A Side of Syrup Podcast - EP 007: A Guide to Understanding Organic and Other Food Label Claims with Shannon Pfeffer of Syrup
After fifteen years in food marketing, I’ve got a thing or two to say about food labels.
Food labels are there for a reason - to keep us safe. However, what is written on pack is often deceiving and dare I say it, unregulated. Not that it’s not totally false. But advertisers and marketers (the ones responsible for the copy on the packaging) tend to push the limits and spin a product in a certain way that’s appealing to the ideal target consumer.
In today’s episode I dive into that “a ha” moment that happened to me when I had to launch a product with light backing behind a bold health claim.
I hope you enjoy the start of this food label explanation/grocery shopping education. The goal is to arm you with all you need to head to the grocery store, ignore the pretty packaging, and buy what you know is great for you and your family.
PS - I am fully onboard with the FDA and USDA. There are just some truths to uncover with knowing what I know about marketing.
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Website: thisissyrup.com
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Full episode transcript:
Hi! My name is Shannon Pfeffer. I'm obsessed with understanding the how and the why behind feeling good and translating that knowledge into strategies that help you live better.
Each week we'll dive into conversations about food, fitness, stress, career, and family. We'll learn from each other, feel more connected, and we'll explore ways to design a life you love.
So what are you waiting for? Keep listening for tips, tricks, and fun facts about feeling good, looking good, and living better. And don't forget to bring a snack. This is the A Side of Syrup Podcast.
00:00.00
syrupcoaching
Hi guys coming to you from my home office today I just wanted to dive into something that as I've been grocery shopping I've been noticing a lot and I thought it'd be helpful for me to transfer my knowledge working in the food industry and. Advertising for food industry and really kind of break down what you need to do in a Multipart series to like teach you how to actually read the labels in a way that matters looking at the calories doesn't really matter or um, some parts of a food label are assigned to like. You believe things that may or may not be true because they can be very vague like those are the kind of things I want to teach you so you can shop smarter and know what's actually in your products. So today I want to talk a little bit about reading the nutrient. Um. Nutrition labels and the nutrients and all of that but very specifically on the copy on the packaging. So this is largely unregulated marketers and copywriters can be super creative about what is unpack. If. It tests well with consumers for the most part it can pretty much fly. There are obvious things that you know, um, things that are completely not true that cannot be put on packaging but things that could lead. You and I to believe something about a product that's perfectly. Okay I know when I first learned that I was like what what? Um anyway, so ah, let's talk about a couple of phrases that we see oftentimes on food packaging. Kind of um, organic natural all natural. Those are things that sort of have the guys and the assumption of this is healthy. This is good for me, but let me break it down for you so you truly understand it and you know what to buy? okay. Let's back up like None ears here where I had to launch a product with some pretty vague claims behind it. It was for a really big brand and they really weren't trying to dupe the consumer they was trying to jump on a trend of like healthy eating and they use this term all natural. And was an all natural cereal product really marketed towards like parents and really mostly moms because that's what most products are marketed marketed to anyway. So this was an adult cereal that was better for you. We can talk about better for you in a bit too.
02:44.35
syrupcoaching
This better for you serial launched at a time when organic wasn't even in a thing like yes, there was a time when organic unpackaging ah didn't really mean anything unless you were like incredibly niche. Um, it was not mainstream at all. So. Organic wasn't a thing and certainly all natural wasn't a thing either but something still felt funny and like what we were circling around How do we launch this product. How do we talk about it. It just was like. The none time I ever experienced like. Like that gut feeling you have sometimes of like this isn't right? They're not trying to do wrong. But I feel like you were not informed. You'd be like oh this is really great for me. Ah the products marketing was making claims that like. Weren't really in the consumer's I he at the time or something consumers really understood. So you're like oh this must be the new thing like I got to I got to buy this I got to look for this Ah needless to say the product didn't last too long on the shelves. It was still way ahead of its time. Um. Having these like health claims on it ah health claims not related to a diet there've been many products in the past you know fatfree sugar-free, low fatt all that kind of stuff. um but in regards to the health of the products and ingredients and um in a product like still was not the time when this really mattered to people as a whole so the product didn't last long and it was the none of many to come out during that time period that kind of came and went as the food world was changing. So. We know today that the the food world is incredibly complex and very opinionated and there's so much more availability out there and there's so much more knowledge but there's also conflicting knowledge. So well the landscape of food and what's available at grocery stores has dramatically changed. And the past fifteen years since that product came out the claims and the packaging really haven't so that's really one I wanted to focus on today. Um, so many product packaging copy and marketing claims are still vague and quite honestly, they're meant to throw you off.
