Grocery 101: Reading Juice Labels

During a recent shopping excursion, I realized how crazy juice labeling is. You have to look carefully. If not, you will find yourself going home with something you did not intend to buy.

Check out the photo of the three types of Grape products. I was looking for "Grape Juice", but came across:

1. Grape Drink

2. 100% Juice - Grape

3. Grape Juice

First off, anything that contains less than 10% of the fruit juice the product is supposed to be representing can't be called "Juice". It must be labeled as "Drink". This includes the Grape Drink in the picture, Sunny Delight, Hawaiian Punch, etc. They are typically made with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, a splash of juice and the rest artificial or natural flavors. Bottom line: Don't buy "Drinks". They are junk.

Second, it's great that the product is 100% juice. The only problem is that I want Grape Juice. Notice on the second bottle that "Grape" comes after "Juice". That's because the product is 100% juice, just not 100% Grape Juice. They use other juices, most commonly apple, to make the product less expensive (grapes are more expensive than apples). It's nice that the product is 100% Juice, but I want Grape Juice, so let's move on.

The third bottle was what I was looking for: Grape Juice. I double-checked the ingredients list just to make sure and it stated simply and eloquently: "Filtered Water, Grape Juice from Concentrate, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid (the latter two ingredients are natural preservatives)." Success!

Notice that even though I found the version of Grape Juice I was looking for, I still read the ingredients. Manufacturers know all of the labeling loopholes. For example, while the front panel says "Grape Juice", they could have very easily added fine print for "with other natural flavors" or "and other fruit juices".

By the way, "from concentrate" is just that: Whatever the juice, it is processed into a concentrated form and put into cold storage until the manufacturer is ready to bottle it. At which time, the fruit concentrate is mixed with the appropriate amount of water, packaged and sent off to your local grocery store.

One more tip on "Light" juices. The term "Light" means that manufacturers have either diluted the concentrate with more water to reduce the calories per serving, or they use an artificial sweetener (usually Splenda).

My recommendation is not to bother with "Light". Avoid watered down juice or artificial sweetener, buy the full version and simply moderate your consumption!

TLN Health News Heads Up: Is It Healthy? Food Rating Systems Battle It Out

By ANDREW MARTIN

At the grocery store, shoppers confront a dizzying array of labels promoting whole grains, reduced fat, antioxidants or vitamins. Some foods are said to be “Smart Choices,” while others are a “Sensible Solution.”

Amid the confusion, how can consumers tell whether Cheerios, say, are better or worse than Special K? Is light mayonnaise more nutritious than regular? Which are worse, Nilla Wafers or Chunky Chips Ahoy?

Suddenly, after years of chaotic, conflicting health claims on food, various groups are rushing to create systems that are supposed to make sense of it all. And grocery chains are starting to line up behind one system or another. Within months, shoppers across the country may find numerical ratings, star ratings or letter grades plastered on the shelf next to virtually every product in a store.

“We know that our customers are looking for answers in how to make their diet better,” said Ric Jurgens, president and chief executive of Hy-Vee grocery stores and chairman of a cooperative that has endorsed one system. He says it “provides a revolutionary and simple way to assess all the foods in our stores.”

But consumer advocates worry that the sudden flurry of rating systems could add to shopper confusion, not ameliorate it, at least until one of the systems wins out and becomes a national standard. Moreover, determining what foods are healthier is as much art as science, requiring judgment about how much value to attach to various scientific findings about diet and health.

TLN Editor Comments: There are very good points made in this article regarding food company and grocery chains making self-determining ratings of foods. Obviously, their systems will be commercially influenced to best position their own products. Form your own opinion, by reading more on this article at the New York Times!