How savvy shoppers see through misleading food labels, and major manufacturers are taking note
Food descriptions such as ‘natural’, ‘organic’ and ‘reduced sugar’ have been used for years to trick consumers into believing certain foods are more healthy. Now shoppers are more informed and producers are moving towards more ‘honest’ packaging
In the quest for health, many of us search for products that have an edge over their competition. If something is proclaimed to be “organic” or “natural,” we often think it’s healthier. Marketers hope these on-pack words will influence our buying decisions.
Marketing can be misleading. Product packages can bear overinflated claims about health benefits to make foods sound more nutritious than they are. For years, consumers falsely believed claims such as “natural” and “no sugar added” meant a product was better for their health, but this is beginning to change. Shoppers are becoming savvier and are seeing through these marketing gimmicks.
Food labelled as “natural”
Market research company The Hartman Group says words such as “natural” and “clean” on food packages are increasingly being seen as “pretentious and neurotic” and will be used less often by food manufacturers. Consumers are realising “natural” doesn’t mean very much. Products can be loaded with sugar or high fructose corn syrup, but since those are made from sugar cane, beets or corn (all plants), they are still “natural.”
Hong Kong food labelling: voluntary approach proposed for controlling salt and sugar content
Citizen-led petitions have requested that the US Food and Drug Administration review the term “natural” and regulate its use. There is no formal FDA definition, but the agency is investigating whether and how it should define the term.