It is no secret that there are many ways that
manufacturer labels mislead consumers into buying their items. Anywhere from
using terms such as “natural” all the way to the well hidden ingredient lists
on the back of food items that most people can barely see let alone decipher.
I was shopping for juice boxes to include in my
daughter’s school lunches, and the criteria that a product has to meet, in
order for me to purchase it, is a stringent list at best. After reading labels
for about 10 different products I had found one or two that met my criteria. No
high fructose corn syrup, “check,” low sugar “check,” As I am reading, at the
end of the ingredient list appears, “natural flavoring”. What the heck is
natural flavoring? I am an avid label reader, and even having obtained substantial
knowledge that I believe is necessary to make healthy choices, there is still
always a few ingredients that I just plain don’t know what they are. It is not
only items like juice boxes that contain additives that leave the consumer
guessing. Items such as prepackaged frozen foods and vegetables, breads, tortillas,
coffee creamers, and yogurts all contain harmful hidden ingredients that are
disguised by the false health, and nutrient claims that are painted all over the
front of manufacturer labels.
There are a few things that all consumers can do to
protect themselves against hidden food ingredients. First of all, read the
ingredient list and try to avoid foods that contain anything that says “hydrogenated”
in the ingredient list. Hydrogenation is the process by which some foods
undergo to maintain freshness in packaging. This also means the item is infused
with trans-fats and saturated fats. Another great way to find healthy food
items is to do a little homework. Being parents and college students, it is
difficult to want to do extra research on top of academic responsibilities. But
there are some helpful websites consumers can use to aid in buying legitimate health foods to aid in buying legitimate health foods.
I agree that reading food labels can be very tricky. It amazing me the extent that companies will go to just to sell their products. It is assumed that these manufacturers are in place to produce healthy foods for their consumers but most of them are truly only in it to make money. I will admit that I have just recently started reading food labels and I still feel lost at times. Your post along with the link to the eBrandAid: Grocery Guide has brought a lot of comfort to me for my next visit to the grocery store.
ReplyDelete--Amy Hergenroether
I am with both of you that misleading advertising is rampant in our product labeling. It seems almost any product can use terms like "natural" or "healthy" and get away with it. A friend of mine recently switched to coconut milk because she heard it was better for you than regular milk. The front label states catching words "organic" and "good source of calcium". But what it doesn't say is that this fabulous product has 20% of your daily value in saturated fat. It is important to read both sides of the box.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments ladies. I sometimes get so frustrated reading labels. For one, it is extremely time consuming, and for two there is always some ingredient on the list that is extremely vague, or completely unknown to me what it is. This is one reason I believe that the best foods to eat most of the time don't require a label. I have never seen a nutrient content list on the back of an apple, although I do agree with you Joanna, words such as "organic", "natural" and "healthy" sway so many consumers with out much actual label reading.
ReplyDeleteGreat point, food companies purposely try to confuse the consumer, or trick them into believing their product is healthier than what it really is. As you stated your comment about natural flavoring I began to wonder what types of foods are required and how many to be termed natural flavor. I like how you asked people to avoid hydrogenated fats, however fats are required in a healthy diet. Do you believe your blog would sound more positive by asking your audience to instead of avoid all hydrogenated fats and look for good fats such as omega 3 fatty acids? I believe it sounds better to have a reader look for a specific type of food rather than just say don’t eat hydrogenated foods. (Steve G)
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