Do you know what makes your margarine extra light?

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Do you know what makes your margarine extra light?
Do you know what makes your margarine extra light?
Anonim

Thanks to the development of the food industry, in supermarkets and hypermarkets we can choose from many alternative products for special nutritional purposes, which contain certain ingredients to a lesser or greater extent compared to traditional foods. However, the wide selection can also cause problems for the customer, as the "light", "sodium-free", "low-fat", "natural origin" indicators indicating a he althy diet on food labels are very general terms that can be misleading without sufficient research. If you want to be more informed when it comes to food labels, read on as we've rounded up the most common nutrition claims and what you need to know about them.

"Low fat" is not necessarily he althier

One hundred grams of a traditional margarine contains more than 80% fat, and the extra light version contains 35% fat. The remaining 65% is made up of additives such as modified starch, whey powder, emulsifiers, s alt, preservatives, food acid, aromas, dyes, and possibly vitamins.

Low-fat foods and vegetable oils have become so popular in recent decades because, according to nutrition experts and scientific research, saturated fat damages the cardiovascular system. Therefore, food manufacturers and distributors began to replace animal fats with unsaturated vegetable oils. Vegetable oils are made usable by hydrogenation, which results in a solid state, and to achieve a taste and texture similar to butter, a larger amount of sugar is added to the products - reports He althy, Fit and Well. This is why it happens that reduced-fat foods contain more calories than their traditional counterparts. The other day, we learned from Unilever that the high-quality products available in stores have not been hydrogenated for decades, but are made from natural ingredients, vegetable fats (e.g. coconut and palm), vegetable oils and water, so it doesn't hurt if for the sake of a he althy diet still checks every ingredient on the label, not just the benefits listed in capital letters.

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169957396

The fat content of butter products

- Butter can have a fat content of at least 80% and up to 90%.

- Reduced and low-fat butter can be three-quarter fat (60-62% fat) or half-fat (39-41%). - According to their fat content, butter products and flavored butter products can be between 10-39%, 41-60% and 62-80%.

Just like fruit juices

100% fruit juices and other natural processed foods can also be full of additives and artificial carbohydrates. If we are talking about the total fruit content, then it is worth choosing from the products labeled "contains no added sugar", "contains naturally occurring sugars" or freshly squeezed at home…

Did you know that the recommended daily dose of some factory vegetable juices also contains six teaspoons (!) of added sugar? Similarly, the packaging of those diet yogurts whose label shows an ultra-thin silhouette of a woman is deceptive. While these products are promoted as part of a he althy lifestyle due to their 90% reduced fat content, they do not make a big deal out of the fact that a small glass of yogurt can contain 40 grams of added sugar, even though it is not the best deal to consume extra sugar in exchange for low fat content. A really he althy alternative would be to mix natural yogurt made from skimmed milk with pieces of fresh fruit, so you can control the fat and sugar content yourself.

Nutrition claims

For our body to function properly, we naturally need calories in the form of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The bottom line is quality and quantity, which is why it's worth being on the lookout when shopping and reading more carefully what is written on food labels. Here is a list of the sometimes vague terms you may come across when shopping:

Claims that can be indicated on foods intended for general public consumption and for special nutritional purposes:

  • Reduced energy is food whose energy content is at least 30% less than the energy content of similar traditional food. Energy-reduced soft drinks are those whose energy content is less than 20 kcal per 100 ml. Energiaszegény is food whose 100 grams or one serving contains no more than 40 kcal.(This regulation does not apply to drinks.) Energiamentes/light is food that contains no more than 2.4 kcal of energy per 100 grams. Even the terms "diet" and "light" are used as unofficial designations, for which it is recommended to check the label. The term "light" can be misleading because it is used both for foods with no added sugar and with reduced fat content.
  • Reduced-fat food whose fat content is at least 50% lower than that of similar conventional food and whose cholesterol content is no more than 50mg/100g.
  • A food can be called

