Healthy or junk food? Busting food labels (CBC Marketplace)

Summary

The video script explores the misleading food labeling practices in the grocery industry. It features Tom and Erica investigating popular food products like Nutella, Campbell's Healthy Request soup, Dempster's Garden Vegetable bread, and Kraft Dinner Smart, revealing the high sugar, salt, and processed content contrary to their 'healthy' claims. They consult Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, a nutritional watchdog, who exposes the truth behind these products and criticizes companies for exploiting consumer psychology. The script concludes with a call for honest labeling and consumer education.

Takeaways

• 🍞 'Healthy Request' soups are not as healthy as they sound, with high sodium content that can be misleading due to the serving size being less than the whole container.
• 🥜 Nutella, despite being marketed as a breakfast food, is high in sugar, with one serving containing almost 3 teaspoons of sugar.
• 🥪 Dempster's Garden Vegetable bread suggests it contains a significant amount of vegetables, but in reality, it provides only a small fraction of a carrot's worth of nutrients.
• 🍪 '100% fruit' bars can be deceptive, as they may contain as much sugar as several Oreo cookies but with minimal vitamins.
• 🍝 KD Smart products are marketed as healthier alternatives, but they don't necessarily provide significant nutritional benefits compared to regular Kraft Dinner.
• 💰 Companies use clever marketing to convince consumers that their products are healthier, even when the nutritional benefits are minimal or misleading.
• 👨‍⚕️ Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, a nutritional watchdog, suggests that the government should take more responsibility to ensure food labels are not misleading.
• 🛒 Shoppers are often misled by food labels and may not realize the actual nutritional content of the products they purchase.
• 📉 The script highlights a need for consumers to be more educated about reading and understanding food labels to make healthier choices.
• 📉 The script also emphasizes the importance of transparency and honesty in food labeling, calling for changes in both industry practices and government regulations.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the discussion between Tom and Erica in the grocery store?

The main focus is to investigate whether companies are using misleading marketing tactics on food labels to convince consumers that their products are healthier than they actually are.

What does Erica think about the 'Healthy Request' label on food products?

Erica is skeptical about the 'Healthy Request' label, as she believes it might be misleading and does not necessarily reflect the actual nutritional value of the product.

What is Dr. Yoni Freedhoff's opinion on food marketing tactics?

Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, referred to as Canada's nutritional watchdog, believes that companies use every possible tactic to convince consumers that their products are healthy, preying on people's psychology and beliefs.

How does the script describe Nutella?

The script describes Nutella as 'spreadable candy' with a high sugar content, suggesting that despite its popularity as a breakfast item, it is not a healthy choice to start the day.

What is the actual amount of sugar in a single serving of Nutella?

A single serving of Nutella, which is one tablespoon, contains 11 grams of sugar, which is almost equivalent to 3 teaspoons of sugar.

What comparison does the script make between Nutella and chocolate icing?

The script reveals that there is less sugar, tablespoon for tablespoon, in chocolate icing than in Nutella, challenging the perception of Nutella as a healthier option.

What issue does the script raise about Campbell's Healthy Request soup?

The script raises the issue of sodium content and misleading serving sizes on the label of Campbell's Healthy Request soup. It suggests that the actual amount of sodium in the whole container is much higher than what is advertised per serving.

What does the script suggest about Dempster's Garden Vegetable bread?

The script suggests that Dempster's Garden Vegetable bread is misleading because despite having a label covered in carrots, it contains very little actual vegetable content and the nutritional value is significantly reduced after processing.

How does the script portray the '100% fruit bars' from Sun Rype?

The script portrays the '100% fruit bars' as high in sugar, equating a single bar's sugar content to that of six-and-a-half Oreo cookies, thus challenging the idea that these bars are a healthy choice.

What is the script's stance on Kraft Dinner Smart products?

The script is critical of Kraft Dinner Smart products, stating that they are not as healthy as they claim to be. It points out that to get the same health benefits as from natural sources, one would have to consume unreasonably large quantities of the product.

What does the script suggest should be done about misleading food labels?

The script suggests that the government should take more responsibility to ensure that food labels are not misleading and that consumers should be more educated or demand more transparency from food manufacturers.

