An article from foodnavigator.com, a publication distributed to the food industry, came across my e-mail the other day. The crux of the article is that juices and other foods, distributed worldwide, use the same nutrition label regardless of the source of the ingredients. Since products distributed worldwide usually are NOT produced locally, using local produce and foodstuffs, the nutrient composition of those foods are not standard or controlled.
The story targeted a juice produced by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Ribena. GSK had to admit that Ribena did not necessarily contain the vitamin C content as claimed on the label. The varying nutritional content of locally sourced blackcurrants in certain countries created a large discrepancy in the accuracy of the label, ranging from accurate in Singapore to almost no vitamin C in Australia.
One huge concern is that nutrition labeling is required on all packaged products, yet there is no guarantee that the values are actually accurate. GSK used an average value for vitamin C on their label, but the nature of an average means that there will be some that are much higher in vitamin C content, and some that are much lower.
What can you do as a consumer? Aside from the science project done by the students in Australia that discovered the label discrepancy, my suggestion is to make sure that you eat a variety of foods that contain an array of nutrients to meet your nutritional needs. In other words, don’t depend on one food as the staple for a specific nutrient.
For example, you might eat an orange every day for your vitamin C. But what if that orange has the low end of vitamin C rather than the high end? Other foods that contain vitamin C are tomatoes, broccoli, berries, cherries, and many others. By including a variety of foods you ensure your vitamin C intake will always be optimal. Use this fundamental strategy for all of your food choices. You will create a diet high in variety, dense in nutrients, and strong in flavors and textures. It will taste delicious and you will feel great!
Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner