I often get teased by friends and family when they offer my children new foods. My kids always look to me first to see if its okay, and many times I like to read the label before telling them they can dig in. Whether it’s a treat, a snack or something else, I just like to know what my kids are eating. I’m not crazy about it and they try new foods frequently, but I do work hard to make sure they have a healthy, balanced diet most of the time. Recently we were visiting some family and they had Nutella on the breakfast table. My daughter loves to try new things, so she wanted to spread it all over her toast. “It’s just like peanut butter! I saw commercials for this stuff and it’s very healthy!” was one response when I said I wanted to look at the jar before she ate it. My first thought was “Geez, this stuff has as much sugar as a candy bar”, and she didn’t need tons of it to start her day. I didn’t argue with the person who suggested she eat it, but rather just said that she could try a bite and eat peanut butter on her toast instead. I never take someone else’s (or an ad’s) word for it when they say something is “natural” or “healthy”. I like to do my own detective work, and in this instance I was glad that I did. When I read that Ferrero (the company that makes Nutella) was sued for deceptive advertising and recently decided to settle, I was not completely surprised. Last year, a California mom sued Ferrero for being misled by product claims that portrayed Nutella as healthy and part of a balanced diet. Her lawsuit was recently awarded class-action status by the courts, a move that is not without controversy. The Nutella label clearly states how much sugar and fat is in the product (21 grams of sugar and half of the calories from fat, per serving), and the ingredients list sugar and palm oil first. Ferrero has chosen to settle for $3 million, and will also change nutrition labels and ads as part of the agreement. So is it the consumer’s responsibility to read the label, or the company’s responsibility to be truthful in advertising? Or maybe a little of both? In this case, the court sided with the consumer. I think it’s important for each of us to educate ourselves about the products we’re putting in our shopping carts. Don’t rely on other people to tell you whether or not something is good for you- do the homework yourself. Not sure where to start? Check out How to Read a Nutrition Facts Label and take this quiz to find out whether or not you can interpret food labels. What do you think? Do you agree with the court’s decision? |
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