Outlines

00:00

🍯 The Truth About Breakfast Spreads

Tom and Erica investigate the accuracy of food labeling, starting with Nutella as a breakfast item. They discuss how food companies use marketing tactics to convince consumers that their products are healthy. Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, a health and nutrition expert, explains that these marketing strategies are highly successful and exploit consumer psychology. The team discovers that Nutella contains a significant amount of sugar, with one serving (one tablespoon) having 11 grams of sugar, which is nearly 3 teaspoons. This is compared to chocolate icing, which surprisingly has less sugar per tablespoon. The script highlights the discrepancy between the perceived healthiness of Nutella and its actual sugar content.

05:01

🥣 Debunking 'Healthy' Soup Labels

The script continues with a focus on Campbell's Healthy Request soup, which is labeled as a healthy option. Consumers expect a healthy soup to have more vegetables and possibly whole grains. However, the soup is found to contain a high amount of sodium (470 milligrams per serving), which is concerning for those watching their sodium intake. The serving size is revealed to be misleading, as a typical consumer would likely eat the entire container in one sitting, consuming almost 750 milligrams of sodium. Dr. Freedhoff points out that the label is deceptive, as it does not represent the full contents of the container. The script humorously suggests a label change to 'Salty Request' to reflect the true sodium content.

10:01

🥖 The Misleading 'Vegetable' Bread

Erica and Tom examine Dempster's Garden Vegetable bread, which implies health benefits due to its vegetable content. However, Dr. Freedhoff explains that the processing of vegetables in food items significantly reduces their nutritional value. The bread's label suggests it contains carrots, but in reality, two slices only provide 6% of the daily recommended allowance of Vitamin A, which is equivalent to a small amount of actual carrot. The script points out that eating an entire loaf would only provide the Vitamin A of a medium-sized carrot, leading to a label change suggestion to 'Where's The Veggie?' to reflect the lack of substantial vegetable content.

15:01

🍇 The '100% Fruit' Bar Fallacy

The script discusses Sun Rype's '100% fruit bars,' which are perceived as healthy snacks. However, it is revealed that each bar contains 29 grams of sugar, comparable to six-and-a-half Oreo cookies. Despite being derived from fruit, the processing alters the nutritional value, and the bars are essentially糖果 masquerading as fruit. The bars also claim to provide a small percentage of Vitamin C, but the amount is insignificant compared to actual fruit. The script suggests that the only true fruit product should be actual fruit, not processed alternatives, and renames the product to 'Sun Hype' to reflect its misleading nature.

20:03

🍝 KD Smart or KD Not So Smart?

The final paragraph focuses on Kraft Dinner Smart, a line of products marketed as healthier alternatives to traditional KD. The script highlights that these 'smart' versions contain ingredients like flax, omega-3, and freeze-dried vegetables, which are perceived as healthy. However, Dr. Freedhoff explains that the actual nutritional benefits are minimal. For instance, the amount of vegetables in KD Smart is equivalent to only two tablespoons of cauliflower per serving, and the omega-3 content requires consuming an impractical amount of KD to match the benefits of a single serving of fish. The script concludes that these products are not as healthful as advertised and suggests a label change to 'KD Not So Smart' to reflect their true nature.

Keywords

💡Food Labelling

Food labelling refers to the practice of providing consumers with information about the content, nutritional value, and other details of food products. In the video, the term is crucial as it investigates whether companies are accurately representing their products' nutritional value or misleading consumers with false claims. For instance, Nutella is labeled as a breakfast food, which implies it is a healthy choice to start the day, but the script questions the validity of this claim.

💡Nutella

Nutella is a popular brand of hazelnut cocoa spread. The script uses Nutella as a case study to question the authenticity of food marketing claims. It is labeled as a breakfast food, suggesting it is a healthy option, but the video reveals it contains a high amount of sugar, thus challenging its classification as a healthy breakfast choice.

💡Sugar

Sugar is a sweet, crystalline substance often used as a food additive. The video highlights the high sugar content in Nutella and other products, which is a significant concern for health-conscious consumers. The script points out that one serving of Nutella contains as much sugar as several teaspoons, which is a stark contrast to its image as a healthy breakfast option.

