A biochemist has cautioned that a common way foods are marketed can make products look healthier than they really are.
Jessie Inchauspé has spoken about the language used on packaging and in advertising, arguing that certain labels can give shoppers a misleading impression about what they’re consuming.
One of the biggest examples, she says, is when products are promoted as having “no added sugar” — with the key detail being the word “added”.
Her point is that removing added sweeteners doesn’t automatically mean a food or drink is low in sugar overall, because sugar can still be naturally present in the ingredients.
Asked by Diary of a CEO podcast host Steven Bartlett about some popular food myths, she replied:
“No added sugars. That is so deceptive. Because this glass of orange juice has no added sugars in it, because the sugar was there at the beginning, it come from the orange, from the original ingredient.
“So on a can of orange juice you can say ‘no added sugar’ even though it contains 25 grams of sugar.”
Inchauspé added that other headline labels, such as “gluten free” and “vegan”, can also be misunderstood, because they may encourage people to assume a product is automatically good for them — even when it’s still highly processed or high in sugar.
That said, she acknowledged the labels can be essential for people who need them, such as those with coeliac disease or anyone following a vegan diet.
She also challenged the idea that fruit juice is always a healthier choice than fizzy drinks, using orange juice as an example.
“If you compare a glass of orange juice to a glass of Coca Cola, it’s the same amount of sugar, about 25 grams,” she said.
“And the sugar in the can of coke and the sugar in the glass of orange juice, they’re exactly the same, they’re glucose and fructose molecules, and your body absorbs them in the exact same way.
“Your body does not make a difference between sugar from an orange and sugar from a sugar beet that’s now in a can of Coca Cola.”
She went further, saying she’d like to see orange juice removed from places like school lunches and hospital menus.
“The World Health Organisation recommends 25 grams of sugar per day, or less,” she said.
“So with just one glass of orange juice in the morning that you squeeze at home that you think is good for you, you’re already at the maximum limit of sugar recommendation.
“And most people drink this glass of orange juice thinking it’s good for them.
Even so, it isn’t entirely accurate to claim orange juice and soda are identical in every respect.
Juicing does reduce some of the advantages of eating whole fruit, particularly because you miss out on much of the fibre, and the sugar can be absorbed quickly, potentially contributing to glucose spikes.
However, orange juice can still provide nutrients such as vitamin C, folate, calcium, potassium, and vitamin B1, and a study referenced by the BBC suggested that drinking it in reasonable amounts could offer benefits.
As with many foods and drinks, the overall message comes down to portion size and moderation.