How To Read Grocery Store Labels
Natural, All Natural, Organic, Gluten-free, Cage-free, Free-range, Local, … Have you ever find yourself at the grocery store wondering what the difference are. Yes, you are not alone. They are very confusing. What you get might not be what you thought you got. That’s why we found this article from Business insider about how to read grocery store labels relevant. Read it help you understand what you get for your money. Here is a summary.
All natural
“At present, the word ‘natural’ in food marketing is meaningless, and that’s the way food companies want it,” according to Gary Ruskin, executive director of US Right to Know, a nonprofit organization that promotes transparency within the food industry.
Organic
A recent review of the past 50 years of scientific articles stacking organic foods up against non-organics concluded that they were “not significantly different.”
Free range
Free range gives impression of feedom for chickens everywhere. The reality of course is different.
Non-GMO
A standard for products been produced according to consensus-based best practices for GMO avoidance, if you know what GMOs are and what they do.
Grass fed
Grass fed beef typically has a greater proportion of healthier fats and is generally a bit leaner than conventional beef.
No added sugars
Do not confuse it with sugar free. No added sugars may still have sugar from the original content.
Cage-free
Cage-free means chickens are allowed to roam around a barn or other facility, but they still generally have no access to the outdoors. And study has found “no meaningful difference” in terms of nutritional value of cage-free, organic, and conventional eggs.
Gluten free
Unless you are among the 1% of Americans who actually have celiac disease, you don’t need to worry about these labels.
Made with whole grains
While the FDA’s guidelines “recommend” that foods only carry the “whole grain” label when all of its flour is whole grain, there’s little to no penalty for products who don’t follow these guidelines.
Business Insider: A complete guide to grocery store labels