Sugar substitutes, p. 9 Full-meal salads, p. 12 The best lunch meats, p. 13

How the food industry converts diet advice into profits BY BONNIE LIEBMAN ake half your plate fruits and vegetables. Make at least half Myour grains whole. Eat fish at least twice a week and nuts four times a week. Eat more fiber. It doesn’t matter what health experts recommend. Companies appear eager to meet those needs. But instead of pushing healthier foods, they use new buzz- words (“1 full serving of vegetables!” “Made with whole grains!” “Omega-3”) to keep the same cheap ingredients (mostly white flour, sugar, and oil) flying off the shelf.

Photos: Stephen Schmidt/CSPI. Goodbye veggies. Hello cookies, chips, and chewy bars.

Continued on page 3. COVER STORY

How the food industry turns diet advice into profits

xperts advise us to eat more fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, fish, and nuts. EInstead, our stores are stocked with junk foods that claim to deliver those same foods. “It’s about marketing,” says Marion Nestle of . “It’s not about health.”

Fiber might drip on your nine grams of fiber in clothes) when you this chocolate bar and “Most consumers’ diets are fibre defi- can snack on a Fiber I won’t have to worry cient—containing less than half the One Double Chocolate about getting enough recommended daily amount of fibre,” Cookie or a Fiber One fiber,’ that’s a mistake.” explains DuPont’s brochure for its Litesse 90 Calorie Chocolate Marketers’ biggest (“the Better Fibre”). “Tap into this market Fudge Brownie, each lure: the claim that fiber opportunity and project a healthier image with “20% Daily Value leads to weight loss by for your product...” of Fiber”? making you feel full. Cookies, brownies, chewy bars, Litesse is You can even have fruit gummies...Fiber One makes Fiber “helps provide polydextrose, an a Weight Watchers junk food sound healthy. a feeling of fullness,” odorless white Chocolate Crème Cake, says the Thomas’ Light powder made with 4 grams of fiber, or Multi-Grain Hearty by connecting a Skinny Cow Chocolate Truffle ice cream English Muffins package. chains of glucose bar, with 3 grams. “Most added fibers don’t affect satiety,” (dextrose) with Those and other cookies, brownies, says Slavin. “If you can sneak added fiber bonds that are bars, “fruit” snacks, drinks, muffins, and into a food or drink and it doesn’t affect not easily broken white-flour pastas and breads get much of the taste, it’s not likely to have any effect apart by our di- their fiber from white powders like inulin, on satiety.” gestive enzymes. polydextrose, and modified starches. For example, when she gave 22 women So foods that The problem: most processed fibers chocolate crisp bars with 10 grams (a Kellogg uses processed replace sugar or don’t do as much as intact, unprocessed fairly high dose) of one of four processed fiber to sell its “shake” fat with polydex- fiber. fibers—inulin, oligofructose, soluble corn (water, milk, whey, soy trose have fewer “Epidemiological studies show that fiber, or resistant wheat starch—they felt protein, and sugar). calories...and, eating fiber-containing foods like fruits, no less hungry than when they got bars technically, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes has with no added fiber.1 more fiber. many good health outcomes,” says Jo- “Inulin is a prebiotic, but it probably It’s not just DuPont. “Who knew fiber anne Slavin, professor of at the shouldn’t be labeled as a fiber,” notes could be clean and clear?” asks one of University of Minnesota. Slavin. (A prebiotic spurs Archer Daniels Midland’s brochures. “That’s pretty solid.” the growth of bacteria in “Use Fibersol-2 digestion resistant malto- The evidence is strong­ your gut.) dextrin in your beverage products and est that those foods can In another study, peo- consumers will start looking at fiber in a lower the risk of heart ple were no less hungry whole new way!” disease, concluded the after eating muffins made Indeed. Institute of Medicine in with 10 grams of added Why bother with a bowl of whole-grain 2002. But they may also polydextrose than after cereal when you can have a Kellogg’s To help prevent constipa- eating a low-fiber muffin, Go Milk Chocolate Breakfast Shake, with tion, type 2 diabetes, and though they were less hun- “5 grams of fiber,” or its FiberPlus Antiox- obesity. gry after eating muffins idants Chocolatey Peanut Butter Chewy “But all these added with 10 grams of resistant Bar, with “35% DV fiber,” for breakfast? 2 Stephen Schmidt/CSPI (top left, top right), Lindsay Moyer/CSPI (bottom). fibers are really differ- Looking for fiber? Why bother starch or corn bran. Why bother eating a fiber-rich orange ent,” explains Slavin. with fruits or veggies when

