Many popular food producers have taken note of the fact that people are increasingly concerned about eating healthy. Here are some tricks food manufacturers use to keep you coming for more.
Creative Packaging
Most buyers make their decision based on packaging design, and choose what appears to be a healthy product. It may appear healthy but it might not be. Packaging that is designed to look healthy often uses earthy colors and natural designs.
Healthy Words
Labels with words that sound healthy are another way to get the attention of health-conscious customers. These terms are usually in larger print than the other words. This strategy is designed to divert your attention from the ingredient list.
These are some of the “healthy words” that you may hear:
Fat Free — Just because a food doesn’t contain fat, doesn’t mean it’s not loaded with calories or sugar.
No sugar added – This indicates that no sugar has been added to the product, but not that it doesn’t contain any. Many ingredients contain sugar by nature. It is possible that the manufacturer used a different sweetener.
All-Natural — Being natural doesn’t mean it is healthy. High-fructose-corn syrup is, after all, all-natural.
Zero Trans fat – Even though they say “zero”, they can contain up to 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving.
Multigrain-This simply means that the product was made from multiple types of grains and may or not be healthy. Look for whole grains.
Made With Real Fruit– If they list this on the packaging, it must contain real fruit. It does not mean that the fruit content is high. Trace amounts could be present.
Concealing sugar levels
One study revealed that 74% of packaged food contained hidden sugar. This can be done by using any of the 60+ terms for sugar such as high-fructose Corn Syrup, barley malt syrup, dextrose maltose and rice syrup.
Buzzwords to Sell
Words that were used to describe food quality are now being misused to hide unhealthy products. The words “organic” and “free-range”, for example, describe how food is produced or processed rather than how healthy the product is.
To eat healthy, you should avoid overly processed food and read the nutrition label carefully. Do not rely on food manufacturers’ integrity to guide your purchase.
