Exposing 9 More Misleading Food Industry Practices

1) Many food products that trumpet “Low in Fat!” give consumers the impression they are eating a healthy snack. Check the label – that is often not the case. According to Valerie Berkowitz, M.S., R.D., nutrition director for New York City’s Center for Balanced Health: “Low-fat processed foods often are made with excess sugar or other carbs to enhance flavor; they can trigger your body to produce fat-storing insulin.” Study after study has found that people tend to eat more of a product with this deceptive claim. (Paul Kita, “When Labels Lie”, Men’s Health, December 2013)

2) Don’t be fooled by the common “No Nitrates” label found on the packaging on many cured meats products, especially bacon. Nitrates are a preservative used to hinder botulism and there is some evidence they increase the risk of heart disease. The “No Nitrates” label refers only to synthetic nitrates. Manufacturers still use naturally occurring nitrates that form during the curing process. One Consumer’s Reports test of “No Nitrates” hot dogs found the same level of nitrates as regular cured meats. (The editors, “A guide to the meat market”, Consumer’s Reports on Health, December 2012)

3) Grocery store shelves are blaring out the amazing power of added antioxidants on products up and down the aisles. Surveys show the claims boost sales. Joy Dubost, Ph.D., of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, cautions: “Unfortunately, antioxidant is a very loosely used term. Outside the lab, it has become more of a marketing term than a scientific term.” One example is Kellogg’s Fiber Plus Antioxidant Dark Chocolate Almond bar, which does contain antioxidants but at the price of 5 grams of fat and 7 grams of sugar. (The editors, “Antioxidants: Friend or Foe?” Consumers Reports on Health, April 2013)

Watch the short video at: http://www.consumerreports.org/video/view/healthy-living/food-nutrition/2262389420001/over-hyped-antioxidants/

4) What you see in fast food advertising is not what you always get!

Fast food: Ads vs. Reality | Consumer Reports

From Dr. Yoni Freedhoff…….

5) Kellogg’s Fruit Loops are advertised as good for you because one cup contains 3 grams of fibre and multiple whole grains. This comes with 12 grams of sugar per cup.

6) The Sun Rype Fun Bites and Del Monte Fruit Twists package declares “no sugar added”, but both contain ten times more sugar than apples by weight. The actual sugar is from concentrated fruit purees and juices. Technically, this is not “added sugar”, therefore the food companies can legally make the claim.

7) McDonald’s carbonated fruit juices for kids contain more sugar than an equal amount of Coca-Cola. Their TV ads say this drink counts toward kid’s 5 fruits per day.

8) McDonald’s McFlurry snack size gives the consumer the impression they are getting much less sugar and calories. In fact, it contains the equivalent sugar of a Snickers bar dissolved into a can of Coca-Cola.

9) Each serving of Motts Fruitsations & Veggies peach-apple-carrot sauce contains 1/40 the vitamin A of one regular carrot.

For more examples, see the video below:

Bacon Bonus
Warning: not all brands of bacon are created equal. Some brands contain 80 calories and 200 – 400 mg of sodium in just 2 slices of pork bacon.

Photo: Wikipedia.org CC

Jerry De Luca is a Christian freelance writer who loves perusing dozens of interesting and informative publications. When he finds any useful info he summarizes it, taking the main points, and creates a (hopefully) helpful blog post.