Stumped At The Supermarket? Your Food Label Glossary

While cartoon characters on a cereal box can be a blinding spell that leads kids to believe a particular food actually tastes better, parents are not impervious to the food industry's marketing tactics when it comes to particular health claims -- some of which are on children's cereal boxes.

A recent study by Yale researchers from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity found that parents often misinterpret health claims on children's cereals, assuming they are more nutritious than they actually are.

Researchers surveyed parents with children between ages 2 and 11, asking them to view pictures of common children's cereals and say whether the health-related buzzwords on the boxes might influence them to buy the products. While the cereals were of below-average nutritional quality, the boxes featured various nutrition-related health claims including "whole grain," "fiber" and "calcium and Vitamin D."

Approximately one-quarter of parents believed that the "whole grain" claim on Lucky Charms® and "calcium and Vitamin D" claim on Cinnamon Toast Crunch® meant these cereals were healthier than other children's cereals.

Being blinded by health claims is very common. The concept is so widespread, that it is has been dubbed the "health halo" effect. The concept of a health halo has been around for several years now and new studies continue to document the potential windfall.

Remember to always turn the product around and check the nutrition facts panel. Never assume that food product with a "calcium and Vitamin D" health claim is necessarily healthier or lower in calories than a product without a "calcium and Vitamin D" label.

I believe that increased regulation is needed from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reduce confusion about the nutrition claims, but in the meantime, I have provided a list of common terms often used to describe the level of a nutrient in a food and how they can be used:

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Free

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This term means that a product contains no amount of, or only trivial or "physiologically inconsequential" amounts of, one or more of these components: fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugars and calories. For example, "calorie-free" means fewer than 5 calories per serving, and "sugar-free" and "fat-free" both mean less than 0.5 g per serving. Take away message: If you eat more than one serving it can all add up!

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This term means that a product contains no amount of, or only trivial or "physiologically inconsequential" amounts of, one or more of these components: fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugars and calories. For example, "calorie-free" means fewer than 5 calories per serving, and "sugar-free" and "fat-free" both mean less than 0.5 g per serving.

Take away message: If you eat more than one serving it can all add up!

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Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Self-explanatory. Really clears things up!

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Follow Joanna Dolgoff, M.D. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/joannadolgoffmd

Comments

[rtate]

03:39 PM on 09/13/2011

Michael Pollan suggests avoiding ALL foods with a health claim, which are geared more towards deception than actually making the eater healthier. For example, FAT FREE often means that the fat (a necessary component of a healthy meal) has been replaced with worthless fillers (carbs that translate into sugar once ingested)...

[watch out world]

07:14 PM on 09/12/2011

Read "Death by Supermarket" by Nancy deVille and you won't buy anything with a label anymore!! It changed my life. I wish I had known the info in this book years ago!

[rjoeand]

06:48 PM on 09/12/2011

What we need is realistic serving sizes. I used to get a small bag of crackers that 99% of the people will eat in one serving, but when you read the fine print on the label it says there are 3 servings in the bag. Who is going to open a small bag of chips or crackers and eat only 1/3 rd and then close the bag and store it for another day?

[gmgpjandon]

04:38 PM on 09/12/2011

Maybe the manufacture is just attempting to cya due to government regs.

[Angela Mathieu Garrison]

02:54 PM on 09/12/2011

I agree with some of the other comments; try avoiding the foods that have labels altogether. 92% of kids are not eating enough fruits and veggies, AND our children are on track to live shorter lives than their parents, the first time in 200 years.
If you are having a hard time getting your children to eat veggies and fruit, get help NOW! It's never too late to change their future :) (or yours!) For your free report on how to get your kids to eat healthy without tears, begging, or pleading and more helpful free advice visit: http://bit.ly/qdFRcU

[watch out world]

07:12 PM on 09/12/2011

Angela- I've also read that it is anticipated that our children will be the generation to start being commonly diagnosed with Alzheimers in their 30's and 40's. We can thank all the chemicals in our food and everything else for that! Isn't that frightening? Shouldn't every parent know this? I think moms would shop very differntly if they truly understood what all those false foods are doing to their kids bodies and brains!

Your family is precious! And good for you for feeding them right! Health and happiness to all of you!

[Angela Mathieu Garrison]

05:00 PM on 09/14/2011

So scary! Every parent SHOULD know this, but the FDA and food companies keep the majority of parents confused so the parents just continue on the same path making no changes and kid's suffer. That's the part that breaks my heart.

Thank you for the well wishes :) All the best to you and your family!

[Karl Wilder]

01:20 PM on 09/12/2011

Here is a solution. Buy few if any foods that have a label. Buy real food and then you don't need to worry about marketing and false claims.

[WhatTheWhatThe]

11:06 AM on 09/12/2011

The ones I find silly are products like Jello gelatin that have 'fat free' on their label.

[TooLooze]

09:47 AM on 09/12/2011

There are several types of campbell's condensed mushroom soup. Choose between higher far or lower sodium (lower than their regular soup), "healthy request" containing merely 5 times the sodium of low sodium, or others. Serving size is 1/2 cup of condensed soup, which of course is not the way it is supposed to be prepared. By the way, "However, because the data may change from time to time, this information may not always be identical to the nutritional label information of products on shelf." A can of Pam vegetable oil spray contains over 400 servings, all of them fat free according to the label, whether you can use the 1/4 second portion or not.

We don't need no stinkin' regulations, though.

[bogratshadow]

09:31 AM on 09/12/2011

I would like to see a label that tells me where my food is coming from. Every other product tells you where it is made, why not food.

[OLEGAR]

08:09 AM on 09/13/2011

This makes me wonder if the glut of products from China includes cooking oil ! !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14894070

[ANIMEsseexx]

02:11 AM on 09/12/2011

i agree with mary...i think its a bit insulting to be given any kind of advice on diet. i am a type ! diabetic, therefore my BGL can be a struggle from meal tio meal. It also doesnt hurt that i ve been cooking in 4 and 5 star restaurantsfor the last 5 years and have more complex knowledge of food than ANYBODY who may have a suggestion. perhaps haracy and lack of anything better to say compells them????what do i know

[Ethel Brooks Marshall]

12:10 AM on 09/12/2011

how can the USDA allow so many chemicals put in the processed foods..?

[marymeade2]

11:42 PM on 09/11/2011

I believe we don't need to be told how to eat, what to eat. We are all in charge of our own lives. There Is more good food out there and if you have to read lables, you are eating the wrong food.

[lblackw105]

10:38 AM on 09/12/2011

Ten years ago,I wasn't reading labels, and I thought I was not eating wrong foods. I was obese, had severe hardening of the arteries, and was told I was on the road to diabetes. Scared me into overcoming my arrogant laziness. I have losr 35 pounds since then , I feel and look much better, and my bloodwork numbers are in good shape., The labels aren't perfect, but they are a real help in developing and polishing our "com put my mon sense" Get over your laziness and educate yourself, you'll be healthierr and happier!

[marymeade2]

12:17 PM on 09/12/2011

I'm sorry I irked you in some way. I just happen to not need to be continually instructed, educated, told what to do by our federal government agencies. I can tell the difference from a packaged food and fresh. I prefer fresh, raw, unprocessed food. When I don't have a choice, I eat what is available in the healthiest way possible. Good luck to you.

[french queen13]

03:18 AM on 09/18/2011

Telling people what's in a food, and telling them what labels mean, isn't telling them what or how to eat. It's helping them make an informed decision, which, judging by the state of health in the US (and my country, Australia) would be no bad thing.