Food Labels Decoded

 

 

You can't believe everything you see, especially if it is on a food package. Not only do the food processors and manufacturers use every trick in the book to legally mislead you but they are the "advisors" to the FDA in setting the standards in the first place. Most of what you see on a food package these days is carefully designed to make you think it is healthy and good for you, even (or especially) when it is not.

Here are a few common code words used on food packages and what they actually mean.

"Flavored"

The words "flavored" or "naturally flavored" means "contains little or no actual ingredient". "Apple flavored" means you are getting chemical flavors or minuscule amounts of apple juice.

"Made With"

This means "made with some" or, more commonly, "made with very little". As in "MADE WITH very little WHOLE GRAIN!"

"Supports, Enhances, Maintains"

This means "we are betting the FDA doesn't ask us to cough up any evidence". There is no legal standard for the use of these words so they mean whatever the food marketer wants them to mean. 

"Antioxidants"

This means "we have added trace amounts of Vitamins C and /or E". 

"No Nitrates or Nitrites added"

Decoded, this means that there are "natural" nitrate and nitrite containing ingredients such as celery powder or sea salt. You are still getting plenty of nitrates and nitrites from the product.

In a recent court case, Kellog argued that the "Made with Whole Grain" claim on the box of its Cheez-It snack product was not misleading because they disclosed the number of grams of whole grain (in incredibly fine print) on the package and white flour preceded whole wheat flour on the ingredient list. The court, in a rare victory for the consumer and common sense, disagreed. It ruled that making the disclosures in such fine print "does not adequately dispel the inference communicated on the front of the package".

It is difficult enough for the average person to find healthy foods in the supermarket these days without needed a secret decoder ring to know what you are buying.