Photos: (that you have to peel) or a peach (that “If people think, ‘I’ll get you can have ice cream? > > > > >

NUTRITION ACTION HEALTHLETTER ■ OCTOBER 2014 3 COVER STORY

Veggies & Fruit understand. So how could food com- panies know if powders have the same “We pop a flavorful blend of nine benefits?” (count ’em, nine) veggies and add a hint They don’t. Yet that hasn’t stopped “4 g fiber” may give dieters an excuse to eat of olive oil and a touch of sea salt for tasty them from stuffing fruit and vegetable Chocolate Crème Cake. chips that are light, crispy, and gluten powders into a growing list of foods. And free,” says the Pop Chips Hint of Olive Oil wholesalers have a ready supply. Veggie Chips bag. “If you look at any added fiber, half “Whether you want to add nutrition to There may be nine veggies, but there’s of the studies show something and half your label, infuse full color or formulate a more dried potato than show nothing,” says Slavin. “It takes a specific flavor profile for your any other ingredient, more high dose of fiber to show an effect. At discerning consumers, Pow- tapioca starch than beet, the amount that people typically eat, it’s derPure has the right powder spinach, pumpkin, tomato, not going to show anything at all.” to enhance your presence in or red bell pepper powder, Foods that are rich in intact fiber (fruits, the marketplace,” says Pow- and more salt than kale vegetables, beans, and whole grains) are a derPure, which sells organic powder. different story. broccoli, spinach, and two Then there’s the “half “In our studies, people do feel fuller dozen other fruit and vegetable serving of vegetables per with higher-fiber whole foods,” says powders. 2 oz. portion” of Ronzoni Slavin. In one study, she gave 14 women And Milne Fruit Products’ Garden Delight Tricolor one of two breakfasts: oatmeal, blueber- fruit and vegetable powders Rotini, which comes from ries, and apples or a glass of skim milk are ideal for adding to “break- “vegetable solids from dried and roughly two cups of Naked juice fast cereals, fruit pieces, vegetables.” plus Fibersol-2, an added fiber. Both bakery goods, snack chips, What’s going on? breakfasts had the same calories and the “Nine veggies”? Make that smoothies and yogurt, “Ingredient manufactur- dried potato and eight same amount of fiber (10 grams), protein, spreads, candies and choco- ers turn powder into health veggie powders or flours. carbohydrate, and fat.3 late, and juices.” gold,” ran the 2008 headline “People felt fuller on the oatmeal and Even if powders had all in Food Processing magazine. fruit,” says Slavin. “To say that if we put of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, “Fruit and vegetable powders, extracts some fiber in a drink, it’s going to make they still would come up short. and super-concentrates are making five-a- you feel fuller, that’s misleading.” “For satiety, we know that you need the day easier.” Can processed fibers help keep you whole food to get the full benefit,” says Easier? Maybe. But the Center for regular? Even high doses (20 grams a day) Rolls. “You need the chewing, the mouth- Disease Control and Prevention’s 5 A Day of inulin don’t.4 The same high dose of feel, the water, the fiber, and the whole campaign was designed to get people polydextrose increased stool weight, but cell wall, which provides more volume.” to eat actual fruits and vegetables, not “the increase was about 25 percent of that In one study, Rolls fed people a 125-cal- foods (or supplements) with powders or seen with wheat bran,” says Slavin. And orie “appetizer” of apple slices, applesauce concentrates. the people who got the polydextrose also (made from the same apples), or apple “The marketing is quite misleading,” reported more gas.5 juice either with or without as much fiber says Barbara Rolls, professor and Guthrie 6 Similarly, “there is some data showing as the apple and applesauce had. chair of that some processed oat, soy, or corn “The apple slices were most satiating,” nutritional fibers increase stool weight, but it’s not says Rolls. People ate 190 fewer calories sciences at much of an increase,” adds Slavin. at their next meal after eating them, but Penn State And it’s not easy to tell which fibers only 100 fewer calories after the apple- University. provide even that small increase. sauce and no fewer calories after either “If we eat “They vary all over the place,” says juice. a variety of Slavin. “You can isolate the fiber in oats “The apple takes more time to eat,” she vegetables by different methods. Some are really notes. “Applesauce and juice go down and fruits, gummy, so they’re good for lowering very quickly.” we get all blood cholesterol. An isolated oat hull is Yet V8 V-Fusion Açai Mixed Berry 100% of their not. It’s complicated.” Juice boasts that it has “1 full serving of nutrients The bottom line: added processed fibers vegetables” (from sweet potato and carrot and phyto­ don’t turn cookies, brownies, bars, and concentrates) and “1 full serving of fruit” chemicals, shakes into beans, bran, berries, and broc- The “half serving of vege- (mostly from apple and grape juice con- some of coli. But they do turn little white powders tables” in each 200-calorie centrates), as though juice and fruit were which we cup has the vitamin A of a equally good.

