THE HEALTH HALO EFFECT The hidden language of food packaging BY ROBERT MICHON
SELLING FOOD IS a business. And
Misleading Buzzwords
just as with any other business, the competition between food companies is fierce, and they want you to leave the grocery store with their products in hand, not those of their competitors. That end goal has led to some creative marketing tactics that use visual connotations and buzzwords to suggest that what you’re buying is healthier than it actually is. This tactic is known as the Health Halo Effect, and it’s something you can learn to recognize so that you are able to make informed, consumer-savvy decisions about which foods are right for you.
One of the most common tools used to create the Health Halo Effect are misleading buzzwords. You’ve probably seen most of them on grocery store shelves or restaurant menus, but have you ever thought about what they actually mean? The following definitions might surprise you:
What Is the Health Halo Effect? Although food labels and packaging are regulated by the laws of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the federal government isn’t able to keep tabs on all of the subtle ways that marketers use language and psychology to convince us that their products "are the best choice for our health. The Health Halo Effect occurs in these areas of ambiguity in which words can be interpreted to mean many different things. Because of that ambiguity, these companies aren’t technically lying or printing false information; they’re merely being vague and allowing you to draw your own conclusions. 38 T8Nmagazine.com
Organic, Natural & GMO-Free Words like organic, natural and GMO-free conjure images of health and wellness. After all, if something comes naturally from the earth, how bad could it be? It turns out the bar is set quite low for products that are able to use these words. Ingredients such as potatoes, salt and vegetable oil can all come to us naturally from the earth without chemical additives or biological manipulation, but organic potato chips are still potato chips and wouldn’t count as a healthy food option among many nutritionists, as they lack significant nutritional value. The truth is that natural and healthy aren’t always synonymous.
Whole Grain & Real Fruit When something is labelled with words like “whole grain” or “real fruit,” pay attention to whether or not the package lists the percentages of those ingredients. The product may contain only a small amount of whole grains or real fruit to justify the label, while the bulk of the ingredients are low-cost, low-nutrition additives. Look for the 100% next to the claim
(or whatever percentage you’re comfortable with) to make sure you’re choosing the product you actually want.
FUN FACT Canada is one of the only western nations that doesn’t require GMO foods to be labelled as such. This is because all genetically modified foods in Canada must go through a testing and approval process before they are deemed safe to eat. Low-Fat & Fat-Free Low-fat or fat-free foods are incredibly popular for those looking to cut calories. But fat isn’t the only high-calorie aspect of food. Just because something is labelled as low-fat doesn’t mean that the sugar and carbohydrate content is low, too. In fact, some low-fat foods have increased sugar content to compensate for the flavour lost when reducing the fats. Always remember that calories come in many different forms.
Free-Range, Artisanal & Local Newcomers to buzzword labelling include terms like free-range, artisanal and local. By
