Labels: Reading Between the Lines

Labels are nothing more than slips of paper with words, yet marketing has mastered the art of placing just the right words on those slips of paper. The purpose is to make you feel secure in the knowledge that you do not have to think about what you are buying; all the information you need is in front of you. There are no better examples of this than in your grocery store where there is aisle after aisle of products that would appear to be healthy choices. If only things were as they appeared.

Once consumers started to demand reduced fat and non-fat foods, it was not long before there was an abundance of these products in your stores. The problem is that reducing the fat does not create a healthier product. Whole fat or reduced, they are still hydrogenated fats and are the trans-fatty acids, a leading cause of coronary disease. If healthier eating is your goal, leave these foods in your grocery store.

Years ago, I was taught that ingredients are listed according to the amount in a product; the more of an ingredient the higher on the list it appears. Sugar is certainly an exception to this rule. There are so many different names for sugar that the actual content is easily hidden. Sugar goes by many different names; to list them all would be a column in itself. Look for any word ending in “ose”, fructose, corn syrup, invert sugar. There is a lot of controversy on the sugars that are considered by many to be healthier, such as honey and molasses, so I leave that up to you.

L-gultamic acid occurs naturally in many foods such as tomatoes, mushrooms, and milk. Not only is L-gultamic acids found in many foods, it is also found in the cells of our body and in mother’s milk. Our bodies know exactly how to use L-gultamic acid in this form, so it is harmless. Then it is off to the factory with L-glutamic acid where it becomes D-glutamic acid better known as MSG. Your body thinks of MSG as a foreign object and does not digest it well. As with sugar the statement ”no MSG” can be misleading. In your list of ingredients look for calcium caseinate, yeast extract, or beef flavoring, all of which are still forms of MSG: For those of you who suffer severe reactions these ingredients are dangerous.

If your goal is to eat healthier skip the front of the label, skip the nutritional facts, and go straight to the list of ingredients.

Category: Label Language