Tips on Deciphering Food Labels

Tips for Deciphering Food Labels, Part 1 The best way to approach a packaged food is with healthy skepticism, knowing that what you find on the package is intended to sell that product.  At best it can be confusing; at worst, misleading. The claims often give consumers a false sense of eating healthy, which then leads to the consumption of more packaged food. Here are some of the big areas of concern:    Made with Whole Grains. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, numerous manufacturers are trying to exploit consumers' desire to eat more whole grains by making claims that their products are rich in them when they are not. If unbleached wheat flour is the main ingredient, and whole wheat flour is third (or further) down on the list, the product actually contains very little whole grains. Ingredient Lists. There is a lot of room for deception and misdirection in the average ingredient list. Ingredients are listed from the most to the least. For example, if a cake lists flour as the first ingredient, a consumer would be led to believe that flour is the biggest ingredient. Often the biggest ingredient, however, is sugar, and this is disguised by sugar's many names (corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, dextrose, fructose, maltose, etc.). Serving Size. A reasonable person would conclude that a bottle of soda or juice, or a small bag of chips, is one serving. Most serving size calculators were developed, however, when Star Wars was first on the big screen! Because soda bottles are much larger now, this leads to situations where soda or juice bottles contain 2 1/2 servings, and serving sizes for chips are '11 chips'! Always try to remember to check the serving size! Omega 3s. The FDA allows certain foods that are rich in Omega 3s to advertise that they can reduce the risk of heart disease, but only if they also are low in saturated fats or other risk factors. Manufacturers are getting around this rule by simply highlighting that their products contain 'Omega 3s' regardless of the amount of saturated fat. Eggs are a good example of this, because you can find cartons labeled 'Omega 3s' all the time, and yet eggs are specifically prohibited from carrying the FDA's  'qualified health claim' because of the amount of cholesterol they contain. Made with Real Fruit. Despite claiming that they are 'made with real fruit,' about the only thing even remotely resembling fruit contained in many products (especially those marketed to kids) is, e.g., pear concentrate (which is essentially sugar). The best suggestion for this area is - if you want real fruit, buy real fruit, and if you want candy, buy candy. Tips on Deciphering Food Labels, Part 2 If you missed the first part of this article, you can read it here and then read on for 5 more items to be aware of when you are reading a package label: 0 Trans Fat. Trans fats are best avoided because they adhere to our cell membranes and make it difficult for our cells to make energy, receive good nutrients or communicate with other cells. There are two label issues to be aware of here: First, a nutrition facts label can state '0 Trans Fat' even if a product actually contains it, as long as the trans fat is less than 0.5g per serving. Read the actual ingredient list to see if it contains any 'partially hydrogenated oils,' and if it does, the product contains trans fats.  Second, be aware that the USDA does not even require identifying trans fats on its labels. Free Range Eggs. Be aware that the government does not regulate the use of the terms 'free range' or 'cage free' when it comes to eggs, so there is no guarantee unless you know the farm(er) that 'free range' actually occurred. The USDA does have rules for those terms as they relate to poultry: chickens must be given exactly 5 minutes 'access' to the outdoors everyday. Fiber. 'Fiber' advertised in many foods is actually a combination of purified powders called inulin, polydextrose and maltodextrin. These isolated unnatural fibers are unlikely to lower blood cholesterol or blood sugar as other fiber can, and two of the three will not even help with regularity. These powders act more like low calorie filling agents in the body and not like traditional fiber. Health Claims. 'Now helps support your child's immunity' (e.g., on a box of chocolate cereal), or 'can help maintain a healthy heart' are permissible claims that can be made without FDA approval. Product labels cannot claim, however, that a food 'may help reduce the risk of heart disease' without prior FDA approval. Since consumers respond more favorably to positively stated claims anyway, be aware that companies are making these claims with no oversight. 'All Natural.' This was the second-most-common claim on new food products in 2008, and I am confident (looking at store shelves) that that trend has continued. Products claiming to be natural, particularly those aimed at parents of young children, have a competitive edge in the marketplace. Be sure to check labels of products claiming to be 'all natural' or '100% natural.' They often contain added chemical preservatives, ascorbic acid, added citric acid, added color or even high fructose corn syrup, which are violations of FDA policy. The USDA permits poultry and other meat products to be labeled 'All Natural' even if they contain added chicken or beef broth which raises their sodium levels to unnatural levels. I hope you found these tips helpful!