Decoding Food Labels
Nutritional Strategies Web Letter March 2010
| Type | Calories / gram |
|---|
| Protein | 4 |
| Carbohydrates | 4 |
| Fat | 9 |
| Alcohol | 7 |
Food producers and restaurants are now being required to produce food composition labeling. The FDA allows for a 25% variance on the total numbers as well as the items. In other words a product that claims to contain 50 grams of carbohydrate is allowed to be off by 12.5 grams up or down. This is true for contents as well. This means substitutions may be made to the product without it occurring on the label. If the item appeared in another composition, then it can reappear without notice on the label. The label may read "may contain…" but not clearly be labeled as being present. Sweeteners can be swapped without much labeling fanfare. Cane sugar may be omitted and high fructose corn syrup added to the item with very little notice on the label. In fact both items may appear as ingredients.
Food labeling has become a metaphorical tug of war. The writing on labels is so very small, that it requires a magnifying glass to read. Beyond that the words are written in a foreign language. Who can read this plus understand it? As I shared with you in last month's newsletter, high fructose corn syrup is now being called corn maltodextrin. Milk is sometimes called calcium caseinate, and there are lots more examples.
Let's look at the term fiber. Fiber is often introduced into food as wheat by-product, the husk. The addition of fiber to food is done to support the underlying belief that fiber confers all kinds of health benefits. Oatmeal contains wheat. These benefits run the gamut of preventing cancer and heart disease to enhancing gastro-intestinal function. This belief was fostered by an Indian physician who produced data on a study that was later discredited by the British Medical Journal. By the time the BMJ had completed its investigation on this study, the study had been cited over 200 times in other publications. It went viral.
While most of us think that fiber is edible, it comes in insoluble and soluble forms. What this simply means is the fiber can be indigestible non-food item. Translation: sawdust. True enough this item has found its way into food. As the mythology goes we need 35 grams of fiber a day in order to obtain the benefits. Fiber has been singled out on food labels under the carbohydrate category to further confuse the user. It is thought to have no "impact" on blood sugars, although in practice we know this to be false.
Food has been given health enhancing qualities by the advertising these claims by association. The main reason we eat food is that without it we starve. It gives us energy, helps us store fat, and enhances family life. Some of us have food allergies, and need to be able to decipher what food labels mean. Folks who suffer from celiac disease-which is a disorder of wheat digestion-must stay away from fiber, wheat husks, Metamucil, and psyllium. These items are wheat. Carmel and soy sauce are also produced from wheat. Tapioca and pudding are thickened with wheat products, and will cause problems for celiac sufferers.
The next time you review a product label notice the totals they provide. Sometimes doing your own multiplication you will see that the item is incorrectly added up. In addition the total calorie count will exclude an item completely. Food composition reference guides are helpful, but they contain inaccuracies as well. Today the internet and smart phone applications make finding food counts much easier and faster. Before you pick out a restaurant you can easily find the restaurant on the internet.
Wishing you a happy springtime,
Blessings,
Nadine Campbell RN
March 12, 2010
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