Sunday, March 31, 2013

Top 17 Most Misunderstood Labels


This post is by guest Blogger Leslie Storm Murphy. She's hella healthy so you should listen to her!







"All Natural"

The FDA has no formal definition for what "natural" means, but defers to a nearly 20-year-old policy that says it will not object to the label as long as the product "does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances."


So a food labeled
natural may contain preservatives or be injected with sodium, in the case of raw chicken and some natural products will have high fructose corn syrup.  Companies will argue that since it comes from corn, it’s healthy…WRONG and we’ve already gone over why…GMO!!!


"Fresh"
According to the FDA, food items labeled "fresh" must be raw or unprocessed, and never have been frozen or heated. They also cannot contain any preservatives. However, "fresh" does not mean that fruits and vegetables have been picked recently, or that animals were killed at a certain time. "Fresh" produce may have bacteria from sitting in a store or on a truck for a long time, so make sure you wash all fruits and vegetables.


"Organic"
While organic was once a bit like the term all natural—open to interpretation—that’s no longer true only IF a product has a USDA certified label that says organic, 95% or more of the ingredients must have been grown or processed without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides (among other standards). There are three levels of organic to look for in stores: [1] “USDA Certified Organic” means products are made entirely from organic ingredients. [2] "Organic" means that at least 95 percent of a product's ingredients are organic. [3] "Made with organic ingredients" indicates that up to 70 percent of ingredients down to a maybe just a single ingredient are organic.

Keep in mind that organic does not always go with healthy. Organic food can still be packed in fat, calories, and sugar that may not be beneficial to your diet…check the labels.


"Free range"
Although a food label may say free range chicken, don’t assume your bird was scampering around outside Farmer Brown’s barn.

Although the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) does define the words
free range, there are no requirements for the amount, duration, and quality of outdoor access.

What it’s supposed to mean is that they are out running in a field.  But what it really means is they just have exposure to the outdoors.


"Genetically Modified"
Genetically modified foods—whose DNA has been altered with the help of modern technology—do not have to be labeled. Obama JUST signed into law that GM testing no longer has to be reviewed or approved by any agency before being produced for human consumption! According to the World Health Organization, "GM foods currently available on the international market have passed risk assessments and are not likely to present risks for human health."…BULL CRAP, says I!!!  We’ve already gone over the fact that the majority of corn and soy—primary ingredients in junk food—are GM, so researchers estimate that 70 percent of all processed foods contain some genetically modified ingredients, though you wouldn't know it to look at the packaging. The only way to avoid genetically modified foods is to buy 100 percent organic (USDA Certified).


"Multigrain"
When shopping for healthy bread and crackers, look for the words whole grain or 100% whole wheat. It’s not enough if it says multigrain.

Whole grains, (which include popcorn, brown rice, and oatmeal), have more fiber and other nutrients than those that have been refined, a process that strips away the healthiest portions of the grain.

You can’t go by color alone: Some darker breads or crackers have caramel coloring and are no healthier than highly refined white breads. For a list of ingredients to keep on your radar, check out
The Whole Grain Council’s helpful chart.


"No Sugar Added"
No sugar added products still may contain added ingredients like maltodextrin, a carbohydrate.
Carbohydrates—which can be simple sugars or more complex starches—raise blood sugar, and
no sugar added doesn’t mean a product is calorie- or carbohydrate-free.


"Lightly sweetened"
Reduced sugar, no added sugar, and sugar free have legal definitions, but lightly sweetened doesn’t. The idea of what “lightly” means is completely up to the manufacturer’s discretion and may not be even close to what you would consider lightly.


"Sugar free"
Sugar free doesn’t mean a product has fewer calories than the regular version; it may have more. Sugar-free products have less than 0.5 grams of sugars per serving, but they still contain calories and carbohydrates from other sources.

They often contain sugar alcohols, which
are lower in calories (roughly 2 calories per gram, compared to 4 per gram for sugar).  Common sugar alcohols are mannitol, xylitol, or sorbitol).
***Caution: Sugar alcohols can cause diarrhea so don’t consume a lot in one sitting.


"Zero trans fat"
Trans fat is bad for your heart, and the ideal intake is zero. But products that say no trans fat can actually contain less than 0.5 grams per serving.

