Here’s how food marketing creates a false sense of nutrition
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Last updated on - Apr 24, 2018, 16:36 IST01/8Here are some tricks that the food nutrition labels you
Health-related buzzwords, such as antioxidant, gluten-free and whole grain, lull consumers into thinking packaged food products labeled with those words are healthier than they actually are not. The study examined the degree to which consumers’ link marketing terms on food packaging with good health. It found that consumers tend to view food products labeled with health-related euphemisms as healthier than those without them. Unfortunately, if you're like the average grocery shopper, those changes won't affect you because you don't check the nutrition facts. You glance at the front of the package and go with your gut and that's exactly how food marketers like it.
02/8A small amount of serving sizes
Tiny serving sizes make unhealthy substances (fat, sugar) look less bad. The FDA says, “A food can’t be called healthy if it contains more than 480 mg per serving. But most people eat the whole can (960 mg). A better way: a February 2013 study found that for products containing two servings that are customarily consumed at a single eating occasion, displaying two columns (one for the entire package and one for a split of the package) on the label helps consumers make healthier choices.”
03/8Don’t judge a product by its name
To get around FDA labeling regulations companies create wholesome monikers for their unhealthy foods and beverages. Vitamin Water, for example, is basically sugar water (31-32 g sugar per bottle) with some vitamins thrown in. Other health-evoking product names include nutrition bars, popcorn and snacks.
04/8Look for whole grains
The phrase made with whole grains actually doesn’t guarantee the product is made predominantly of whole grains. In fact, only a miniscule amount may be there. Look for the word whole listed first in the ingredient list. Similarly, the Whole Grain Stamp which appears on products that contain at least 8 g whole grains per serving doesn’t guarantee the healthiest choice. A recent study in Public Health Nutrition found some grain products marked with the stamp higher in sugar and calories than grain products without the stamp.
05/8Don’t believe high-fiber fibs
Sixty-six percent of consumers look for the phrase high fiber, according to Technomic, a food-industry consulting firm. Yet the product might be high fiber because it contains isolated fibers in the form of purified powders, such as maltodextrin. These fibers don’t have the same beneficial health effects as intact fibers from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Other faux names: oat fiber, wheat fiber and oat hull fiber.
06/8Misleading health claims
A 2010 study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that “Nutrition marketing, such as health claims on the front of a box, is commonly used on products high in saturated fat, sodium and/or sugar, and more often in kids’ products. Stick to the Nutrition Facts Panel to determine how healthy a food is."
07/8Read the fine print thoroughly
In a 2010 report, Food Labeling Chaos," The Center for Science in the Public Interest said that many ingredient lists are intentionally unclear. "They are often printed in small, condensed type, and many manufacturers use all capital letters that studies show are more difficult to read than [a combination of] upper and lower case letters… some companies print the list in various colors of ink against poorly-contrasting backgrounds or insert the ingredient list in a fold or other area where it will not be visible unless the consumer makes an extra effort to reveal the list."
08/8Be wary of nutrient callouts
You’ll see numbers for saturated fat, sodium, sugar, and calories, as well as two nutrients to encourage. In addition, nutrient-content callouts, such as low fat or cholesterol free, sometimes appear on unhealthy foods. Sure, Jujubes are a fat-free food, but they also have 18 grams of sugar per serving.