Photos: Lindsay Moyer/CSPI. into bigger profits. don’t even sixth of a baby carrot. Then there’s calorie density.

4 NUTRITION ACTION HEALTHLETTER ■ OCTOBER 2014 COVER STORY

“Vegetables are so Nuts per ounce, or low in calories be- roughly two doz- cause they’re mostly “With cocoa roast almonds,” says the en nuts. Walnuts water,” says Rolls. box of Emerald Breakfast on the go! have 4 grams “If it’s dried powder, S’mores Nut Blend, which has more of protein you don’t get that vanilla (read: sweetened) granola, honey and 185 calories benefit because you roasted (read: sweetened) peanuts, milk per ounce, or don’t get the water chocolate candies, and marshmallow bits about 14 halves.) content.” than almonds. But companies Replacing some “Wholesome fuel to energize your day,” have discovered of the ingredients says the box of Planters NUT•rition Choc- that there’s in almost any dish olate Nut Sustaining Energy Mix, which money to be Mostly water, plus with vegetables (but Each cup has a “full has more peanuts, candy-coated dark made selling sugar and almonds not powders) should serving of vegeta- chocolate soynuts, and honey soy clusters more than plain bles” from carrot (about 4 per cup). lower its calorie than the huge almonds (“enlarged to old almonds or and sweet potato density—that is, the show detail”) featured on the box. walnuts. juice, but only a Nuts, especially almonds, are the new calories per ounce of third the vitamin A “It’s called added value,” says Marion health food. food. of one baby carrot. Nestle, the professor of “If you reduce the “Almonds nutrition, food studies, and calorie density of a are on fire, at New York University. dish by 20 percent by adding vegetables, says Blue “You can’t make any money selling people eat about 20 percent fewer calories Diamond CEO plain nuts or fruit or vegetables. There- because they tend to eat a consistent as meteoric fore, companies are under pressure to weight or volume of food,” notes Rolls.7 growth rates add value. And adding value in America So if you add mushrooms and onions to continue,” ran means adding sugar, salt, fat, or white your brown rice, odds are that you’ll eat the headine on flour. They’re cheap, and your product is less rice. Add broccoli and red peppers to foodnavigator shelf-stable.” your pasta, and you’ll eat less pasta. Add .com in March. That means selling S’mores Nut Blend fresh berries One reason or Sustaining Energy Mix instead of a bag to your cereal, for the indus- of nuts. Each pack has 250 and you’ll eat try’s success: “They’re turning nuts into candy,” says calories (that’s the almond milk. less cereal. “energy”), mostly from Nestle. “Corn syrup is cheaper than nuts. With (See March peanuts and sugar-​ Why not just have 200 calories’ worth 2012, cover so many coated soybeans. of nuts without the artificial color, corn story.) almonds on syrup, and other junk?” “You can most cartons, even add people must think it’s like drinking liquid Whole puréed or nuts. In fact, a cup of almond milk has Grains just four almonds (and only 1 gram of chopped “Made with 5g protein). The rest is mostly water and stealth vege- whole grain,” More sugar and food tables,” says (unless it’s unsweetened) sugar. starch than broccoli or says the box of Rolls. “It’s Ditto for Hershey’s Chocolate with any other veggie. Nabisco 100 cal Almond Spread. It’s largely sugar and oil very effec- Oreo Thin 8 (sunflower and palm), with a smidgen of tive.” Crisps, which nonfat milk, almonds, But adding vegetable powder to are mostly and cocoa. pasta or chips or other processed foods sugar and white Nuts—especially doesn’t lower their calorie density. It flour. almonds and walnuts— also increases the odds that you’ll be So are eating more white flour. And it guaran- are rich in polyunsaturat- More sugary oats, sugary peanuts, WhoKnew­ tees that you’ll be missing something. ed fat, which helps lower chocolate candies, Chocolate “There’s the pleasure, the variety LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. and marshmallows Smart Cookies And they have some of taste, and the culinary experience than almonds. (“4g whole protein, though not that of eating fruits and vegetables,” says grain”). And Rolls. “Who would want to replace much. (Almonds have “Chocolate with almond” Kellogg’s Oatmeal Delights Pop-Tarts about 6 grams of pro- that? How would you look forward helps sell a jar of mostly (“made with whole grain”) are largely tein and 165 calories Photos: Lindsay Moyer/CSPI. to the summer produce season?” sugar and oil. > > > > >

