Do you read food labels before making a decision to purchase food product?

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   Abby Campbellposted 11 years ago

   Do you read food labels before making a decision to purchase food product?
   
   Sometimes reading food labels can be difficult. After all, who knows what half the listed ingredients are. Many can't even be pronounced. Do you read food labels before making a decision to purchase food products? Would you still buy a particular item if you don't know what particular ingredients are? Or, do you just avoid the items with ingredients you know are bad for you?
   
   

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   Souther29posted 11 years ago

   I think it's important to know what is in your food so you know what you're putting in your body. I tend to avoid many packaged foods that have a ridiculous amount of chemical names in them. Chemicals in food can have some interesting and mostly bad consequences on your hormones and chemical processes.
   
   Obviously if you eat in a restaurant you just have to trust what goes in isn't too bad. I've bought fat and chemical laden fast food before and while tasty initially, you neverfeel that great afterwards... and a lot of that is to do with the ingredients.

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      Abby Campbellposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Glad to hear you're living a healthy lifestyle, Souther29. And, oh my! on the fast food... how true on the after effects.

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   Don Bobbittposted 11 years ago

   All the Time. Some canned and processed foods are hazardous to ones health, especially people with special health problems.

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      Abby Campbellposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Glad to hear you're reading labels and avoiding the bad stuff, Don. :-) Thanks for answering.

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   fpherj48posted 11 years ago

   Abby.....If I am not pressed for time, I do check labels.  In fact, I read ingredients, nutritional info, as well as check out the unit pricing tags, to make sure I'm being as frugal as possible.   If I shopped the way I prefer to shop, all the time, I would spend far too much time in the grocery store aisles!!
   I comparison-shop for just about everything.  If I decide to make a major purchase of some sort, I start researching all possibilities.....It's like a major production.  My friends may laugh at me now and then, but they have to admit, I always get a great deal and a good product!!
   The older and wiser we get, I think our food choices become much more selective.  Reading labels can be quite an education.....and often, SCARY!!

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      Abby Campbellposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Paula, I agree so much! I am very much like you. My husband now goes shopping with me to make sure I don't spend the whole day out. Thankfully, most foods I purchase are meats and produce, so I don't have to read too many labels. It is a scary thing!

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   Ben Blackwellposted 11 years ago

   As a vegetarian, it is a necessity.  There are many things that have meat that common sense wouldn't be able to tell you.  Certain soups, candies, etc.

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      Abby Campbellposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Most definitely, Ben. Are you vegetarian or vegan? I'm just asking because some vegetarians also have meat in the way of chicken, turkey, fish, and eggs. In any event, you would still have to watch your labels for beef and other meats.

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      Ben Blackwellposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I do have dairy products, but no meat of any kind.

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   American_Choicesposted 11 years ago

   American food manufacturers need to recognize that food labels are not just legal requirements - they are an vital marketing tool.
   
   It frustrates me that politicians run the label requirements when it should be the consumer.
   
   I don't understand why we have to legislative labels that affect our health. A company can show they care by changing their label. Coca Cola changed the calories and placed it on the front as our fellow Hubber 4FoodSafety recommended. More needs to be done in this area.
   
   Salt content should not be hidden. I refuse to purchase frozen meals where I have to search for the amount of salt. Why isn't this vital item on the front?
   
   Excellent question. This is an important item for our health. Thank you!

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      Abby Campbellposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for commenting, American_Choices. When I read that decisions were being made to not label "aspartame" on milk earlier this year, I was appalled. That chemical additive is so dangerous to health. It even affected my own health.

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   Jared Milesposted 11 years ago

   Every single thing I buy that has a nutrition label attached, I will read and made a judgement upon. Over the past few years I've learnt a lot about nutrition, and I apply that knowledge to the best of my ability whenever I shop.
   It's important to know what you're eating.

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      Abby Campbellposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That's great, Jared. I appreciate your comment.

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   KL Kleinposted 11 years ago

   I always check the labels. As a teenager I developed an intolerance of corn for a few years - it would make me very sick for days if I ate any - so I had to get in the habit.
   
   Thankfully, that went away with adulthood, so I can eat corn with no ill effects. I still try to avoid things like corn starch and corn syrup though, since there's no point tempting fate.
   
   By the way, a lot of foods, honey in particular, are adulterated with corn syrup that is not mentioned on the label. God knows what else they put into things that they don't tell you about.

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      Abby Campbellposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for answering, KL. I'm glad you don't have any problems with corn. Unfortunately, more than 90% of corn in the U.S. is genetically modified and is one of the highest inflammatory foods there is. Countering the effects with greens is good too.

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   renee21posted 11 years ago

   I always examine food labels.  I think it's very important to know what's in your food.  Many of the unpronounceable ingredients are very harmful to your health.  I also have a few food intolerances, so I have to be careful about what I put in my body.

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    Fat2Fabposted 11 years ago

    I read the label on everything a buy. For one to make sure the item I'm want to buy is in the item I'm looking at. and for two If I can not say something on label I do not want to eat it.  Just the other day I fount a can of pumpkin in the store that had no pumpkin in i all it was some type of squash, corn syrup, fake flavor. along with a whole list of things I dd not know what where or how to say them.

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    FireStormingposted 2 years ago

    My grandma taught me to read labels on products, because, as she said "this can save your life". Sometimes you can find interesting things on labels, hah. However, due to my gastritis, I should eat special food which was recommended by my doctor. It is prepared by specialists from https://food-technologist.biz/ and helps me to avoid dangerous "E" food substances

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