The Secret Life of Food Labels: What They Don’t Tell You
From Beaver Glands to Sunscreen: The Shocking Truth Behind What’s Really in Your Food
Does this sound familiar? You’re standing in the aisle of your favorite grocery store, staring at a food label. And you feel like you’re studying for a chemistry exam.
The problem? The label is filled with market speak and hidden ingredients that manufacturers would rather keep under wraps.
Let’s look at what they don’t want you to know when you read a food label, so you can be a smarter and more informed food shopper.
The Front-of-Package Game
The front of the package of a food is where you see the marketing speak and eye-catching colors, and claims. Far from being random, a lot of thought goes into designing these labels. They want the product to catch your eye and grab your attention.
But know that not everything you see on the front is accurate or means what you think it does.
Here’s an example. Low-fat” or “sugar-free” might sound like a healthy alternative to a product sweetened with sugar, but you won’t know what they’re sweetened with or how much fat they contain.
