As the spending patterns of younger consumers change, so does the focus of brands that contain sustainability, eco-friendly and socially focused elements. Many of these companies are jumping on the bandwagon to cash in on these trends by simply adding labels that sound ‘good’ but fail to deliver the promises that they put on the label due to a lack of transparency. On the previous iteration Gratitude has outline several labels that consumer needs to be aware what the true meaning behind it. Here are 3 more labels that’s commonly found in food products and what they really means :
1. Light
A food label may say a product, such as olive oil, is light, but manufacturers have been known to use the term to refer to the flavor rather than the ingredients. To be considered a light product, the fat content has to be 50% less than the amount found in comparable products according to US FDA standard. Note as well that this may varies among other regulators in other countries, but in general, oftentimes the reason that food producer use the term ‘Light’ is to make their products sounds to have less fat or healthier.
2. Immune Booster
Companies can use words like immunity blend or supports the immune system if a product contains certain vitamins, but such words are sometimes used to give an aura of health to a product that may or may not deserve it.
In general, companies must walk a fine line here. If they make medical claims, it can trigger intense scrutiny from regulators as ‘Boosting Immune’ is a catch-all phrase that companies use to sound medicinal even though some might only be homeopaths or even baseless claims.
It is true and scientifically proven that some herbal remedies do prevent seasonal or light sicknesses, but these herbal remedies need to be described or shown in full transparency so that consumers can be informed on what herbs they consume, because without it consumers may be in danger of allergens or side-effects on what suppose to be a natural ‘immune boosting’ remedies.
3. No Sugar Added
Consumer concerned about calories and carbs (likely due to conditions such as Diabetes) may prefer no sugar-added products in their grocery cart.
But foods, including fruit, milk, cereals, and vegetables naturally contain sugar. So although these products may not have added sugar they still may contain natural sugars. And no sugar-added products still may contain added ingredients like maltodextrin, a carbohydrate.
Carbohydrates — which can be simple sugars or more complex starches — raise blood sugar, and no sugar added doesn’t mean a product is a calorie- or carbohydrate-free.
But the worst offenders are brands that add ‘No Sugar Added’ label but increase the amount of artificial sweetener or increase the concentration of fruit concentrate to replace the so-called ‘sugar’. Labels need to provide a clear indications of such substances to avoid harm to consumers’ health.
Oftentimes brands do not have ill intention of not providing information about their product as they suppose to. Sometimes brands have difficulty conveying their product contents due to the limited capacity of their medium of choice such as printed labels. But the printed label can only show minimum information due to space constraints, therefore to show more detailed information, brands require another medium that can easily put on the product yet easy enough for consumers to read. Gratitude can become that solution.
Gratitude enables businesses to become transparent by being powered by blockchain technology, with easy-to-use tools to record their supply chain, narrate the story, verify on blockchain and present the data in a beautiful landing page that can be issued via Gratitude’s QR Code or URL that can be placed on a physical product or embedded on digital marketing campaign. Customers can then simply scan the QR codes placed on the product or click the link on a digital campaign and clearly see the product’s journey, verify sustainability claims, or any supply chain data that the company wants to reveal to the customer.
Begin your business’ true transparency journey by implementing Gratitude to unlock the hidden value of your supply chain data. Talk to our representatives via the following channels for support or assistance in implementation:
Website : https://more-gratitude.com
Twitter : https://www.twitter.com/more_gratitude
Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/company/more-gratitude
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/more_gratitude/
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/followgratitude
Medium : https://www.medium.com/@more_gratitude
Sign up to our exclusive newsletter for special offers and latest industry insight :
