{"id":15053,"date":"2025-09-04T03:13:41","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T20:13:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=15053"},"modified":"2025-09-04T03:13:41","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T20:13:41","slug":"9-examples-of-misleading-food-labels-you-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=15053","title":{"rendered":"9 Examples of Misleading Food Labels You Should Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"text\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"660\" height=\"462\" src=\"https:\/\/www.behealthynow.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Examples-of-Misleading-Food-Labels.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-23982\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.behealthynow.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Examples-of-Misleading-Food-Labels.jpg 660w, https:\/\/www.behealthynow.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Examples-of-Misleading-Food-Labels-300x210.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>I\u2019ll admit it: I\u2019ve fallen for food labels before. One time I was in a rush at the supermarket and grabbed a cereal proudly labelled \u201cMultigrain.\u201d In my head, that meant plenty of wholesome whole grains. <\/p>\n<p>Later on, when I actually checked the ingredients, I realised it wasn\u2019t the case at all. Multigrain simply means there\u2019s more than one type of grain, and they can still be mostly refined.<\/p>\n<p>Has something like this happened to you? You buy something thinking it\u2019s a healthier choice, only to realise afterwards that the label wasn\u2019t telling you the full story.<\/p>\n<p>Food labels are supposed to help us make better decisions, but the reality is they can be confusing, clever, and sometimes downright misleading. In this post, I\u2019ll walk you through some of the most common tricks brands use on their packaging and explain how to spot them, so you don\u2019t get caught out like I did.<\/p>\n<h2>Why food labels can be so confusing<\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s the thing: food labels aren\u2019t supposed to lie. In both the UK and the US, there are strict rules to make sure packaging doesn\u2019t deliberately mislead people. Certain claims (like \u201chigh protein\u201d or \u201clow fat\u201d) have clear definitions that companies are meant to stick to. So technically, brands are playing by the rules.<\/p>\n<p>But that doesn\u2019t stop them from using clever wording, design, and buzzwords to make products <em>look<\/em> healthier than they really are. This is what creates the <strong>health halo effect<\/strong> \u2013 the impression that something is good for you, when in reality the nutrition facts tell a different story.<\/p>\n<p>In a moment I\u2019ll show you some of the most common tricks you\u2019ll come across (and how to spot them). <em>(And if you\u2019d like a simple way to avoid all of these traps, I\u2019ll share more about that further down.)<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Examples of misleading food labels you\u2019ll see every week<\/h2>\n<p>Once you start paying closer attention, you\u2019ll notice the same marketing tricks popping up again and again. They look convincing on the front of the pack, but the details on the back often tell a very different story. <\/p>\n<p>These are some of the most common examples of misleading food labels and nutrition labels you\u2019ll see in shops every week:<\/p>\n<h3>\u201c100%\u201d\u2026 100% of <em>what<\/em>, exactly?<\/h3>\n<p>Brands love to put <strong>\u201c100%\u201d<\/strong> in big letters because it instantly sounds reassuring, but you always need to ask: <em>100% of what?<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201c100% juice\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 This can be either <strong>not-from-concentrate<\/strong> (freshly pressed) or <strong>from concentrate<\/strong> (water removed and then added back later). In both cases, it\u2019s legally juice with nothing else added. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sainsburys.co.uk\/gol-ui\/product\/kubus-100-apple-juice-300ml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kubus 100% Apple Juice<\/a> is one example.<\/li>\n<li>Made from \u201c<strong>100% chicken breast<\/strong>\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tesco.com\/groceries\/en-GB\/products\/313859997\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Birds Eye Chicken Nuggets<\/a>) The pack says <em>\u201cOur chicken nuggets will always be made from 100% chicken breast &amp; nothing more.\u201d<\/em> Sounds like each nugget is pure chicken, but the ingredients show <strong>chicken breast 51%<\/strong>, plus flour, oil, starch, salt, spices, and flavourings. The meat is 100% breast, but the product itself is only about half chicken.