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Food doesn't match label hype (Article)
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/...hype/3476209/s
tory.html Food doesn't match label hype Sugar-coated claims rarely check out, federal tests reveal By Sarah Schmidt, Postmedia NewsSeptember 3, 2010 Six out of 10 candies, baked goods and breads at the grocery store overstated claims such as "sugar free," "low in fat" or "100-per-cent whole wheat" to convince shoppers to indulge in a treat or pay a premium, newly released government inspection test results show. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency tested 252 candy items such as chocolate bars, soft candies and fruit snacks for the accuracy of their composition claims, and found 159 confectionary products failed to live up to their billing. The record for breads and baked goods, such as cookies and muffins, that claim to be low in fat or to contain certain grains wasn't much better, with 122 out of 208 -- or 59 per cent -- not living up to their composition claims. Of 161 snack foods pitched as low in sodium or other composition claims, 49 per cent, or 79 items, violated the rules. These products included items such as potato chips, nuts and mixed snacks. In addition to negative claims pertaining to the absence or non-addition of a substance, other examples of composition claims include "100-per- cent pure" or words such as "genuine," "true" or "real." According to minutes concerning CFIA's Fair Labelling Practices Program, released to Postmedia News under access to information laws, these product categories were targeted between 2006 and 2010 because inspectors suspected compliance problems. CFIA did not release any brand details, but says it works with companies to educate them about the rules and bring them into compliance. The agency also has the authority to issue warning letters, remove products from store shelves or prosecute a company. Consumer advocate Bill Jeffery, of the Ottawa-based Centre for Science in the Public Interest, called the test results "remarkable," saying Canadians "depend on nutritional labelling to choose healthier products." The good news for calorie-counters is the test results show it's not uncommon for confectionary and baked goods to overstate the net quantity, meaning the grams on the label are higher than what is in the package. The products included pre-packaged products and items packaged at the grocery store. More than one in five candy products tested for net quantity -- 20 out of 94 -- overstated the amount in the packaging, meaning the grams on the label were higher than what was in the package. Three in 10 baked goods or breads -- 39 out of 134 -- overstated the amount in the package. Problems with overstating net quantity for snack foods were less severe, with seven out of 109 products tested providing less than what consumers thought they were buying. CFIA's ground meat project for 2009/10 also tested products for net quantity, as well as any mislabelling of meat species and fat content. Consumers pay a premium for lean or extra lean ground beef, but the agency's fat testing results showed 20 per cent of products pitched as lean -- five out of 25 products -- violated the rules, meaning the fat content did not meat the standard for lean meat. Foreign species testing found three out of 68 ground meat products -- 4.4 per cent -- weren't exactly what they seemed to be, meaning meat advertised as beef could contain another meat product such as pork. Thirty ground meat items were tested for net quantity, and two were short-changing the consumer, the results show. Olive oil products were also tested in 2009/10 for adulteration, and the results show progress in this area. Three out of 53 products inspected showed the presence of other oils not permitted by the standard, indicating extra virgin oil was watered down by another product. In 2007, CFIA found that 15 of 45 samples of extra virgin olive oil pulled from store shelves were found to have been blended with lower- priced sunflower, canola or soybean oils. Another project last year targeting fruit spreads and juices to test claims such as "no added sugar," "pure" and highlighted ingredients, was suspended after the program underwent a restructuring, the internal records show. © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen -- When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross. Sinclair Lewis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnrYMafCzeE |
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Food doesn't match label hype (Article)
Omelet > wrote in
news >> The record for breads and baked goods, such as cookies and muffins, >> that claim to be low in fat or to contain certain grains wasn't much >> better, with 122 out of 208 -- or 59 per cent -- not living up to >> their composition claims. > > The solution is simple. > > Don't buy that shit. I don't, but there are people who do under the false impression that companies tell you the truth. It became obvious that companies lie without restraint when the Sodium Working Group at Health Canada released its findings and recommended, big surprise, a mandatory reduction of salt in prepared foods. The immediate response from the industry was "Can't do it". It turns out they can, but will lie to prevent any change. -- When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross. Sinclair Lewis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnrYMafCzeE |
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