05:19.40
syrupcoaching
They want you to think that their products fall under the healthy or better for you umbrella and have them land in your shopping cart. So have your radar up be on the lookout and like let's dive in so you understand a little bit more than I can help you on your shopping journey. So. When shopping I want to help you navigate this marketing speak learn what claims are valid and specifically in the United States what the Usda and Fda um their role in everything and you know where their regulations stop and where they end. Um, and I want you to find products that you actually want to buy that are actually good for you other than than the whole foods. Um, so we'll qualify something as organic like let's just start there so the Usda is the government. Organization that sort of controls the term organic and how it is used and how brands are allowed to talk about it. Um, specifically on their packaging and in their marketing so according to their website. This is a direct verbatim quote. The Usda is the government agency that is responsible for providing a safety net for millions of americans who are food insecure and for developing and promoting dietary guidance based on scientific evidence usda works to increase food security and reduce hunger by providing children and low-income people. Access to food a healthful diet a nutrition education in a way that supports American Agriculture and inspires public confidence I do not have anything against the Usda but the takeaway from that is they are busy. They are working on so many public health issues in regards to food when it comes to what's unpack for an Apple sauce. They're not policing it as much as um as they could be. They don't have that that bandwidth to do that. Ah, and I see this kindly um the line of in a way that supports american agriculture also supports big dollar american brands. So there might be companies that can. Get away with saying a little more things because they are such an integral part of the american agriculture and economy when it comes to food not pointing fingers here just explaining how it all works so according to the Usda organic products must.
08:05.50
syrupcoaching
Be produced using agricultural production practices that foster resource cycling promote ecological balance maintain and improve soil and water quality and minimize the use of synthetic materials and conserve biodiversity. That's all amazing and that is great. Um, and that's sort of the key takeaway of it's not just the product itself. It's the farm. It's all the components into running the farm and the future of the farm. So according to the Usda as well. There are 4 different ways. Organic can be labeled on products. This is where to really pay attention if you if I've lost you for a minute come back focus this is where it really really matters to listen. Okay, 100% organic this product contains all organic ingredients and these products will have the official usda organic seal. On packaging can't argue at all against it. It is there. So then there's also organic that product contains and at a minimum 95% organic ingredients. So for the most part. It's totally organic. So these products will also have the official usda organic seal. The none category is made with organic ingredients that's something I'm sure you see a lot on packaging. It's such a coup for a brand to be able to have that because. You see that and you're like oh it's organic. Not holy ah made with means that products must contain at least 70% organic ingredients. The other 30% is up for grabs. They don't have to say where they're from. They could be organic. They could not be. Most likely not because if they were they would have fought hard for the organic or 100% organic labeling and getting that seal. So these products do not have a seal on them at all the fourth category is another one that is a little bit tricky as you see it and you see like. Made with organic tomatoes and a sauce. The organic tomatoes are the only thing that is organic in that product but the assumption of like a call out on the packaging like ooh. It's got an organic ingredient makes the consumer think. Oh hey, it's all organic. It is not. There is no regulation for the percentage of and organic ingredients in a product saying and it has a specific organic ingredient list. So if it has None ingredient like organic tomatoes.
10:52.54
syrupcoaching
Could be it if it has None ingredient like organic I don't know flour. That's it. That's all that is required to have that on the packaging. So I just wanted to be very crystal clear about those breakdowns because it's. Often? Um, where you get tripped up and that's where the the marketing gets very murky because when you see organic consumer sees organic on a product and they think it's all the way there. It's not um. But just those those 4 things let's review them again. We oh got them locked in her head 100% organic organic those are the None things you should be looking for most often in package goods made with organic ingredients. You know that's a great alternative if that's all that's available. And they must contain mostly you know majority organic ingredients. But if it's just a specific organic ingredient be a little mindful be a little wary um, see what else is on the shelf. Ah okay, let's talk a little bit about the challenge. I was facing when I launched that product like fifteen years ago all natural ah you know that is another one that you're like okay I see this a lot I see it now I see it in cosmetics I see it in laundry detergent. Um. I see it in like clothing labels. You know what? what does this mean because again it goes under this like umbrella of like oh it's natural. It's good for me. Maybe um, let's dive a little bit further into that. So the government agency that regulates. Um, consumer products is the Fda food and drug administration. So their charge is vast think of all the consumer products that are out there that like Procter and gamble has a loan from shampoo to razor to hyenol to lipstick. You know one of the Fda's key focus areas is around labeling conventional foods to avoid misinformation. However, you've been to a grocery store and you've shopped online right? There is so much out there. There's so many ingredients there's like look out of face cream. Like there's so much in there this one government agency has to regulate all. Ah so there's so much product a seemingly endless amount and you know they're worried about the labeling but they're also worried about the important stuff too like.
