One of the most significant ways to inform the consumer is through a food label, which is the information shown on food products, which covers ingredients, quality, and nutritional value.
As consumers are more concerned about their health than ever, some food producers utilize deceptive tactics to persuade consumers to purchase overly processed and unhealthy products. Many of these labels’ true meanings are unknown to the majority of consumers, who may purchase food believing that the label implies more than it actually does. Here are the most common misconceptions about reading food labels.
1. All-Natural
Being all-natural does not always equate to being healthy. The definition of “natural” is “nothing artificial or synthetic has been included in a product that would not generally be assumed to be in that food.” This includes all color additives, regardless of source.
2. Antioxidants
The molecules known as antioxidants work to fight free radicals. Free radicals are substances in your body that, if their levels increase, can lead to a number of diseases like cancer and diabetes. However, a lot of companies have been slathering the phrase everywhere from cereal boxes to granola bars. The fact is that whole food like blueberries, raspberries, and kale are where you can get antioxidants at their best. It truly means nothing if you see the word in processed foods.
3. Sugar-Free
When something is advertised as “sugar-free”, you might assume that it contains no sugar at all. A food must have less than 0.5 g of sugar to be considered “sugar-free”. This excludes some sweeteners, such as agave, brown rice syrup, and sugar alcohols, as well as the fact that there may still be a trace amount of sugar in the product.
4. Organic
For a food to be termed “organic,” it must contain at least 95% organic ingredients. To make the statement “made with organic ingredients”, the product must include at least 70% organically grown ingredients.
5. Pasture-Raised
A better option than “free range” or “pasture-raised” is “grass-fed”.
6. Fat-Free
Food is referred to as “fat-free” if it contains either no fat or very little fat. However, many fat-free products have higher levels of sugar, carbohydrates, and preservatives and may be more processed in order to make the food taste nice.
7. No artificial colors
It doesn’t necessarily indicate that a food contains no artificial ingredients when it claims “no artificial colors” or “no artificial flavors”. It may still contain artificial flavors even if it states “no artificial colors” and vice versa.
8. Whole Grain
Even though a loaf of bread is labeled “made with whole grains”, only a small portion of the bread may actually contain whole grains. Thus, the product may not be as healthy as it appears to be. Therefore, look for “100% whole grains”.
9. Lightly Sweetened
If a product is labeled “lightly sweetened”, you might assume it would still be sweet but won’t be as sweet as it could be. In reality, the term “lightly sweetened” is unregulated and could mean anything.
10. Low-carb
Processed low-carb foods are often processed junk foods, just like processed low-fat foods.
11. Gluten-free
Gluten-free product is free of wheat, spelt, rye, and barley. Numerous gluten-free meals are heavily processed and laden with sugar and harmful fats.
Conclusion
Despite these warnings, there are a lot of organic, whole-grain, or natural foods that are actually healthful. However, that a label states certain assertions does not necessarily imply that the product is healthy. A lot of marketing phrases relate to better health but these are frequently used to deceive customers into believing that processed, unhealthy food is nutritious.