[IMG]http://simplefeed.consumerreports.org/rsrc/i/1/_/save_money_dont_fall_for_bogus_health_claims__4742 7704/4.gif?f=3dcb3160-01dc-11dc-32a2-0019bbc55f7f&s=AewyNia7NTvDvhaDemju5DEsbnVsbCwwLDA *[/IMG] Save money, don?t fall for bogus health claims

If you?re like millions of savvy food shoppers, you pay close attention to health claims on food packages before you buy. According to a Harris Interactive poll, most adults (95%) have read food labels at some point in order to learn nutritional information about a product. And of adults who read food labels, 39 percent say their most important reason for doing so is to eat a balanced, nutritious diet.

But while many food packages plug health claims in big, bold lettering such as ?lower your cholesterol? and ?0g trans fat,? the real nutritional value?or lack thereof?is often buried in the fine print. Our shoppers found partially hydrogenated vegetable oil on the ingredients list of a box of popcorn that claimed to contain no trans fats. The FDA allows products to be labeled as containing "0 g trans fat" if they have less than 0.5 grams per serving, which is not a lot, but it can add up, especially if you eat several servings.



Grocery aisle gotchas not only trick you into believing you?re choosing healthier options?they could be costing you more money. So don?t just read the big, glossy health claims printed on the package, check out the nutrition label and ingredients list before you buy. The ingredients are listed on food labels in order of their proportion in the food, from greatest amount to least amount. That means if you?re buying bread labeled ?made with whole grain,? whole wheat should be the first ingredient, and refined white flour (aka enriched wheat flour, unbleached wheat flour, or just wheat flour) should not appear on the list at all or show up only near the end.



?Ginger Skinner

Read our report on confusing food labels, find out the meaning of over 100 labels on GreenerChoices.org, and see our nutrition Ratings for snack crisps, frozen pizza, breakfast cereal*(subscribers only), and our comparison of light ice creams. For a complete guide on how to read a nutrition label, see the FDA?s Web site.

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