Be Weary of ‘Health Washing’

Health washing is something that we all fall for due to lack of awareness. Here is why you must check a product thoroughly before buying…

What is Health Washing?

This might be an alien term for you but this plays a very important role in our lives. This is something that we all should know about especially if you are someone who loves to buy packaged foods. Oftentimes, we get into the trap of marketing claims such as ‘100% organic’, ‘chemical-free’, ‘nutrient-dense’, etc. and buy a product. Some products might be worthy but in many cases, these label claims are false and put your health at risk. This is why everyone must know about common health washing claims and how to detect health washing.

Health washing is a term that is used for brands who portray a product as healthy when it is not. These products are sold as ‘good for health’ but they are actually doing more harm and therefore, causing illnesses. Most of the products that market themselves as healthy may be having hidden harmful ingredients. Health washing is also when a product doesn’t disclose the list of ingredients in it.

Here are some common health washing claims that you may read on product labels:

• Low calorie

• Low-fat

• Fat-free

• Sugar-free

• Cholesterol-free

• 100% Organic

• 100% Natural

• Made with all-natural ingredients

• Free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives

• Fortified with vitamins and minerals

• Dairy-free

• Gluten-free

The aim of these claims is to gather the attention of buyers and make them believe that they are buying a healthy and nutritious product. Generally, manufacturers hide the other ingredients that might be harmful under these claims. For example, something that is projected to be sugar-free might be having artificial sweeteners instead of sugar which are equally disastrous for health.

5 Ways to Detect Health Washing

1. Check All of the Ingredients

First and foremost, read all of the ingredients carefully and not just the highlights on the label. If you are concerned about your health and what goes inside your body, make it a habit to check the ingredient list both front, side and back. Ingredients are always listed beginning with the largest occurring ingredient ie., if sugar or any ingredient ending in -’ose’ is the first item on the ingredient list, that means that there is more sugar than any other ingredient in that food. This helps in finding out if the exciting claims are true or not.

2. Ignore the Nutrition Label

The nutritional facts panel is nothing but misleading. For instance; many times, if the amount of fat is decreased in a packaged food, there are chances that there may be more calories and/or sugar in it to make up for the naturally occurring fat that was taken out of the food while processing. So, be watchful but don’t get overwhelmed with the long list of nutrients on the label.

3. Organic and Natural Doesn’t = Healthy

Just because a food is naturally or Organically sourced doesn’t mean that it is healthy too. Even if a product is Organic, that just means that it doesn’t have chemicals or insecticides, but, it may have additives or preservatives to increase its shelf life. Perishable items that have a very long shelf life contain preservatives that are not good for health. So, natural is NOT EQUIVALENT to healthy.

4. Bigger Claims, Darker Secrets

The bigger claims a company makes for their product, the more layers they have hidden. If you find a product with packaging making big, flashy claims, do not believe them. Secondly, check detailed ingredients and do not miss out on information that is mentioned in very small letters that easily goes unnoticed. Those who make big claims are generally false claims.

5. Check Natural Flavors & Colors

Even if a product may not have additional coloring and flavoring agents added to it, this doesn’t make it natural. Have you ever wondered why canned or tetra pack juices look so fresh and vibrant in color? It’s because they have gone through extreme amounts of processing. They are marketed as real fruit juices but, think about it, how can natural fruit juice look fresh and flavorful for months?

These are just some of the tips that can help you detect health washing. Because we easily believe in advertisements, it becomes easier for brands to sell their products with fake claims. So, next time you buy anything that is touted as ‘healthy,’ make sure to keep these tips in mind before making the purchase!