Check for words on the ingredient list such as hydrogenated oils and shortening, which mean trans fat is still present.  Gotta love the sneaky ways manufacturers re-name the bad stuff…happens all the time! Here is a link for
products that are more likely to contain trans fat than others.


"Fat free"
This is a notoriously misleading label. When the dangers of saturated and trans fat became clear, the market was flooded with products that touted their fat-free status. The problem… They sometimes contained nearly as many calories as full-fat versions.

“Just because it says it’s fat-free, doesn’t mean you get a free ride,” says Dr. Taub-Dix. “Packages could say it’s fat free, but be loaded with sugar, and sugar-free products could be loaded with fat.”

Check the label for calorie content, and compare it to the full-fat version.


"Light"
A food label may say a product, such as olive oil, is light, but manufacturers have been known to use the term to refer to the flavor rather than the ingredients.

To be considered a light product, the fat content has to be 50% less than the amount found in comparable products.


"Gluten free"
Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat or rye and it can wreak havoc on the health of those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance… I can attest to this one personally.

Gluten-free products are becoming easier to find, which is great for those with gluten intolerance. For everyone else though, there’s no advantage to buying them. In fact, gluten-free whole grains may have less fiber than the regular version.

“Unless you have metabolic problems, gluten-free products don’t help you lose weight and are not necessarily good for you,” says Dr. Taub-Dix. “But because it’s a buzz word, it’s put on packages.”


"Made with real fruit"
Products that claim to be made with real fruit may not contain very much at all, or none of the type pictured on the box.

While companies must list the amount of nutrients they contain, such as fat and cholesterol, they do not have to disclose the percentage of ingredients, such as fruits and whole grain, according to CSPI.

In 2012, a California woman filed a class-action lawsuit over Fruit Roll-Ups, which contain "pears from concentrate" and no strawberries (in the case of the strawberry flavor)… haha, wish I knew if she won.


"Cholesterol free"
Cholesterol free doesn’t mean, literally, no cholesterol. Cholesterol-free products must contain less than 2 mg per serving while low-cholesterol products contain 20 mg or less per serving. Foods that say reduced or less cholesterol need to have at least 25% less than comparable products.

Cholesterol is made by the liver, so only animal products like meat, dairy, eggs, and butter can contain it. If a plant-based product (such as corn oil) touts its cholesterol-free status, there’s no benefit compared to other vegetable oils, which also don’t contain it.


"Two percent milk"
Two percent milk sounds great—it’s such a low number! What most people don’t realize is that whole milk contains only 3.25% fat.

So 2% milk contain less fat than regular milk, but not that much. It isn’t technically considered low fat; only 1% milk and fat free (also called skim milk, which has less than 0.5% fat) meet that standard.

Two percent milk may say
reduced fat however, because it has at least 25% less fat than regular milk.


"Omega-3 fatty acids"
Omega-3 fatty acids come in three main types: Eicosapentaenoic (EPA), docosahexaenoic (DHA) and a type called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which doesn’t have the proven benefit for the heart as EPA and DHA.

Some foods are higher in ALA, than EPA and DHA. Eggs may contain omega-3 if chickens are fed flax seed (which contains ALA, EPA and DHA) or fish oil, but are not considered to have a heart health benefit because of their cholesterol and saturated fat content.

If you are looking for a good source of omega-3, stick to fish and seaweed products.  Products will
sprinkle flax on their food just to slap the omega-3 label on the front.



Sources








Saturday, March 30, 2013

So they thought, "Hey, lets make our dairy products even MORE toxic!"


The organizations in charge of our nations food (ya know, the food you probably eating right now) have come up with "a wonderful idea.... a wonderful, awful idea!"  Ok, it is actually just awful, end of story.
The dairy industry's most powerful associations, The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), have just asked the government for permission to add chemical sweeteners such as Aspartame to milk and 16 other dairy products -- without telling consumers! 

         Aspartame is a known excitotoxin that causes nerve damage or destruction from overstimulation of neurotransmitters. It has been linked to migraines, seizures, slurred speech, autoimmune disorders, and stroke.  


