How To Properly Decipher Deceptive Food Labels

With today's health-conscious consumer, food manufacturers are well   aware that a primary concern of the public is health and eating   healthy foods. Since marketing plays a huge role in product   sales, marketing tactics paint a blurry picture designed to   entice you, not educate you.     In an effort to provide the public with what they want, food manufacturers   use unclear marketing statements like "Reduced Fat"   and "98% Fat Free." Beware of products boasting these types of claims   . Just because a product label claims "reduced fat" or   "light" doesn't mean it's healthy or low in fat.     There are several marketing descriptions companies use to coax you   to purchase a lower-fat version of a product. The best way to   protect yourself and not fall prey to misleading marketing tactics   is to learn how to properly read product labels and understand   common marketing catch phrases.     * Low Calorie: Contains less than 40 calories per serving.   * Low Fat: 3 grammes or less of fat per serving.   * Low Cholesterol: 20 milligrammes of cholesterol or less per serving, and 2 grammes of saturated fat or less per serving     * Low Sodium: less than 140 milligrammes per serving.   * Extremely Low Sodium: 35 milligrammes or less per serving.   * Lean: less than 10 grammes of fat per serving, 4.5 grammes of saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrammes of cholesterol.     * Extra Lean: Each serving contains less than 5 grammes of fat, 2 grammes of saturated fat, and 95 milligrammes of cholesterol.     * Fat Free-Less than 0.5 grammes of fat per serving   * Light-Half the fat of the regular version.   * Reduced Fat-25 % less fat than the regular version.     Whenever you are reading a label, the important things to take into   consideration for weight management are: 1.     The number of calories per serving   2. The quantity of servings per container   3. Calories derived from fat   4. Calories per gram—Whole milk, for example, has 9 fat calories per gram, 4 carbohydrate calories per gram, and 4 protein calories per gram.         Milk is probably the number one product that the public has misconceptions   about. Regular whole milk is about 50% fat! Of the   150 calories per serving, 70 calories come from fat. Many consumers   falsely believe that 1% milk contains only 1% of the fat   that whole milk contains. This is just another unsavoury advertising   tactic. The fact is that in 2% milk, 40% of the calories   come from fat, and in 1% milk, 30% of the calories come from   fat. Although they are lower in fat than whole milk, by no means   are they healthy and low in fat.     Recently, I tried Tuscan's Supreme Milk, which is 100% fat-free, and   I have to say, it wasn't bad. It is only 100 calories per serving,   with 0 calories from fat. It tastes similar to 2% milk while   providing you with all of the nutritional benefits of skimmilk.       Another thing that can mislead consumers is serving size. Many times,   you will look at a product and believe that the container contains   one serving, and the caloric and nutritional breakdown are   accurate for the entire container. For instance, a can of tuna   may state that there are 70 calories per serving, but when you   look at the number of servings in the can, it is actually   two and a half.     By reading labels and understanding the food manufacturers' marketing   jargon, you can sift through the hype and make healthy   , intelligent food choices. The next time you head to the store   to stock up on "healthy foods," don't forget your reading glasses   !