Food Label Lies

Label Lies

Unless you have a green thumb, lots of outdoor space, and the time to grow your own grub, sticking to a diet free of processed ingredients can be challenging. (If you are that person, can we come over for dinner?) Otherwise, you do your best, eating whole foods whenever possible, and opting for the most unadulterated, natural options you can find when you buy from the box or the bag. Or so you think.

The problem is, labels can be misleading. You’d need several pairs of hands to count the number of “100% Natural” claims you see in just one aisle of the supermarket. That’s because neither the U.S. Food and Drug Administration nor the Federal Trade Commission have a strict definition for the term; the FDA says it "has not objected to the use of the term if the food does not contain added colour, artificial flavours, or synthetic substances." But hold up: Without getting so much as a wrist slap, so-called “natural” foods can still contain a wide range of processed sweeteners, lab-produced “natural” flavours and colours, additives and preservatives. (For a guide to what’s actually good for you, check out Prevention’s Healthiest Food Awards.)

Lately, though, some brands’ health halos have been showing some tarnish. General Mills currently faces a lawsuit over claims its "100% Natural" Nature Valley granola bars contain two processed ingredients—maltodextrin and high maltose corn syrup—that don't exist in nature. And Snapple recently beat a suit that took issue over the high-fructose corn syrup in its "natural" drinks (the company has since introduced recipes with real sugar).

But those are just two examples—unfortunately, there are many others. Here, we take a look at the ingredients in some of your favourite “natural” foods, so you can decide for yourself what's real and what's not.

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