Misleading Labels.

9/24/2012
Nicole Amaral
100257087

Video credit [x] ; Gif Credit: Nicole Amaral

Grocery shopping is one of those things that are done weekly or more than that for some peoples. But have you ever chosen a certain food item over another simply because of what the labels look like? Well, it might just be time to reconsider some choices made. That’s because terms like “fat free”, “trans-fat free” and “all natural” that we usually tend to see in abundance on food labels these days, might not be healthy at all.

Credit: Nicole Amaral

Annoyed? Bothered? Frustrated? Well I kind of am. Not because I’m being deceived by certain products that I thought were good for me but also because these are actually some of the food items that I love to eat! One of my favourite things to snack on during class or throughout the day are granola bars, or Nutri-Grain bars to be more specific. Even though on the box and label it says “more of the whole grain your body needs” and “made with real fruits/ fruit filling” it’s not true. These types of statement are put on labels in order to grab customer’s attention and it’s done this way on purpose. I found this out by reading the nutritional facts that are on the back of the box, which some people don’t tend to read. There are about 13 grams of sugars and 100 milligrams of sodium in every bar, that doesn’t seem as much when written down on paper, but it does add up.

Credit: Nicole Amaral

I am certainly not trying to bash on any food items but this is just an example of why people should definitely check out the nutritional facts and ingredient lists on all the food products they buy. Buying food based on just packaging and labels could potentially be harmful, and in order to cut down on that checking the ingredients and nutritional facts are a great start.  According to a Nielsen Survey and Health.com nearly 59% of consumers have a hard time understanding nutrition labels.

Food labels like this mislead the public into thinking they are getting an organic and healthy product, when in reality they are getting an opposite of what they want.  Miscommunication like this between companies and customers could be harmful not only to the customers’ health, but also towards the company.

There is a common saying “don’t believe everything you see and read” this statement factors into the essence of grocery shopping. Customers buying various food products often get deceived or have the wrong information on what they put into their body on a daily basis.  That’s why miscommunication between what people think they are eating and what they are actually eating isn’t a big surprise. Therefore people should definitely not believe all the labels they read on food products, that is, if they want to have a healthier life.

Related Links: Healthy or Hype? , Theory of Food Labels