💡Healthy Request

Healthy Request is a marketing term used by Campbell's for their soup line, suggesting that the products are healthier options. The video scrutinizes this claim by examining the nutritional content, particularly the high sodium levels in their soup. This keyword is pivotal as it represents the broader issue of misleading health claims in food marketing.

💡Sodium

Sodium is an essential nutrient but can be harmful in excessive amounts. The video uses sodium content as a measure to assess the healthiness of Campbell's Healthy Request soup. It is revealed that the soup contains a high level of sodium, which contradicts the 'healthy' claim, thus illustrating the discrepancy between marketing and nutritional facts.

💡Garden Vegetable

Garden Vegetable is a term used by Dempster's to market their bread, implying it contains beneficial vegetables. However, the video casts doubt on this claim by showing that the nutritional value of the vegetables in the bread is minimal after processing. This keyword is significant as it represents the deceptive use of health-related terms in food marketing.

💡Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for good vision and other bodily functions. The video uses Vitamin A content as a benchmark to evaluate the health claims of Dempster's Garden Vegetable bread. It is found to be significantly lower than what a whole vegetable would provide, thus undermining the product's health claims.

💡100% Fruit

100% Fruit is a label used by Sun Rype for their fruit bars, suggesting a healthy, natural product. The video challenges this claim by revealing that the bars contain a high amount of sugar and very little Vitamin C, which are not consistent with the expectations set by the '100% Fruit' label. This keyword is key to understanding the video's message about the discrepancy between food labels and reality.

💡KD Smart

KD Smart is a line of products by Kraft Dinner, marketed as healthier alternatives to their regular products. The video disputes this claim by showing that the products contain minimal health benefits, such as a small amount of vegetables, fibre, or omega-3, which do not justify the 'smart' label or the higher price. This keyword is central to the video's theme of scrutinizing health claims in food marketing.

💡Omega-3

Omega-3 is a type of fat that is good for heart health. The video discusses the presence of omega-3 in KD Smart with flax and points out that one would need to consume an unrealistic amount of the product to gain meaningful health benefits. This keyword is used to demonstrate the gap between the perceived and actual nutritional value of certain food products.

💡Food Fiction

Food Fiction is a term coined in the video to describe the misleading claims and marketing tactics used by food companies. It encapsulates the video's central theme of exposing the false impressions created by food labels and advertising. The term is used throughout the script to emphasize the contrast between what food products claim to be and what they actually are.

Highlights

Investigating the authenticity of food labeling claims.

Nutella marketed as a breakfast food but contains a high amount of sugar.

Nutella contains 11 grams of sugar per tablespoon serving.

Comparison of sugar content between Nutella and chocolate icing reveals more sugar in Nutella.

Campbell's Healthy Request soup labeled as healthy but contains high levels of sodium.

A single serving of Campbell's Healthy Request soup contains 470 milligrams of sodium.

Dempster's Garden Vegetable bread suggests a high vegetable content but provides minimal nutrients.

Dempster's bread contains only a seventh of a medium-sized carrot's worth of Vitamin A.

Sun Rype's 100% fruit bars contain as much sugar as six-and-a-half Oreo cookies.

Kraft Dinner Smart products are marketed as healthier but contain minimal nutritional benefits.

KD Smart with veggies contains an amount of Vitamin C found in two tablespoons of cauliflower.

KD Smart High Fibre provides the equivalent fibre of an apple, despite the lack of whole food benefits.

To get the omega-3 of a single serving of salmon, one would need to consume 177 servings of KD Smart with omega-3.

Public opinion suggests that companies should be more transparent with their food labeling.

Call for government regulation to prevent misleading food labeling.

Consumers feel misled by the current food labeling practices.

Transcripts

(♪♪)

>> Tom: We're hitting

the grocery store.

Baskets in hand.

Eyes focused.

On popular food products.

>> Erica: Investigating whether

companies are playing fast

and loose when it comes to

food labelling.

>> Tom: Start the day with

Nutella.

Everything from breakfast --

to dinner.

>> Erica: Healthy Request.

Sounds good.

>> Tom: I'm sold.

>> Erica: We're finding a

healthy diet of food claims.

>> Tom: 100% natural.

