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6 Nutrition Claims That Need a Second Look

by Janet on November 2, 2011

5782038776_fc5faae3c4_bAll eyes have been on front-of-package nutrition labeling recently, with the release of the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations to help bring some consistency to front-of-pack systems. That’s great if we can unify the various efforts that call out nutritional attributes on packaged foods. Not sure if these new recommendations totally nailed it, but this is certainly an issue worth tackling.

What you see on the front of the label, however, is never going to be the full story. It’s still important to turn the package around and look at the Nutrition Facts panel that provides more detailed data on what’s inside. Consumers say they’re reading these labels, but an interesting study published in the November issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association begs to differ. Researchers at the University of Minnesota used an eye-tracking device to see if shoppers were truly scouring those nutrition labels like they said they were.

The shoppers said one thing, but their eyes said another. Among the 203 study participants, 33% said they always look at the calories on the nutrition label, yet the eye-tracking tracking device found that only 9% actually checked the calories. Only 1% looked at other components on the label, even though they said they almost always look at total fat (31%), trans fat (20%), sugar (24%) and serving size (26%).

What shoppers do tend to look at are the nutrition claims on the front of a package. And that’s the topic of my latest post on the WebMD’s blog Real Life Nutrition.  I wrote about the 6 claims that need a second look before you toss the products into your shopping cart.

  • Trans fat free. Just because you see the words “trans fat free’ on the label is doesn’t mean the food is healthy. It could still be high in saturated fat or have lots of empty calories. Turn the package around to see what you’re really buying. If you see the word “hydrogenated” in the ingredient list, there could be some trans fats. A label can declare “zero grams” if there’s less than ½ gram per serving. So consider how many servings you might be eating. The trans fats can add up quickly.
  • Made with whole grains. Look for the words “100% whole grain” or check the ingredient list for the words “whole” in front of wheat or other grains. Made with whole grains could mean made with very little. Some of the grains inside may be whole, but it could be as little as 5 percent.
  • No high fructose corn syrup. This is no indication of the amount of sugar that’s in the food or beverage you’re about to buy. And just because you see a so-called “natural” sugar like agave nectar, there’s no real nutritional advantage unless the overall sugar content is reduced.
  • Omega 3. When you see omega-3 touted on a food label (and it’s not fish) it’s likely ALA omega 3. Unless you see the words EPA or DHA, or you spot fish oil or algal oil in the ingredient list, it’s safe to assume that you’re only getting ALA – especially when the product contains flax, soybean oil or canola oil. That’s fine, but you should know that not all omega-3s are created equal. Our bodies need to convert ALA to the more potent DHA or EPA omega 3 that’s found in fish (and less than 10% is typically converted). You might be getting less of these beneficial fatty acids than you think.
  • Detox. This has become an uber trendy term, but it’s basically meaningless. However, you’ll find it featured on the front of the label of protein bars, juices, teas and other beverages.
  • Natural. It’s the big buzz word on package labels and there was even a recent food fight with the FDA to determine if high fructose corn syrup really qualifies as natural. Other companies have gotten their hands slapped for playing the natural card. We’re arguing over technicalities and the word has lost all meaning. I think if a food wasn’t actually plucked from a tree or grown from the ground, then it shouldn’t claim to be natural.

So what does this all mean? Go beyond the trendy words on the front of the package and check the nutrition facts and ingredients on the back to know what you’re really buying. Keep your eyes wide open when evaluating claims.

Image via libertygraceO on flickr

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5 Food & Nutrition Words I Want to See Less

by Janet on June 22, 2011

Guilt-free - Joewhk

Guilt-Free: I know it’s probably well-meaning, but I cringe each time I see “guilt-free” on a food label, in the title of a recipe or on a restaurant menu.  Sure it may be reduced fat, sugar-free or whatever, and that’s fine. But no food should evoke guilt.  The same product with a little more fat or sugar shouldn’t make you feel guilty for eating it.  All foods should be guilt-free.  So let’s stop using this adjective, thank you very much.

skinnygirl margarita

Skinny:  Why is skinny the new ideal?  I know the term is in the title of many popular diet books (I wrote about that recently), and Skinnygirl is Bethenny Frankel’s entire platform — which scored her an amazing deal with Skinnygirl Margaritas.  But I think it sends the wrong message.  Maybe skinny helps sell a lot of books, and a lot of booze, but I still don’t like it.

