As they say, this is all about “Marketing”. People in the food industry research consumers’ interest and apply their latest marketing strategies in their product. So, those big huge signs on your favorite food are all a strategically planned idea to push consumers to buy their product. Do not be fooled though before picking up that fortified, fat free, whole grain something. Look through the nutritional label and see beyond the lies.
Here are a few food label lies that the food industry wants us to believe:
All natural
Who doesn’t want to eat anything that isn’t natural? But the term All Natural can mean many things to different products. All natural can mean substituting artificial sugar with high fructose syrup or the product doesn’t use food coloring or synthetic flavoring.
Fortified
You can often see these labels in cereals, breads and other eminent products. What those fortified even mean? Is it a healthier version than the regular one? The answer is a maybe. The whole fortification process is a blur. Vitamins, nutrients and minerals are artificially infused to these products. Often the fortification process requires the help of ammonia.
Free-range
This is a really useless label period. Free range chickens, pork or beef only means that the animal is allowed to roam outside. They get to walk outdoors where they actually live, for a few hours a day before going back to their barns or houses.
Farm-raised
Farm raised when it comes to fishes are not a good option. Fishes that are raised in farms are bred in pools and fed with pesticides and antibiotics. These farms often breed fishes in polluted water and overcrowded pools. If you want fish for your menu opt for those picked fresh from the ocean or the wild.
Serving size
This is where labels fool us the most. You’ll notice small amounts of fat and calories per serving size. Yet, if you add up the whole package that calories triples or quadruples. For example a bag of chip has 120 calories per 100g serving, but when you look at the packaging it says it contains 500g. You do the math.
For added freshness
Seriously, who is that label fooling? For added freshness? So, basically what they were serving us before lacked freshness. What this label really means is, “More Preservatives”. They add a few other chemicals to lengthen the amount of time products can stay in the fridge or pantry. These extra freshness can actually cause multiple health problems and formation of cancer cells.
Read between the labels and actually know what you and your family are consuming. Avoid buying a product just because it says it’s all natural. Opt for natural products from farmers markets or your own garden.
