http://www.grist.org/list/2011-08-03-heres-a-food-label-people-can-understand-at-a-glance
Reading labels could pretty much be a vegan’s full-time job. Everything from the clothing we purchase to what we eat should contain a list of all ingredients or materials used. These lists help us determine if we are ethically consuming. A “Vegan” label is an easy indicator that our food/other products are okay. Even without this label, many packages contain a disclaimer for known food allergens to make sifting through extensive ingredient lists less labour intensive, for example: “Contains: milk, eggs and soy.”
But many safe food advocates are not that impressed with how the Food and Drug Administration displays pertinent food information. Some say the need for transparency is of the utmost importance, and making what’s in our food, and where it comes from, common knowledge will help consumers make better decisions, and perhaps stop purchasing from companies who use less-than-desirable practices. The concept of transparency covers more than just listing conventional ingredients. It would allow consumers to keep from being blindsided by things like E-coli breakouts or other mass food contaminations. As vegans we avoid meat and dairy products, which are most likely to be susceptible to contamination; however, we still must pay attention to where our produce is coming from, and consider what chemicals it may be sprayed with or what it may be contaminated with (due in large part to runoff pollution from factory farms).
Food transparency applies to the whole food system and would require a full disclosure of all the food production guidelines involved and what needs to be enforced more heavily. It refers to common food practices and procedures in handling, giving consumers detailed information about any food item. Beyond production is the marketing aspect of many foods, where labeling gets manipulated by supposed “seals of approval” created not always by food regulation agencies, but by brands and their advertising circles. For example, SO many things are marked “green” or “organic,” and consumers may not be aware of the criteria required for a product to be assigned these labels. That criteria is often less extensive than it appears. Another good example is the label “free-range,” which doesn’t mean (as it implies) that the animal is running around free on an open pasture; it means that the animal must be exposed, in some shape or form, to some facet of the outside world. Is that a window? An open door? Misleading consumers is the status quo. And it should be changed.
There is far too much uncertainty in the food world and consumers should be more informed about what they are eating. This is important not only from a health standpoint, but from environmental and ethical perspectives as well. More accurate labeling would help consumers avoid GMOs (genetically modified foods) too. If buyers were educated on all aspects of their food, they may be less inclined to blindly purchase whatever is easiest and instead think about the implications of their purchasing power. Similarly, requiring food distributers and restaurants to fully disclose all nutritional and production-based information would encourage them to ensure their products reflect respectable practices and ingredients. For example, according to a Food Channel article on federal regulations and transparency, “Domino’s Pizza acknowledged that they had been serving a substandard product, then made major upgrades and encouraged customers to call a publicized phone number with comments on the new products. Same store sales are up 12 percent.” A CBS article states, “Consumers aren’t sure what they are getting, and it’s very frustrating…” This comment was in response to some efforts to revamp food labeling by adding seemingly arbitrary and nonsensical “checkmarks” to packaging: “A package can say ‘high in fiber,’ ‘a good source of calcium’ and be high in saturated fat or sodium.” That doesn’t seem to be more informative – it seems to be more misleading, and will directly benefit the manufacturer who is most successful at disguising their food content. However, the food and nutrition regulation industry is very confusing and complicated – truly worthwhile changes to labeling and a real increase in transparency of what we eat is bound to take some time. Some say interactive labels might be a start. Others suggest simply repositioning.
Regardless, it can hardly be ignored that a consumer’s right to know about where their food comes from and what it contains is just that, a right, not a privilege. If transparency in labeling was more enforced and better implemented, perhaps those with the “vegan” label would not have such a hard time proving that vegan food can be delicious and healthy; and it isn’t that strange in comparison to some highly processed non-vegan offerings with laundry list of unpronounceable ingredients. Remember Taco Bell’s fake meat scandal? The chain was claiming their tacos were beef, but were really only 35 per cent meat – the rest of the “meat filling” consisting of many other ingredients. Good for the animals, and we certainly would rather they used all non-meat ingredients, but a healthier alternative rather than artificial chemicals and substances generated in a lab – and bottom line, people have the right to know what they’re eating!
