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This is a guest post by Kerry McLeod, chief Brand Doctor at www.ebrandaid.com. If smart food shopping appeals to you, you’ll want to click here and subscribe to eBrandAid.com’s free newsletters; plus receive a FREE e-Report - eBrandaid’s Grocery Store Survival Guide.
You probably know that you can’t always rely on food manufacturers to have your best interest at heart. More often than not they go out of their way to emphasize “healthy” ingredients when sadly, they’ve added miniscule amounts.
Too often the unhealthy ingredients (think high fructose corn syrup) outweigh any of the nutritional stuff. Trusting shoppers may think they’re making a wise food choice when, in reality, they’re being bamboozled into buying a Healthy Food Imposter.
Case in point: Capri Sun Juice Drinks
Take a look at the front label – it boldly states ANTIOXIDANTS, No Artificial Colors, Flavors or Preservatives!
To a time-pressed shopper this might be all the nudging needed to get this product in the grocery cart. After all, the word ANTIOXIDANTS implies it’s a great choice. Right?
Not so fast. When you take the time to read the fine print, you’ll quickly see this is nothing more than a sneaky labeling trick. Manufacturers do it for one simple reason – to entice unsuspecting shoppers to impulse buy their product. We hate when they do that!
(100 calories, 0g fat, 15mg sodium, 26g sugar, 20% vitamin C)
INGREDIENTS: Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Pear, Apple, And Strawberry Juice Concentrates, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Vitamin E Acetate, Natural Flavor.
Decoding the Fine Print
Okay, so we already know that the front label implies this is a nutritional juice drink. However, take a look at the ingredients list and the Nutrition Facts label and here’s what you’ll find:
Water and high fructose corn syrup are the first two ingredients listed. Remember, manufacturers list ingredients in order of most to least, meaning the first few ingredients usually make up the bulk of the food item.
Next, they list several fruit concentrates. Maybe now we’re getting somewhere with the healthy stuff, right? Wrong. When you look at the NFL you see that the “healthy stuff” is really only 10% juice. Ouch!
Last on the list are the so-called antioxidants ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and vitamin E acetate. However, when you look at the NFL you also see this only translates into 20% of the Recommended Daily Allowance for Vitamin C!
To sum up: The juice drink with the big bold word “Antioxidants” splashed on the front label is nothing more than sugar water with a splash of juice and an insignificant amount of added vitamins.
Here’s the real clincher. Capri Sun charges the same amount for this imposter as they do for their 100% Juice variety that sits on the same shelf. Now that’s some moxie!
Reality Check
This brings us back to the point of today’s newsletter – how to avoid being tricked by food labels.
Follow our BrandAid 3-Step System and never be tricked again!
Step One: Speed read the front label! Remember, manufacturers use this prime real estate to entice shoppers to buy their products. Translation: Much of the wording is pure advertising jargon.
Step Two: Go to the ingredients list! This is where they tell you what’s in the food. They list ingredients in order from most to least. NOTE: For a refresher course see our guidelines on Decoding the Ingredients List.
Step Three: Quick-scan the Nutrition Facts label! The NFL is where you’ll find the amounts of nutrients you’re getting based on the ingredients list.
Taken together, this information will help you make the healthiest food choices. More importantly, it will help you avoid those pesky imposters. Leave them on the shelf right where they belong!
Knowledge is power. Read the labels.
Written on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 at 3:18 am
Filed under links, nutrition.
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July 22nd, 2008 at 7:56 am
Very, very, very true!!!!
KFJ’s last blog post..Positive Post Tuesday
July 22nd, 2008 at 7:57 am
GREAT great guest blog. I could not agree more. I try to buy as much unprocessed food as possible, because after that, even if it says “all natural, organic, free range, antioxidant etc..” you’re still getting a product with many additives.
Thanks for the post.
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:46 am
Great post! This is exactly why I don’t shop with my kids - I gotta have time to read all those labels! But it’s worth it, I think. HFCS is some sneaky stuff.
charlotte’s last blog post..The Backlash Against Dara Torres Begins
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:48 am
I wish everyone could read this! I was chatting with another mom a few weeks back at snacktime in the park, and she said, “We just found reduced-sugar juice at Costco, so we’re doing great!” And I didn’t know what to say. I only buy 100% juice, and I mentioned that, but she still seemed really pleased that she’d found “juice” with less high-fructose corn syrup. Ick.
