Label Me Confused

Most people pay attention to the information presented on the front of the label on a food product without flipping it over and checking out the nutrition facts panel or the ingredient list. Food companies know this and use it to their advantage by putting labels like the American Heart Association's Heart-Check mark on the front to create what’s called a “health halo effect”. Similar to greenwashing—a public relations strategy to make a product or company appear to be more environmentally friendly than it actually is—a health halo effect creates the impression of a food product’s overall healthfulness, usually based on the presence or absence of single nutrients that people consider either good or bad for them. Labels can mislead customers by emphasizing the content of a single nutrient, i.e. “high in fiber”, without mentioning the content of another, like added sugar. This creates an overall healthy perception of the product which can lead people to consume more.

Unregulated Buzzwords

Some terms and phrases found on food labels have no official definition according to one, or both, of the agencies charged with regulating the nation’s food supply, the FDA and the USDA.

• Superfood

• Clean

• Natural / All-natural

• Sustainably-sourced / produced

• Wholesome

• Made with real ______

  
  

Food labels are required to have certain minimum information but beyond that, much of what food companies put on their labels can be construed as pure marketing designed to create health halos, and encourage brand recognition and loyalty. Food companies also spend significant sums of money to have their products placed in prominent places on grocery store shelves, especially the shelf space next to check out counters, with the result being ultra-processed food products getting pride of place.

To learn more about how to navigate and interpret food labels, sign up for a grocery store tour.