BS: Confusing Labels

Subject: RE: BS: Confusing Labels
From: JennieG
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 11:54 PM

If you have a problem finishing the truffles Q, I am willing to help......

Cheers
JennieG who does read labels but is occasionally bamboozled by it all

Subject: RE: BS: Confusing Labels
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 09:31 PM

Got one today as a gift that could mislead-

Truffles, French, Original dusted with cocoa powder. They look very chocolaty and taste of chocolate, but-
Careful reading of the Nutrition Facts (required in Canada) shows that the product is 30% Fat, of which 88% is saturates.
This bothered me, since the average chocolate bar (Cadbury, Hershey, Lindt, etc.) is 20% or less fat.
The Ingredients label tells the tale- "partially hydrogenated copra oil- Copra is partially dried coconut. It also has wheat dextrose and whey powder. This means that the cocoa content, not listed by % or amount, is low.

Checking a Lindt milk chocolate bar, it has NO copra. Nutrition Facts show 14% Fat (half that of the truffles) and only 29% is Saturates.
(Hershey and Cadbury are similar; also Callebaut unless one gets into their high cocoa content chocolates)

The truffles are very smooth, and soft. The chocolate dusting really gives them a chocolate taste.

Subject: RE: BS: Confusing Labels
From: katlaughing
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 12:59 PM

I cannot stand the taste of either of those first two, Becca. I drink Arrowhead. When we lived in Casper, WY, I got water from Hillcrest Spring Water, from the same spring on Casper Mtn., since 1901 and it was delicious! I miss it!

Subject: RE: BS: Confusing Labels
From: Becca72
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 11:07 AM

If you look at a Dasani or Aquafina bottle you will see it reads "purified water". I drink Poland Springs. Not only is it spring water, but it's from right here in my home state.

Subject: RE: BS: Confusing Labels
From: GUEST,Bottled water.
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 11:03 AM

Know about some folks who bottle it direct from the tap. They call it bottled water. It is.

Subject: RE: BS: Confusing Labels
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 10:57 AM

On a related subject, "No sugar added" doesn't mean that no sweetening was added. Concentrated grape juice is added in many "no sugar" juices for sweetening, and is the full equivalent of sugar, which is of course concentrated and refined sugar-cane juice.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Confusing Labels
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 10:50 AM

SINSULL:

I think they mean that the juice content is all apple juice (made from concentrate), as opposed to mostly apple and some concentrated, clarified grape juice, for instance, but that there may be something in there for preservative.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Confusing Labels
From: autolycus
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 05:15 AM

First of two progs about what's in our food on UK Channel 4 tv tonight at 9. Called The Truth about Your Food, with Jane Moore.

Ivor

Subject: RE: BS: Confusing Labels
From: autolycus
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 03:31 AM

Jeri is right; you have to read what is actually there on the label (see Principles of Literary Criticism by Ogden and Richards; they gave 10 simple reading errors made by Cambridge Uni postgrads in the 20s; the very first - not simply reading what's actually there!)

Companies have to pull off the trick of getting into their products what they want while staying within the law while simultaneously so wording the labels that they've covered themselves. And can get it past all except those who read closely.

Ivor

Subject: RE: BS: Confusing Labels
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 05:21 PM

Move to Canada where labeling is required.
Wine- In North America, if it is labeled Shiraz by a proper vinyard, it is Shiraz, and from the region specified. Leave the generic plonk to winos and university students.

With regard to Australia, see Australian Government LIP requirements, which are quite strict:
Wine labeling

Australian winemakers making label claims of vintage, variety and geographical indication must provide an audit trail. The LIP prescribes what events must be recorded. A penalty is provided for vintners who fail to keep records.
Of course, the LIP doesn't cover generic plonk.

Subject: RE: BS: Confusing Labels
From: Wolfgang
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 03:41 PM

The legal limits are often different from what the normal customer thinks they are.
"Alcohol free" means legally (in Germany) less than 0,5% alcohol.

