Loopholes are commonly used by companies to claim that their product is "free" or "low" in calories, an undesirable macronutrient (such as fat) or ingredient (such as high fructose corn syrup). When the declaration of trans fat content became mandatory in 2006, the industry pounced on the opportunity to add front-of-package "Trans Fat Free" declarations at the same time that they were revising their nutrition facts panels to be compliant with the new law. Many took advantage of the rule allowing them to report "0" for quantities under .5 grams so they didn't have to remove partially hydrogenated oils entirely. They simply decreased portion size or substituted a part of the undesirable ingredient with a less notorious type of fat.
In the current climate of heightened awareness around the link between diet & disease, deceiving health claims on processed food packages have a short half-life. It also helps that the First Lady has been vocal about children's nutrition prompting the FTC to crack down on misleading ad campaigns (for instance, the New York Times recently reported about how Kellogg's can no longer suggest that Rice Krispies and Frosted Mini-Wheats improve children's health). Aggressive R&D efforts and increased availability of alternative ingredients have allowed food makers to keep pace with current health trends without having to sacrifice profits too much. It's a fact of life: "the good stuff ain't cheap." In addition to the cost, natural ingredients that won't compromise your health don't have the minimum shelf life required by most manufacturers (and consumers who have become accustomed to the convenience of non-perishable foods).
The journey is just as important - if not more so - than the destination, right? This adage applies to food. In other words, what you read on food labels is only part of the story:
1. Soybean oil or canola oil are frequently used and sound harmless enough when not preceded by the dreaded term hydrogenated. Unfortunately, extracting the oil from seeds on an industrial scale is not as simple or pretty as you might imagine. It involves several steps: extraction, refinement, bleaching and degumming. Each one requires the use of high heat and caustic chemicals. There is debate about whether or not chemical residues remain in the end product or if trans fats are formed in the long, arduous process. Either way, the resulting oil is not exactly "healthful" or "wholesome" despite government recommendations to replace saturated animal fats with polyunsaturated vegetable oils.
2. Soy lecithin is found in thousands of products. You'd be hard-pressed to find a chocolate bar that does not contain the ingredient (I am aware of only a few small companies that make artisanal and "raw" versions without this particular emulsifying agent). Soybean lecithin is basically a waste product of the commercial oil industry which I briefly described above and one more thing that can be salvaged & profited from the abundance of subsidized soybeans in this country. Kaayla Daniel, who wrote the book The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food describes the disgusting situation clearly & directly: "Soybean lecithin comes from sludge left after crude soy oil goes through a "degumming" process. It is a waste product containing solvents and pesticides and has a consistency ranging from a gummy fluid to a plastic solid. Before being bleached to a more appealing light yellow, the color of lecithin ranges from a dirty tan to reddish brown." I think you get the picture...
3. Agave nectar has caught fire in the last year or so. Marketed as a low GI (glycemic index) sweetener which can be used in place of high fructose corn syrup, honey and other types of sugar, it appeals to diabetics, vegans and generally health conscious folks. The term "nectar" implies that it comes from the sap of the agave plant, kind of like maple syrup. This misconception, which manufacturers wish to perpetuate, couldn't be further from the truth. It is actually derived from starch in the plant's root. According to an industry insider, agave nectar is made in the same manner that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is made from corn starch “using a highly chemical process with genetically modified enzymes. They are also using caustic acids, clarifiers, filtration chemicals and so forth in the conversion of agave starches.” The result is a syrup made up of approximately 70% fructose. By comparison, HFCS is only 55% refined fructose. While agave syrup won't spike your serum glucose level (that's technical speak for 'blood sugar'), the high dose of fructose created in the manufacturing process can cause other health problems.
These three common food additives give you a little taste of what product labels don't reveal. Ignorance is bliss.
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