume a lot in one sitting. (Common sugar alcohols are).
The chemical and food industries that have created artificial sweeteners as well that aren't living up to their promises. These no-cal taste enhancers are posing undue health risks without fulfilling the promise of helping you lose weight. There are cancer concerns as well as many other health issues associated with their continued use.
No Sugar Added
Many people are concerned about calories and carbs, some because of diabetes or are trying to prevent it. But foods, including fruit, milk, cereals, and vegetables naturally contain sugar. So although these products may not have added sugar they still may contain natural sugars. And no sugar added products still may contain added ingredients like maltodextrin, a carbohydrate.
Carbohydrates can be simple sugars or more complex starches that raise blood sugar, and no sugar added doesn’t mean a product is calorie- or carbohydrate-free.
Lightly Sweetened
Although the FDA has definitions for terms like reduced sugar, no added sugar, and sugar free, companies sometimes come up with marketing lingo that is, well, just made up for clever marketing. One of those terms is "lightly sweetened', which isn’t defined or controlled by the FDA. If Kellogg’s Bite Size Frosted Mini-Wheats are “lightly sweetened” this should be determined by federal rules, not the marketing executives of a manufacturer.
Fat Free
This is a notoriously misleading label. When the dangers of saturated and trans fat became clear, the market was flooded with products that touted their fat-free status. But the problem is that they usually contain nearly as many calories as full-fat versions. Just because it says it’s fat-free, doesn’t mean you get a free ride, as packages could say it’s fat free, but be loaded with sugar, and chemicals. Check the label for calorie content, and compare it to the full-fat version.
Zero Trans Fat
Trans fat is bad for your heart, and the ideal intake is zero, but products that say "no trans fat" can actually contain less than 0.5 grams per serving. So if a product says "0 trans fat on it", it isn’t actually at zero. Check for words on the ingredient list such as hydrogenated oils and shortening, which mean trans fats.
Cholesterol Free
Cholesterol free doesn’t literally mean no cholesterol. Cholesterol-free products must only contain less than 2 mg per serving while low-cholesterol products contain 20 mg or less per serving. Foods that say "reduced or less cholesterol" need to have at least 25% less than comparable products. (The American Heart Association recommends people consume less than 300 mg of cholesterol daily.)
Cholesterol is made by the liver, so only animal products like meat, dairy, eggs, and butter can contain it. If a plant-based product (such as corn oil) touts its cholesterol-free, there’s no benefit compared to other vegetable oils, which also don’t contain it.
Multi-grain
When shopping for healthy bread and crackers, look for the words "whole grain" or "100% whole wheat." It’s not enough if it says "multi-grain" or "made with whole grain." Whole grains, (which include popcorn, brown rice, and oatmeal), have more fiber and other nutrients than those that have been refined, a process that strips away the healthiest portions of the grain.
Also don’t go by color alone, as some darker breads or crackers have caramel coloring and are no healthier than highly refined white breads. For a list of ingredient to keep on your radar, check out The Whole Grain Council’s helpful chart.
Immunity Boosters
Companies can use words like "immunity blend" or "supports the immune system" if a product contains certain vitamins, but such words are sometimes used to give an aura of health to a product that may or may not deserve it.
Companies must walk a fine line here, because if they make medical claims, it can trigger intense scrutiny from the FDA and the federal trade commission.
In 2008, the company that makes the vitamin product Airborne agreed to settle a $23.3 million class-action lawsuit. The product's label said it could "boost the immune system" and was marketed as a way to prevent colds without sufficient evidence that it worked.
Made With Real Fruit
Products that claim to be made with "real fruit" may not contain very much at all, or none of the type pictured on the box. While companies must list the amount of nutrients they contain, such as fat and cholesterol, they do not have to disclose the percentage of ingredients, such as fruits and whole grain, according to CSPI.
In 2012, a California woman filed a class-action lawsuit over Fruit Roll-Ups, which contain "pears from concentrate" and no strawberries (in the case of the strawberry flavor).
Free Range
Although a food label may say "free range chicken," don’t assume your bird was scampering around outside Farmer Brown’s barn. Although the US Department of Agriculture does define the words "free range," there are no requirements for the amount, duration, and quality of outdoor access. What it’s supposed to mean is that they are out running in a field, but what it really means is they just have exposure to the outdoors.
Gluten Free
Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat or rye and it can wreak havoc on the health of those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Gluten-free products are becoming easy to find, which is great for those with gluten intolerance, but for everyone else, there’s no advantage to buying them. In fact, gluten-free whole grains may have less fiber than the regular version. So unless you have metabolic problems, gluten-free products don’t help you lose weight and are not necessarily good for you, but because it’s a buzz word, it’s put on packages.
Organic
While organic was once a bit like the term "all natural" and open to interpretation, that’s no longer true. If a product has a USDA label that says organic, 95% or more of the ingredients must have been grown or processed without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides (among other standards). A label that says "made with organic ingredients" must have a minimum of 70% all ingredients that meet the standard.
Keep in mid that organic is not always synonymous with healthy, as some Organic food can still be packed with fat, calories, and sugar. Companies like to add trigger words on products to make you think it’s healthy. Read the ingredient labels.
Serving Size
Food manufacturers can be tricky with serving sizes. To make a product look low in fat or calories, they may list information based on a tiny, unrealistic serving size. The FDA recommendations on serving size tend to be outdated, based on eating habits of decades past. For example, the RACC for ice cream is a half-cup, or one scoop, far less than what most people now eat in one sitting. For example, a pint of ice cream would be considered to have four half-cup servings, a buzz kill for those of us who could eat the whole thing in one sitting. If you are a two-or-more scoop kind of person, double, triple, or quadruple the label’s calorie and fat information as needed.
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