Garden Vegetable.

>> Erica: Bread with veggies?

>> Tom: Seems that's the hype

these days.

But are company claims

supported by the facts?

Or is it just food fiction?

How important are the

labelling claims to your

decision?

>> That's the first thing I

look at.

>> I'm a dad so I like to get.

you know, certain types of

nutrition to my boys.

They're still growing so they

eat a lot of protein.

>> Quite a bit.

I used to be not in the best

of health so it became a habit

over time.

>> Erica: To find out about

these healthy food claims,

we check out...

And meet up with a guy who

can help us read between the

lines.

Hey, Yoni.

>> Hi, Erica.

>> Erica: Good to see you.

>> Nice to see you.

>> Erica: Dr. Yoni Freedhoff

runs a health and nutrition

centre in Ottawa.

He's been called Canada's

nutritional watchdog.

>> How would you describe some

of the marketing tactics

companies use to get people to

buy their stuff?

>> They'll use anything and

everything that they can to try

to convince consumers that

what's in those packages is

health food.

>> Erica: How successful do

you think the marketing is?

>> I think it's extremely

successful.

Every aisle of the supermarket

is preying on us.

They're preying on our

psychologies.

They're preying on our beliefs

It's not fair.

>> Tom: Let's start with the

first meal of the day.

A popular breakfast item.

Nutella.

You know, the one that's

spreading the message that

"breakfast loves Nutella."

>> Knives, spoons, fingers and

cheeks.

Made with roasted hazelnuts.

Breakfast loves Nutella.

>> Tom: Precious Chong's

family loves it, too.

Her 9-year-old son Jack eats

this sweet treat three times a

week.

He's nuts for Nutella.

>> Delicious!

>> Tom: She first ate the

stuff as a child in Europe,

and says now it's a staple in

her home.

When you're serving Nutella

for Jack in the morning, how

much do you give him?

>> Mm, like, between a teaspoon

and a tablespoon full in his

oatmeal.

>> Tom: Do you know anything

about the ingredients of

Nutella?

>> Mm, I know it's like

hazelnuts and sugar?

>> Tom: Any idea how much

sugar is in there?

>> I don't know.

>> Erica: The manufacturer says

it can be part of a balanced

breakfast.

But is Nutella really a good

way to start the day?

What do you think of this

product?

>> Well, I think that it is

spreadable candy.

>> Erica: Candy!

Why?

>> Well, basically everything

you spread on that piece of

bread will be sugar.

>> Erica: So just how much

sugar does Nutella pack?

>> Erica: It says each serving

is one tablespoon, so I'm

going to just get a tablespoon

of this, and that has 11 grams

of sugar.

Okay.

Here we go.

>> Nutella really, it's a bit

of whey powder, so we'll put

some whey powder and it's a

bit of skim milk powder, so

we'll put that, too.

Some cocoa powder.

We've got cocoa powder.

And now everybody knows

there's hazelnuts in there,

but I don't know if everybody

knows there's only

two-and-a-half hazelnuts in

that tablespoon.

And then there is just shy --

one gram shy of three teaspoons

of sugar.

>> Erica: That is a ton of

sugar on my toast.

>> It is a lot of sugar on

your toast.

You know, a lot of people,

they say, well, we know it's

not healthy, but I'm not sure

people know just how much this

actually is.

>> Erica: All that sugar in

just one serving.

And Freedhoff thinks people

are eating more than that.

>> The label, it's swimming in

Nutella.

I wonder if two tablespoons

would make it look more like

that label.

>> Erica: And once you make it

two tablespoons of Nutella,

you're eating five-and-a-half

teaspoons of sugar, and that's

not all.

You've got another ingredient

down there.

What's that?

>> I do.

This is chocolate icing.

>> Erica: You think there's a

comparison?

>> Well, in fact there is less

sugar, tablespoon for

tablespoon, in this chocolate

icing than in that Nutella.

>> Tom: The company says it

doesn't promote the

nutritional value of Nutella.

If you eat it with some whole

grain toast, fruit and milk

it can be part of a complete

breakfast.

But that's little consolation

for our Toronto mom.

In a serving of Nutella, which

is a tablespoon, there are 11

grams of sugar.