<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201c100% Great British potatoes\u201d<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.behealthynow.co.uk\/nutrition\/examples-of-misleading-food-labels\/&lt;\/strong&gt;\">Walkers Crisps<\/a>) \u2013 Refers to where the potatoes come from, not how healthy the finished product is.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>\u201cNo added sugar\u201d\u2026 but still sweet?<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cNo added sugar\u201d sounds like a green light, but it doesn\u2019t mean sugar-free. It simply means no extra sugar was added during production, not that the product is low in sugar overall. Sometimes the sugar is replaced with artificial sweeteners, which come with their own health concerns. Some examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Juice drinks and nectars<\/strong> \u2013 A carton may say \u201cno added sugar,\u201d but fruit juice naturally contains sugar. For example, a \u201cno added sugar\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tesco.com\/groceries\/en-GB\/products\/301219535?srsltid=AfmBOooFXjSxjPkgWXtXcgWNucVk2swG0j_VZap_VQ65otrRO_tQt232\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">apple juice drink<\/a> can still have 4\u20135 g sugar per 100 ml (from the juice itself) and often uses sweeteners like sucralose to boost flavour.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Yoghurts<\/strong> \u2013 Brands often highlight \u201cno added sugar\u201d on yoghurts, but the pot may still contain fruit pur\u00e9es, concentrates, or sweeteners that keep it tasting sweet. One such example is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tesco.com\/groceries\/en-GB\/products\/308090229\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Activia Peach No Added Sugar Gut Health Yoghurt<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sauces<\/strong> \u2013 Tomato ketchup or pasta sauces sometimes carry \u201cno added sugar\u201d claims. In many cases, sugar is replaced with sweeteners or extra fruit concentrate to achieve the same sweetness. Example: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tesco.com\/groceries\/en-GB\/products\/300793644\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Heinz Tomato Ketchup Zero Added Sugar &amp; Salt<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Next time you see \u201cno added sugar\u201d on a label, ask yourself: <em>What did they use instead?<\/em> Is it sweeteners, fruit pur\u00e9e, or dried fruit? And remember, artificial sweeteners come with their own health concerns, so they\u2019re not necessarily a better option.<\/p>\n<h3>\u201cNatural\u201d &amp; \u201cnatural flavours\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cNatural\u201d is one of the most overused words in food marketing. It usually describes the <strong>source of an ingredient<\/strong> (or flavour), not the overall health of the product.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201c100% natural ingredients\u201d (snack bars<\/strong>) \u2013 Bars made with fruit and nuts often use this claim. True, the ingredients may be natural, but that doesn\u2019t mean the product is low in sugar or calories. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatnakd.com\/product\/cocoa-delight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nakd bars<\/a>, for example, are all natural with no added sugar, but because they rely on dried fruit, they\u2019re still high in natural sugars (best enjoyed in moderation).<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cNatural flavourings\u201d (soft drinks):<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coca-cola.com\/gb\/en\/brands\/coca-cola-original-taste#accordion-1435a4d269-item-d34ba7c09c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Coca-Cola Original Taste<\/a> lists <em>\u201cnatural flavourings including caffeine\u201d<\/em> \u2013 yet it\u2019s still a high-sugar soft drink. The phrase describes the flavour source, not the nutrition.<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cNatural flavourings\u201d (crisps)<\/strong> \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walkers.co.uk\/our-range\/walkers-crisps\/marmite\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Walkers Marmite crisps<\/a> contain natural flavouring, but they\u2019re still fried, salty snacks. Again, \u201cnatural\u201d in this context refers only to the flavour, not whether the food is a healthy choice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Reality check:<\/strong> \u201cNatural\u201d can be perfectly fine (plain live yoghurt, nuts, whole fruit). The point is: <strong>natural \u2260 automatically healthy<\/strong>, especially when products rely on dried fruit or added sugars for sweetness.