Health & Fitness

The Most Misleading Health Food Claims

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Food companies want to fool you. Using label lingo and vague health claims, they often make their products appear healthier than they really are. These companies aren’t technically lying – that would get them into trouble with the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates food labels. But thanks to several gaping FDA loopholes, they can get away with plastering all kinds of misleading info on labels. Here’s what to watch out for.

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"Natural"

It might sound healthier, but on a food label, “natural” means next to nothing. The FDA hasn’t defined this term and doesn’t regulate its use, so companies can twist its meaning into whatever they want. For example, some will call a food “natural” if it’s made with high-fructose corn syrup, since this lab-created sweetener originally comes from corn. Or they’ll use “natural” cane sugar instead of refined white sugar, yet the product will be packed with artificial preservatives and other junk.

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"Zero trans fat"

Companies can claim “zero trans fat”—the type of fat that’s terrible for your heart—if the food contains less than 0.5 grams per serving. But serving sizes are often tiny, especially when companies are trying to disguise unhealthy ingredients. Chances are you’ll eat several servings in one sitting—and get several grams of trans fat.

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"Whole grain"

Companies love to slap this term on labels because fiber-rich whole grains are healthier than refined grains and flours. But don’t be fooled: They’ll claim “made with whole grains” even if they use mostly highly processed white flour and then add a pinch of whole grains at the end. The term “multigrain” is misleading, too. It usually means that a product contains refined wheat and corn flours – but not whole grains. The only claim you can trust to be healthy is “100 percent whole grain.”

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"Made with real fruit"

If a label says “made with real fruit” or “contains fruit juice,” that can mean it has a single blueberry or even a dash of juice concentrate. The FDA doesn’t dictate how much real fruit must be used for companies to make these claims, so high-sugar products like fruit snacks, granola bars, cereals, and juice drinks often contain very little.

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"Light"

“Light” or “lite” on a label in no way means the food is healthy. To make this claim, a food simply needs less of something –usually calories or fat – than the original version or other similar products on the market. Light versions can even be worse for you than the originals. For instance, companies cut a few grams of fat but pack in extra sugar to make up for lost flavor.

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"Sugar-Free"

As with “zero trans fat,” a product can claim to be “sugar-free” if it has less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving. But serving sizes can be miniscule, meaning when you ate that bag of sugar-free cookies, you really consumed 4 grams of sugar. Also, sugar-free foods can be loaded with carbohydrates such as maltodextrin, which raise blood sugar just the same. Or they may contain sugar alcohols such as mannitol or sorbitol, which have fewer calories than refined sugar but still add up fast.

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"Cholesterol-Free"

Foods can claim to be “cholesterol-free” if there’s less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol and no more than 2 grams of saturated fat per serving. Needless to say, “free” doesn’t mean zero. And even if a food really doesn’t contain cholesterol, if it has saturated fat – which “cholesterol-free” foods are allowed to have – it can still raise your cholesterol levels.

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"Gluten-Free"

Last summer, the FDA finally defined “gluten-free” foods as those containing no wheat, barley, or rye (unless the gluten protein has been removed) and having less than 20 parts per million of gluten. The new rules take effect in August 2014. But there’s still a problem: While most people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities can safely tolerate a scant amount of gluten, many can’t . Foods labeled “gluten free” or “no gluten” might still make them sick.

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Health claims

Packaged foods and dietary supplement labels are plastered with health claims such as “supports heart health,” “promotes healthy joints,” or “boosts immunity.” As long as companies don’t say their products prevent or cure diseases, statements like these are OK with the FDA. However, they often don’t mean much. The FDA doesn’t verify these claims, so there may be no real science behind them. Companies will also slap health claims on foods if one ingredient has a proven health benefit, but that doesn’t mean the finished product does, too.

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