Read Your Labels Day – Get the “411” on What’s in your Food

April 11, 2013

Washington, D.C. – Citizens for Health has declared 4/11 National “Read Your Labels Day”. For one day (at least) we want you to investigate – and share – “the 411” on the importance of reading the labels on foods and beverages before you buy them.

Observing the claims isn’t enough when a product can contain 10 times – or more – as much high fructose corn syrup than fruit juice, but make a big deal about being “made with real lemons”. Technically accurate, yes. Informative in any real sense of the word? No. Nor are the nutrition “facts” telling the whole story. Think of them as the main title of a movie. While they give you a very basic idea of what’s inside, you really don’t know the details until you see the end credits roll.

The list of ingredients is the end credits of the movie, and without it you’d have no real idea what it took to create what you’re eating. That’s why we want you to stand up to the food industry and refuse to accept deceptive marketing ploys like references to nonexistent fruit or bogus claims of “no MSG.”

What you can do today:

Check our list of the “Top Ten Additives to Avoid and learn why they made the list – courtesy of FoodIdentityTheft.com blogger and CFH contributor, Linda Bonvie. When you find any of these ingredients  – or a favorite offender of your own – take a photo with your phone and share it with the world on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #ReadYourLabels.

Visit the CFH Facebook page and share your personal pledge to avoid as many of these 10 ingredients as you can. It won’t be easy to avoid them all, since manufacturers do their best to disguise or distract you from the worst of them. But it’s worth it, and it’s a great exercise in staying informed about what you eat and feed to your families.

Sign the petition to label high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) – read more and sign here.

Get creative! Have an idea for how to mark the day, or how to share the “411” with other concerned consumers? Share it with us and other Citizens for Health through Twitter (#ReadYourLabels) or Facebook.

We’ll be watching eagerly for what you share!

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