<\/p>\n<h3>\u201cHigh protein\u201d (but ultra-processed)<\/h3>\n<p>Protein is a buzzword right now, and plenty of foods proudly display \u201chigh protein\u201d on the front. The claim itself is real \u2014 to use it, a product must meet specific criteria \u2014 but it says nothing about how processed the food is, or what else is inside.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Protein bars<\/strong> \u2013 Many \u201chigh protein\u201d bars pack in 20 g of protein but also come with long lists of ingredients: sweeteners, sugar alcohols, gums, and protein isolates. They\u2019re marketed as a healthy choice but are often closer to a sweetened confectionery bar in terms of processing. One example is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grenade.com\/products\/oreo-protein-bar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Grenade Oreo Protein Bar<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Protein yoghurts and puddings<\/strong> \u2013 Popular high-protein yoghurts and puddings (such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sainsburys.co.uk\/gol-ui\/product\/muller-myprotein-chocolate-flavour-pudding-dessert-200g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Muller Myprotein Chocolate High Protein Pudding<\/a>) can be loaded with artificial sweeteners, thickeners, and flavourings. They do provide protein, but that doesn\u2019t automatically make them a wholesome, minimally processed food.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>\u201cLight \/ Reduced\u201d \u2014 lighter than what?<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cLight\u201d or \u201creduced\u201d doesn\u2019t mean a product is low in fat, sugar, or calories \u2014 only that it has less of something compared to a standard version. That comparison can be misleading if the original product was already high in fat or sugar.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Mayonnaise<\/strong> \u2013 Regular mayo has around <strong>70\u201380% fat<\/strong> (\u224810\u201312 g per tablespoon). Light versions cut this to about <strong>30\u201335% fat<\/strong> (\u22484\u20135 g per tablespoon). So it is lighter, but it\u2019s still a fatty spread, and some brands add sugar or starch to balance the texture.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Soft drinks<\/strong> \u2013 \u201cReduced sugar\u201d drinks often replace sugar with artificial sweeteners. They contain fewer calories than the regular version, but the sweetness is still there, just from different sources.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Next time you see \u201clight\u201d or \u201creduced,\u201d ask yourself: <em>lighter than what?<\/em> The only way to know is by checking the nutrition label and seeing what the numbers actually look like.<\/p>\n<h3>\u201cGluten-free\u201d \u2260 nutrient-dense<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cGluten-free\u201d is an important safety standard for people with coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity. But for everyone else, the label can create a health halo \u2013 it doesn\u2019t automatically mean the food is nutritious.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Gluten-free biscuits<\/strong> \u2013 Often made with refined starches (rice or potato flour) and added fats or sugars to replace gluten\u2019s texture, leaving them just as sugary and calorie-dense as regular biscuits.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Gluten-free snack bars<\/strong> \u2013 Marketed as a healthy alternative, but many are still ultra-processed and high in sugar or syrups, only without gluten.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Gluten-free is about what\u2019s <em>absent<\/em>, not what\u2019s <em>good for you<\/em>. Unless you need to avoid gluten for medical reasons, it\u2019s better to judge these foods by their overall nutrition.<\/p>\n<h3>\u201cMade with real fruit\u201d \u2014 how much fruit, really?<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cMade with real fruit\u201d sounds wholesome, but the actual amount can be tiny compared to the rest of the product.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Fruit drinks<\/strong> \u2013 <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sainsburys.co.uk\/gol-ui\/product\/capri-sun-orange-330ml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Capri-Sun Orange<\/a><\/em> contains just <strong>10% fruit juice<\/strong>, the rest is water, sugar, and flavourings.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Kids\u2019 drinks<\/strong> \u2013 <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tesco.com\/groceries\/en-GB\/products\/264565900?srsltid=AfmBOopCIo5L3M3xf6KJzDUlcfn8Y07Qc9EjZ9uL9fVEkbeZD6WbaalF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Robinsons Fruit Shoot Summer Fruits<\/a><\/em> lists apple juice (5%), strawberry juice (2%), and raspberry juice (1%) \u2014 a small percentage overall.