Another good way to shop is to try finding products that are as close to their natural state as possible. Real cheese, plain pasta, real juice, fresh produce and meat. Do your own “food processing” at home when you use these fresh ingredients in cooking. If you’re buying something with a label or ingredients list, ask if you can find something fresher instead, and if not, READ, READ, READ!
Amy G’s last blog post..Handle with care
July 22nd, 2008 at 9:52 am
Such an excellent post. Thank you!
I couldn’t agree with Amy G. more — “try finding products that are as close to their natural state as possible.” It takes effort to do that and to read the labels but it is so worth it.
I will definitely be emailing this post to all my peeps. Great info!
Felice’s last blog post..The Sad Runner.
July 22nd, 2008 at 10:28 am
BrandAid. I love it. Food manufacturers are so sneaky when it comes to this. But, you’re right, the ingredient list never lies!
July 22nd, 2008 at 11:05 am
I love eBrandaid!! They really have opened my eyes about a lot of products - especially yogurt + low-fat icecreams.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:12 pm
I grew up drinking Sunny D because my mom thought it was orange juice. It cost less than minute maid, next to the milk at the time of my childhood, and refrigerated. I can see why my mom though it was real orange juice is it claims to have 100% Vitamin C.
asithi’s last blog post..Behaviors that Intensify Feelings of Deprivation
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:25 pm
I adore the BrandAid website! I’m a huge label and ingredient list reader. I get a huge kick out of going to the grocery store and wandering the aisles and comparing products (I think I kind of scare the people who work there). Its a bit of a fun challenge to slog through all of those sneaky marketing tricks:)
Sagan’s last blog post..Book Review: “Don’t Eat This Book” by Morgan Spurlock
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:48 pm
i have become an avid label reader……thanks for the tips!~
Annette’s last blog post..HYC Update /Weekly Weigh in/Progress Photos
July 22nd, 2008 at 4:05 pm
I didn’t know this newsletter existed. Now I’m definitely signing up for it!
Some of the things found in the grocery store are REALLY scary! (Do food manufacturers really think that kids won’t eat food unless it’s day-glo, puke-green?
July 22nd, 2008 at 11:08 pm
The labels that drive me crazy are the ones where an obvious single portion (like a 16 oz bottle) get label as 2 servings, when 100% of people eating or drinking the item devour it all and not half of it. If its packaged for easy consumption it should be labeled as 1 serving.
John’s Weight Loss Blog’s last blog post..In Which I Tell My Wife About My Weight Loss Blog
July 22nd, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Now that my wife and I have a 16 month old son, we are more avid label readers than ever.
At the same time, don’t you wish life were much simpler?
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:20 am
Great post! High fructose corn syrup is the devil. Ugh! You find it EVERYWHERE. I thought I’d try Lipton Green Tea and I look on the ingredients label and there it is…high fructose corn syrup. Ridiculous!
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:18 pm
What a great mini lesson in reading labels. As a nutritionist, I often take my clients to the grocery store to teach them how to read labels and they’re just astounded at what’s in the food they’ve been putting into their bodies. Food manufacturers are very tricky and it’s up to all of us to be proactive and really go that extra step when it comes to finding out what we’re eating.
Cynthia - Healthy Hollywood’s last blog post..Reba McEntire’s “Rules” for Staying Fit and Healthy
July 23rd, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Very good Post! Important to keep an eye on the labels!
Mark Salinas’s last blog post..Lower Back Flab
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:28 pm
An awesome guest post! It drives me nuts when they try and hoodwink shoppers. High fructose corn syrup is awful!
Sandy (Momisodes)’s last blog post..I needz a vacation
July 24th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Great advice! Always read the fine print…
Nap Warden’s last blog post..Holy, AMAZING, Batman!!!
July 24th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
It’s true that you have to check out the ingredients but in this case if you pay attention to the nutrition facts and you see 26g of sugar, definitely will be bad for you.
Alex Costa - minimizeme.tv’s last blog post..Just one chocolate, pleeeeeease
July 25th, 2008 at 6:01 am
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July 29th, 2008 at 11:10 am
GREEAAAAT Advice.
Thanks for the deciphering information.