CBS News/ June 11, 2012, 12:36 PM

Healthy or hype? 16 most misleading food labels

Omega-3 fatty acids

Seared salmon steak with a fresh salad.

Seared salmon steak with a fresh salad.

/ iStockphoto
Omega-3 fatty acids come in three main types: Eicosapentaenoic (EPA), docosahexaenoic (DHA) and a type called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which doesn't have the proven benefit for the heart as EPA and DHA.

Some foods are higher in ALA, such as flax seeds, than EPA and DHA. Eggs may contain omega-3 if chickens are fed flax seed or fish oil, but are not considered to have a heart health benefit because of their cholesterol and saturated fat content.

"If you are looking for a good helping of omega-3, stick to fish and seaweed products," says Gardner. "Products will sprinkle flax on their food just to slap the omega-3 label on the front."

4 Comments Add a Comment
linkicon reporticon emailicon
jesse3030 says:
Food labels have been misleading for years.
reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
Nate650 says:
Regarding #6, I was under the impression that the claims "no trans fat" or "zero trans fat" means the product must contain no hydrogenated fats and thus must contain zero trans fat. The confusion comes with the claims of "no trans fat per serving" or "0g trans fat per serving," in which case the product may contain up to 0.5g trans fat per serving. Is this not the case?
reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
violajohnson says:
You can cut your bills tremendously by visiting "Official Samples" website without becoming addicted like some of the people you see on TV, That's more like hoarding.
reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
MegaProcrastination says:
Oh, wow! This is pretty well put together and points out a ton of things the "average" consumer probably doesn't know. How many here shop at Costco and run into the sample people all the time saying, "It's GOOD for you!" or "It's organic!" or "It's all natural!" or "It has antioxidants!" The food companies are always using these catch phrases to get people to buy. I usually pick up the container then read the label. Then if I like what I see give it a try. Ninety-five percent of the time I end up walking away empty handed. I finally started with come-backs to the sample people. I know they're just doing their job, really, and it's the food companies that are at fault but when I pick up an "all natural" product and it has 25 to 45 grams of sugar per serving I generally say, "Arsenic is all natural too but that doesn't mean I want to eat it."

I have a couple of exceptions to some of the points here though.

#1. Carbohydrates ARE sugar, no matter what. Even carbohydrates from grain are broken down into sugar. The only difference between carbohydrates is what breaks down quickly and what breaks down slowly. Whole grains generally break down more slowly, as generally does honey (your mileage may vary). Sugars from fruits also break down at different rates (again, YMMV), thus the difference between high-glycemic and low-glycemic. However, what may be low-glycemic for one person isn't necessarily the same for another.

#2. Cow's milk and milk products (and yes, even I eat cow cheese) are not even good for people. The only reason we use it is because it's the easiest to produce. The type of calcium in cow's milk isn't readily absorbed by the human body and inhibits the absorption of calcium from other sources like vegetables. Pregnant and lactating women most definitely should be consuming extra calcium but as a general rule adults don't need milk. Instead, get the calcium from vegetables, as nature intended us to do. Also, milk contains a substantial amount of sugar (in the form of lactose) consumption, and a decrease in sugar consumption is always a good thing.

As for my other thoughts: It is in everyone's best interest to buy as much as possible in the most natural form we can. Sure, there are still concerns over pesticides and herbicides with produce if we can't afford to buy organically-grown, but at least we know nothing else has been added. Read labels on everything else. You don't have to do this every time you shop, either. Just make time to read all labels on one shopping trip then make choices accordingly. Next trip you most likely won't need to read all the labels. Then as time goes on spot check various products to make sure the ingredients weren't changed.
reply