  • Sugar-free if the concentration of mono- and disaccharides in it is no more than 0.5 g/100 g. The "sugar-free" label can only be used if another food similar to the given food contains sugar (e.g. Coca Cola, Coca Cola light).
  • Enriched with vitamins or minerals is the food whose vitamin or mineral content has been increased by a suitable process (e.g. breeding, breeding) or addition compared to similar food. The amount of food consumed once contains at least one third of the recommended daily consumption of at least one vitamin or mineral, but does not exceed the daily recommended amount.
  • Real fruit content: The juice itself is usually filtered or fibrous 100% juice obtained from a type of fruit and preserved by heat treatment. Fiber juices also contain the natural fine fibers of fruits. They are usually made by adding acid, flavorings and water. In the production of nectar, sugar, acid, water and flavoring are added to the filtered or fibrous juice. The prescribed fruit content is a minimum of 25%, while for apples and pears it is 45%. The fruit drink is made similarly to the nectar, but its minimum fruit content is 12%.
  • shutterstock 44299762
    shutterstock 44299762
  • Low-cholesterol is food that contains no more than 20 mg/100 g of cholesterol. Cholesterol-free is food with a cholesterol content of less than 5 mg/100 g. Reduced cholesterol content and cholesterol-free should not be mentioned in the case of food that naturally does not contain cholesterol (e.g. plant foods).

Claims that can be indicated on foods for special nutritional purposes:

  • In the case of bakery and pasta products, diabetic is the product whose carbohydrate content is at least 30%, and in the case of other foods at least 50%, lower than that of comparable traditional foods. (The exception is chocolate, which can only contain fructose as added sugar.) Diabetic beer is beer with a carbohydrate content of no more than 0.75 g/dl, no added mono- or disaccharides, or substances with such content, and a natural mono- and disaccharide content of no more than 3 %. These regulations do not apply to fructose.
  • Made with sweetener, food containing no added sugar, which contains some sweetener. All sweeteners are additives and there is no distinction in the regulation as to which are "natural" and which are "artificial" additives.
  • A food produced for the purpose of reduced protein consumption is one whose protein content is no more than 50% of the protein content of comparable traditional foods, and at least 75% of the proteins in it are of complete value.
  • whole grain means that in addition to the kernel, the germ and the seed coat are also ground, resulting in a flour rich in fiber and vitamins. During mill preparation, only the outer, dirty, thin shell layer is removed. Whole-wheat bread only came into the picture out of fashion, and by the time they realized that whole-wheat flour was much he althier, it had fallen out of the eating habits.
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    shutterstock 175975910
  • Graham flour is similar to whole grain flour, which contains all the components of the grain in the same way. The only difference is that its grain size is larger, so it is absorbed more slowly and the feeling of fullness lasts longer after consumption.
  • A gluten is a sticky protein combination found in various cereals, which is normally completely harmless and is digested by a he althy body without any problems. The most common gluten-containing cereals are wheat, spelt, rye, barley and oats. Manufacturers and products of foods specifically for people with gluten sensitivity (gluténmentes flour, pasta, pastries, sweets, ready or semi-ready meals) are registered and regularly inspected. Only products with the appropriate license may have the inscription "gluten-free" or "gluten-sensitive can also be consumed" or the crossed-out wheat ear logo
  • Today, several manufacturers make lactose-free, in fact reduced-lactose milk, sour cream, yogurt, butter. Butter and sour milk products themselves, even if they are not lactose-free, contain less lactose than milk and can be consumed according to individual tolerance.
  • The artificial trans fatty acids produced during the partial or complete hydrogenation of vegetable fats are a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease. The good news is that, according to the EMMI regulation aimed at limiting trans fats, from February 18, 2015, food with a trans fat content of more than 2 percent cannot be marketed in Hungary.
  • Low-sodium/low-s alt food with a sodium content of no more than 0.12g/100g, specifically low-sodium/low-s alt can be used if the the sodium content of the food does not exceed 0.04g/100g, and the product is sodium-free/s alt-free if the sodium content is a maximum of 0.005g/100g.
  • Bio/organic food: organic farming is a specific form of agricultural production that favors local resources and natural processes during production over external resources and alien substances. Accordingly, the use of, for example, synthetic plant protection agents, artificial fertilizers and genetically modified organisms is prohibited in organic farming.
  • Natural ingredients: Although it is not legally defined what is considered a natural ingredient, according to OÉTI's point of view, for example, artificial vitamin C (ascorbic acid) does not belong here, even if if the structure of the molecule is the same as that of naturally occurring vitamin C. The word "natural" is strictly regulated for certain foods (e.g. natural mineral water, natural flavor, etc.). The concept of natural and artificial flavor is gone.
  • The natural aroma is extracted from processed plant or animal materials using appropriate physical or microbiological methods, raw materials suitable for human consumption, or standard food technology processes.

