Tag: food labels

How Much!?

That gluten-free bagel costs how much!? All food has become more expensive, but the increase in specialty foods is especially noticeable. At the same time, the selection has become more limited. That can make it tempting to give up on a specialized eating plan.

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I’ve been gluten-free for 20 years. I remember the days when it was difficult to find gluten-free packaged food in the grocery store. And when you did find it, the quality was often questionable at best.

Things got better. Selection grew, quality improved, and prices were steep but not heart-stopping expensive in most cases. Then things got even better in the US. Gluten-free labeled foods had a standard to meet. Woohoo! When I was overly busy and needed to grab something convenient, it wasn’t hard to find.

Now, I’ve added the complication of keeping the amount of histamine in my diet low and many days I feel like I’m back to 2003. I have to plan further ahead to make sure I have something available on days that I don’t have time to cook. I can’t find the gluten-free brands I prefer. When I do find a packaged food that meets my criteria, it’s so expensive I have to think twice. Often I opt for a deconstructed meal of a handful of lettuce followed by a cucumber followed by an apple. Then I look for some kind of protein.

Between this year’s travel, family visits, and general obligations, I’ve felt pretty frustrated at times. I haven’t hit the point of eating gluten or giving up on a low histamine diet, but I understand the temptation. And I’m still trying to figure out the most efficient and satisfying way to address the everyday dilemmas.

Here are a few things that are helping:

  • Mixing an additional batch or two of dry ingredients when I make biscuits or pancakes.
  • Freezing muffins and cookies so that they last longer.
  • Cooking roast instead of steak so that I have meat for more meals.
  • Seasoning chicken or ground beef with only the basics so that I can use them in multiple ways.
  • Freezing cooked chicken tenders, meatloaf, chopped brisket, etc. when I have some left.
  • Mixing and matching uses of a type of bread or wrap.
  • Keeping microwaveable rice in the pantry.
  • Buying multiple items online when they are marked down. Using less expensive rice crackers as a crunchy side rather than gluten-free saltines or table crackers.
  • Keeping BBQ sauce and salad dressing mixed up in the refrigerator.
  • Cooking multiple vegetables at one time even if I don’t need them for that meal.

None of these is a big thing, but all of them together help me stay ahead of hunger. They also mean I cook more from scratch and eat less prepackaged food. Not only is that healthier, it helps me avoid the sticker shock that has me asking, how much!?

Made in Texas?

Can natural spring water be made in Texas? The other day, I picked up a bottle of Ozarka® water at an event. Under the name it says 100% Natural Spring Water. At the top left, it says Made in Texas. This perplexes me.
water
Unless you’re combining hydrogen and oxygen in a lab to produce water, I’m not sure you can say it was made in any specific location. If the water comes from a spring, its source may originate in a whole other state than Texas. But even if the spring begins in Texas, does Texas make the rain?

I know this may seem like much ado about nothing, but those of us who have allergies and sensitivities depend on accurate labels to stay safe. Playing this loose with label language feels disconcerting at best and at worst, dangerous.

Ozarka Spring Water was first bottled in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. When that spring ran dry, Ozarka sold drinking water and distilled water. At some point, probably the 1990s, Nestlé Waters acquired the rights to Ozarka Spring Water. The exact date and details of this transaction are unclear. Nestlé only lists the 1905 beginning of the Eureka Springs company in its timeline, but Nestlé Waters was not formed until 1992.

Nestlé Waters is part of the larger Swiss company Nestlé that owns many brands including Gerber®, Cheerios®, Stouffers®, Buitoni®, DiGirono®, Lean Cuisine®, and Hot Pockets®. Nestlé water brands include Acqua Panna, Arrowhead, Deer Park, Ice Mountain, Nestlé Pure Life, Perrier, Poland Spring, S.Pellegrino, and Zephyrhills.

According to its website, Ozarka is currently bottled from three springs in Texas. Why not say Bottled in Texas or, God forbid because I hate this use of the word even though it’s popular, Sourced in Texas? My guess is that there’s a marketing reason for this labeling although I’m not sure what it is.

The Texas Department of Agriculture has a certification program that allows for use of the Go Texan mark to promote Texas products, but I am not aware of a Made in Texas program. Maybe it’s a way to appeal to a certain demographic that might not choose Arrowhead or Acqua Panna. Or perhaps it’s a way to remind Arkansans drawn to the Ozarka name that they can no longer lay claim to this water—it’s made in Texas.

Whatever the reason, I hope it was well considered. I hope all labeling decisions are carefully considered with priority given to the safety of the public. I certainly prefer for label information to be complete and accurate. The problem with statements like Made in Texas on water is that it raises a question.

A labeling question makes me uncomfortable and puts me on alert in regard to all products that company produces. In my head, I start asking whether the marketing department is allowed to write or change the nutrition labels and does that information have good oversight by qualified individuals? Is the company committed to accuracy and transparency? Does management consider labeling a safety matter?

I know many of you may be less skeptical and more trusting than I. You may trust that there are well-thought, specific procedures with adequate oversight in place to ensure that most label information that could affect health is correct. I hope so, but I know it’s not guaranteed.

I have personally witnessed an advertising agency determine all of the label information for a variety of products made by a hot sauce company. I am also aware that on a given week this fall, six of fifteen USDA recalls were due to misbranding and/or undeclared allergens. That’s more than a third of recalls at that particular moment and not every label issue results in a recall.

An undeclared allergen can lead to very serious consequences. The rate at which label errors result in recalls can be disconcerting. Even so, labels are a valuable source of information. I choose to read them and make many decisions based on their content. I also reserve the right to be skeptical about a company’s labeling when I experience an adverse reaction or observe something alarming.

Whether or not Ozarka is Made in Texas is of no material consequence, but it does raise a red flag. It’s unfortunate that many companies seem lax in oversight of labeling practices. It’s also an easy area in which they can improve.

Knowing I can trust the accuracy of a label inspires me to brand loyalty above and beyond marketing and advertising language. I am sure I’m not alone in this. Food production companies, please take note!

https://www.ozarkawater.com/

https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/springs-and-water-cycle?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

https://kfor.com/2014/11/21/two-kinds-of-ozarka-a-water-war/

https://www.nestle-watersna.com/en/who-we-are/our-history/bottledwaterhistory

http://www.gotexan.org/

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/current-recalls-and-alerts

http://www.cooking2thrive.com/blog/lunch-dinner-snack-foods-support-healthy-lifestyle/

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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