>> Wow.

>> Tom: Do you know how much

that is?

>> No.

>> Tom: Almost 3 teaspoons.

(clears throat)

>> That's a lot of sugar.

So I'm basically giving a

chocolate bar to my son for

breakfast.

>> Tom: The fact that Nutella

markets itself as a breakfast

food, sells itself that way,

and knowing how much sugar's in

it, how do you feel about that?

>> Oh, I mean, it's a sham.

It shouldn't be a breakfast

food, it should be like a

dessert.

>> Tom: The latest in a long

list of unhappy Nutella fans.

A couple of years ago the

manufacturer made national

news in the U.S. when it was

sued for false advertising.

>> I thought it was at least

as nutritious as peanut

butter, maybe a little bit more,

and that's just the impression

I got from the commercial.

>> Tom: The company had to pay

its customers $3 million.

>> Erica: They may have tweaked

their advertising to tone down

the impression it's "healthy"

but this sugar cop says it's

still leaving a false

impression.

Why are companies allowed to

market their product as though

they're good for you?

>> Companies are allowed to

say whatever they can get away

with saying.

Now, they're like teenagers.

Their job is to push the

envelope.

To see what they can get away

with to sell as much product

as possible.

>> Erica: One of the slogans

for this product is "breakfast

loves Nutella".

>> Well, kids may love Nutella

and maybe breakfast does too but

I'm not so certain that health

does.

>> Erica: Let's put this one

away.

>> Indeed.

>> Erica: Time for us to turn

the tables on this label.

Change food fiction into food

fact.

So, let's make breakfast loves

Nutella...

Nutella loves sugar.

(ding)

>> Tom: With breakfast done,

time for lunch.

>> Erica: Healthy Request.

Sounds good.

>> Tom: I'm sold.

>> Erica: Throw it in?

>> Tom: You bet.

So we pick up some Campbell's

Healthy Request soup.

So when you see the word

"Healthy Request" on that,

what does that mean to you?

>> It would mean to me there

would be more vegetables in

there.

It would have some type of

whole grain in there.

>> Healthy Request?

Well, I'd have to look at the

ingredients before I figure

out if it is healthy.

>> Vegetables and nice looking

things on the side.

So I'd think, yeah, that's

something I would consider.

>> Erica: So just how healthy

is this soup?

We've got this Campbell's

soup.

It's called Healthy Request

and there are a lot of health

related things on this label.

>> There's no question that

label screams healthy.

I mean, even if you look at

the spoon, you don't see soup.

You just see a spoonful of

vegetables right above a logo

that's got a heart with the

world "healthy" on top of it.

So this is, I would imagine,

the marketing point is heart

healthy soup.

>> Erica: So let's look at the

amount of sodium in there.

It has 470 milligrams of

sodium per serving.

How's that number?

>> Well, first, 470 milligrams

of sodium in a serving of soup

might not be a small number

for someone who is worried and

concerned for real reasons

about sodium.

So people with heart disease,

that's actually quite a lot

for a serving of soup, but I

have a question.

How much is the serving of

soup in this case?

>> Erica: It says per serving

of 250 millilitres, but this has

almost 400 in it.

In this container.

>> And so that would be almost

750 milligrams of sodium in

that container.

>> Erica: If you ate the whole

thing.

>> Now, I wonder who wouldn't

eat the whole thing.

I mean, look at this container.

So it is a single serve

container.

I say that because you can't

reseal it.

>> Erica: Campbell's says it

uses the standard serving size

for soup set by the government.

That way, shoppers can make a

fair comparison.

But it looks as if Campbell's

could be breaking government

rules around labelling.

If a food product could

reasonably be eaten at a

single sitting, the company has

to give you the nutritional

info for the whole container.

How misleading is it then to

give the sodium for a serving

size that is not the entire

thing?

>> I think it's very

misleading.

You know, especially when you've

got a container that clearly is

something people would regularly

consume all at once.

>> Erica: And that's not the

only food fiction going on.

>> If you want to know how

much sodium, it's the same

amount of sodium as you would

get if you ate this entire

bowl of potato chips.

>> Erica: You wouldn't sit

down and eat an entire big

bowl of potato chips like

that.

