8 Unexpected Consequences
additives. So when Cargill used the word natural to describe Stevia, an
artificially manufactured sweetener from the stevia plant, it wasn’t FDA
but private parties that filed lawsuits. Though a settlement was reached,
the company admitted no wrongdoing and retained all rights to using
the word in the future.
Real, as in “real fruit juice,” makes busy shoppers think they’re buying
actual fruit, just in more convenient liquid form. What the label does
not reveal, is how much actual fruit has been added, whether its fiber
content has been stripped and replaced with artificial fiber, or what
percentage of the fruit’s juice has been substituted in favor of cheaper
sugary alternatives.
When food labels describe nutrient contents, more-specific rules
apply; for example, only approved, recognizable nutrients like vitamin
B or selenium are permitted. Creative labels sprinkled with a dash of
truth like “super-mega vitamin C complex” are out of bounds. Qualifier
terms like free, low, high, good source, etc. must follow prescribed usages.
Free is another opaque word. “Calorie-free” means less than five
calories per serving, not zero calories. “Sodium-free” stands for less than
five milligrams per serving. Similarly, no does not equal zero. “No trans
fat” is no more than 0.5 grams per serving. Though partially hydroge-
nated vegetable oil is being phased out, check to see if it appears on the
ingredient list just to make sure.
Passive consumers create opportunity for producers. Plastering a
“no cholesterol” label on vegetable oil is factually true—all vegetable
oil is cholesterol free. Manufacturers are constantly jiggering package
sizes and quantity, or offering lower prices on higher quantities, on the
safe bet that people will buy more. Labels on soups, chips, and cookies
show nutrition information for one serving when the package actually
contains more. Manufacturers know that people will read the label but
still eat the entire contents of the package (a practice the newest labeling
requirements try to address).
When processed food is dressed up to appear nutritious, labeling gets
even more nuanced. For manufacturers, attaching any sort of health
claims sells more products. But for consumers, parsing through such
claims is not easy. In descending order of scientific rigor and evidence,
there are health claims, qualified health claims, and structure/function
claims.