An example from Australia (that I have been told): "80% Shiraz grape wine from XY region" means actually:
80% Shiraz in the wine and 80% of the wine from XY region. So, in the worst case, "80% Shiraz grape wine from XY region" could amount to 60 % "Shiraz from XY", 20% other wine from XY and 20% other wine than Shiraz from somewhere else without violating the rules.

You stupid bunch only have to study some hundred pages of rules and decisions before going to the local supermarket.

Wolfgang (trying to recollect what the legal differences are between "honey", "bees' honey", "Beekeeper's honey" and "pure honey" before tonight's buy)

Subject: RE: BS: Confusing Labels
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 01:27 PM

Canada requires nutrition values as well as a list of ingredients.
Sun-Ripe is the brand of a carton I happen to have in the fridge (for use in stews and marinating). It is labeled 100% juice, unsweetened, not from concentrate.
The ingredients listed are apple juice and vitamin C.
Note: some vitamins in juices are ephemeral (one research paper I saw said natural C is lost within an hour of juicing); often C is added to juices to replace that which has degraded.

Looking at our orange juice, Minute Maid frozen concentrate, the contents are labeled as 100% pure frozen orange juice concentrate. Since 4 tablespoons provide 160% of daily requirement of vitamin A, perhaps some A has been added, but nothing else.
We put 1-2 tbsp frozen concentrate in a glass and mix with water- we do not mix larger quantities and store since ephemerals like fruit vitamins are easily lost.

Fresh naval oranges from California are coming into our stores now, but during part of the year oranges arriving here have been stored for some time; concentrate tastes better than these old oranges which probably have lost their vitamins.
We have considered getting a juicer for squeezing fresh oranges, but the concentrate is easier and produces less garbage (the concentrate cans are 100% recyclable).

Subject: RE: BS: Confusing Labels
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 01:23 PM

Nice workplace, Sins!

Subject: RE: BS: Confusing Labels
From: SINSULL
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 12:01 PM

Thanks Kat. Normally I would agree but I have found that a good breakfast (oatmeal or whole grain cereal with yogurt) carries me through lunch if I mix a bottle of orange or apple juice (available free at work) with a bottle of water and sip all morning long. Certainly better than the coffee or cocoa I was drinking before. There is fresh fruit available in the office too also free (I love this place) and I take advantage of it.

The label says 100% Apple Juice! - their exclamation point not mine. There is a site that monitors labels. I will put it past them and see what they say.
Mary

Subject: RE: BS: Confusing Labels
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 11:11 AM

Well, Mary, off-hand I'd say you'd get a lot more out of it and know for sure if you were to eat an apple instead. :-)Which can also be better for a diet as juices are usually kind of expensive for calories. The first thing listed in the ingredients will be the bulk of the product. I don't buy "made from concentrate" because it is usually also laced with sugar and lots of water. I try to buy only 100% real fruit juice which specifically says "not from concentrate." But, I also hardly ever do that as water is all that I drink except for the occasional pomegranate juice or orange juice.

Subject: RE: BS: Confusing Labels
From: The PA
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 10:43 AM

Label on a net of chestnuts (fresh - still in shells) bought from Sainsbury's stated 'may contain nuts' - should hope so !

Subject: RE: BS: Confusing Labels
From: Jeri
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 10:40 AM

Does it say '100% juice' or is it 'made with 100% juice' or 'contains 100% juice'.

It's like the coffee labels that state '98% caffeine free'. That means the stuff can be 2% caffeine.

Subject: RE: BS: Confusing Labels
From: Mr Happy
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 10:31 AM

....made with real fruit !!

Subject: BS: Confusing Labels
From: SINSULL
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 10:29 AM

Slow day at work. Here I sit reading the label on a bottle of DOLE Apple Juice. In three different places on the label in bold blue print it says 100% Juice and 100% apple juice. In a fourth place in small white print it says 100% apple juice from concentrate with other ingredients, HUH?
So how can it be 100% apple juice if it has other things added to it? Do they mean it is not a blend of apple juices with other juices? In which case they could add kerosene and the label would still be valid.
I am confused.