'Healthy' food labels may not mean what shoppers think

Cornell researchers analyzed nearly 150,000 U.S. food and beverage launches over a decade and found products bearing health claims like 'low fat' or 'reduced sodium' were often less nutritious overall than their labels suggested. Using the UK Food Standards Agency's Nutrient Profiling Model, they found roughly two-thirds of newly launched products qualified as less healthy despite about half carrying such claims.

The mechanism is simple substitution: a soda cutting sodium often adds sugar, and a meal dropping trans fat often leans harder on saturated fat or salt. The claim itself may be technically true while the product's overall profile stays flat or worsens.

The researchers also flag the 'halo effect' from unregulated terms like 'natural,' 'organic,' and 'non-GMO,' which say nothing about sugar, salt or fat content but still shape consumer perception. The FDA is meanwhile finalizing a 'healthy' definition and a front-of-package labeling system meant to give shoppers a clearer snapshot.

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