>> No.

And if you're making your own

vegetable soup at home, the

likelihood of you putting that

much sodium in is quite low.

>> Erica: So this Healthy

Request soup?

>> Not so healthy.

(♪♪)

>> Tom: Back at the grocery

store, we give shoppers the

scoop about this soup.

Do you think that's a healthy

request?

>> It's terrible.

It's terrible.

>> Wow!

(Laughing)

>> I'd probably rather have

the potato chips.

>> Tom: (Laughing)

They have Healthy Request on

here.

It's got that much sodium in

it.

How do you feel about that

claim?

>> It doesn't seem healthy

at all.

>> Tom: So time for another

label makeover.

Let's turn Campbell's "Healthy

Request" soup into...

Campbell's "Salty Request" soup.

(ding)

>> Erica: When we come back,

more popular names, and

marketing games.

Is this 100% fruit bar

100% healthy?

>> Yeah, that's something that

I'd probably stay away from.

>> Tom: And later...

What "Krafty" claims are you

being served for dinner?

>> It's (bleep), is what it is.

>> What lousy label bugs you?

Snap a photo and share it with

us on Facebook and Twitter.

(♪♪)

>> Erica: Tom and I are on the

move through the grocery aisles,

looking for products that claim

to be good for you, trying to

separate food fact from food

fiction.

We've checked out breakfast.

Next up on the lunch menu...

>> Tom: Oh, here we go.

Garden Vegetable.

>> Erica: Bread with veggies?

>> Tom: With our soup.

>> Erica: Perfect combo.

>> Tom: Okay.

>> Erica: We've got Dempster's

Garden Vegetable bread.

>> Tom: What do you think when

you see that label?

>> Well, vegetables -- of

course vegetables are good for

you, right?

>> Well, I think that should

be better for you.

It should give you a bit more

of your daily vegetable intake.

>> Erica: So does it?

Back in the kitchen we ask our

nutritional watchdog Dr. Yoni

Freedhoff.

The packaging is covered in

carrots.

What does it suggest to you?

>> I think it suggests probably

to me, and to most people, that

loaf of bread has a lot of

carrots in it.

>> Erica: Carrots have plenty

of nutrients.

So what's Dempster's serving

up?

>> Erica: Carrots are known

for their Vitamin A.

Let's see how much Vitamin A

is in here per serving.

It says a serving is two slices,

and you'd get 6% of your daily

recommended allowance of

Vitamin A.

How much is that in terms of

actual carrot?

>> Actually not a lot.

So if you actually wanted to

get your Vitamin A from a

carrot source, an actual

vegetable, the amount of

carrot you'd need to eat is

just over about a gram worth

of carrot which I'm guessing

is roughly this much.

>> Erica: So pretty

misleading?

>> I think it's very misleading.

And I think, really, what it

speaks to is that when you put

vegetables in a food, the

processing strips away their

nutrition.

Eating a carrot is not the

same as eating carrots that

were placed into processed

food.

Even if many are put in there,

nutrition gets stripped out.

>> Erica: Dempster's says two

slices of their Garden

Vegetable bread has a half

serving of veggies, but after

processing, there aren't a lot

of vitamins.

So if you ate the entire loaf

of this bread, how much carrot

would you get?

>> Well, for a medium sized

carrot, it would be about a

seventh of a carrot.

>> Erica: If I ate the entire

loaf of bread, that much

Vitamin A?

>> That's correct.

>> Tom: Dempster's says the

label is factually accurate,

but our grocery shoppers are

still frustrated with that

tiny amount of vitamins.

You'd have to eat the entire

loaf to get the Vitamin A

equivalent of a carrot that

big.

>> That just seems like a lie.

(laughing)

>> The immediate reaction is

kind of like, ah, because you

got me.

>> To put a big thing on the

front like that says garden

vegetables, and those are

vegetables whick would have

Vitamin A in them.

I think that's pretty -- to me,

that's misleading.

>> Erica: So the actual amount

of Vitamin A in this bread

gets an "F"?

>> Yes.

An "F" for food fiction.

>> Erica: Time for another

label makeover.

Let's turn Dempster's Garden

Vegetable bread into...

Dempster's "Where's The

Veggie?"

