No Sugar Added may be technically correct, but is it honest?
There has been quite a bit of noise in the food industry about ‘No Sugar Added’ claims in products, particularly following criticism of products such as The Whole Truth bars, which use dates and date powder while carrying a “No Sugar Added” claim.
The company called The Whole Truth has since moved toward the more transparent description: “Sweetened by Dates.” An improvement because consumers deserve to know what is actually contributing to the sweetness of a product.
As a food technologist who used to work in the field, this has been a massive pet peeve of mine, where marketing claims are designed specifically to be misleading so they can appear to be ‘healthier’ or have a ‘health halo’.
This debate has showcased how health claims work in the food industry and how consumers are the ones who are paying for this.
My question to you, the consumer, is what would you like to see?
More accountability and transparency of these food claims and marketing?
This is very timely as I cover this in my book For F**ds sake, and specifically the section on food claims that consumers need to look out for, where I unpack the language, loopholes, and tactics consumers should understand before making purchasing decisions.
If you’ve ever felt confused by food labels, this chapter was written for you.