Natural: It’s the big buzz word on package labels, and there was even a recent food fight with the FDA to determine if high fructose corn syrup really qualifies as natural.  We’re arguing over technicalities and the word has lost all meaning. I  think if a food wasn’t actually plucked from a tree or grown from the ground, then it shouldn’t claim to be natural. A vegetable is natural, an extruded veggie straw made from dehydrated vegetable powder isn’t — no matter what the label says.

veggie straws

Detox: I’m so tired of this word. Enough said.

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Cleanse: It seems as though cleanse is the cousin of detox.  Why has this word captured the public’s imagination?  It rose to mainstream status with the Master Cleanse and became big in the world of dietary supplements, such as Jillian Michaels’ detox and cleanse diet pills (that I wrote about not so long ago).  But why has a respected culinary magazine like Bon Appetit jumped on the cleanse bandwagon?  I hated to see the magazine create The Food Lover’s Cleanse.  Sure, they tried to put the focus on real foods and justified going down this path with the message “forget juice fasts and calorie counting…”  I liked that, but why embrace the mythology of cleansing?  Why elevate the terminology?  Why legitimize the concept?  Just don’t think we need to jump on the bandwagon to grab attention.

Jillian-Michaels---Triple-Process-Total-Body-Detox--Cleanse--Probiotic-Replenishment-35-Capsules



Any way, those are the five food/nutrition-related words I hope to see less often.  What about you?

Photo credits:  Flickr users joewhk, chipdwood, geann candare, cheeryobs.

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A Global View of Innovative, Tasty New Food Products

by Janet on August 12, 2010

At the recent Institute of Food Technologists meeting in Chicago, Mintel hosted the Global New Products Pavilion and showcased the latest food and beverage trends from around the world.  Mintel’s new product experts, Lynn Dornblaser and David Jago, identified three macro trends and asked attendees to taste and vote on their favorite products in each category.

Here’s a look at the outcome:

1.  Baby Boomers: a generation in search of new productsdf-smartfood-honey_300

“With baby boomers comprising 26% of the population, it only makes sense that manufacturers are positioning products just for them,” Dornblaser said. “The trick is to position these products with the needs of baby boomers in mind, without making the consumer feel like they have ailments or are aging.”

Smartfood Popcorn Clusters from the U.S. took first place in the boomer category. While being an indulgent snack, it also touts calcium and fiber.

Tripl3 O Antiox Green Tea with Honey from Colombia came in second.

Kellogg’s All-Bran Buds Singles from Canada took third place.

2.   Satiety: the next big thing in weight management

With rising obesity rates and an increase in chronic ailments, wellness is a trend we’ll be seeing a lot of in the next few years and satiety fits right in.

IFT attendees chose the EcoSlim Dark Chocolate Bars from Portugal as their favorite product for staying fuller longer.077976

Kellogg’s Special K Sustain Breakfast Cereal from the U.K. came in second.

Barilla Mulino Bianco Grancereale Fiber Biscuits from Italy took third place.

3.  Simple ingredient statements:  clear language for confused consumers

“Natural” and “additive-free” have become part of the consumer’s health and wellness vocabulary, according to Dornblasher.

People are attracted to clean labels and are taking great measures to avoid over-processed foods.

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It was a tight race in the simple category. Pepsi Raw Natural Born Cola (U.K.) came in first place with its natural plant extracts and new pack design.

131481Yoplait Simply Gogurt Portable Lowfat Yogurt from the U.S. came in second place.

Planet Lunch Squeezable Fruit from the U.K. was the third place winner.  The portable fruit in a bag touts 100% natural ingredients.

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Another Look at the Simplicity Trend

by Janet on November 2, 2009

Simplicity sells.

In fact, simple may be the most powerful marketing claim in 2010, according to an article last week (Oct. 27) by Bruce Horovitz in USA Today.

“If 2009′s hottest sales pitch was all about buying stuff on the cheap, 2010 marketing will increasingly stress less as more, as in fewer parts, additives or ingredients. While the trend is taking hold in many product categories, including health and beauty items, nowhere is it more apparent than with things we eat and drink.”

simply-pb-packageGlad to see that I was a jump ahead of USA Today.  I’ve been writing about the simplicity trend for months, and was even interviewed by ABC News on the topic in June.

