Walk into any store, turn on the TV, and you’ll be bombarded with products that promise or imply any type of health benefit. Or the ones that are labelled in a way to make the product look better. A study done in 2014 found that certain “buzzwords” actually stimulate a purchase, making them more a marketing tool rather than helping consumers making better & healthier choices. Let’s have a closer look at some of these terms and what they really mean.
1. Natural
Ah, the king of buzzwords! This term pops up on basically any product these days, and with a reason, since it’s not a legally defined term. This means that it can be used very liberally and creatively. As long as a product doesn’t contain any synthetic or artificial substances, a product can be labelled as “natural”. So technically, sugar, cookies & candies can all have the term “natural” on the package.
2. Raw
When something is raw, this usually means that it’s unprepared, for example uncooked. But in my humble opinion the term can be stretched out too much. Recently, I visited a health store in my hometown, and literally almost every single product was labelled as “raw”. The raw-legal limit is that a food has not been heated over 115F (46C) during processing, but it can also be slapped onto products that never get processed in such a way. Just be aware that as soon as a product is called “raw” it’s often also an excuse to mark the price up.
3. Gluten-free
Gluten-free products have been making a big entry into supermarkets in the last 2 years or so, even though only about 1% of the European population actually has Celiac disease. But the numbers are rising. This autoimmune disease causes damage to the small intestine, and can be very dangerous. Studies are also being done on the so-called non-celiac gluten sensitivity, which actually affects a larger number of people, although scientists aren’t quite agreeing yet on the actual attribution of gluten to certain symptoms.
For a product to be labelled gluten-free, the amount of gluten needs to be lower than 20 mg per kg of product. More and more these days, you see products being presented as gluten-free that normally wouldn’t even contain gluten. On a recent trip to Italy I saw this first hand, when a tub of plain yoghurt was marked “gluten-free”.
At the same time, like any product that’s “free” of something, it gives the impression that it’s better for you. Gluten-free products may be free of gluten, but can still be loaded with additives, sugars and artificial ingredients, so make sure you always read the ingredients list.
4. Sugar-free
Sugar is supposed to be the devil these days. In most cases with a reason, since a lot of processed foods contain it. That has caused our sugar consumption to sky-rocket in the last 50 years. So marketeers have found ways to make foods sound more appealing, and the term sugar-free is one of those ways. This is where things get tricky. If a product is labelled “sugar-free” it often gives the impression that it’s also lower in calories or perhaps even healthier. This is not always the case.
Products that are sugar-free, are often sweetened with a sugar alcohol, which technically is not a s sugar, but does contain calories. One of the most commonly used sugar alcohols is maltitol, since it’s properties are very close to sucrose (sugar) Maltitol (and other sugar alcohols as well) often has a laxative effect.
5. Organic
Organic is a legal term, that can only be applied to products that have been grown & produced according to specific guidelines. However, just because a product is organic, it doesn’t mean that it’s automatically better or healthier for you. For example, an organic cookie is still a cookie. In terms of pesticides, it does make a difference to buy certain foods with that label, but it’s not necessary to buy everything organic.
Look for the “dirty dozen”and the “clean 15″ to get the full list.
6. Whole-something
Whole food, whole grain, wholemeal… They are all unprotected terms that mean nothing more than that something is not half.
7. Healthy
What is healthy actually? What is healthy for one person, isn’t to another, so it’s basically a judgement call. Again, this term is freely used and interpretable, sometimes even suggestive. Just because a high-fiber diet is linked to a lower risk of heart disease, doesn’t make a high-fiber product automatically “heart-healthy”. In short, a product isn’t automatically healthy, just because the label says so.
To Conclude
Food marketing is big business, and most companies these days have marketing departments that do a lot of research (and spend a lot of money on) what term, label, packaging and logo sells best.
Not all claims are scientifically proven or protected by regulations. Always do your own research before you buy.
Photos: pixaby.com, freepik.com
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