8 Fixes Nutritionists Want on Food Labels

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I and my friends and family want to know if products are derieved from genitically modified plants and animals!

Parker Maxwell of IL 6:02AM October 22, 2008

Today, more and more activists will exploit any and every opportunity to further their goals. Sustainability, growing practices, or carbon footprints? What does any of that have to do with food labeling? The author's intent was clearly stated improving "food nutrition labels." What does sustainability have to do with the nutrition value?
It is suggested that "a short, visually compelling story showing where the ingredients came from, how and by whom it was made, and how it got to the store" might be nice. Who's agenda does that fall into?
When are we going to start caring about the reason for things like nutrition labels? Liberal activists have no conscience for what they will demand in the name of their cause. The end does not justify the means.

Liz Bell of NC 4:01AM October 22, 2008

I would really like to see labels that told what genetically engineered(GE) and modified(GM) products are in them, the type of modifications, and the amounts. It is a big concern to me that possibly unsafe GE and GM products are lurking in the food my family eats! I have read studies that state over 70% of grain products in the US are GE or GM! That is SCARY! There are currently NO laws requiring food companies to list these ingredients! If i knew what products had GE or GM food in them I would NEVER buy them! I don't want to eat corn flakes that are made from corn with modified insect genes in it!
I would also like to see warnings about the harmful effects of hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated oils. Studies indicate that these oils, that are taken and unnaturally seperated with hydrogen atoms to promote longer shelf life, can get into fat cells but not out. Adding to the obesity problem and the slowed effects of weight loss.

Lisa J of IL 12:13AM October 22, 2008

Most people don't realise that food labels can claim "No Trans Fats" as long as there is less than 0.5mg per serving.
If you were to eat more than 1 serving of foods that contained Hydrogenated or Partially hydrogenated oils, even if they meet the less than 0.5mg trans fats per serving, 4 servings of these foods will give you 2mg trans fats.
The food labels need to spell out exactly how many mg of trans fat is present in these foods and close the loop hole that lets food manufacturers claim 'No Trans Fats' when in actuality there ARE trans fats in their product.
This is particularly important for those people at risk of cardiovascular disease from elevated Cholesterol.

Kat L. of TX 10:29PM October 21, 2008

I would also add that in the ingredients list, any cloned (aka genetically engineered) ingredients should be identified as such. I want to know if the corn in my potato chips was grown the way nature intended it or if it was created by some scientists messing around with the genes.

Jim of CA 3:07PM October 21, 2008

I want food labels to tell me where the food products originated, manufactured and the actual ingredients. I am very frustrated in trying to eat healthy and safe food. I can't determine what is actually in the product and the products origin with the fuzzed up labeling system. I do not want to eat food from unsafe countries who do not practice safe food processing. It is very difficult to protect my family under the current labeling practice. I buy nothing processed anymore.

Honest Labeling of CA 2:44PM October 21, 2008

Personally, I feel that the 2000-calorie-per-day is way too much. This is especially true for women. In order for an average-built woman to need that many calories, she would need to be 6'8"! 2000 calories may be suitable for a 6'3" male, but how many 6'8" females does anyone know?! I think that the percent daily values should be recalculated at 1500 calories, which is about halfway between what an average female (1000-1300 kcal) and an average male (1700-2000 kcal) would need.

Heather of OK 1:42PM October 21, 2008

Everything mentioned has merit and should be addressed, including the allergen issue. But as the last comment pointed out, there is only so much room on each label,so this might be impractical.
Hows about having some sort of computer in the stores that a consumer could go to, type int he product, and get all this info if they so chose? Perhaps with a printer or a way to send the info to their personal PC?
The biggest issue for me is unbiased education.....which won't come from the food companies themselves. We need to have classes in schools that explain about food origins, modern agricultural methods, proper nutrition, allergen issues, and even HOW TO READ A LABEL.
BTW - Michael Pollan ROCKS.....I think he is the first person to really stand up to modern agribusiness. I had a small organic farm in the past and have seen more than I care to say. I am not a raging extremist, just a concerned consumer and health care professional. My current experience has led me to realize that, without proper education, we will likely see little change in peoples eating habits....at a HUGE cost to our health insurance companies.
Perhaps that is where we need to look...cheap food is costing us more in health care costs than anyone realizes......food for thought, eh????

Pam of NY 10:02AM October 21, 2008

I was surprised that the issue of food allergen labeling did not merit at least one sentence in your article -- which I found very interesting. I would particularly like to see information on pairing made more widely available.
Those of us concerned about nutrition include many concerned about food allergies and food labeling. We read labels three times because one or more ingredients may cause an allergic reaction that could escalate to a fatal reaction. We read the label in the supermarket, when we put the product on our shelves at home, each time we use the product. More than once products that we thought were "safe" when purchased, end up being thrown away because they cause a reaction or have been contaminated in processing and recalled. Even if the product we purchased is not the one recalled, if it is produced by the same manufacturer, it will go into the trash, or be donated to the local food sharing program if unopened.
With regard to food allergens, comments on the relatively recent changes in labeling laws for food allergens are solicited by the Federal government. I plan to submit comments, and first decided to ask the family member most affected by food allergies how he has responded to the changes in labeling laws now that he is not only living away from home, but also doing some cooking. I asked him whether he would eat a product that was produced in a facility that also produced a product using nuts, peanuts, or tree nuts if good manufacturing practices were followed. There are other levels of labeling, but this is considered the one next in line to a product label stating that the product does not include any nuts at all AND is manufactured in a facility that does not use nuts.
He said no, any label concerning nuts or peanuts would mean that he would not consume that product. He also continues to follow a "best practice" of staying away from products that are more likely to contain nuts or tree nuts than other products without regard to the labels, for example, baked goods, desserts, products made with mixed grains, or products manufactured by small companies. He eats no chocolate unless he makes it himself or it is a major brand like Hershey's; he consumes no foods manufactured outside of the US where our laws do not apply or with ingredients grown or produced outside the US.
So in conclusion, if you asked my son what additional information he would like to see on a label, he might be more concerned about whether the label itself were an accurate representation of the ingredients inside. Let's get this part right first before we add more regulation.
Please also remember that some products are very small and that the more information that is included on the label, the harder it is to read. This issue is compounded by the fact that small single serving packaging is increasingly popular. These packages may have no label at all.

Mother May Contain of VA 11:23PM October 18, 2008