What is healthwashing?

Healthwashing is used to pinpoint products that are marketed as healthier than they actually are.Promoting health-boosting ingredients like vitamins, antioxidants and probiotics does not mean that the product is healthier than others,health claims are added for marketing purposes rather than improving health.

Enriched foods are all over the place, What makes a product appealing is the label stating miraculous claims.

There are no labels on whole foods such as broccoli and oranges thus it is wiser to consume them fresh rather than est synthetic versions.

Healthwashing can be harmful to people who believe what they read on boxes.For example some high fiber cereal bar are labeled as having the same fiber content and health benefits as steel cut oats. Packaged cereals have some fiber but we also consume extra sugar, salt and additives along,which can cause diabetes in the long run.

In California, there are lawyers specialized in suing big companies for healthwashing purposes through class actions.Working moms tend to buy biscuits, packaged meals and cereals packages because of the health benefits that are marketed on their boxes such as vitamins and minerals for a proper growth.In reality Trans fats and hydrogenated fats are hidden in baby foods, brands should mention their presence which is so far not the case.

Dietitians are raising awareness among young children on the difference between packaged foods, false marketing claims and whole foods benefits by teaching them to read food labels and more specifically the ingredient list. A fruit juice that contains water as the first ingredient is not recommended as the fruit juice content falls in the range of 12 to 15 percent in volume which makes it a sugary drink.

It is better to favor whole foods rather than packaged foods for tons of health reasons. But if you are still interested in buying these foods, you should learn to ignore health claims such as “ made with”, ”made from” or “now with less’ and “natural” which most of the time are used to boost sales.

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