So... to sum it up, they want to add cheap TOXIC sweeteners to your milk and cheeses and yogurts, etc AND NOT put it on their labels so that people will still buy their products.  

I pulled this "mission and values" from the International Dairy Foods Association's website. (I've highlighted some "interesting" parts in red)

Mission Statement

As the premier organization for dairy foods processors, manufacturers and marketers, IDFA:
  • Offers unparalleled strategic leadership, expertise and advocacy to promote the success of our members.
  • Influences federal, state and international government policies with strong legislative, executive and regulatory advocacy focused on dairy policy and other key industry issues.
  • Serves as a trusted source of relevant and timely information on dairy-related issues for members and the media, and collaborates with dairy industry partners to protect and enhance the image of dairy.
  • Provides expert training, education programs and materials, and is a forum for dairy industry stakeholders to meet and exchange views on the key issues facing our industry.

Values Statement

At IDFA, our staff is the most important resource.
We are committed to a positive work environment, individual and professional growth and excellence in all we do.
We:
  • Are proactive
  • Respect each other
  • Act with integrity in all interactions
  • Are team players
  • Are responsive and timely
  • Encourage creativity and entrepreneurship

Um.... Is anyone else thinking they need to re-write this a little more accurately?  Keeping their consumers in the dark about toxic substances they are adding to our foods doesn't scream "integrity in all interactions" to me.  Like their statement also says, they are definitely trying to protect and enhance the IMAGE of their dairy products and only the IMAGE.... not the actual product.

The FDA has not approved this yet.  But if our current food laws tell us anything.... we can rest assured it is only a matter of time before the FDA does give the go ahead.  Unless we do something about it.  I've included a link below to sign the petition to help your voice be heard!  
Remember that quote about evil only happens when the good guys do nothing... or something like that (in the time it is taking me to write this sentence in parentheses I could have totally googled that quote and wrote it correctly word for word... whatever, you know what I'm sayin.) Don't be the good guy that does nothing!  


Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Misleading Labels, Part 1: Breasts and Eggs... Chicken's Breasts and Eggs

If you have ever tried to make a healthier choice when buying eggs or poultry you may have noticed that it can get a little confusing as to which product is actually the healthiest for you and your family. 

Cage Free, Organic, Natural, Free-Range, No Hormones or Antibiotics Used, Pasture Raised, or my personal favorite,"Hormone and Antibiotic ridden Sick and Diseased, Raised in the excrement of 10,000 chickens."  Oooohweeee, the eggs and poultry from these mistreated chickens are extra delicious and nutritious!  And by "delicious and nutritious", I mean "not nutritious and delicious."


Since the average dozen eggs will run ya about a buck and a half... and the "better" choices are 3-5 bucks, I figured it would be good to know if these other choices were really worth your hard earned money.  Likewise, "Free Range" chicken breasts are usually double the cost of standard industry chicken breasts.








Doesn't the word "Healthy" come to mind when you see this picture!?
Battery Cages (these are the eggs that will usually cost you around $1.50)
It is estimated that 60% of the world's eggs are produced using battery cages, and over 90% of the eggs in the United States are produced this way.  Battery cages are wire cages that allow each hen roughly the standing space of a single sheet of computer paper, 8 inches X 11 inches.  Keep in mind that their wing span is about 32 inches.  About 10 hens will occupy 1 cage with a space equivalent of a file cabinet drawer.  The floor of these cages is sloped, preventing the hens from ever sitting.  Very often their feet actually grow around the wires and they become immobile.  These hens become agitated and aggressive in this type of environment, so to prevent them from harming each other they are debeaked and their toes are often cut off as chicks before they arrive at the facility.  It is pretty standard in the egg industry to simulate Spring by leaving the lights on for long hours each day.  After a year of this, the egg production drops.  To revive it, the hens are starved for up to 3 weeks which forces them into another egg laying cycle.  This practice, called "forced molting" has been banned in Great Britian since 1987.  They are fed hormones and antibiotics since the incredibly unsanitary conditions leave them extremely prone to bacterial infections.  Arsenical compounds are used to speed growth, raise feed efficiencey, and boost egg production.  Some egg producers use power sprayers that shoot insecticides up through the cage floors onto the birds.  A carton of eggs will never bear the label "battery cage raised."  But if it has no other labels that specify another specific way of being raised then you can bet your money that this is the environment your eggs have come from.  