Here’s a look back:

Simplicity is the New Sophistication, April 23
Putting the “No” in Innovation, May 11
Update on Global Consumer Trends in 2009, Sept. 2
Short Ingredient List Has Become Something to Brag About, Oct. 25

As Bruce writes in USA Today:

“Consumers these days not only want to know what’s in the stuff they eat and drink — they want to know what’s not….Folks are increasingly demanding cleaner food labels:  no artificial food colorings (some of which have been linked to hyperactivity in children), no chemical additives (such as MSG) and no chemical preservatives (such as BHA).  If they can’t pronounce it, consumers don’t want it.”

Perhaps it was Michael Pollan who popularized the concept of few ingredients.  In his best-selling book In Defense of Food, he recommends buying only foods with five or fewer ingredients.

In last week’s USA Today:

Few are talking louder about simplifying ingredients than Haagen-Dazs. But its red-hot Five ice cream line did not come from a breakthrough in its new product lab.  Five was born in the marketing department of parent company Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream.

Early in 2008, Ching-Yee Hu, a self-proclaimed foodie and brand manager at the company, observed a consumer focus group meeting that convinced her it was time for Haagen-Dazs to create a line with an absolute minimum of ingredients.five

At the gathering in San Francisco, a panelist mentioned that when he shopped recently, he found himself comparing a bag of potato chips that had 20 ingredients with a bag that had three.  He said the bag with the short list was the obvious choice.

“As he told this story, I could see all the other consumers in the room nodding their heads in agreement.  And I wondered:  Why can’t we bring ice cream down to the bare minimum,” Hu recalls.

Now a lot of other companies are jumping on the simple bandwagon, including Pillsbury, Starbucks and even pet food manufacturers.   Natura Pet Products makes California Natural dog and cat foods with a tagline of “pure and simple.”  The company said since simplifying the packaging last year — and stressing the short ingredient list — Calornia Natural has become its fastest-growing line.

So what’s the bottom line?  It’s great that companies are taking a harder look at their ingredients — and getting out what they don’t absolutely need.  Shoppers are scrutinizing ingredients today like never before.  It’s the fresh, real and less processed trifecta, which has become the new definition of quality.

Increasingly a short ingredient list is becoming a less processed cue (at a time when “minimally processed” and “closer to nature” have become major rallying cries).  A trend toward less processing is good.  But remember, fewer ingredients doesn’t necessarily mean healthier.  A five-ingredient ice cream or cookie is still ice cream and cookies.   Potato chips with a short ingredient list are still potato chips.

Be sure you’re spending as much time filling your cart with foods that don’t have an ingredient list.

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‘Natural’ Viewed as Greener Than ‘Organic’

by Janet on July 7, 2009

vector eco shopping bag“Natural” keeps gaining steam, even if people aren’t quite sure what it means.

A new survey found Amercian shoppers believe a “natural” label claim is a better indicator of an eco-friendly product than “organic.”    The Shelton Group conducted a survey of 1,006 U.S. consumers and found that nearly two-thirds were looking for greener products.  Yet many consumers have become more skeptical of companies’ green credentials, accusing them of “greenwashing.”  They also don’t seem to understand green terminology.

When asked “How do you know a product is green?” the top response was “don’t know/not sure,” at 22%.  The second most popular response, at 20%, was “says so on the package/label.”   And what influenced them the most on the label?  The most persuasive was ”100% natural,” at 31%.  The term “organic” was less trusted, at 14%.

Despite federal certification standards, consumers thought ”organic” was an unregulated marketing buzzword that means the product is more expensive.  “Natural” carried more weight.

organic-food-usda-94513This comes at time when the purity of the “organic” label is being questioned.  This Washington Post article reviews the issue and the growing concern that trust in the USDA Organic label is eroding. 

“Relaxation of the federal standards, and an explosion of consumer demand, have helped push the organics market into a $23 billion-a-year business, the fastest growing segment of the food industry….But the USDA program’s shortcomings mean that consumers, who at times must pay twice as much for organic products, are not always getting what they expect:  foods without pesticides and other chemicals, produced in a way that is gentle to the environment.

The market’s expansion is fueling tension over whether the federal program should be governed by a strict interpretation of “organic” or broadened to include more products by allowing trace elements of non-organic substances.  The argument is not over whether the non-organics pose a health threat, but whether they weaken the integrity of the federal organic label.  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has pledged to protect the label, even as he acknowledged the pressure to lower standards to let more products in.”

