Peel off a label and open a can of worms. There have been so many stories in the news in the past few weeks on labeling issues that I couldn’t even settle on one.

For consumers, labels are our first and often only source of information on a product we are buying. For companies, labels are marketing tools, and should be viewed as such by informed consumers. In the middle sit several government agencies.

The FDA is the frontline agency involved in the laws regulating what can and can’t be on food labels. They set the regulations for what can be called “low-fat” and “sugar-free.” And they are the ones to take action against mislabeling . Even when foods bear legal and accurate labels, they can mislead consumers.

The USDA also plays a role in label approval and in marketing efforts, such as whether it’s ok for food makers to use terms like “organic” “humane-handling” “grass-fed” and “angus.”

Additionally, the Food Safety and Inspection Service approves label layout and oversees claims made on labels. Some words, such as “organic” or “natural’ have specific definitions. Other terms, such as “homemade” do not have specifications, but are allowed as long as they are not deemed misleading. (If you can’t sleep at night, you can read the USDA’s Food Standards and Labeling Policy book here).

Often, the definitions of a word on the label don’t have much to do with the consumer’s perception. “Organic” has nothing to do with locally-raised. “Natural” doesn’t mean anything about how the plant or animal was grown. And “local” may include the entire country.

Case in point: I just filed for label approval for the beef I sell at the local farmer’s market. My label says “Wild Type Ranch” and below it the words “Natural Pasture-Raised Angus Beef.” Each word has a specific meaning to me and my customers. “Natural” means no routine antibiotics and no growth implants. “Pasture-raised” means the cattle are raised and finished in open pastures, with grass and hay as their primary nutrient source. “Angus” means they come from my herd of registered and purebred Red Angus and Black Angus cattle.

Yet how the above terms are defined for labels is different. Natural is defined as “minimally processed with no added ingredients”. Pasture-raised has no definition and Angus means the cattle have black hides.

My point here is if you want to make informed decisions about your food, you have to look past the label. Question your assumptions about the words that are influencing your purchasing decisions. Read up on the companies from which you purchase. Do some detective work about their label.

1. Melissa Says:
   September 28th, 2007 at 11:35am

   I discovered soon after the trans-fat labeling began that 0 does not equal 0, but less than one. Yes, definately do your homework and find out what companies are allowed in the labeling process. I saw the rather large declaration of “0 grams trans-fat” on the front, but found hydrogenated oils still listed in the ingredients. Huh? That prompted me to check it out. As consumers, we have to educate ourselves. We can’t rely on those little lables. Great post.



2. Dawn Says:
   October 2nd, 2007 at 9:56pm

   Angus = black hide! Ha! If you can’t talk to the grower/producer you just can’t be sure. The trans-fat thing caught my attention too, when I saw those oils and realized that ‘less than 1′ per serving could still equal an awful lot if that portion size is down to say ‘8 chips’ or something equally unrealistic.

   I tend to have some ‘brand loyalty’ but not of the big names. Whenever I can I research the practices, facilities, and producers of a brand I favor then, if acceptable, tend to stick to their products when possible since researching them all isn’t any more realistic than eating only 8 chips!