Labeling Lies

By Susan Burke MS, RD, LD/N, CDE
eDiets Contributor

When I go shopping, I purposely stride the grocery store aisles, determined not to be scammed. I long-ago learned that food labels lie. I used to choose based on the pretty pictures on the label, but it's all too easy to wind up with food better destined for the garbage bin than your pantry. Does that sound harsh? Perhaps, but many of the worst offenders are targeted at those least able to defend themselves -- children! Adults who don't know any better buy the stuff, and serve it to their families. It's no wonder childhood obesity has tripled in only the past 10 years.

Parents -- don't trust the labels! Read the ingredient label first, to discover the truth.

1. The Label: Fruit in Fruit Flavored Cereals, Snacks, Soda:
   The Lie: Most Contain Not Fruit: There is no real fruit in most fruit flavored cereals, for example Froot Loops, Fruity Pebbles cereal, or Trix. Most juice “drinks" contain less than 10 percent fruit juice—the rest is water with sugar and flavorings. When parents have to choose between a fruit-flavored cereal and a chocolate-flavored cereal, they may sigh and think, “It has fruit, so it's better than chocolate, right?" Wrong. It is not better. For example, Fruity Pebbles cereal contains (in this order) rice, sugar, 'polydextrose' (anything that ends in 'ose' means sugar) and the fourth ingredient is hydrogenated oil (saturated fat). Breakfast cereals contain no fresh fruit but some do contain dried or dehydrated fruit. Most have only fruit flavoring. Although some kids' cereals have labels touting “fortified with 10 essential vitamins and minerals", there are much better breakfast cereals, including Total, Wheaties, and mini whole wheat shredded wheats.

   Betty Crocker fruit-flavored snacks, including Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit Gushers, Fruit by the Foot and Fruit Shapesare advertised as “a favorite among moms and kids". Well, excuse me, what kid isn't gonna love candy? They are merely sugar, flavorings and colors—just candy. Watch kids in the shopping aisle with Mom, nagging, "ook, Mom—the package says “A good source of vitamin C!" "ook Mom, it's got pictures of Shrek on it…gimme!" “Mom! There are pictures of berries and says "ow fat"'. Few Moms can compete with “Shrek". General Mills was contacted three times to get the scoop on the ingredients “pears from concentrate" or “grapes from concentrate", as well as “dried corn syrup". We're still waiting to hear. Perhaps the fruit is resurrected fruit from processed fruit juice. “Fruit juice concentrate" is commonly used as a sweetener (juice is processed to remove the fiber and produce fructose).

2. The Label: Calorie-burning drinks
   The Lie: Caffeine and green tea (more caffeine). Enviga, an artificially sweetened carbonated soft drink spiked with green tea extract and caffeine is touted by Coca-Cola and Nestle as a “calorie burner" and weight loss aid. According the the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, the claims listed by Coke are fraudulent, and soon after the product's release CSPI filed suit. They claim Enviga is “just a highly caffeinated and over-priced diet soda, and is exactly the kind of faddy, phony diet aid it claims not to be." At the same time, the Connecticut attorney general is investigating the drink, saying the marketing might amount to "voodoo nutrition." You would have to drink three 12-ounce drinks daily for the 106-calorie burn, and at $1.50 per can, you'd pay $350 to lose one pound. Guess what? Take one 20-minute walk daily and eliminate just one 12-ounce can of sweetened soda or fruit juice daily, and lose 26 pounds per year.

3. The Label: Whole Grain Goodness
   The Lie: The cereal has too much sugar. Yes, whole grain is better for you than enriched, that's for sure. But, when cereal manufacturers slap a “whole grain" label on chocolate-flavored cereals or candy-coated cereal bars they imply that the product is somehow good for you. General Mills says all their cereals are “whole grain". What they don't tell you is that many of the same cereals have more sugar per serving by weight than grain. For instance, take a look at the ingredient label for Cocoa Puffs. Corn (whole grain corn meal) is the first ingredient, but the second is sugar, the third corn syrup, and the fourth corn starch. The truth is, a really “good for you" cereal has whole grain cereal without all the added sugar. Since when is breakfast supposed to look like dessert?

4. The Label: Natural Food
   The Lie: Natural may not always be 'healthy' or work for your diet. OK, you want to eat healthier, so when you shop for yogurt, you look for “natural". Flip that container over and read the ingredients, because “natural" doesn't necessarily mean good for you. The FDA requires foods carrying the “healthy" label to fit specific criteria, namely low in fat and saturated fat and contain limited amounts of cholesterol and sodium. But the FDA doesn't regulate sugar. In the case of yogurt, you need to be especially vigilant. For instance, the front label on Dannon's new 'All Natural Yogurt' says, “No Artificial Anything". The first ingredient is—low fat milk. Good deal—yogurt should be made from milk, and low fat, well—that's great, we buy only low fat or nonfat yogurt. But, the second ingredient is sugar; and the third ingredient is strawberry puree. That means there's more sugar by weight than strawberries. Potato chips labeled “natural" have just as many calories and grams of fat per serving as conventional; “natural" granola is just as high in sugar, fat and calories as your usual brand. Buy plain nonfat yogurt and stir in some fresh blueberries and, if you like, a teaspoon of honey. That's 'natural' and nutritious, too.

5. The Label: Energy (as in 'energy-boosting; energy drink)
   The Lie: 'Energy' means either calories, caffeine, or both. In “power bars"; snack bars; or meal replacement bars—'energy' means calories. Bars are calorie-dense, and pack a lot of calories into a small package, exactly what you don't want if you're trying to lose weight. A better strategy is more food for fewer calories, not a lot of calories for a smaller portion of food. There are hundreds of bars in the market, and most contain a lot of sugar, even chocolate candy. The ones coated with chocolate are especially egregious, and generally contain hydrogenated fat. If you want 'power' try my favorite portable snack. It's got no preservatives, additives or flavorings and it has lots of protein, fiber, and energy too (that's calories, remember?). It's an ounce of almonds, an ounce of raisins and an ounce of Whole Wheat Mini Wheats.

   The makers of "Red Bull Energy Drink" tell consumers that this concoction is NOT a fluid-replacer. Each slim 8-ounce can has as much caffeine as in a cup of strong brewed coffee (about 80 milligrams) and about 110 calories. Besides caffeine, the “energy" in Red Bull comes from glucuronolactone, a carbohydrate found in plant gums and red wine, plus about two teaspoons of sugar. Red Bull also contains taurine (an amino acid) and B-vitamins, but the manufacturers don't have any clinical studies that support claims for energy. Energy bars and drinks will give your wallet a workout, but for sustained energy without added sugar stay hydrated with water, and eat an orange for fructose, potassium and fiber.