When stocking your kitchen with healthy food products, you will discover a wide assortment to choose from, which can be confusing at times.
The more you learn about the food industry and its dirty tricks, the more you will want to buy reputable organic products. The organic health food industry produces many fine products, and they keep getting better. But, even with organic certification, you still have to be vigilant.
GUIDELINES
There are several basic guidelines to follow when shopping for groceries. To start, BEWARE of misleading advertising and deceitful labels, and overlook all the hype on the front of a label. Read the ingredients section of the label, which more accurately reflects a product’s ingredients.
'Natural' is perhaps the most misused word in the food industry. Many products labelled 'natural' may contain high amounts of refined sugar, dextrose, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), bleached white flour, monosodium glutamate (MSG), hydrolyzed vegetable protein and other flavor enhancers, GMOs, margarine, hydrogenated or other damaged fats/oils, fluoride, pesticides, growth hormones, and antibiotics.
These ingredients are NOT natural and should never be classified as such. In fact, the use of the word ‘natural' on products containing these ingredients is false advertising to enhance sales. The only reason they get away with this is that our regulatory agencies are heavily influenced by the very industries they are supposed to regulate. Often, there is a revolving door between industry and government.
The addition of refined sugar, flavor enhancers (MSG, etc.), caffeine, additives (meat glue, bromide, phosphorus, carrageenan, etc.), artificial colors, GMOs, preservatives (sodium nitrate and nitrite, etc.), and damaged fats/oils are tricks many food manufacturers use to mask poor quality ingredients, make them addictive, and extend shelf life. If food products contain any of these health hazards, use your economic power to AVOID them. Have a look at who is responsible for this.
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Real 'natural' foods are as close to their natural state as possible; made by Nature. The safest option is to buy regenerative organic food from reputable companies. In addition, always check who really owns the company. Assaults on the organic industry are never-ending. For example, various producers have been spraying their organic apples and pears with antibiotics and Apeel.
Also, some companies are using fluoridated water in their certified organic products.