Present System of Food Labeling Not Accurate- Study

The calorie counting system of foods may not be current and accurate, reveals a recent study.

The study showed that those who eat foods rich in fibre may actually need to keep a check on their weight as they may be consuming more calories. The wrong assumption made by consumers is due to the incorrect information provided on the food labels.

For instance, dieters may think that muesli contains fewer calories as per the present calorie counting system. In reality, the system is outdated as it has not taken into consideration the calories in fibre.

This may be thwarting the attempts of those who are dieting to lose weight as they may not have the exact appreciation and assessment of calorie content in food.

“There is a lot of misinformation around calories, and it is crucial for the consumer, whether they are on a diet or not, to have the correct information about what they eat,” said Professor Richard Wrangham, a primatologist at Harvard University.

“The amount of calories of a particular food has implications not only to us as consumers because we like to be able to keep on top of the number of calories we’re taking on board but if you take somebody who has diabetes, where the number of calories they take on board is vital to their wellbeing, it’s very important. We are effectively reading information off the back of a pack which is incorrect. It’s very misleading”, said an expert in nutrition.

Source: Medindia

Category: Education