5 ways food manufacturers can mislead you

As the health conscious society that we've become, reading food labels is part and parcel of our daily food selection process. We've fostered this habit so we can make informed decisions about the food we choose to feed our family and ourselves. How well informed are we really?

I reckon food manufacturers are savvier in printing nutritional information on labels in a way to better sell their products. They're telling us what we want to read.

So how are food manufacturers misleading you into thinking their product is the healthier option? Things to look for on your next grocery shopping!

All natural?

Instantly we'll choose the natural option over processed food, but are we too quick to buy anything that's been labelled 'all natural'?

Daily Health Post gave an example: "High fructose corn syrup, which is present in foods labelled as 'all natural' is in reality a processed ingredient made through a complex chemical process."

So we shouldn't entirely trust labels just cause it's stated 'all natural'.

No trans fat is good?

Though the label tells us the food item has no trans fat, your next check should be the saturated fat content. Saturated fat is as bad for your health as trans fat is.

And sometimes when a food item doesn't contain trans fat, it could be loaded with saturated fat.

Made with real fruit VS Contains real fruit..

I'm pedantic when comes to reading label on fruit juice cartons. The last thing you want is giving your family 'juice' that's high in sugar content with only little traces of nutrition.

Look out for words like 'concentrate', 'juice drink', and 'contains real fruit'. And stay away from those 'juices'.

The tricky 'low-fat', 'less-fat' and 'fat-free'!

Check the 'low-fat' claim against the numbers on the label. Easy!

Don't go by what the label claims. Always check the fat content numbers to help you make your decisions.

Made with whole Grains, or are they really?

Everyone knows whole grain is better than white (read: processed) flour. Manufacturers can label items as 'made with whole grains', but the utmost important question is what percentage of it is whole grain?

Written by

8288yan

Nutrition