Tuesday, May 31, 2011

LABELING AND CONSUMERS

ENG 101
M Jacqueline Corrales

                                                       LABELING AND CONSUMERS 
The American food industry provides food labels containing information about how healthy their products are, just to ensure their revenue. Instead, consumers should know what to look for and how to interpret these labels, because if they are read carefully, labels tell us what the manufacturers want us think about the healthfulness of the product. However, consumers deserve food labels that explain what is in the package so that they can understand because labels should serve customers, not just the food industry.
Although food labels are supposed to tell us exactly what is in the food, marketers have created a language of their own to make foods sound more healthful than they really are. Food claims using words like “natural,” “pure,” “doctor recommended,” “lower cholesterol” or “contains antioxidants” have become a common way for companies to easily convince consumers. Claims on food products have less information about what is nutritious, because marketers are more interested in how to promote their products through graphics, colors, shape and the size of the boxes. Usually, health claims state a relationship between  the components of the food and consumers’ health; therefore, a food claim make consumers think that buying and eating a particular product will actually make them healthier. For instance, if we take a look at Honey Nut Cheerios, we see on the front of the package a beautiful red heart with a claim stating, “can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease,” followed by a disclaimer in small and unclear letters stating, “as part of a low fat diet with the soluble fiber in Honey Nut cheerios.”  People who are suffering from diabetes, high cholesterol or are obese would not think twice about purchasing the product.  As Andrea Thompson says, “In a survey it was found that forty one percent of respondents trust that all or most of the nutrients claims such as ‘low fat’ or ‘high fiber’ are accurate, while fifty six percent believe that some or more of them are accurate”; therefore, people trust what food claims state and their benefits because the food industry is supposedly under the supervision of the government.
                The Nutritional Labeling Act was signed on November 1990, by President H. W. Bush. This law gave the Food and Drug Administration the authority to require nutrition labeling on most food. Although this law was created to provide consumers with information in terms of nutrition, the Nutrition Facts label misleads consumers. Terms such as thiamine, hydrochloride, riboflavin, niacin foliate, alphatecopherol, ascorbic acid, just to mention a few are hard to understand. Because of the lack of knowledge, many people depend on what the Nutrition Facts say when they try to make a healthy food selection. There are many people suffering from obesity who are looking to cut calories, fat and carbohydrates. How can they overcome their conditions if they are not able to understand food labels?  As Jessica Toed states ,  “In a recent study of patients with chronic illness, eighty nine percent of whom reported on food labels, found that many were unable to use the Nutrition Facts.” In reality, even people who go to school, college and even professionals are not able to understand the food labeling nutrition terminology. In addition, lack of time does not allow people to stop and read the food labeling accurately. Ingredients are not easy to read, because they are typed too small, and they do not use bullets to separate one ingredient from another. Allergic and non -allergic ingredients are listed together and are highlighted in red. All forms of sugar are typed in terminology that consumers do not understand such as syrup, maltose, nectar; sucrose should be listed followed by the word sugar. Similarly, this should be done with sodium, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol. As William Neuman states, “What we are suggesting is that food products be labeled in a consistent way with information that will help the general public decrease their risk for chronic diseases and this is the type of information that is unlikely to currently appear on the package” because the nutrition facts are called to give consumers a clear summary of significant information to help consumers.
In addition, in an effort to better inform consumers about nutritional food content, certain industries have recently created a front package nutrition label called Nutrition Keys. The industry created it in response to First Lady Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity campaign to help people choose more healthful food. However, the front label added to show consumers the real state of a product with clear symbols to guide consumers avoids contents that promote obesity, cancer and heart disease. This does not help much because it only contains a little information. For example, in some drinks we can see a small front label describing the number of calories like zero, ten or fifty, but it does not specify sugar content.  Those who used to read the Nutrition Facts would go back to the traditional one to try to understand, but they get confused. As Kelly Brownell states, “just putting those numbers on the front of the package could be confusing rather that helpful.” People need to know specifically, which of the ingredients might be affecting their health, what they should not consume, who should or should not consume a particular ingredient, and what the consequences could be from drinking or eating a particular food frequently. Consumers need to be warned when a food is high in calories and low in nutrients in order make them eat less or stop buying a food that has such warnings because the excess of calories, fat, sugar and sodium are hurtful just as the alcohol, smoke and drugs are. Therefore, on its labels, the food industry should warn consumers about harmful substances contained in its products and change the label system in a way that everybody understands. As Michael F Jacobson states, “another intuitive system could use red, yellow, or green dots to indicate whether a food has healthy, middling or unhealthy levels of a given nutrient.’ This can be a great strategy, because we have to take into consideration that a lot Americans lack time or  do not understand the labeling language and that many Americans lack English language skills.
The traditional food labeling, the new front labeling, and food claims in general do not have accurate information at all. The government must review and ensure that all the food industries produce what the consumers deserve and not what the food industry wants people to think about their products. On the other hand, the government and the food industry cannot work alone. Consumers need to read and interpret labels before they consume a product, because healthy claims on a product only increase the price of the product and mislead consumers.                      

