Image by: Global Good Group
Have you ever found yourself walking through the aisles of your local supermarket, and being drawn to labels that convince you that you’re making healthy food choices? You reach for the “low fat” and the “rich in omega-3s”, but do these claims actually relate the truth? Food companies splash terms like low sodium, reduced fat, organic, and natural across food labels in attempt to lure health junkies into buying their products. Sure, these descriptions may be legally allowed, but are consumers getting the full story?
Image by: Healthy Life Care News
Companies advertise food products in two ways: by claiming the presence of valuable nutrients and minerals, or the absence of preservatives and proclaimed disease-causing substances. However, recent investigations have shown discrepancies between what foods actually contain and the promotions on their labels. A CBC Marketplace study showed that health benefit claims on food labels aren’t resonating with nutrition and medical experts. The most recent culprit to fall under the false advertising spotlight: Maple Leaf Foods.
Image by: CBC News
Their Natural Selections line of deli meat declares “no added preservatives”. So what should this mean? A “natural” product is one that contains no artificial ingredients, ie additives or preservatives. But when Marketplace sent Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, a specialist in healthy eating, to investigate, it was found not to be the case. Nitrile – a preservative that the Canadian Cancer Society links to causing cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes – was found in the form of cultured celery extract.
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/ID=2192549323
Not only is this misleading to the Canadian consumer, but disingenuous to claim that cured meats are free of these unwanted preservatives when in fact, they are just being masked under a different title. How are consumers expected to make healthier and more education decisions? All food companies should be forced by the federal government to label celery extract as a natural nitrite. People have a right to know exactly what is in their food products, and should not be cheated into thinking otherwise. Always read between the lines: just because a food is natural, doesn’t mean it is healthy!
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