Are Food Labels and Marketing of Products Confusing You?

Are Food Labels, Packaging and Marketing of Products Confusing You?

As society becomes more and more savvy when making food choices, the marketers and large corporate companies become more and more crafty when creating food labels and packaging. Efforts to deceive the consumer, and new ways consistently created to do so, are not rare. It’s important you take control and be led by your own knowledge and the facts, not just what marketers and companies are trying to get you to believe. There are a number of important considerations to avoid being ‘taken for a ride’ and influenced by incorrect wording, labelling and marketing tactics. You owe it to yourself and your family:

• Does the ingredient list match the nutrition panel?
  If, for example, the very first ingredient in the ingredient list is sugar but the nutrition panel has little to no sugar then you can bet you are being deceived. Remember the word sugar has many substitute names. These labels are common place particularly in the supplement industry. Another good example of this is when WPC (Whey Protein Concentrate) is placed as the first or second ingredient however the nutrition panel states ultra- low levels of sugar and ultra-high levels of protein. The sheer nature of WPC as a raw ingredient contains sugar and less that 75% protein at maximum. Be very careful when labels state differently.

• Is the product called something that it is not?
  Just because a product has the word ‘slim’, ‘trim’ or ‘lean’ in it does not necessarily mean that the product will assist with these goals. I can name over a dozen products that are on the market today that have words just like these or similar but have high calorie content with significant amounts of sugars and carbohydrates.

• Is the product being marketed in a specific way?
  There are many products on the market that claim to assist with energy, weight loss and vitality or claim to be natural and much more. Don’t be fooled by the pretty colours, packaging, and on many occasions, false advertising claims. Take a very close look at the label, the ingredients list and the servings. Many times products of greater value, quality and performance are not in the places that you are looking. On many occasions the companies with the deepest pockets that spend the most on marketing are usually (not always) the companies that need to cut corners to remain viable. Their advertising spends are so grand that they can no longer afford to put quality ingredients into their products, however they do make it a priority to make their products sound superior.

Overall confusion about labels and products is common. When in doubt ask someone that you can trust. Don’t just be fooled by the marketing, labelling and look of the product. If the product does not provide you with the results you are looking for it causes you side effects it is not the correct product for you, regardless of how well it is marketed. Ask as many questions as your require of the store manager. If something doesn’t seem correct then listen to your head and your gut feeling and take action, investigate further or simply delay the purchase of that product until you have done your due diligence and are 100% satisfied that the product you are purchasing suits your exact requirements.