(ding)

>> Tom: Next on our shopping

list we're on the hunt for a

midafternoon snack.

Grocery aisles these days are

filled with food labels making

all kinds of fruit claims.

Look at those.

100% fruit.

Check this one out.

Made by Sun Rype.

It's called fruit source "100%

fruit bars."

How can you go wrong?

>> These are the things that

go lunch boxes, you know, and

stuff like that.

>> Well, if you see 100% fruit

then you would think, okay,

that's like an apple.

Or it's like an orange or a

pear or something.

>> Erica: Time to find out if

this fruit bar is as good for

you as you think.

If we look at the nutrition

facts, 29 grams of sugar in

every bar.

So how much sugar is that?

>> Well, the amount of sugar

in each one of these bars is

the same amount of sugar you

get if you ate four, five,

six-and-a-half Oreo cookies.

And I don't think many parents

would be sending their kids

with six-and-a-half Oreo cookies

worth of sugar to school every

day and thinking that was

healthy.

>> Erica: Well, you'd never do

that.

Parents think this is a

healthy alternative.

Not six-and-a-half Oreos worth

of sugar.

>> That's right.

>> Tom: Shoppers are shocked

there's that much sugar in one

bar.

A single one of these bars has

29 grams of sugar.

>> Okay.

>> Tom: That's the equivalent of

six-and-a-half Oreo cookies.

>> Yeah, that's something that

I'd probably stay away from.

>> Well, it would be

surprising to me that there's

that much.

>> Well, I'd rather have the

six-and-a-half Oreo cookies.

>> Erica: We called Sun Rype

and they said that this product

is derived from 100% fruit.

>> And I believe that fruit

started their processing

chain.

Right.

This is a processed food,

and the processing of fruit

changes its nutrition.

This again is candy.

Candy masquerading as fruit is

still candy.

>> Erica: Now, you might know

all that sugar in this fruit bar

is natural and adds up once it's

processed, but are you getting

the good stuff, too?

Strawberries are known for

their Vitamin C so let's see

per bar how much Vitamin C you

get and it says 2% of your

daily allowance.

How much is that?

>> It's not a lot.

So if you were to consume one

strawberry and you wanted to

get the same amount of Vitamin

C from those bars, you'd have

to eat six of them.

Truthfully, I think the only

thing we should be able to

market as actual fruit is

actual fruit.

>> Tom: The not so sweet facts

call out for another label

makeover.

Given all that sugar, let's

call Sun Rype...

Sun Hype.

(ding)

>> Erica: When we come back,

a popular pasta with a clever

spin!

>> That's preying on peoples'

hope.

>> Tom: And it's your turn to

give food makers a piece of

your mind.

>> Just be honest.

>> Erica: Hey, watchdogs.

Got a product or service you

think we should test?

E-mail us at

[email protected].

(♪♪)

>> Erica: We're scanning the

grocery aisles for popular

products, on the lookout for

misleading marketing claims.

We've checked out breakfast,

lunch and a snack.

So what's for dinner?

>> Erica: Kraft Dinner, Smart.

>> Tom: Yep.

Kraft has come out with a line

of products to appeal to

health conscious parents out

there.

It's called KD Smart, with

high fibre, veggies, even one

with omega-3.

Sure sounds healthy.

So Kraft Dinner.

It's smart.

It's got flax, omega-3.

When you see that kind of

label, what do you think?

>> I see flax, which I know

is kind of good for me.

I see omega-3 which, as

someone with high blood

pressure, I think should be

having that.

>> Tom: Would you think this is

a healthier alternative to

regular KD?

>> I would think so, yeah.

Just from the flax, omega-3,

no artificial flavors,

colours, preservatives.

>> Erica: Here's an

unappetizing fact.

All three "Smart" brands cost

more than regular KD.

So what exactly are you getting

for that higher price?

We ask nutrition expert

Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, starting

with the KD Smart with veggies.

On the ingredients it says

it's got freeze dried

cauliflower.

So how much are you getting in

each serving?

>> Not an awful lot.

I mean, this is Kraft Dinner.

And you if you crunch the

numbers you wanna see how much,

for instance, Vitamin C worth of

cauliflower you'll get in a

serving, it's two tablespoons.

