More Americans reading food labels

More Americans reading food labels

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A majority of consumers read food labels and are increasingly aware of the link between good nutrition and reducing the risk of disease, according to the latest survey of dietary habits released today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The 2008 U.S. Health and Diet Survey of more than 2,500 adults from all 50 states and the District of Columbia found that, for the first time, more than half of those surveyed “often” read a label the first time they buy a product. Yet, while the number of consumers reading a food label the first time they buy a product has risen, consumers are ske

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I have a friend who works at a local Japanese-styled grocery store where amongst the Japanese, many Americans also shop.

She told me that she is always getting requests for whats in an item, especially whether or not it has MSG, Aspartame, and Sodium Benzoate in it ...if the label is in Japanese,

She said mostly the Americans are he ones reading the labels and that the Japanese folks just dont care abut the labels.

I have also found that in my family, more of them are also reading the labels and shopping and European delis.

For example purchase a a jar of anything in a major retailer and a Euro deli and you will see the Major retailer's jar will have a book type list of ingrediants vs. the Euro jar will have 2-3 ...the main ingrediant ...water, sometimes sugar, and sometimes pectin as a preservative.

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This is great. It's amazing what a difference it can make.

The other day I helped a little old lady choose a can of white meat chicken. She asked for help reading the price, and I couldn't resist just nicely pointing out that for two cents more she could get hormone- and antibiotic-free chicken packed in water and sea salt versus chicken of unknown origin packed in preservative and other chemical laden water. People just don't realize. And there were three other identically similar choices on the shelf, all within pennies of each other in price. We have choices...we just don't always make informed one.

And in the end, the established companies will either comply with what people want or die. Many companies are changing. For example, Oscar Meyer is now marketing a hot dog with no preservatives. That's progress too.

The question then becomes, do we really trust the labels? (Well it is ATS!)

[edit on 1-7-2010 by ~Lucidity]

ha ha great post man i wish it was true...but think about all the religious people out there they dont read their religious texts why read a label......not many people realize what they are eating they just go about life not worrying about things......whether fast food or grocery food.....it is a lot of gentetically modified (GM) foods with artificial sweetners like aspartame or now known and AminoSweet and man made nutrients (MSG) and preservaties.............

I believe technology is serving a greater purpose both, with informing and connecting the masses,as well as continuously and collectively moving us forward through awareness and choice. I noticed more non HFCS(high fructose corn syrup) products are available and it is in response to the consumer demand. We still have some sway in what we are served, thank goodness.
Processed, or hydrogenated....I'll pass
Thanks for some good news for a change
May the awakening continue!
Peace


[edit on 1-7-2010 by speculativeoptimist]

Mark me up as one that now reads them.

I have lost almost 80 lbs too!

Trust me, if anything on the label reads: Partially anything--- Don't eat it.

Not only do I read lables, I ask for nutritional information at resturaunts. Chains like IHOP and Bob Evans have to prepare and cook the meals to a certain specification and will have nutritional information on hand if you request it.

Unfortunately Monsanto has their hand directly up the ass of the United States government. We need mandatory labeling for GMO and Non GMO foods.

I think this coincides with more americans being able to read. This is a good thing, now if we can only understand what half the F-in things in food are, that'd go a long way.

reply to post by brainwrek

Absolutely. What do you think the chances of this happening are? Well, based on your assessment...nil, eh? I've gotten to where I can tell just by how the fruits and veggies taste, smell, look, feel, ripen, and keep though. There are marked differences.

reply to post by brainwrek


Right on! Monsanto is the Dick Cheney of the food industry...EVIL...BASTARDS! They are trying to force out the little farmer. If they have their way we will all be eating genetically mutated Frankenstein food. God knows what that garbage will do to you. Most of our soy and corn crop is of this freakish variety(GMO) . Now these scumbags have their eyes set on our wheat! The only way to fight them is to eat organic! I know it costs more but at least you won't be growing a third eye in the middle of your forehead. Did you know that an Organic Farmer can't even sue these corporate zombies if their crop get's cross pollenated by a neighboring lab mutated freak show Monsanto crop? Support your local Farmer!

I've been on a diet for a few weeks. Strangely, I've only lost about 10 pounds, but really lost quite a bit of my gut (I've got 3 more notches on my belt, I can do, than when I started)...

So, I read labels now. Mostly for calories, carbs, and fat. My "diet" is a simple one. Drink lots of water, eat lots of salad, and mix in smaller amounts of other foods that are low in carbs, calories, and fat. Pasta is right out, and bread is only the new, thin, low carb kind (and even then, very little of that).

My savior? No Sugar Added Fudge Bars. Only 40 calories, 4g of carbs, and 1g fat. Nice for the chocolate fix....

Oh, and Turkey burgers are the bomb...taste very similar (especially with the right seasonings) but for only about 140 calories, and 1g of carbs!

[edit on 6-7-2010 by Gazrok]

I just do this when i buy some snacks,i always read the amount of the calori.

I read *everything* as my son is autistic and on a gluten free diet. I was really skeptical about it, but it has made a HUGE difference for him. Apparently gluten makes him feel so out of it that he now reads labels before asking me for something. He's 11 and can spot most gluten items. Now I'm working on getting the HFCS stuff out.