NUTRITION ACTION HEALTHLETTER ■ OCTOBER 2014 5 COVER STORY

a mix of whole berry Parfait Breakfast Smoothie has than canola or wheat and 4 grams of whole grains for “delicious soybean oil has. white flour, flavor and satisfying fiber.” There’s not What’s more, with 3½ tea- much fiber in 4 grams of brown rice flour there isn’t much spoons of add- and oat flour. Each 360-calorie bottle has evidence that ALA ed sugar (and more water and apple juice than anything prevents heart surprisingly else. disease more than little oatmeal). “When people see whole-grain claims, other unsaturated When health they think, ‘This food must be good for fatty acids. authorities ad- me,’” says Slavin. But the Food and Drug And in recent vise people to Administration has never said how much clinical trials, even Far more white flour replace refined whole grain a food must have to make a EPA and DHA than whole grain (or grains with “100% Real Cheese”). claim or what else the food can contain. haven’t lowered whole grains, “The FDA has stalled,” says Slavin. Each cup has 60 mg the risk of a second cookies and “Meanwhile, the marketplace goes nuts.” of omega-3s. A 6 oz. heart attack or serving of salmon has Pop-Tarts aren’t what they have in mind. stroke in people 800 to 3,000 mg. “The message has gotten out of hand,” Omega-3s who have already 9,10 says the University of Minnesota’s Joanne The American Heart Association recom- had one. Slavin. mends eating two servings of fish, pref- Maybe that’s why companies are The food industry deserves credit for erably fatty fish like salmon, every week. branching out beyond the heart. launching a host of whole-grain breads, But omega-3 claims show up on far more “Omega-3/DHA & 4 nutrients to sup- cereals, crackers, and pastas in recent than fish. port brain & body,” says the label of years, she notes. “But with two out “Omega-3s Minute Maid Pomegranate Blueberry of three American adults either supporting Flavored Blend of 5 Juices. Despite the overweight or obese, you can’t just heart, brain and name, the “blend” is mostly apple and tell people to eat more of any food eye health,” grape juice, with 50 mg of DHA from algal that has whole grains or they’ll end boasts Stony- oil per cup. up eating more calories.” field Organic “DHA is a key And some companies use “whole Chocolate building block in the grain” claims to sell foods that Low Fat Milk brain,” says the label. are mostly plain old white flour. & Omega-3s, That may sound like Cheez-Its (“5g of whole grain”) and which has DHA is a memory Thomas’ PLAIN MADE WITH WHOLE or IQ booster, but Smart cookies? They’re just 60 milligrams GRAIN BAGELS (“10g of whole the claim is a classic white flour, sugar, and oil... of omega-3s grain”), for example, each has more plus a dose of whole grain, per cup, mostly “structure-or-func- white flour than whole wheat. processed fiber, and added from sardine tion” one that “If a food has at least eight grams calcium. and anchovy requires little or no of whole grains oil. evidence. per serving, it Horizon sells both a Chocolate and So far, DHA and can put the Whole a Vanilla DHA Omega-3 Organic Low- EPA haven’t seemed Grains Council’s fat Milk that to slow memory 11-13 stamp on its label,” “supports brain loss. The VITAL explains Slavin. “But health,” with trial is testing fish oil foods can have a ton on memory, the risk 32 mg of DHA A smidgen of of calories or sodium from algal oil of a first heart attack DHA makes apple or sugar or white per cup. or stroke, and other and grape juice flour and still get the Milk has little outcomes, but results look healthy. stamp.” or no naturally won’t be available Take General Mills occurring DHA until 2017. Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ or EPA (the As for “eye health,” the Age-Related Creme cereal. It may omega-3s in Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) found that be “made with 100% fish oil). It does a daily dose of EPA (350 mg) plus DHA A 360-calorie whole grain,” but it’s (650 mg) failed to slow the progression smoothie with have some ALA also 33 percent sugar. Whole wheat and white of macular degeneration in people who 1 or 2 teaspoons (a shorter-chain flour plus 3½ teaspoons Bolthouse Farms already had the disease.14 of brown rice omega-3), of sugar in each boasts that its Straw-

Photos: Lindsay Moyer/CSPI. and oat flour. though far less 200-calorie pastry.

