Walk down the center aisles of any grocery store, and you’ll be bombarded with words like “natural,” “wholesome” and “light” (or its casual alternative, “lite”). Or foods promising to be “low-fat,” “sugar-free,” “high in protein” and “immune-boosting.” You’ll also see packaging that appeals to specific dietary desires and needs, with descriptors like “gluten-free,” “plant-based” and “low-carb.” But are any of these products actually healthy?
The intention is likely to make you think so. Known as “nutriwashing,” or “healthwashing,” marketers use buzzwords to make products seem healthier than they are. In reality, many of these products are ultra-processed foods, which are linked to serious health risks, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer.
“These claims influence consumer decisions by creating the illusion of healthiness, leading shoppers to choose products they believe are better for them when, in reality, they may still be highly processed and nutritionally poor,” Lindsay Malone, a dietician and instructor in the department of nutrition at Case Western Reserve University, tells Yahoo Life.
Some cereals claim to be “heart healthy” or “high in fiber” yet are loaded with sugar. Fruit snacks can be “made with real fruit” when most of its flavor is derived from artificial or processed sources. Yogurts can be “high in protein” but filled with artificial sweeteners. Granola bars may be made with “whole grains” but packed with sugar and preservatives.
Some of the most commonly misleading products use the word “natural,” says Malone. “This term is largely unregulated and can still include processed ingredients, artificial additives and even high fructose corn syrup.”
Another common ploy, says Malone, is reducing serving sizes to make deceptive claims. For example, manufacturers are permitted to label a product as trans-fat-free if there is less than 0.5 grams of trans fat in the product per serving. “In products like coffee creamers,” she says, “manufacturers make the serving size very small even though the average amount consumers will put in their coffee is quite a bit higher.”
What are the rules around food packaging?
In the U.S. the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates food advertising to ensure companies are truthful in their claims, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates food labeling. With the FDA, claims are divided into three categories: health claims, nutrient content claims and structure/function claims. For health claims (such as “lowers risk of heart disease”), companies are required to have substantial scientific evidence to back them up. For nutrient claims (such as “high in protein”), the proposed ingredient must reach a certain level set by the FDA. And for structure/function claims (such as “boosts metabolism”), the company must put a clause on the packaging stating that the FDA has not assessed the claim.
There are many cases in which major food companies have faced lawsuits over their marketing and advertising. For example, in 2009, Kellogg Company settled charges made by the FTC over its advertising for Frosted Mini Wheats when it claimed the cereal was “clinically shown to improve kids’ attentiveness by nearly 20%.” In 2016, Post Food was slapped with a false advertising class-action lawsuit over misleading health claims for several of its cereals. The company settled for $15 million in 2021. And in 2024, Kraft Heinz Foods Company faced a class-action lawsuit over using the phrase “All Natural Ingredients” on the labeling of its Capri Sun drink.
What should you look out for?
While these lawsuits show the growing pushback against nutriwashing, it continues to be present in the supermarket. Still, Malone says there are several things you can do as a consumer to avoid falling prey to such tactics:
-
Buy single food ingredients, such as eggs, oats, bananas and broccoli. By doing this, you will not only steer clear of potentially manipulative advertising but also some possibly unhealthy ingredients.
-
Read the nutrition label. With packaged food, “ignore front-of-package claims, [and] always check the ingredient list and nutrition label instead of trusting marketing buzzwords,” says Malone. Beware of sneaky serving sizes, and keep an eye out for hidden sugars, like cane juice, fruit concentrate, maltodextrin and syrups.
-
Avoid or limit “red flag” ingredients. “Watch out for artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and hydrogenated oils, [and] avoid red flag ingredients that can disrupt gut health,” says Malone. These include high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners (like aspartame and sucralose) and artificial colors like Red 40 and Yellow 5.
While that might feel like a lot to remember when you’re just trying to do a quick trip to the grocery store, Malone recommends following Michael Pollan’s advice: Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
“The best foods usually don’t have marketing claims at all,” says Malone. “You don’t need to decode the packaging of a banana or a sweet potato — you know what it is and that it’s going to be healthy for you.”
