More Tips on Reading Food Labels

Yes, we know that it's smart to read the labels on food--the big print and the small--before we put the package in our grocery cart, but sometimes labels are misleading.  "Reduced salt," for example, may mean that the quantity of salt has been lowered from ridiculously high to just very high.  Here are some recently-published food label tips that can help you be a sharper shopper.

Does "natural" on the label mean no GMO ingredients?

Yes, no, and maybe. According to the November, 2013 issue of the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, foods labeled "natural" are not necessarily GMO free. Judges in various parts of the country have issued conflicting rulings on this matter, and, so far, the FDA has declined to rule on "natural" labeling because it has limited resources and wants to focus on greater priorities.

In 1993, the FDA, in a nonbinding statement, said that "natural" meant nothing artificial or synthetic (including color additives) and nothing added that would not normally be expected to be in the food.  But that definition does not answer specific questions about GMOs or high fructose corn syrup. 

For a further discussion of the possible meanings of "natural" and the opinions of some members of the Shelf Life Advice Advisory Board, read this article: “Fresh,” “Natural,” “Processed”—What Do These Words Mean?" 

The Tufts Health Letter says this: "The legal confusion underscores the unreliability of using "natural" as a label clue to healthy eating.

What is that poultry label telling me?

Is the packaged turkey that's labeled "hormone-free" any healthier than one that's silent on the subject of hormones?  Nope.  Consumer Reports magazine reminds us that the government prohibits the use of hormones in ALL poultry and pork. 

On the other hand, "no antibiotics used" or "raised without antibiotics" on meat or poultry labels means something. It's telling you that none was used for any reason--not for health maintenance, disease prevention, or treatment of disease, says the National Chicken Council. There are efforts by advocacy groups to get antibiotics out of animal feed because they get into the human food supply and may make antibiotic medications less effective in curing human illnesses. Still, at present, antibiotic feed is widely used. The article "Balancing the Health Impacts of Antibiotic Use in Animal Feed"  (on a University of Minnesota website) discusses the pros and cons of feeding antibiotics to animals we eventually eat.

What about poultry that's been "enhanced" (or "prebasted") to keep the meat moist while it cooks? "Enhanced" or "prebasted" means chicken broth or a similar solution has been injected into the product.  The solution may include sodium phosphate, sodium lactate, and potassium lactate, says the Tufts Health Letter. It often contains salt or sodium, usually in low amounts, but it can, in some cases, add 280 milligrams of sodium to a 3-oz. portion of white meat. 

When poultry is injected with these liquid solutions, that fact must be stated on the package, and the specific ingredients must be listed.  But poultry that has been injected with a pre-basting solution can still carry the label "natural."  What is being injected may be "natural" ingredients, but one could argue that injecting additional liquid creates a turkey that is not natural.

Is there MSG in this product?

In the Consumer Report Shopsmart magazine (November 2013), a scientist points out that  adding MSG (monosodium glutamate) "is not necessarily a bad thing because MSG enhances the flavor of food, so far less sodium can be used."  However, some people claim to be sensitive to MSG and have annoying reactions to it, such as headaches, numbness, or drowsiness when they consume it.

If you're particularly sensitive to MSG, how do you know when there's MSG in the products you're contemplating buying?  Read the ingredients label. Shopsmart says that MSG-like ingredients include hydrolyzed vegetable protein, protein isolate, yeast extract, and soy extracts.

Does "No nitrates or nitrites added" mean no nitrates or nitrites are in the product?

Shopsmart covers this tricky situation.  There are natural nitrites and nitrates used in uncured versions of meats (such as hot dogs) that are usually cured.  Read the entire message on the package. These uncured versions may carry a label that says, "no nitrates or nitrites added except for those naturally occurring in ingredients such as celery juice powder, parsley, cherry powder, beet powder, spinach, sea salt, etc."

 Don't get the idea that "natural" means safe.  (Some poisons are natural.)  According to Shopsmart, "natural nitrosamines have been shown to cause cancer in animals."  (However, the magazine says, there is no definitive proof that they cause cancer in humans.)  Therefore, whether the processed meats are cured or uncured, the magazine advises consumers to eat them only occasionally. 

What labels are trendy these days?

According to a survey conducted by the Nielsen marketing analysis group and  discussed in Shopsmart, food labels that have been increasing the most are these: low-glycemic (up 31%), GMO-free (up 28%), plant sterols (up 19%), hormone- or antibiotic-free (up 15%). 

To read more about food labels, go to these articles on Shelf Life Advice:

"Nine FAQs about Food Labels"

"What Do the Various Organic Labels Mean?"

Source(s):

nationalchickencouncil.org "Chickopedia: What Consumers Need to Know"

http://www.nationalchickencouncil.org/about-the-industry/chickopedia/ - six

Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, "Talking Turkey" and "Newsbites," November 2013.

Shopsmart "Food news," August/September 2013.