‘No Fat’ or ‘No Sugar’ Does Not Guarantee Nutritional Quality

According to a new study, terms such as ‘no fat’, ‘no sugar’, ‘low fat’ and ‘reduced salt’ on food packaging may give consumers a sense of confidence, but these claims rarely reflect the actual nutritional quality of the food.

In fact, some of these products may actually be high in calories, sodium, sugar and fat. For example, low-fat chocolate milk has a lower fat content but is higher in sugar relative to plain milk, and higher in sugar and fat relative to other beverages.

A consumer who is trying to make a healthy choice will assume that a reduced claim is a healthier product. However, it is important to note that reduced claims are relative and only about one nutrient. It was also found that Asian households tend to purchase more foods with low fat or low sodium claims.