Labeling

I am working on a new public service announcement regarding fruit juice which I hope to have ready tomorrow evening. I did get some interesting feedback from yesterday's post regarding the amount of sugar ( by weight and teaspoons) in many of our popular beverages. Readers were especially surprised to find that what they thought was a health promoting beverage at best and an healthy alternative to soda at the least, was neither.

I am a label reader. I generally won't consume a product if I can't figure out what is in it, and that makes me unique. That is unfortunate.

I bring this up today as I was just reading more about Wal-Marts new initiative to have eco or green labels on all store products so that the consumer can tell if sustainable practices were used in the manufacturing of said product. In the Wall St Journal article that I was reading, there was concern noted by some that the concept was complex and scientific which would make the task of creating a consumer friendly label rather daunting. Another person said that they envisioned the labels to be much like the nutrition labels that were commissioned by the FDA in 1990. Not such a good comparison.

I think that the labels are a fantastic idea and the more information that becomes required the better. The problem is, there hasn't been adequate education on how to read and use the labels. The info is available on line and in handouts, but seriously, have YOU ever seen it? One of the reasons many people drink fruit juice is because they think it is healthy, but a label check would quickly prove otherwise. We have got to learn how to determine a food's content, what is good and bad in that content, and then make healthy choices so that we can avoid illness. This is why nutrition info on menus are also needed.

Here is a link to some of the educational material available for reading food labels. Remember, the serving size is very important. Many times you are reading about a third or half of the package but eating all of it.

http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ConsumerInformation/ucm114022.htm