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fruit snacks<\/strong> \u2013 <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sainsburys.co.uk\/gol-ui\/product\/fruit-bowl-strawberry-peelers-5x16g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fruit Bowl Peelers<\/a><\/em> are \u201cmade with real fruit,\u201d but that fruit is pur\u00e9ed and concentrated, making them as sugary as many sweets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Some products genuinely are only fruit \u2013 like <em>BEAR Yoyos<\/em> (apples, pears, and a small % berries) \u2013 but even here, the natural sugars are very concentrated, so they\u2019re best eaten in moderation.<\/p>\n<h3>Serving sizes can mislead<\/h3>\n<p>Serving sizes are another way labels can give the wrong impression. A bag of crisps might show nutrition \u201cper 30 g serving,\u201d even though the pack is 150 g \u2014 and most people eat the whole bag. Chocolate bars and soft drinks often do the same, shrinking the serving so the numbers look smaller.<\/p>\n<p>Always check whether the serving size reflects how much you\u2019d actually eat, not just what\u2019s written on the label.<\/p>\n<h3>\u201cMultigrain\u201d \u2260 whole grain<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cMultigrain\u201d just means a product is made with more than one type of grain. It doesn\u2019t mean those grains are whole. A multigrain cereal, bread, or wrap can still be mostly refined flour with only a small amount of wholegrain mixed in. (I fell for this trick myself once.)<\/p>\n<p>To be sure you\u2019re actually getting wholegrains, look for <strong>whole wheat<\/strong> or <strong>wholemeal<\/strong> high up in the ingredients list. With oats, just seeing <strong>\u201coats\u201d<\/strong> is usually enough, since they\u2019re typically sold in whole form.<\/p>\n<h2>Marketing is not nutrition<\/h2>\n<p>Food packaging is designed to sell, not to educate. Words like <em>\u201clight,\u201d \u201cnatural,\u201d \u201cmultigrain,\u201d<\/em> or <em>\u201cno added sugar\u201d<\/em> are carefully chosen to make products sound healthier than they really are. And once that health halo kicks in, it\u2019s easy to drop the item in your basket without thinking twice.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why misleading food labels matter: they can shape your choices, your diet, and even how much you spend \u2013 often without you realising it. The good news is that once you know the tricks, you start to see them everywhere, and they lose their power.<\/p>\n<h3>A simple solution (and what\u2019s coming)<\/h3>\n<p>The truth is, you don\u2019t need to spend ages decoding every label in the supermarket. With the right approach, you can spot the red flags in seconds and feel confident about what goes in your basket.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve put together a practical method that shows you exactly how to do this \u2014 step by step. It\u2019s all in my new ebook, <strong>Label Decoder<\/strong>, which is launching very soon.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019d like a sneak peek, you can <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1PXMyBZt3YfNAmuLzRePmD3PUo5RAV0IX\/view?usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">download the first chapter for free here<\/a><\/strong>. And <strong>if you\u2019re not already on my email list, make sure to subscribe \u2014 my subscribers will be the first to know when the ebook goes live, and they\u2019ll get a special launch offer too<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3>Final thoughts<\/h3>\n<p>Food labels can be clever, but once you know the common tricks, you\u2019ll never look at them the same way again. A little awareness goes a long way in choosing food that\u2019s truly good for you.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.behealthynow.co.uk\/nutrition\/examples-of-misleading-food-labels\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I\u2019ll admit it: I\u2019ve fallen for food labels before. One time I was in a rush at the supermarket and grabbed a cereal proudly labelled \u201cMultigrain.\u201d In my head, that meant plenty of wholesome whole grains. Later on, when I actually checked the ingredients, I realised it wasn\u2019t the case at all. Multigrain simply means &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15053","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fitness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15053","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15053"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15053\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15053"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15053"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15053"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}