Is organic food worth the extra cost?  That’s the question recently posed by WebMD is this slide show.

Update:  Since my original post on the subject of “natural” vs. “organic,” the topic was featured in a front-page article  in the Chicago Tribune by Monica Eng.  It really hits home the current state of consumer confusion and how the lines between natural and organic are being blurred.

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The ‘Naturally Sourced’ Food Trend

by Janet on June 22, 2009

label-100-natural_3002“Naturally sourced” is a hot trend and companies are quick to tout this attribute on product labels.  “Natural” is now the leading claim on new products, according to the Mintel Global New Products Database, which indicates that the claim was included on 23 percent of foods and beverages launched last year.

The recent Institute of Food Technologists meeting in Anaheim, California, featured a ton of  examples.  Take a look at this IFT trend tour that showcases the array of  naturally sourced products on display.

Included in this video is black garlic, which is one of the emerging flavors and foods that Dana McCauley writes about in the Topline Trends section of her food blog.  Dana is a wonderful food trend tracker and I encourage you to check out her site (“a recipe writer’s diary”).  Black garlic was also hailed as an “it” ingredient by The Washington Post:   “In relatively short order, black garlic has morphed from obscure dietary supplement to trendy top-chef ingredient.”

black-garlic1

Black garlic even has its own web site Black garlic, where you can learn more about this product, find recipes and order it online.

It does appear that black garlic is poised to be the next naturally sourced super food.  So what is it?  Black garlic is made by using a patented, month-long heat-curing process that boosts the antioxidants and natural compounds in raw garlic that have been linked to a reduced risk of cancer.   The fermentation also creates a softer, chewy texture and a slightly sweet, licorice taste. Forms of fermented garlic have long been eaten for health reasons in Korea and Japan.  In fact, black foods overall are a hot trend in Asia  – a topic I wrote about previously for the Chicago Tribune.

So it seems…natural is the big buzzword and black is the new black.

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Putting the “No” in Innovation

by Janet on May 11, 2009

shreddedwheat-c2

I wrote earlier about the trend of simplicity and the campaign that Shredded Wheat had in the works.  Now the new anti-innovation ads have been launched, which play into today’s increased  desire for authenticity and simple, honest nourishment.  The campaign features a rather (pardon the term) innovative web site called the Palace of Light  that makes a whimsical case against progress. 

 “The world has progressed at lightening speed over the past 100 years.  To a fault, one could argue in light of the times.  So it’s both oddly funny and fascinating to consider that Post Original Shredded Wheat, which has used the same single ingredient for over 100 years, ends up being one of the healthiest foods on your grocery shelf.”

In a playful way, the campaign pokes fun at innovation and elevates the current backlash against heavily processed or engineered foods…

“Today we see all sorts of chemically enhanced, artificial fiber-infused, carb-refused cereals — a far stretch from simple, honest nourishment.  Post Original Shredded Wheat, on the other hand, hasn’t changed.  It is still just one simple, honest ingredient, which naturally comes with fiber, vitamins and minerals.  Why would we mess with that?”

That’s become the collective consumer sentiment, don’t mess with my food!  During these tough economic times, this humble breakfast food has hit on a perfect storm — familiar childhood favorite, back to basics, value, simple and naturally nutrient rich.  How can you beat that?

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Kosher is the New “Natural”

by Janet on February 9, 2009

Kosher has hit it big.  No other claim was used more frequently last year on new foods and beverages, according to Mintel’s Global New Products Database.

“Kosher” was at the top of the list of all new product launches — beating out  “all natural” and “no additives or preservatives.”   is-it-kosher-1583306161-l1

Yet  food safety was the primary driver,  not religion. Research conducted by Mintel indicates that people who purchased kosher products thought they were produced under stricter supervision than what is provided by government inspection.  Many thought the kosher symbol guarantees that the food is free of contaminants or disease. (particularly meats). 

More than half of the consumers who purchased kosher foods did so because they considered them to be safer than products not certified as kosher.

With foodborne illness outbreaks constantly in the news, it’s no surprise that people are nervous about the safety of the food supply.  Yet, this food safety halo over kosher foods may be more perception vs. reality.

Mintel valued the market for kosher-certified foods at $12.5 billion.  According to the firm’s database, 4,477 new kosher-certified processed products were launched in the U.S. in 2007, compared to 1,491 in 2205 and 399 in 2003.

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