I’m angry about the razzle-dazzle practice of using
irrelevant serving size information on Nutrition Facts panels. Specifically, I’m
pissed off about the way the way some big manufacturers choose to label microwave
popcorn. They market products in the best possible “lite” regardless of whether
it misrepresents a product. The disingenuous practice of using deceitful yet legal
labeling and marketing approaches needs to stop.
About Nutrition Facts Panels
A Nutrition Facts panel cannot empower consumers to make
informed and healthful dietary choices if it contains obsolete information. It’s time to make serving size information consistent
across similar types of products and realistic for today. The Food and Drug
Administration recognizes the need for clearer information on food labels and reports that change is underway, according to their website. You can read more about the proposed food
label changes at the FDA’s website FDA for consumers - Update - Proposed Changes.
In the late 1970s
and the late 1980s surveys were conducted by the U.S. government to determine typical
portion sizes consumed by Americans. The data from those surveys were used to
establish guidelines for serving sizes on our food labels.
- Serving size refers to the amount used to report the nutrition content of a product. It isn’t a recommendation about how much to eat.
- Portion size refers to how much you actually consume. Your portion size may or may not match-up with the serving size on a product.
I would like manufacturers to step-up and make changes now, even before new recommendations or guidelines are in place. As the FDA works towards making changes to help create labels that are more transparent and easier to identify with, I hope we will see more Nutrition Facts panels that do what they should to help people make informed choices.
Popcorn
Popcorn is a whole grain, high fiber, low calorie snack food. It is a healthy snack food when it is eaten in moderation and prepared with little or no salt and little or no fat. I
like to flavor plain popcorn with seasonings instead of salt – garlic and
pepper are my favorites – and replace butter with a small amount of oil like olive
oil (a monounsaturated fat) or flaxseed oil (a polyunsaturated fat).
I used to make popcorn on the stove-top because we didn’t
have a microwave. Our microwave went up in flames back in 2006 when I tried to
use it to steam our first ever homegrown beet. Not my best moment but the cinder block duplex still stands even if the microwave doesn’t. I always make too much popcorn when I cook it on the stove-top and end up stuck with chewy leftovers for days. We have a microwave now and I'm rediscovering microwavable popcorn. I really like it. I like the smell, the flavor, and the crunch of freshly
microwaved popcorn. I also enjoy reaching into the bag and
pulling out little fluffs of popped corn. I can easily overindulge with it, so mini-bags work well for me. They are packaged as a single-serving item.
Are you kidding me with that serving size?
When I buy mini-bags of popcorn, I expect to eat an entire
bag. Prior to this week, I also expected that all of the nutrition information
on a mini-bag would reflect a serving size of 1 mini-bag. I was wrong. each manufacturer has flexibility to determine the serving size to use for Nutrition Facts panel of their popped corn.
Some products, like the generic brand Essential Everyday, report the nutrition
information about 1 mini-bag of popped corn. I understand this because it relates directly to what people are likely to eat. It is, after all, a single serving product.
 |
| Mini-bags from generic brand. Nutrition Facts panel reports information based on 1 serving - the contents of an entire mini-bag. |
 |
| Essential Everyday Nutrition Facts Panel |
 |
| Mini-bag of lime and salt popcorn. The contents of the popped bag were emptied into the bowl (left). One cup of popped corn (25 total calories and 10 calories of fat) are depicted in the measuring cup. The mini-bag of lime and salt flavored Skinnygirl popcorn yields about 6 cups of popped corn. The 25 total calories with 10 calories from fat in 1 serving equates to about 150 calories with 60 calories from in real-life 1 mini-bag. |
The Nutrition Facts panel for the popped corn is based on a serving size of 1 cup.
 |
| Skinnygirl lime and salt Nutrition Facts panel Black on red (I find this hard to read) |
Isn't that the purpose of the product?
I think there are 2 reasons why
- Using 1 cup as the serving size allows the company to say that a single serving provides only 25 total calories and 10 fat calories even though an entire mini-bag, the amount a person is anticipated to consume, provides about 150 total calories and about 60 fat calories. Orville Redenbacher's and Skinnygirl are manipulating consumers by assuming people will stop reading when they reach "25 calories" and "Skinnygirl." It's not a bad product, but many people will get more calories than they expect when they eat this product because of deceitful labeling. Unacceptable.
- I looked at 3 different Orville Redenbacher’s products (Skinnygirl, Naturals, and Smartpop!) and they all reported nutrition information with the same serving size - 1 cup of popped corn. I assume that this practice encourages consumers to readily compare products within the Orville Redenbacher's family. The serving size is unrealistic and irrelevant to what people eat. Unacceptable.
Popcorn, Snacks & Food Labels
When I seek out a snack, I decide what I want to eat based on my hunger, appetite, mood, and other food and calorie choices that day. When I choose popcorn, it is not because of the brand. It is because I want a snack that offers whole grain, fiber, maybe something familiar. I pick popcorn because it is a snack food I enjoy for about 100-120 calories. A mini-bag of popped corn can be a great snack that sometimes checks off all of my boxes.
I want simple, easy, and straightforward snacks. When I select a food in a single-serving package, I reasonably expect the nutrition information to directly reflect what I eat. I'm irritated if I have to convert the information on the Nutrition Facts panel of a single-serving product into practical information that I can use. After that kind of effort, the manufacturer should pay me to eat their product.
Final Thoughts
Food labels are useful when they provide practical information. The FDA is moving towards change, but it will take time. As a consumer, you can question food companies when you see serving sizes that don't make sense. Hanging on to old, and usually smaller, serving sizes often makes products look better than they actually are based on realistic serving sizes.
Have you found any misleading or confusing food labels with serving sizes that are out of touch with reality? If you have, email me an image of it along the name of the product (you can email me at nutritiontuesdays@gmail.com). I will check it out and post it at www.mardiparelman.com.
Have you found any misleading or confusing food labels with serving sizes that are out of touch with reality? If you have, email me an image of it along the name of the product (you can email me at nutritiontuesdays@gmail.com). I will check it out and post it at www.mardiparelman.com.
