Recently, a petition was started by U.S. Right to Know, a consumer advocacy group in California. The goal of the petition is to lobby the Food and Drug Administration to eliminate instances of the word “diet” in food and beverage labeling. Some consumer advocates say that the word is problematic, bordering on false advertising because it doesn’t directly cause weight loss.
One of the challenges consumers face in interpreting the indicators on labels is that “diet” doesn’t directly describe what the products contain. This results from the diversity in the way people diet. Certain programs limit the intake of complex carbohydrates, while others target sugar specifically. Some give little direction about carbohydrate intake but caution dieters against eating fatty foods. Here are some alternatives to the word “diet” in food labeling:
- Reduced sugar or sugar-free. This is an appropriate label for companies whose products are made with less sugar than others on the market, or full-sugar products in their own lines. Your recipes might include artificial sweeteners, which itself has given rise to the “no artificial sweeteners” label.
- Low-fat or fat-free. Dairy products are viewed as some of the richest and most fatty on the snack market. Perhaps your business has used skim milk to make yogurt, or a reduced amount of oil to make potato chips. Specifying how those techniques affect the nutrition information is helpful for customers.
- Low-calorie or no-calorie. In the case of diet sodas, the sugar-free nature of soft drinks creates beverages with no calories at all. Some diets advise people to count the number of calories they consume, so no foods are strictly off-limits in moderation.
With an industrial label printer, companies can take control over their branding and communicate the most accurate information on food labels. Contact us today to learn more about how custom label printing can improve the information on your products.