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What do you look for when choosing food? Do you think all the information you are looking for can be found on the food label? While focusing on grams of protein, carbohydrates or sugar and sodium will help us stay healthy and slim, there are other problems and secrets of the food industry that you may not know. Read on to learn about nine hidden facts the food industry doesn't want you to know. Tip: they are not all on the label.
Credit: Andrew Olney / digital vision / Getty Images correlation: 15 reasons to kick sugar how many times have you chosen one product over another because the package says "natural" or "whole grain"? It should be healthier, right? Although a loaf of bread or biscuit may be whole wheat, if the bread or biscuit also contains salt, sugar or trans fat, the overall benefit may be reduced. According to Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, these claims are heat dispersants, "the US News reported. They make people forget about calories, "she said. Don't be misled by beautiful pictures of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Read the label carefully. If you're worried about sodium, trans fat or sugar content, be sure to read the Nutrition Facts panel. In addition, since ingredients are listed in quantitative order, it is a good idea to make sure that the first ingredient on the list is actually any ingredient advertised as a selling point in whole wheat or product advertising. correlation: what does the label of organic, all natural, non transgenic and fair trade mean? Credit: jdwfoto / iStock / Getty Images related: sign up to receive the free livestrong.com weekly health and fitness press release when the product is labeled "fat free" or "low fat", it does not necessarily mean that it is healthier. When food companies produce low-fat food for a certain food, they usually add extra sugar or sodium to satisfy the taste, so they must carefully read the nutrition label before eating. Ng cash register. In addition, healthy fats can help us not feel hungry, and they have been shown to improve the risk factors of heart disease. Healthy fat can also improve our body's blood sugar level and the absorption of some nutrients. Besides, they just taste better. To eat a healthier diet, buy natural foods that contain no sugar and at least some healthy fats. correlation: advantages and disadvantages of 16 different edible fats and oils related: sign up to receive the free livestrong.com weekly health and fitness press release and about 1.1 billion pounds of pesticide are used in American agriculture every year. It is estimated that 99.9% of these pesticides are also introduced into the environment due to the inaccuracy of their application in high-yield crops. Daniel Walton, a graduate of the crop science department at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, explains, "producers have to cover a large area with insecticides to ensure that every surface of every plant is protected, but killing any particular insect requires only a small amount of chemicals. The rest of the pesticides will be leached into the environment or left in the environment as food residues. " Some public health problems include acute poisoning and disease, cancer and other chronic neurological, respiratory, reproductive and cognitive effects. What about environmental costs? Insecticides will destroy the beneficial natural enemies and parasites in the natural ecosystem and agricultural ecosystem, causing a large outbreak of secondary pests. Advertisements correlation: nine simple food exchanges to avoid genetically modified organisms in the food room , in the 2012 election cycle, the individual and Political Action Committee related to the agribusiness sector contributed far more than $90 million at the federal level. In terms of lobbying, the industry spent nearly $138 million in the same year, of which agriculture and food processing industry contributed the most. Coincidentally, the two industries have increased lobbying spending over the past two years as Congress has considered new food safety regulations and label disclosure requirements that will affect their products. However, the U.S. Department of agriculture (USDA) has recently taken a step in the right direction, supporting growing organic industries and local and regional food systems with more than $52 million through its five grant programs. In addition, first lady Michelle Obama launched the "let's act" campaign to encourage children to develop healthier eating habits and reduce obesity. correlation: 14 foods help you lose weight. Credit: Katrina wittkamp / digital vision / Getty Images related: it's amazing how to make your children eat healthy. What do you think? do you know all these questions? Is this a surprise for you? Why? How does ethics affect your food purchase decisions? What else can or should we do? Share your thoughts with the community by leaving comments below. correlation: 15 most difficult exercise steps at anytime and anywhere Advertisements 1. Only a few big companies own your food, and there are hundreds of different products in the aisle of the supermarket. You may think you have many choices. But the truth is, you're just choosing between products that might be produced by the same parent company - or even in the same factory. According to a food & Water Watch report on food monopoly, Kellogg Co., general mills, PepsiCo and post foods control nearly 80% of cereal sales, which makes it difficult for you and me to find a box of cereal products that do not belong to a major food manufacturing giant. Buying from independent and locally owned businesses helps keep money away from the community. What about quality? According to Philip Howard, a professor at Michigan State University and expert on food systems, in an email from Forbes, "when an organic food brand is acquired, the new parent company reduces its commitment to organic ingredients and looks for cheaper alternatives. Sugar can lead to dependency, and today, more than three out of every four foods in American supermarkets contain added sugar. Why do food companies add too much sugar to processed foods? As Dr Robert lessteger, Professor of pediatrics at the University of California Benioff children's Hospital, said in the Atlantic, "in reward centers, sugar stimulates the neurotransmitter dopamine, which drives reward. But dopamine also downregulates its own receptors. This means that next time, you need more sugar to produce more dopamine to produce less return, etc., until you consume a lot of sugar and get almost nothing. " Explain bluntly that food companies know that when they add sugar, you buy more. When you buy more, they increase profits and make their shareholders happy. To avoid adding sugar, check the ingredients on the label that end with "sugar" (glucose, sucrose, glucose), because these are all in the form of sugar.
3. Health claims on food labels can be deceptive
4. The harm of large retailers is much greater than you think. The groceries group is the biggest buyer and seller of groceries, so they have a huge impact on our economy and society. According to progressive grower, the sales of supermarket chains accounted for 95% of the total sales in 2011. Research shows that many large chains and national chains actually give employees less wages and benefits. On the other hand, according to the independent impact studies of civic economics, the impact of independent enterprises on the economy is compared with that of large chain enterprises, and it is found that independent enterprises provide greater benefits for the local economy and create a better living place. Chains and restaurants get local revenue from the community through every bank transaction, and independent people actually create a virtuous circle of local spending. The more money left in the community, the more jobs, more business and residential investment, additional taxes from local governments, and support for local non-profit organizations. Get momentum again by shopping in local stores and farmers' markets.
5. Fat free and low fat may not be very healthy
6. Some popular food companies have learned the marketing strategy of big tobacco. If you think the food company is like a greasy propaganda machine, you may be right. After all, they learn from the best. Just seven years ago, Altria group, once known as Philip Morris, still owned Kraft food. They are also using many of the same strategies, such as lobbying politics.Home and sponsor beneficial research to build a nutritious image of their products. In order to make informed decisions about what you choose to eat, you need to realize that we choose our diet in a market environment full of confusing nutritional advice. By educating their own food and purchasing companies, they are responsible for their own food choices.
7. The actual impact of pesticide use is too high
9. Food companies sell junk food to children. A study published in pediatrics: the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics found that children prefer the taste of food (including snacks) when there are funny cartoon characters on the package. Worst of all, for energy intensive, malnourished foods, taste preferences are more affected. Policies and efforts are beginning to confront this. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released the school smart snack nutrition standard, which limits the intake of calories, fat, sugar and sodium, and prohibits the use of junk food in school vending machines, stores and lunchrooms. In addition, the World Health Organization has called on governments to reduce the sale of junk food to children, so 11 of the largest companies have pledged to strengthen supervision of this issue by 2016.
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