It occurred to me the other day that I do not read the nutrition labels anymore. Well, actually I have changed what it is that I read. I read the ingredients. That is a paradigm shift in my behavior. It got me thinking, when exactly did the labels become the norm on our food? How did we get so brainwashed into thinking that everything we need to know about our food is on the top of the nutrition label?
I remember basing my decisions about food on a very small percentage of the actual information on the label. What was I looking at when I was making decisions? Was I looking at anything other than calorie per serving and fat content? I looked at the ingredients to see SUGAR and where it fell in the ingredient list. I knew ingredients were listed in order of how much is in the product. My kids on sugar were insane! I needed to keep that (sugar) to a minimum. For me that was about the extent of me reading anything in the ingredients; I looked mainly at the nutrition information that was neatly packaged with important things highlighted in BOLD letters that easily grabbed my attention.
In 1913 a bill was passed that required the ingredients to be listed on food. Then in 1990, the FDA introduced a bill that would require food manufacturers to list the nutritional content. The idea was to help people make informed decisions in regards to their health. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes were on the rise and the label was created to inform the public about the nutritional facts regarding their food. The information on the label was done on a “per serving basis”. The nutrition was listed on the top with vitamins and then ingredients. The new labels actually appeared on the food sometime on 1994.
The law was intended to give the consumer pertinent information in regards to the nutritional value of the food they were purchasing. I personally think the intent is wonderful. People should be able to make informed decisions and be given the necessary information to be able to make them.
I never used the labels for those purposes. I looked mainly at the fat content and the calories per serving. I cannot speak for anyone else, but somehow the mile long ingredients that are listed all the way at the bottom of the package escaped my attention. I was not looking. I saw the ingredients but I never gave it a lot of thought or notice.
The problem with my old philosophy is food manufacturers are aware that people are not reading. What they want you to see is neatly printed in BOLD and everything else just kind of blends into the packaging.
When I became gluten free I was forced to start reading ingredients. I was stunned at the unpronounceable mystery ingredients. I would be in the store for hours trying to decipher what was in the food. It for me has been life changing.
I encourage everyone to take a step back and re-evaluate the way you shop for food. We as consumers, vote with our wallet each and every time we make a purchase. What would you like your vote to be?
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