9 out of 10 Parents fail to truly read nutrition labels

Just because a label says "whole grain"  "all natural" or "no sugar added" doesn't mean its good for our children.  Think about it when have you ever seen a label so "half-grain" instead of whole, or "sugar added" or "not natural". Even its labeled "Natural-sugar-free-whole-grain" it could still be loaded with " Trans fats, mono-sodium glutamate (MSG), aspartame, and/or  high-fructose corn syrup". Get in the habit of reading labels and understanding them even on fresh fruit its important to understand what the label means. 

Reading the labels on Fruit:

Conventional Fruit Labels: Begin with the number 4, and never begin with the number 9.

Genetically Modified Fruit Labels: Begin with the number 8. Note that it begins with 8, not just contains the number 8. This is often a 5 digit number.

Organic Fruit Labels: These fruit labels always contain 5 digits, and begin with the number 9. Always check and make sure, as some “organic” products have been known to be deceptively labeled.

Read More about how to know if your food is "Conventional, Organic or Genetically Modified" 

From: Natural Society

A study conducted by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) found that nine out of ten mothers failed at reading nutrition labels, and did not understand the nutrition information on children’s foods. According to the BHF, 76% of mothers felt that “wholegrain” meant the product was likely to be healthy. In addition, they also thought that a product claiming it was “a source of calcium, iron and six vitamins” meant that the product was likely to be healthy.

The confusion in regard to food labels is not an issue that pertains only to parents, and despite this study occurring years ago, it is still very true today that the majority of people aren’t savvy in reading food labels. The research found many individuals are tricked by the deceptive labeling of sugary foods specifically. The BHF went on to say that Nestle’s Honey Shreddies, which claims to be “wholegrain” and will “keep your heart healthy and maintain a healthy body”, has 13.6g of sugar.This is more than a ring doughnut in an average serving size, which totals 9.2g of sugar. High levels of sugar consumption can be the culprit for a number of health defects and issues faced today, while the massive over-consumption of sugar has some people asking: Is sugar becoming the next tobacco?

With all the harmful ingredients added to our food supply today, it is critical to not only start reading nutrition labels, but also memorize which ingredients to avoid.

Reading Nutrition Labels | Learn of What You’re Eating

Sugar is not the only concern when investigating the real contents of a food product. Trans fats, monosodium glutamate (MSG), aspartame, and high-fructose corn syrup are but a few toxic additives that are usually incognito unless you are actively searching for them within the ingredients. This alone highlights the importance of not only reading nutrition labels, but also knowing what each ingredient is. Researching the properties of each additive before ingesting it is indeed a wise decision, and one that will ultimately pay off with an improvement in overall health.

Ingredients to Avoid | Alpha-Dexionic-what?

If while reading nutrition labels you’re wondering whether certain ingredients are written in Greek or Hieroglyphics, then reconsideration of the purchase is probably necessary. Given the current process of food creation in the U.S. and other developed countries, chances are that this ingredient is some form of a synthetic chemical, and one of many ingredients to avoid. A general rule is that if you cannot pronounce it, you should not eat it. Research what your food is composed of before bringing it home and cooking it, or putting it into your body. What you find may surprise you.

While the Food and Drug Administration has seemingly reached the limit for unbelievable behavior, the company’s decisions continue to astound and appall consumers and health activists alike. In the agency’s latest decision, undoubtedly amazing thousands of individuals yet again, the FDA virtually erased 1 million signatures and comments on the ‘Just Label It’ campaign calling for the labeling of genetically modified foods.

FDA Deletes 1 Million Signatures for GMO Labeling Campaign

The ‘Just Label It” campaign has gotten more signatures than any campaign in history for the labeling of genetically modified foods. Since October of 2011, the campaign has received over 900,000 signatures, with 55 politicians joining in on the movement. So what’s the problem here?

Evidently, the FDA counts the amount of signatures not by how many people signed, but how many different individual letters are brought to it. To the FDA, even tens of thousands of signatures presented on a single petition are counted as – you guessed it – a single comment. This is how, despite over a million supporters being gathered by the petition, the FDA concluded a count of only 394.

“This is an election year and there are more than a million people who say this is important to them. This is petition has nothing to do with whether or genetically modified foods are dangerous. We don’t label dangerous foods, we take them off the shelves. This petition is about a the citizens’ right to know what they are eating and whether or not these foods represent a novel change.” said Andrew Kimbrell an attorney for the Center for Food Safety, one of the partner groups on the Just Label It campaign.

The argument as to whether genetically modified foods are dangerous is a whole discussion on its own, but for the FDA to completely sidestep away from the labeling of GM foods is completely and utterly irresponsible. Consumers have every right to know what they are consuming. Needless to say, biotechology giant Monsanto is against GMO labeling, claiming that it would mislead consumers since GMOs are ‘perfectly safe’. Of course there is plenty of evidence proving that GMOs are not completely safe, and how they affect life in the long-term is questionable to say the least. Either way, there is enough controversy surrounding the issue which is cause for alarm for millions of people, and Monsanto’s opinion on GMOs safety is a sorry excuse for not labeling foods as GM. Is the FDA avoiding such an issue because so many ties exist between genetically modified makers like Monsanto and the agency?

The bottom line is that you have the right to know what is in your food, and what your food IS. Denying that right, whether it be by the essential deletion of millions of signatures on a petition, or by ignoring the voices of thousands of people on the street, is taking power away from the people.