Your Green Review

So you’ve seen Food, Inc., King Corn, The Future of Food and all the other documentaries shedding light on the food industry’s dirty little secrets. You’re committed to making more informed decisions about the food you eat and you’re spreading the word to friends and family in hopes that they too will join you in the journey towards conscience consumption. However, you find that despite your best efforts to purchase healthy food products, you’re lost in the increasingly complex world of front-of-package food labeling. You are not alone. It’s an issue that’s been raging years and has recently lead the FDA to seek public input on ways to “enhance the usefulness to consumers of point-of-purchase nutrition information.”

Believe it or not, at one point food manufacturers were prohibited from displaying any health claims under the Pure Food and Drug Act. Marion Nestle, a nutritionist at New York University, told LiveScience in a recent article, “Until then, the FDA said that health claims were drug claims and food companies had to do what drug companies have to: prove safety and effectiveness,”. That was way back in 1906. In the years since we’ve witnessed a rapid evolution towards ambiguous and misleading food labeling practices.

A recent JAMA article states, “Research suggests that consumers believe front-of-package claims, perceive them to be government-endorsed, and use them to ignore the Nutrition Facts Panel” The article goes on to say, “Claims that sugar-sweetened products make children smarter or boost their immunity are reason enough for the FDA to take this issue back to court and for Congress to consider legislative remedies.” With 30% of American adults now obese, empowering people with accurate and relevant information about the food they purchase is not just an issue of proper food labeling protocol-it’s a major health issue as well. But how do we as consumers make informed decisions about our food without having to become chemists or food label specialists?  Alas, food label claims are difficult to verify and are produced by the very companies selling the product to you, the consumer.  Not exactly an unbiased source.

The Misleading Nature of Food Labels:

(paraphrased from JAMA article)

1.) It is difficult to verify claims. Unlike drugs, whose claims must be verified through rigorous clinical trials, food products may tout the health benefits linked to specific ingredients yet this may not reflect the overall nutritional benefit of the product.

2.) Disguising unhealthy ingredients by singling out nutrition factors. Touting those nutritional factors which sell products without revealing the unhealthy attributes of a product can lead customers to believe they don’t exist. Again, drug companies must disclose potential side effects of their products, yet front-of-package food labels are not required to mention sugar content, preservatives, etc.

3.) Nutrition out of context. Claiming that an unhealthy product contains less calories or fat than a healthy alternative (ie, sugary energy bars v.s. a handful of peanuts) can take nutritional content out of context by comparing apples to bananas (so to speak).

4.) Making processed foods look ‘healthy’ is also misleading. Pushing processed foods as ‘healthy’ by substituting unhealthy ingredients with less-unhealthy ones can encourage greater consumption of junk food without significantly improving a product’s overall nutritional value. Healthy, sugar-free double-chocolate fudge bars anyone?

5.) Making claims is a conflict of interest. As long as front-of-package labeling drives sales, the bias claims causing supermarket confusion will continue undermining educational value of food labeling.

In the quest to make the food industry more transparent, consumers and the FDA alike are asking: Where do we go from here? Do we implement stringent guidelines and protocols that require manufacturers disclose all information-good and bad? Develop a universal rating system? Do nothing at all? While government bodies debate, however, we can all start making smarter choices today…and maybe those choices are as simple and straight forward as they were 50 years ago: Eat less, eat local and eat smart.

Some Helpful Tips to help you Eat Smarter:

* Eat more plants! That means consuming less junk food, less meat and more (raw) veggies and fruit. Feeling adventurous? Try planting some fruits and veggies of your own; Victory Gardens are making a comeback across the U.S.

* Check out your local farmer’s market. Where else can you have your most pressing concerns about the food you’re about to buy addressed by the very person who grew it? Not to mention buying locally supports the local economy and can help reduce the environmental impacts associated with transportation. Check here for the 4 Best Web Tools to Help You Eat Local.

* Remember, you are your own best health advocate. Do a little research on product claims, become familiar with common labels to look out for and always read the fine print. See the FDA’s Understanding Front-of-Package Violations here to find out what your favorite foods aren’t telling you

* Don’t forget to exercise. A healthy menu plus healthy activity = a healthy you!

* And lastly, take your voice heard. Let the FDA know what you think July 28, 2010