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Jacqueline Corrales

                                                   ANNOTATED  BIOGRAPHY
My topic will be about, labeling  law nutrition and I will focus on, how people is prepared to use and  indentify a label attached on an item, and how the government is involved
Tood, Jessica E. The Decline in consumer use of food nutrition Labels, 1995 -2006/ Jessica E Tood and Jayachandran N Variyam.
This book will help to introduce the begin of the standard nutrition labels which started in 1994 and also examines how consumer use of the nutrition labels changed lately. (chapter 6,7)
Hellmich, Nancy. Food labels go to front on packages, USA Today 01/25/2011.Http//rpa.laguardia.edu2048/login
This article would help to understand how the government try to help consumers choose more healthful foods by codifying with color label in order people  understand better  labeling.
Capellano, Kathleen L.  Labeling Food Choices: Nutrition Labeling, Health Claims, and Front of Package Labeling. Nutrition Today 2009, 44(6)269-73.
This article refers about nutritional labeling, health claims. In store nutrition navigation
Yates, III, Charles R.Trimming The Fat: A Study of Mandatory Nutritional Disclosure Laws and Excessive Judicial Deference. Washington & Lee Law Review, spring 2010, Vol. 67 Issue 2, p787-827, 41p.
An article focuses on the nutritional labeling laws and regulations in the U.S. It discusses the history of laws implemented on food and drugs labeling which include the federal food.
Nestle, Marion. Food politics: How The Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health/ Marion Nestle 2002 by the Regents of the University of California. P 122, 123, 124
 This book would help to understand how the companies confuse the consumers, by given them a fake information on the label and how the American Council on Science and Health support them

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Help people with recipies, because most people do not know how to cook
Learn ways in which groceries, fruits and vegetables should be stored
Understand that most people are sick or close to be hospitalized and learn what the foods should be avoid
How people could be involved in a farm either became a worker or a member
Shrimps Industry in Ecuador
Learn to read  food labels
Milk and dairy
Sring water, boiled water, fountain water
If the Food Stamps Program is supposed to promote nutrition and ensure people improve their health, I do not see why the government should create a new law to impose people what to buy with their small amount benefits food stamps. Especuilly in a country where most adults and children in poor neighborhoods have a high  rate of obesity and overweight, who really need help in terms on nutrition. Instead, governmnet should dissapear the idea of comsumption  of all artificial and suggared drinks by food stamps in order people force themseves  drink water which is meant one of the best health source.
ENG 101
M Jacqueline Corrales

                                                   Response  Super Size and Fast Food Nation Chapter two

This film is not only blaming  fast food restaurants  for the obesity epidemic, and other health problems  but it  encourages us to talk about what we eat daily and what we should do about it. It is a clear message trying to change consumer’s behavior and habits in terms of nutrition. Especially those who are eating fast food morning, afternoon and evening, this film is a good lesson to avoid the excess of fast food.  Sometimes, we do not realize about the consequences that fast food can cause, as Morgan   Spurlock after completing his experiment gained weight and developed a high cholesterol level. Many people blame the lack of time as the main reason why they eat junk food.  I agree with them in part, but sometimes we do it just because of convenience. I do not believe that the American government will stop the food industry from selling dangerous food, instead we have to watch what we eat and manage better our time in order to be in a good health condition which requires time, effort, and patience and keep in mind that the food industry is a huge money maker which keeps inventing products that make people spend their money. On the other hand, in the book “Fast Food Nation” children as everyone know they love toys, play, and socialize with other children, therefore for many years Mc Donald   becomes the best place for them. Since this huge company spends billions of dollars in commercial television, children are already familiar with all the advertisements.  Children in America in some ways command parents. If parents would really love them, they would not provide them whatever they ask for. For instance thousands of children are pleased by a happy meal every single day even when they are not feeling hungry but because the meal contains a toy.  Parents need to be aware about their children’ health, and stop pleasing them because they need to be protected from future diseases.  

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Works Cited

Dolson, Laura. “Fructose Sweet, But Dangerous.”  About .com.  9 Oct. 2008. Web. 4 Apr. 2011.
                           Food, Inc. Dir. Robert Kenner. Magnolia, 2009. DVD.

Guyenet, Sthepan. “Potatoes and Human Health, Part 1.” Whole Health Sources.  19 Sep.  2010.
                                     Web. 4  Apr. 2011.

Libernais, Laurence. “Cabbage Brassica Oleracea.” Libernais-Saeftiel. 2000. Web. 4 Apr. 2011

 Llewerlyn, Mark. “Feeding Fallacies.” Equinews. 8 Nov. 2001. Web. 4 Apr. 2011

Rodrigo, Joseph. “All About Garlic.” Newspiritservices.com. 9 Nov. 2008. Web. 4 Apr 2011.

Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation. New York: Harper Perennial, 2005. Print.

Turner, Lisa. “The Real Beef: Why Serve Grass Fed Beef.” Chef’s Blade. Monster.com, 2009. Web.  
                         4 Apr  2011.

Monday, April 11, 2011

M Jacqueline Corrales
                                                 FOOD  IN 2

In the Food Inc movie the author is trying  to make us  understand how  thousands of products are  treated  by the food industry  before people buy  to  consume and not only products, but employees and animals too.
After I watched  Food In movie,  I felt really bad about how people work and struggle to bring food at home. Imaginably we spent money in food to be nourished, but  fruits, vegetables, meats, found  at the market very nice wrapped, claiming to be healthy  and announced in expensive commercials have a little or none nutrient.  Instead they are full of the pesticides and fertilizers and in some cases they are also contaminated by bacteria that kill humans.  Similarly, meats come from animals raised by hormones and chemicals and fed with corn to make them fat quickly.  Humans have no compassion, with animals suffer unnecessarily.
On the other hand, Immigrants who came to America looking for a better future have become the best work sources of these industries.  Since employees are undocumented, employers have created worker conditions to abuse their rights. They employ illegal immigrants, who allow them to avoid compensations for the numerous injuries.  Industries only want to have a highest production at the lowest cost possible.
 I believe that the right of food is a human right as any other right. Food represents plants and animals that God created to survive and none has the right to change it. Although, the food industry in association with politics are keeping controlling all the food production by modifying every day the natural system to accomplish their intensive production, we are the ones who have to be alert when we choose what to eat and what to avoid, be healthy and choose organic food would be a good way to avoid cancers diseases.