How to Be a Conscious Eater

IF YOU LOOK AT THE FACE OF A FOOD PACKAGE,

YOU’LL MOST LIKELY FIND THE FOLLOWING:

The product’s brand.

The product’s name—e.g., juice, jam, or jelly; chips, crisps,

or crackers. Or maybe that new catchall, “clusters.”

Descriptions of ingredients, flavors, or other attributes the

manufacturer has chosen to emphasize.

Images that help reinforce the description. You might see

a glam shot of plump red strawberries for strawberry-

flavored yogurt, or a vibrant fresh onion beside a heaping

bowl of white fluff for sour-cream-and-onion-flavored chips.

How much food the product contains, in weight—ounces

and grams, typically.

Occasionally this is also where you’ll find food date labels—

“sell by,” “use by,” “best if used by”—though they can be

tricky to spot, because the location varies. By and large,

these labels indicate quality—optimal freshness and taste,

according to the manufacturer—as opposed to food safety.

(See “Sell By: The Truth Behind the Date,” on page 206.)

YOU MIGHT ALSO SEE

health claims of various stripes;

third-party certification labels; and

some nutrition information that’s similar, though not iden-

tical, to what’s on the Nutrition Facts panel. That is by

design.

DISTRACTION TACTICS

Food labeling is an art of sleight of hand and misdirection.

Don’t get taken by misleading claims. The following are the

most common tactics.

Stuff that Comes from Factories 183

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