Now that the Atkins Diet has more or less gone 100% mainstream, dozens of vendors are jumping on the low-carb bandwagon. Don’t get me wrong, I think this is a Good Thing, but quite a few companies are relying on their marketing department to design their labels and nutritional datasheets. Even tried and true respected companies that have been producting low-carb foods for years have started to modify their labeling and marketing technique.
For example, some products may tout “0 sugar carbs” in bold letters on the front of the package but only reveal in the fine print on the back that the product has a few grams of net carbs. Even worse is avertising low net carbs per serving on the front of the package and then revealing on the back of the package that one serving is rediculously small. Sure, companies have been doing this for years, but I’ve noticed an upwards trend over the past six months or so.
Either way, before purchasing any food item for a specialized diet, be sure to read the front, back, and fine print of the label to make sure it’s the appropriate product for your needs.
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The FDA has rules about labeling claims that specifically bar the use of “Low” such as low-carb, when FDA has not established a standard for “low” for an ingredient or nutritional element(such as the standard they have for low fat)… So claims of low-carb on labels right now are actually illegal.
This is because absent a standard (and in the case of carbs it’s complicated as there are good carbs and bad carbs, so what if a product is low in good carbs, but absent in the bad carbs…) then the potential for misleading consumers and abuses by unethical marketers is high.
This is true for a range of claims made and which can be found at http://www.stoplabelinglies.com.
Amen! I’ve been taken on this more than I care to share. Watch labels closely!