Advertising

There are food companies who say their product is what it is not - it is  fake.

Out of the 575 million pounds of olive oil consumed last year, some was mostly made of soybean oil – actually  90% !  That leaves a mere 10 percent for olive oil.   This was discoved two years ago when testing began on extra-virgin olive oil.  Allergies to soy are on the increase which makes this fake reality a health concern. In addition, sixty to seventy percent of extra virgin olive oils tested to be a lower grade.

Fish is the most abused category for fake representation.  Red snapper may be tilapia. When tested, seventy-seven percent of the “red snapper” was something else…   Wild Salmon may actually be farmed-raised which is easy to spot when you cook.  The red dye begins to leak. 

Honey is counterfeited as well. Cane Sugar, high-fructose corn syrup and beet sugar are relatively inexpensive replacements.

Maple Syrup should come from sap collected from a maple tree and boiled down to create 100 percent syrup.  However, some products are diluted with sugar and water to assit the company’s bottom line.

There are more examples. These are ones most recently reported by USA Today. *

What is a consumer to do?  Read your labels carefully, buy trusted brands and qualify fish by asking your fish retailer to verify their products.  We have a list of trusted brands as we research all food companies.  Please go to www.BetterFoodChoices.com for more information.  Or, go to www.GoMillionMoms.com, “sign” the petition and get a Free download of our most recent edition of the Brand To Trust grocery list.

Be sure you get what you pay for.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

* Elizabeth Weise, “That label could be a costly lie”, USA Today, 1/20/09, pp. 1D, 2S.

Vanilla extract may be an aritificially flavored version.  It is supposed to be labeled as such. Watch for Vanillin,  which is banned from the US as it contain the drug, coumarin, a blood thinner.

Here is a little tidbit for you.  A source has told us that the advertising dollars spent on bad-for-you foods outnumbers that spent on good-for-you foods by 450 percent.  As obvious as this is when you turn on the TV, this stat is still overwhelming.  For those who think food manufacturers are really concerned about unhealthy eating, think again.  Advertising commitments do not reflect this.  The bottom line rules.

As Margo Whooten (Center for Science in the Public Interest) said, “If parents tried to talk to their kids 10 to 20 time a day about healthy eating, they’d be considered the biggest nag ever.” Yet, food advertisers get away with doing this for junk food.
Tweens (8-12 years) see and average of 21 these food ads a day, teens about 17 a day, and 2-7 year olds see 12 a day.

The study, Food for Thought: Television Food Advertising for Children in the United States, was conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation. It was based on 1,838 hours of television content and 8,854 food ads on networks such as ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS, the Cartoon Network, Disney, MTV and Nickelodeon. ‘Sugar’ cereals, candy and fast food togather represented the majority of the food advertising.

Repetition repeatedly stimulates desire for what is advertised. Why don’t the major suppliers of fruit and vegetables bond together, hire a great creative ad firm, and advertise their products?

The major food manufacturers (11 who do two-thirds of the advertising for kids) say they “That half of that advertising will be EITHER for healthier offerings OR encourage physical activity.” We’ll see. In the meantime, less television viewing is one good answer.

SOURCES
Lorraine Heller, “Report reveals candy, snacks as most advertised kids products”, FOOD USA, navigator.com, 3/29/07

Nanci Hellmich, “No sugarcoating this: Kids besieged by food ads”, USA Today, 3/29/07. p.9D

As Margo Whooten (Center for Science in the Public Interest) said, “If parents tried to talk to their kids 10 to 20 time a day about healthy eating, they’d be considered the biggest nag ever.” Yet, food advertisers get away with doing this for junk food.
Tweens (8-12 years) see and average of 21 these food ads a day, teens about 17 a day, and 2-7 year olds see 12 a day.

The study, Food for Thought: Television Food Advertising for Children in the United States, was conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation. It was based on 1,838 hours of television content and 8,854 food ads on networks such as ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS, the Cartoon Network, Disney, MTV and Nickelodeon. ‘Sugar’ cereals, candy and fast food togather represented the majority of the food advertising.

Repetition repeatedly stimulates desire for what is advertised. Why don’t the major suppliers of fruit and vegetables bond together, hire a great creative ad firm, and advertise their products?

The major food manufacturers (11 who do two-thirds of the advertising for kids) say they “That half of that advertising will be EITHER for healthier offerings OR encourage physical activity.” We’ll see. In the meantime, less television viewing is one good answer.

SOURCES
Lorraine Heller, “Report reveals candy, snacks as most advertised kids products”, FOOD USA, navigator.com, 3/29/07

Nanci Hellmich, “No sugarcoating this: Kids besieged by food ads”, USA Today, 3/29/07. p.9D