Hidden Language in Health packaging

SELLING FOOD IS a business. And 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.

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.

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.

DID YOU KNOW? While nutritional ingredients must be listed on food packaging, information about fertilizer, pesticides and other “incidental ingredients” does not. The Government of Canada regulates and monitors the use of these ingredients to ensure consumer safety.