6 NUTRITION ACTION HEALTHLETTER ■ OCTOBER 2014 COVER STORY

But none “Good source of protein, fiber & ALA Nestle. “It’s all about marketing.” of that stops omega-3,” says the box of Barilla Plus Her advice: “Eat real food. It may have companies multigrain pasta, which has about 200 mg to be cooked, it’s not as sweet, and it’s not from flogging of ALA from flaxseed in each 210-calorie advertised. But you’re better off with the omega-3s. cup of cooked pasta. (A tablespoon of original food with all the nutrients and “ALA Ome- canola or soy oil has fiber that it comes with.” ga-3,” says the about 1,000 mg of ALA.) 1 box of Kellogg’s “I once asked some- J. Acad. Nutr. Diet. 112: 1356, 2012. new FiberPlus one from Barilla why 2 Nutr. Res. 29: 100, 2009. Antioxidants they sell pasta like this,” 3 Appetite 57: 38, 2011. ALA from flaxseed is 4 Food Funct. 2: 72, 2011. Chocolatey says NYU’s Marion 5 less promising than EPA J. Nutr. 143: 473, 2013. Trail Mix Nestle. “He said, ‘We 6 Appetite 52: 416, 2009. and DHA from fish oil. Chewy Bars. have to because of the 7 Appetite 66: 75, 2013. 8 Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 93: 756, 2011. Each 180-cal- competition.’” 9 N. Engl. J. Med. 368: 1800, 2013. orie bar (with 320 mg of ALA) is mostly And because people 10 Arch. Intern. Med. 172: 686, 694, oats, sugar, peanuts, almonds, crisp rice put it in their shopping 2012. 11 Neurol. 71: 430, 2008. (sugar plus rice flour), and oils like palm carts. 12 Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 91: 1725, 2010. kernel. The fiber includes processed corn “Why buy a plain, Omega-3, fiber, and 13 JAMA 304: 1903, 2010. 14 fiber, and the antioxidants are the vita- ordinary food if you can antioxidant claims make a JAMA 309: 2005. 2013. min E and zinc that Kellogg adds. get a superfood?” asks sugary bar look good.

Gluten-Free? Yes. Good for You? No.

fter even a short stroll through the grocery store, Whole Foods has an entire line of Gluten Free Bakehouse no one could blame you for thinking that everyone sweets. A single one of its Almond Scones has enough rice A should be on a gluten-free diet. flour, butter, heavy cream, sugar, and other ingredients to In fact, gluten-free foods are critically important for people supply 390 calories and 12 grams (half a day’s worth) of who have been diagnosed with celiac disease (see June saturated fat. 2014, cover story). For them, the surge in gluten-free foods Then there’s Glutino, which sells gluten-free Toaster is a boon, even if some are gluten-free versions of cookies, Pastries (think Pop-Tarts), Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies, cakes, and other junk food. Baked Potato Crisps, and Pretzels (including some coated But millions of others avoid gluten (a protein in wheat, with “yogurt” or “chocolate,” which means they’re essential- barley, and rye) because they think it might help them lose ly coated with sugar and palm kernel oil). Most are basically weight or have less GI distress, or because, as the woman in corn starch, tapioca starch, white rice flour, and potato a New Yorker cartoon explained to a friend, “I have no idea starch. what gluten is, either, but I’m avoiding it, just to be safe.” Think you’ll lose weight eating gems like those? Don’t For them, gluten-free junk is, well, junk. Take Udi’s Gluten count on it. Free Moist & Tasty Cinnamon Rolls. They’re basically tap- ioca starch, brown rice flour, oil, and sugar—about seven teaspoons of sugar in each 300-calorie iced roll.

Mostly tapioca flour, rice Good luck losing weight No nuts, soy, milk, or gluten... No gluten because it’s mostly flour, shortening, and sugar. on these 300-calorie iced because it’s mostly sugar corn meal and oil.

Photos: Lindsay Moyer/CSPI. Gluten-free. Vitamin-free. cinnamon rolls. and tapioca syrup.

NUTRITION ACTION HEALTHLETTER ■ OCTOBER 2014 7