Deceptive advertising and how to read a food label
They say you are what you eat, but do you really know what is in your food?
Text: Shin Yee Koh
Image 1: Health is wealth (Credits: Pexels)
Whether you're on a quest to live a healthier lifestyle or just want to know what you're putting in your body, learning how to read food labels is a skill everyone should master. We as consumers are now more health-conscious than ever before, so some food manufacturers use misleading tricks to convince us to buy food that's more unhealthy than we think it is or is not what they claim to be.
In fact, the 2019 food mislabeling case in Singapore put a spotlight on the fact that there should be more stringent procedures and requirements regarding the production and sale of heavily processed foods.
As consumers, though, here are a few ways to be more discerning the next time we go grocery shopping.
1. Healthier doesn’t always mean better
Companies love to throw the word 'healthier' all over their front label to draw your attention. However, this is a trick you should take with a pinch of salt. Being so subjective, companies can claim their products are healthier without having to meet strict criteria that ensure consuming them actually benefits your health.
What to look out for?
Singapore is harsh when it comes to cracking down on companies that don't meet their standards. Hence, products with the Healthier Choice Symbol have been approved by the HPB (Health Promotion Board) under their guidelines. So make sure you're not fooled and look at the front of the packaging, which can be chock full of misleading words like fat-free, low calories. Instead, go to the ingredients and nutrition information sheet, which breaks down the composition of carbs, fats and proteins, and other minerals. If sugar, MSG and other unrecognizable ingredients are in there, stay clear. Remember, whole foods always win.
Sugar-free syrup on your pancakes don’t necessarily make them healthier (Credits: Pexels)
2. Spot the difference - Sugar-free and no added sugar
According to the SFA's guidelines, a product can be labelled as sugar-free if it contains equal to or less than 0.5g sugar per 100g. However, manufacturers may have added artificial sweeteners or fat to replace the sugar content, so the words 'sugar-free' can be very misleading if you're not careful. For example, Coke Zero's sugar content has been substituted with a few different artificial sweeteners, including aspartame and acesulfame potassium (Ace-K). The rest of the ingredients include caramel colour and food additives – not exactly the healthiest choice.
Artificial sweeteners are a food additive that mimics the effect of sugar in taste but usually has less food energy. Despite claims of health benefits, studies have convincingly proven that artificial sweeteners cause weight gain, brain tumours, bladder cancer and many other health hazards, so it's best to avoid such additives in your day-to-day life.
If you're looking to cut sugar out of your life, keep an eye out for 'no added sugar' at your local grocery store. Products can be labelled as such if no sugars are added during the manufacturing process. However, most fruit juices, for example, contain natural sugars such as fructose and sucrose, and some organic juice brands label their products as 'no sugar added' but contain 7.5g of sugar per serving.
What to look out for?
Not all sweeteners are bad - natural ones like honey, stevia and monk fruit extract are less harmful than artificial ones. Make sure to go to the ingredients list and read the label in descending order - ingredients in higher quantities are listed first, so as long as sugar isn't in the first few rows, it's not taking up the lion's share of what you're consuming.
Opt for fresh fruits and veggies whenever possible (Credits: Pexels)
3. Is organic really better?
‘Organic' is such an arbitrary term nowadays that marketers just throw it around to make their products seem more premium or expensive. Generally, it's safe to assume that organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides that are bad for your health and exposed to fewer synthetic substances. Researchers at Harvard Health suggest that organic food doesn't appear to have a nutritional advantage over their conventional counterparts. Buying organic, however, does mean that you're supporting fair trade and farming practices that are sustainable, so if doing so is within your means, then go right ahead.
What to look out for?
SFA does not have any guidelines for manufacturers who want to claim that their food is organic. However, in Singapore, manufacturers can label their food as organic as long as they follow the guidelines.
Despite how healthy a product may seem, fresh and whole foods are always more nutritious than processed food as they do not contain any preservatives or chemicals to prolong its shelf life, so if you're able to, try to visit the wet market and get yourself some fresh veggies once in a while. For the best wet markets in Singapore, click here.