13:39.22
syrupcoaching
Food safety and product safety like what are you putting on your face. What vitamins are you ingesting in your body like is it good stuff. They don't want bad stuff ending up in your food or on your body or you know digested. Um, so that leaves food markers with the flexibility to. Embellish a little bit about what their product offers so case in point here is natural and I use this in the food lens. But I also you know I'm saying this to let you know about the other products like specifically products you put on your body and in your body. Um. Definitely another podcast episode here. But I don't mean to scare anybody I just I just want to drop all the knowledge that I have about this business to you guys to help alleviate any worry that you have for what your. Giving yourself and your family and your friends and those all around you. That's all, um, okay, so when you think natural eating healthy, got it. So if I've lost you again in talking about government agencies and all of their purposes. Come back to me? let's dive into natural and and what this labeling means so there's no formal Fda regulation around this term. It can be put on any and every package from food to beauty products and it can mean or note. Anything the brand wants you to believe so I'll give you another example, um of a past product I worked on and you can do this challenge at home I still think this exists today. Um, so go to the grocery store. And look at like strawberry fruit bars, kids aisle or granola bar. Um then pick up that strawberry flavor and sometimes blueberry too. But really, they do it most often with strawberry flip over the box and look at the ingredient list. Do you see strawberry flavoring isn't that weird like super weird on like a real fruit product just because a product is labeled strawberry or blueberry. It does not have to have the actual fruit in it. Let me repeat that just because a product is labeled strawberry or blueberry. It does not have to have that fruit in it. A lot of times you'll see some different like fruit flavorings. Um on the back ingredient list.
16:27.76
syrupcoaching
And most often a strawberry flavored bar is actually dates injected with strawberry flavoring so it makes it product sweeter to begin with and it's going to have that perfect strawberry taste because it's lab created to. Have that so the other you know, sad, but true fact is in order to save money. Strawberries are very expensive blueberries are very expensive to produce at that scale. They'll use cheaper fruit and especially in kids' products. Which I don't love. Um and then just inject that flavor. So it makes it taste like exactly what it says on the packaging. So next time you're um, looking at the ingredient list for fruit or fruit flavored product. Be sure to look at the claim on the packaging too. Made with real fruit. So like the Grano Lavar example here made with real fruit is like None of the most bogus claims and I'm just like I'm laughing before I read this because I made was real fruit. Only requires food to contain as little as 2% 2% real fruit and they can still put this claim on their packaging saying it's made with real fruit or or I don't know which one is better or which one is worse. Ah, the fruit may not be fruit at all. It may be juice concentrate concentrate which is just basically sugar. So check the label and see how far down fruit falls on the list. If real fruit is one of the none few ingredients on the label. You're fine and and it actually is made with real fruit. But if it's one of the last or only in concentrate or like you know something when like. Dextros or something something with like some very long words next to it. That's really just a form of sugar. Um, maybe put it back on the shelf. It may not be the healthiest thing for for your body. So I I hope you guys enjoyed this I know it's. Probably a lot of information to digest at 1 time I'll have more breakdown in the show notes. Um, so that you can really like sort of like print it or screen grab it and take it to the grocery store with you. Um, or have it up on a tab here. So that when you're online grocery shopping. Um.
19:11.57
syrupcoaching
You can also have it up for reference. So this is just the start of an ongoing series where I'll teach you to look past the pretty packaging although hey I'm a sucker for it too. Um, but I'm wanting you to look past the the pretty packaging the bold marketing claims and really arm you with what to look for. In your food and on the packaging. So when you're shopping, you're getting in the best for yourself and you're feeling good and you're feeling in forms about shopping. So anyway, I I hope that you guys will tune in from the next episode. It's a good one. And I cannot wait to continue this series with you if there are any like and all food shopping marketing labeling questions. You specifically have just reach out to me Shannon at this is thisissyrup.com or Dm me on insta @syrupcoaching. Um I'd love to hear from you. This is Fascinating to me and I could totally geek out about it for hours. But ah I'll cut myself off here. Okay I have a good one bye guys.