An added sugars section on food labels?  Yes, please!

08/08/2012

0 Comments

 
The FDA recently released information that they’re planning to research how customers would respond to information about added sugars on food packages.  This could lead to possible implementation of labeling added sugars on a package’s nutrition facts label sometime in the future.

Most of the organizations arguing against the research and proposal are those which represent food manufacturers (shocking, right?).  They claim that because natural and added sugars are the same chemically that there is no need to differentiate them on the label.

My opinion?  This is something we definitely need on labels!  While it’s true that natural and added sugars are structurally the same in terms of chemistry, it’s hardly fair to say that there’s no reason to differentiate them.  Natural sugars are present in items like fruits, vegetables and dairy.  In addition to sugar though, these items are chock-full of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants.  Added sugars, on the other hand, are typically added purely for taste (and sometimes for preservation purposes) and really add nothing nutritious to the food.    
Opponents to this labeling act argue that it will also be confusing for customers.  I think the current method for figuring out added sugars is even more confusing though!  Let’s take a look at a quick example:  It’s easy for us to look at a regular apple or blueberry and understand that there is no added sugar – there’s the natural sugar in the fruit, but unless you’re sprinkling sugar on it as you eat it, you know there’s nothing extra added.  But did you know that some dried fruits contain additional added sugars to further sweeten this snack?  Currently, you have to search through the ingredients on each package to determine if there’s added sugar by looking for the many words used to describe it – sugar, honey, molasses, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose… the list goes on and on.  An added sugar component would allow you to quickly scan the nutrition facts and see how many grams came from sugar added outside of that naturally in the dried fruit.

And of course, the challenge of understanding added sugars becomes even more difficult for combination foods.  Consider a yogurt parfait, for example.  Is it plain yogurt or is it vanilla?  How much sugar is naturally from the yogurt versus any flavoring?  What about the fruit?  Is it fresh fruit or is it fruit that’s been in a syrup?  Is there granola on the parfait?  How much sugar was added to that?  Confused?  Me too.  Much more confused than being able to look at the label and say – okay, there are so-and-so grams of added sugar outside of what’s naturally found in the food.

Now, is it bad for us to have a little added sugar each day?  No, but it needs to be something that needs to be consumed in moderation.  The recommendations for your daily limit of added sugar (from both foods and drinks) are generally based on your calorie level.  For a 2000 calorie diet, the USDA recommends no more than 130 calories from added sugar.  This is equal to about 32 grams of sugar or 8 teaspoons.  Sound like a lot?  You’d be surprised when you start adding up the added sugar in many foods and drinks – most people consume more than the recommendation!  8 teaspoons is less than the amount of sugar in one can of soda.

We should also be choosing nutrient rich foods that perhaps have just a small amount of sugar added for taste.  Let’s take cereal for example - one of my favorite tasting cereals, these little oat and wheat squares, has 9 grams of sugar (and I’m going to assume just about all is added) in a 1 cup serving.  While that added sugar isn’t great for me, that 1 cup also is made from whole grains, has 5 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein and a handful of vitamins and minerals.  You take away that sugar and the cereal would probably taste like crap – so there's a trade off there.  As long as most of the other items I'm eating during the day aren't high in added sugar, it's probably fine for me to have a serving of this cereal.

The bottom line:  Labels identifying the amount of added sugar would be helpful for consumers, even despite possible risk of confusion (especially since it's confusing now without the label!).  Until that time comes, choose whole, unprocessed foods for maximum health benefits and minimal added sugar.  When you do choose foods with added sugars, make them nutrient-rich choices.

Add Comment
 

6 tips for using food labels to make healthy choices

10/26/2011

0 Comments

 
1) If you’re shopping for cereals, breads, pastas, or other grain products, look at the ingredients to ensure it is made from a whole grain.  Just because bread is brown doesn’t necessarily mean it is made from whole wheat (if you see “enriched wheat flour” as the first ingredient, this means it is a refined grain, not a whole grain).

2) Look for foods that contain 0 grams of trans fat.  Remember to also check the ingredients as well, since a food can contain up to half a gram of trans fat and still list 0 grams on the label.  Avoid words like “partially hydrogenated oil.”

3) If you’re a fan of frozen meals, be sure to look at the sodium.  Many frozen entrees can easily contain half of the day’s total recommended intake.  Try to stick to less than 600 milligrams of sodium per serving.

4) Check out the serving size and the servings per container.  A lot of “snack size” containers actually contain multiple servings!  If you eat the package in one sitting, you may be consuming a lot more calories than you expected.

5) Love coupons?  I know I do!  But one downside of couponing is the temptation to purchase unhealthy snack items just because you have a great coupon.  Look at the labels of the products before you buy a product, and be sure it fits in with your healthy lifestyle goals.

6) And lastly, many of the healthiest choices won’t even have a label – think about your fresh produce and lean meats located around the perimeter of the grocery store!

Add Comment
 

Study finds we use food labels less than we think we do

10/25/2011

0 Comments

 
When you visit the grocery store, do you look at food labels?  A new study done at the University of Minnesota reveals that people actually don’t look at labels as often as they say they do.

Researchers asked 203 people to participate in a computer simulated grocery shopping exercise.  The volunteers were shown different food items and asked to indicate whether or not they would normally buy them.  For each of the 64 food items, the screen showed a 3 column split – one with a picture of the food, one with a list of the ingredients, and one with the nutrition facts.

After the session, the volunteers were asked to fill out a survey about whether they looked at the Nutrition Facts label and what information they searched for on the label.  About 1/3 of people reported almost always looking at the calorie and fat content of the foods they chose.

Here comes the interesting part:  the computer system actually had an eye tracking device that tracked the participants’ movements as they looked at the different foods.  This device found that only 9% looked at calorie counts for all the items, while only 1% looked at fat content for all the items.

It isn’t completely bad news – most people looked at parts of the labels during some foods of the experiment.  But even this might overestimate consumer behavior in the store, when they actually have to pick up and turn the container to view the label (in the computer experiment, the labels were right up front on the screen).

Why is this important?  When shopping for foods, there are no doubt tons of choices on the market.  Using the food labels can help you make the most nutritious choices for yourself and your family.  That being said, many people feel labels can be overwhelming – what do you think?  Do you find them useful?

Let me know your thoughts, and I’ll follow up tomorrow with some label reading tips!

Add Comment