Cage Free (Free Roaming)
Hens laying eggs labeled as "cage free" are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, but they generally do not have access to the outdoors. They can engage in many of their natural behaviors such as walking, nesting and spreading their wings but really don't have much more room than hens raised in battery cages.  Conditions are usually just as unsanitary as well.  Beak cutting, Antibiotics, Hormones, low grade feed, and insecticides are all fair game when using the label "Cage Free."   There is no third-party auditing.


  
Free Range
This poultry label should mean that the birds were allowed “continuous, free access to the outside for over 51% of their lives.” However, some free-range birds may be housed in open-air barns with limited exits to the outside that are left open for only a short period each day.  Very often, these barns are so overcrowded that most hens never make it to the outdoor access throughout their entire life.  Also, this label does not require the "outdoor space" be defined.  "Outdoor space" may be a 10 X 10 cement slab.  Like the label "Cage Free," there are no restrictions to what they are fed and the use of Antibiotics, hormones, and insecticides. Beak cutting and forced molting through starvation are permitted.  There is no third-party auditing.



Pasture Raised
The “Pastured Raised” label indicates that the meat or eggs came from birds who were provided genuine access to both the outdoors and natural vegetation.  But like "Cage Free" and "Free Range," there is no third-party auditing.  So the problem is that the term is not regulated or certified and there is no way to ensure if any claim is accurate.


No Antibiotics
This term may be used on labels if sufficient documentation is provided by the producer to the Agency demonstrating that the animals were raised without antibiotics.  Antibiotics are given to animals to prevent or manage diseases.  Although the USDA is accountable for proper use of these claims, there is no verification system in place.




Natural
 The USDA defines this as a product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed (a process which does not fundamentally alter the raw product) may be labeled natural. The label must explain the use of the term natural (such as – no added colorings or artificial ingredients; minimally processed). As defined by the USDA, the term applies only to how meat from the animal is processed after it has been slaughtered. It is important to note that this commonly used term does not refer in any way to how an animal was raised, so the farming system may have involved feedlot and confinement systems or the routine use of antibiotic growth promoters, for example. No third party verification.  This term is used way too often for the most UN-NATURAL products out there.  As a rule of thumb, just never pay extra for something claiming it is "natural."  You will be throwing away your money and most likely your health will be worse off for it.






Certified Organic
The birds are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, and are required to have outdoor access, but the amount, duration, and quality of outdoor access is undefined. They are fed an organic, all-vegetarian diet free of antibiotics and pesticides, as required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program.  Beak cutting and forced molting through starvation are permitted. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing. 


Conclusion:
USDA Organic Eggs and Poultry are definitely the best choice out of all of these options... but they're not perfect.  Try your best to find local eggs.  If local eggs are no where to be found, then go with USDA Organic.  It is worth the extra money.  I would not waste my money on any of the other labels alone though.  True Organic pasture raised hen's eggs are much more nutritious:

  1/3 less cholesterol
  1/4 less saturated fat
  2/3 more Vitamin A
  2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
  3 times more Vitamin E
  7 times more beta carotene




Interesting fact 1:  The color of the egg is simply dependent on the breed of chicken.  It does not make a difference nutritionally.  Brown eggs are just from a different hen then white eggs.


Interesting Fact 2:  Remember my last post... the video of male chicks being ground up alive?  Well, hundreds of millions of male chicks are killed each year and they are used as fertilizers.... and are added into the feed of animals such as cows and pigs.  I don't know if you agree, but I totally think that feeding herbivores ground up dead animals must be super healthy for their systems.


Sources:
thhttp://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/2007-04-01/How-to-Decode-Egg-Cartons.aspx#axzz2OJ8U8F1ae wo
http://www.stopsmithfieldfoods.com/
http://www.lexiconofsustainability.com/pop-up-art-shows/pastured/
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/confinement_farm/facts/guide_egg_labels.html
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an232
(Robert H. Brown , "Toe-Clipping May Help Hens, Improve Returns in Crowded Cages" Feedstuff, May 27, 1985, cited in Animal Factories, p. 161).
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2002334,00.html