Common Food Labeling Tricks to Avoid

Companies that manufacture food are aware of the fact that people are on the lookout for healthy products. Because health sells and this is good for business, companies oftentimes have to resort to tricking customers through food labeling tricks to make a profit.

As a consumer, you and your family’s health and wellness depend largely on the food you eat. This is why it is important to understand what it is you are buying so that you can make well-informed decisions. When it comes to food labels, it is necessary to know that we can’t believe everything we read.

Here is a list of the most common food labeling tricks that you should avoid next time you are at the grocery:

1.       “All Natural”: Labeling food products with the term “natural” is meant to imply that a product has no artificial ingredients and is good for you. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not have any definition of what should be included in natural foods. This is why foods that have this label actually contain preservatives, chemicals, and other artificial ingredients. In addition, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which is responsible for regulating meat and poultry, permits the use of “natural” on food labels if it has undergone minimal processing and contains additives, but does not contain artificial ingredients. The USDA also permits the use of “natural” on meat and poultry if growers use hormones or antibiotics.

2.       “Organic”: Foods that are labeled as “organic” are not necessarily healthier for you. These are typically more expensive than conventionally manufactured foods and are meant to convince you that they are more nutritious. Organic products may contain high levels of salt, calories, and sugar while being devoid of vitamins and minerals. They may also legally contain ingredients that are not organic.

3.       “No sugar added”:  Whether you are a diabetic or simply trying to cut down on your sugar intake, avoid buying food products with the “no sugar added” label on them. Many foods, such as fruit, fruit juice, milk, vegetables, and cereal, already contain natural sugars although they do not need additional sugar to make them any sweeter. This means that even if no extra sugar was used to make it sweeter, these foods still contain amounts of sugar. Foods with this label may also contain maltodextrin; a carbohydrate, and because of the nature of carbohydrates can raise your blood sugar levels.

4.       “Fat-free”: This term became popular a few decades ago when scientists didn’t have adequate information on the role of fat in human health. Fat was thought to be the enemy, and the culprit for cardiovascular disease as well as obesity and many other ailments. Food manufacturers then began removing fat but replaced it with several varieties of harmful ingredients such as sucralose and aspartame to provide some flavor. Many foods that are labeled “fat-free” are high in sugar and calories. Healthy fats are essential to your diet because they can support heart health, give energy, are a good source of essential fatty acids, and have many other benefits.

5.       “Multigrain”:  Food that is labeled “multigrain” misleads consumers into thinking that it is healthy because it contains several kinds of grains, which should be healthy. On the contrary, most multigrain products on the market are made from refined grains. Real multigrain products should be made from whole grain, which is much healthier for you because it utilizes the entire grain kernel including germ, bran, and the endorsperm. These contain the nutrients, fiber, as well as good carbs that are slow-digesting.

6.       “Free Range”: According to the USDA, poultry-based food manufacturers have to show that animals are not in cages and have access to the outdoors. However, there are still numerous loopholes in the law particularly because businesses aren’t required to show certifications. There are no rules as to how long animals should stay outside to be referred to as “free-range”, nor are there any specific requirements about what these outdoor conditions need to look like. While chickens may be able to roam freely outdoors, they may be doing so in poor-quality environments.

7.       “No trans-fat”: Trans-fat is one of the most harmful substances in the world. Consuming it will increase your bad cholesterol levels and decrease your good cholesterol. However, according to the law, food labels can indicate that they contain 0 trans-fat if they contain less than 0.5 grams of trans-fat in every serving. This means that if you consume several products that contain 0.5 grams of trans fat, you can easily be consuming much more than that without even realizing it. If you want to be sure that you aren’t consuming trans-fat, look for shortening or hydrogenated oils in nutrition labels then steer clear of these because these contain trans-fat.

8.       “Low cholesterol”:  There are different kinds of cholesterol labels: cholesterol free means that it contains less than 2 mg of cholesterol in every serving; less or reduced cholesterol means that the product contains at least 25% less cholesterol than similar products; and low cholesterol which means that it contains less than 20mg in each serving. These nutrition labels don’t mean anything because there are no specific products to which these foods are being compared.

9.       “Sugar-free”: Products that are labeled as “sugar-free” actually contain under 0.5 mg of sugar in each serving. These products may contain more simple carbohydrates than the sugar amount indicated on the label, which converts to sugar in your body when they aren’t used for energy. Furthermore, foods that are labeled as “sugar-free” usually use aspartame and various sugar alcohols which are harmful to your health.

“High in fiber”:  Many processed foods add polydextrose, maltodextrin, and inulin which don’t have the same health benefits as obtaining fiber from natural sources such as vegetables, fruits, as well as whole grains. Additionally, consumption of inulin may cause gastrointestinal problems.