What are functional foods?

Absolute statement: poor, rich, free, source (e.g. energy-free, vitamin source).

Relative statement: contains reduced, increased/enriched amount (e.g. vitamin-enriched, reduced energy content, light). Relative animal values are based on values characteristic of the same type of food or their group, and the degree of reduction or increase (e.g. 40% reduced fat content) must be indicated on the food label.

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Food labeling is constantly checked by the NÉBIH and the Food Safety and Animal He alth Directorates of the County Government Offices under its professional supervision and the district offices. In addition, it is also the responsibility of the Public He alth Administration Bodies of the Capital/County Government Offices to ensure that foods for special nutritional purposes meet nutritional goals.

Food industry euphemism

Gyorgy Scrinis, a lecturer at the University of Melbourne's Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, examines in his book Nutritionism, among other things, how these he alth claims influence consumer decisions: "food technology is the industry that claims artificially modified foods or regulates their nutritional values, while the sellers use such well-sounding names as probiotic ice cream, fiber-rich muesli bars, filling fruit smoothies, calorie-burning green tea, or heart-friendly chocolate muffins." Such are fat-free yogurts or heart-friendly chocolates, which contain high concentrations of flavonoids - to lower blood pressure - but you can also find immune-boosting sweets and chewing gum on store shelves.

shutterstock 158083484
shutterstock 158083484

In addition to premium products, there are much more traditional (and cheaper) processed foods that are made more salable by removing or adding nutrients. These include vitamin-enriched cereal flakes, low-fat chicken snacks, calcium-enriched orange juice or high-caffeine energy drinks that "give you wings". Even confectionery products and non-alcoholic drinks seem much he althier if various vitamins (B6, B12) and minerals (zinc, magnesium) are added to them. And it is enough for the conscience of the customer that these products can be classified in the "less harmful" food category, and he can even be happy that cola is now full of vitamins…

This is how processed foods became he althier

The development and marketing strategies of food manufacturers reflect the changing nutritional standards of the last few decades. Nutritionists have argued that highly processed foods and some animal foods contain too many bad nutrients and ingredients. Food manufacturers responded to this by launching products with "less bad" messages, such as foods or drinks with reduced calories, carbohydrates, or fat, or foods or beverages fortified with vitamins and added fiber. Their goal was to create a kind of balance between the "bad" and "good" components of processed products. Because why wouldn't the consumer benefit from the fact that there is plenty of room for a slice of cake next to the single calorie soft drink?

However, from the 1990s onwards, the aim was not only to maintain the balance between good and bad ingredients, but also to emphasize the components that are especially important for the human body. New he alth-related concepts appeared on food labels: omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics and antioxidants. Because of its taurine content, Red Bull has a positive effect on neurons and heart function, probiotic drinking yogurts have become popular because of their content of "good bacteria" that promotes digestion, and commercials and ads for cholesterol-lowering margarines show in detail how plant sterols block the absorption of cholesterol. into the blood. Whether it's weight loss, joint and bone problems, the proper functioning of the immune system, the heart or digestion, increasing mental or physical performance, food companies now respond to all he alth problems with a special product.

Who is better?

Surveys prove that customers are generally satisfied with the he alth claims shown in capital letters on the food label and therefore do not check all the ingredients of the product on the back of the package. Breakfast cereals aimed at children are high in processed grains, sugar and chemicals, yet the boxes list the added vitamins and minerals in the largest possible font. Equally tricky are mineral waters enriched with vitamins, which are promoted as part of a he althy lifestyle, while in addition to artificial flavors, a bottle of water can contain 32 grams of added sugar. With these marketing practices, the food industry helps bring consumers closer to understanding the function of food and nutrients and the proper functioning of the body in a simple, yet decisive way - and often with the means of exaggeration. In addition to the appearance of newer and newer special foods, the question arises in the mind of the customer: will traditional foods and eating habits become taboo over time?

According to Gyorgy Scrinis, the definition of functional foods is so broad that almost any product that contains added nutrients or some kind of he alth claim can be classified here. This flow of information is often a burden for consumers, even if the goal of food companies is to make the most important information about nutrients and proper nutrition easy to understand.

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