>> Erica: That's only an eighth

of a cup!

Yep.

For every serving of this KD

Smart, about a third of the

box, you're getting the

Vitamin C found in two

tablespoons of cauliflower.

The other brand that they have

here is Kraft Dinner Smart High

Fibre, and the ingredients says

this one has oat hull fibre in

it.

How much are we getting in

each serving of this?

>> You're getting the equivalent

amount of fibre as consuming

roughly an apple, and on

paper that sounds great,

except there is health

benefits to consumption of

fruits and vegetables and

whole grains.

We don't have the same wealth

of evidence to suggest that if

we take just the fibre out of

those foods and add it to KD

that suddenly it will make KD

healthful.

I think that's a stretch.

>> Erica: Finally the KD Smart

with omega-3 with flax.

Is there enough in the box to

make a difference to your

health?

How much omega-3 are you

getting in this?

>> Well, so the evidence on

omega-3 suggests that the best

sources of omega-3 are the

fish sources.

And our bodies actually

convert flax into the same

types that you would get

from fish but we do it very

inefficiently.

>> Erica: So just how much KD

Smart would you need to eat in

order to get the omega-3 you'd

get in this piece of fish?

Try 177 servings!

>> This is not health food.

You know if people want to eat

Kraft Dinner, eat Kraft Dinner.

It's one of the rights of

childhood.

But to do it and think you're

being smart about it, well,

that's food fiction.

>> Tom: Back at the grocery

store, shoppers think what

we've found is hard to

stomach.

We did some calculations on

this.

You'd have to have 177 servings,

about 44 boxes of this, to get

the omega-3 that you get out

of one serving of salmon.

>> Wow.

That's clever marketing, eh?

>> Tom: Is that what it is?

>> Well, that's (bleep), is

what it is.

>> I think it's really kind of

selling the consumer really

short in terms of what they're

actually looking to gain from

this product.

>> Tom: You call it misleading.

Why do you think it's

misleading?

>> Well, because they're saying

it's a smart choice for eating

and it's not.

>> Erica: Kraft admits there's a

not a ton of nutritional value

with this trio, but says they're

a choice for parents with picky

kids.

We've decided their marketing

is just a little too "krafty."

So bring on a new label!

KD Smart, say hello to...

KD Not So Smart.

(ding)

>> Erica: Dr. Yoni Freedhoff

says the buck should stop with

government.

It needs to take more

responsibility to make sure

food labels aren't misleading.

>> We shouldn't be forced as

consumers to study nutrition

labels to see if the claims on

the front are accurate.

I tend to waggle my finger

most at the government for

allowing the claims that we

see on these packages to exist

in the first place.

>> Tom: We ask the government

agency responsible for making

sure these products aren't

misleading for an on-camera

interview about our findings.

No luck.

We want to talk to all the

companies on-camera about this

food fiction too, but they say

no.

The food makers may not be

talking, but we know you've

got something to say to them.

>> Just be honest.

You don't have to go through

this.

People will still buy your

product if it tastes good.

>> You'd probably sell your

product just as well if you

weren't engaging in these

activities, and you're probably

losing a certain segment

of the market, like me.

>> They're baiting us into

buying what they have.

Either we have to change our

laws about what they can say

or we as consumers have to be

more educated.

>> They really have to be more

deliberate with putting the

actual ingredients more in the

forefront instead of...

>> Tom: More transparent or

open?

>> More transparent instead of

the buzzwords that people seem

to be picking up on.

>> You're eating it, too!

You're feeding your kids this

stuff, too you know?

It's time for change.

>> Tom: And that's a food

label cleanup in the grocery

aisle.

>> Next week on "Marketplace".

>> Checkout charity.

It's giving to a good cause.

>> Tom: So how come we don't

always feel good doing it?

>> As soon as I see there's a

campaign going on I think, oh,

brother, here we go again.

>> While stores raise

millions, we're left to wonder

what's in it for them.

>> They don't tell you that at

the checkout counter.

There's no accountability.

>> Some believe there's a

different, better way.

>> Give me a reason to do it

beyond feeling good.

>> Doing good, but feeling

bad.

That's next week.