But now canny marketers are not just exercising ploys to hide bad ingredients, they're also tarting up perfectly normal foods with nonsensical superlatives. For example, from a bag of Lay's Classic Potato Chips: "Specially selected potatoes". Specially selected for what qualities? Cheapest possible production costs? Minimal nutritional value? Highest possible pesticide concentrations? Most egregious carbon footprint? I'm guessing that maybe they mean they're selecting them for something positive, but the sheer meaninglessness of the phrase compromises the intent of ingredient disclosure: to factually inform the purchaser what is in the bag.
To expect the media to cover this trend would be naïve: they depend on the largess of corporate advertisers. To expect food merchants to properly educate the public is clearly not in their self interest. To expect politicians to do anything would be equally naïve: they won't even allow the prohibition of known poisons from food without extreme pressure, and they have campaign fundraising to worry about. The judiciary and the civil service may try to do the right thing, but they are routinely stymied. If we can't trust the labels, maybe we shouldn't buy their crappy packaged food at all.
7 comments:
I think this is a case of "You get what you get if you eat that shit." I wish more people would take personal responsibility for the garbage that goes down their gullets.
There's a reason this has been called junk food for over thirty years. Nobody eating a packet of crisps should have any illusions to its nutritional merit. (Or lack thereof)
B-b-but it has no trans fat! and it's made with 100% sunflower oil, and low in saturated fat. It has fibre, protein, vitamin C and iron... doesn't that mean it's health food? Plus, it's guaranteed always fresh. It's practically glistening with health.
I used to be provided these as part of my nutritious school lunch in Georgia. I suspect they were the designated vegetable.
Thanks for the link, I was unaware of the Luther Burger. I wonder whether it has any less sugar than a McDonald's bun?
Sorry I made a mistake with a brand name- it is not Bonafina, but Bonafont.
"Drawn from wells in Monterrey, Mexico, BONAFONT is a low-sodium, soft water. Water, like BONAFONT, helps eliminate what the body does not need. Consumers in Texas will be the first to experience BONAFONT when the product hits shelves of grocery stores and mass merchandisers this spring".
You lucky Texans!
To read the whole (but short) article here it is: http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/2008/2/21/bonafonttm_arrives_in_the_united_states.htm
Sad, but you might laugh at this recent ad for Bonafont. Cynical...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13912225@N02/1420537644/in/photostream/
Just eat Fritos. Read their list of ingredients -- just two!
I heard them being called "vegan junk food" once.
Another interesting TRUE fact is that it weights only 28 g. and the content of fat is 10 grams!
As you said, Governments won't do anything because it is not on their best interests. Nowadays governments work mainly for corporations. There is a low interest in consumer protection.
Scott is right, "you get what you get"; unfortunately good education is not available to all. Not all people are aware of what the labels mean. Most people only read the calories and fall into the marketing tricks.
There was an ad about a REGULAR bottle of water brand that read: "Bonafina, El Agua Ligera" Meaning 'Bonafina'(the brand), "The light water." I was being asked if that water was really 'ligth'. Their campaign is working because people out there prefer that brand thinking that is THE good one. They are buying the idea. "It says it is light" I once heard myself someone saying. On the label they draw a woman with a slim figure. It is just plain water.
Some studies have been done saying that actually bottled water can be more unsafe than tap water, but most people believe and trust advertisers still.- Not to mention the pollution of those bottles, but that's another story.
Society is changing. Communication is changing as well. Distribution of education I am not really sure. People like you can write about this and any other subject, and you do not have to wait and seat until a lonely unknown publication say/denounce it.
That's why I find interesting (and wonderful) the idea of twittering and blogging these days.
btw, I just met a person yesterday telling me that immigration officers googled his name and look at his posts. I smell censorship and more shrinkage of freedom of speech for regular citizens like ourselves. Look at China and their internet providers & journalists vs their government.
...it just means the potatoes are GMO`S
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