Many secrets are hidden on the shopping shelves of the supermarket in front of you. We survey supermarket shelves to reveal the dark secrets of the food industry that robs you of your expectations, your money and, most importantly, your health. Use our diet "checklist" to let the food companies lose at their own game.

1. Skimming does not mean true health

If you want to know the inside story of the food industry, then go to the candy section of the supermarket. There, you will definitely see the word "skim". While this is true, however, these calorie-free junk foods are almost entirely made from sugar and processed carbohydrates. What we are saying here is that manufacturers of goods treat their customers as fools. Supermarkets also use this as their marketing strategy. For example, take the "skim" candy mentioned earlier. What the manufacturer hopes is that when customers see "skim", they will regard it as a "healthy" and "non-fat" food. , thus completely forgetting the sugar contained in these foods. It’s a distraction tactic: Food company ads only show what they want you to notice, and the candy section in the supermarket is just the beginning.

2. Numbers can also be deceiving

On a bottle of low-sugar jasmine tea, you will see the following words in the content table of the package: "Low sugar content" at 4%”. The packaging of jasmine honey tea only indicates that it contains white sugar, but does not indicate the content. This will not bring much benefit to your health. Especially those with diabetes.

3. Bright Dairy will not let you know that the so-called half-fat cheese does not actually exist

So what kind of food is the so-called half-fat cheese of Bright Dairy? When you understand, you will be disappointed with the money you paid: per 100 grams of plain cheese slices contain 26 grams of fat and 1,300 kilojoules of energy, while half-fat cheese slices contain 12 grams of fat and 1,049 kilojoules of energy. Why not put the calorie content on the nutrition label? In fact, the calorie content of full-fat and half-fat cheese will not differ much. So, how many grams of calories are you trying to digest?

4. Food companies won’t let you know that “heart-healthy” cereals contain a lot of sugar

In China, the packaging of Quaker cereals says The slogan of the World Heart Association, and Quaker's U.S. version packaging proudly carries the American Heart Association's slogan on their boxes. However, from the line below the slogan, we can learn that Quaker has only reached the United States. "Food Standards for Saturated Fat and Cholesterol" set forth by the American Heart Association (AHA). Therefore, even if the sugar content in its products seriously exceeds the standard, it can still pass the standard. What the food industry won't let you know is that food companies have to pay to have their products endorsed by the AHA.

5. Trans fatty acid foods hidden on shelves

Supermarket aisles are filled with a variety of trans fatty acid foods that are harmful to health. The worst snack is bagged popcorn, which contains 6 grams of trans fatty acids per serving. One bag actually serves three people, so eating it is equivalent to consuming 18 grams of trans fatty acids, which is the maximum the human body can tolerate per day. 2 grams of trans fatty acids. Before buying puffed food in the form of balls, carefully study its nutritional information.

6. Food companies will not let you know what their so-called "high calcium foods" really mean

There is no doubt that on any food label in the supermarket, You’ll see slogans like this: This product is a high-quality supplement containing one or more vitamins or minerals. But here’s what you need to know: A so-called high-quality supplement of a certain vitamin or mineral contains only 10 of the daily requirement of the nutrient in each serving. Take Danone's three-layer high-calcium soda biscuits as an example. The label reads: "High Calcium" and contains 300 mg of calcium per 100 grams of biscuits. Tai Ping Soda biscuits from the same company are not labeled as high in calcium, but contain 320 mg of calcium per 100 grams. Before buying these so-called high-content foods next time, consider whether it is worth taking out your wallet.

7. Beverage manufacturers will not let you know that bottled green tea is not as healthy as you think

The polyphenols (Polyphenol) in green tea are called catechus Vitamin A, a health-promoting antioxidant that fights disease. However, almost no green tea products on the shelves label the catechin content.

8. Food companies won’t let you know that you don’t have to worry about diabetes unless you label it “no added sucrose”

Studies have found that the carbohydrates contained in cereals increase faster than sucrose. blood sugar. The packaging of Nestlé's Oatmeal cereal clearly states "No added sucrose", but its nutrition table shows that the carbohydrate content per 100 grams of the product is as high as 76.8 grams.

9. The food industry won’t let you know that food additives can damage your kidneys.

Researchers have found a link between food colorings and preservatives and ADHD in children. Additives including Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Red No. 40 and sodium benzoate are commonly found in many packaged foods. But researchers still don't know whether ADHD is caused by a combination of these chemicals or just one of them. Skittles contain yellow No. 5, yellow No. 6, and red No. 40 pigments, while some soft drinks contain sodium benzoate.

10. The supermarket won’t let you know that long checkout lines will make you buy more things.

The survey found that people who were "stuck" in long checkout lines were 25% more likely to purchase candy and soda from the surrounding shelves. The authors found that the more temptations customers were exposed to, the more likely they were to be unable to withstand those temptations. This well explains why in supermarkets, some daily commodities such as milk, bread, and eggs are placed in some back corners, because this will force customers to pass through many other temptations. Buy these foods.

11. The meat processing industry won’t let you know that lean meat has higher sodium content.

The reason is: when the fat is cut off, the juice is also lost. Therefore, in order to make the meat look juicy and plump, some vendors will inject water, salt, and other chemicals that can increase the flavor into meat such as pork and beef. And this also greatly increases the sodium content in lean meat. For example, a 113-gram serving of fresh boneless tender turkey without brining contains 55 milligrams of sodium, while a roasted turkey of the same weight but brined at 30 percent contains 840 milligrams of sodium. . Think it through before stuffing it in your cart.

12. Food companies won’t let you know that calorie-restricted packaging is actually “ripping off” customers.

A 2007 study found that cookies or potato chips weighed the same whether they were packaged in large or multipacks. Here's the key point: People buy cookies and potato chips that weigh the same. Learning to make your own snacks is of course your own problem, but there is a bigger secret hidden here: Food companies will sell you the same weight of snacks at double the price. Before paying at the checkout counter, think about whether it's worth pulling out your wallet.