Yesterday, I happened to be on the step mill finishing up my small cardio routine post weight lifting and I saw a quick scroll on the bottom of the news monitor that talked about a call for changing how we label our sugar in our product packaging.
The aim was certainly directed towards highly processed foods and helping to further regulate how they do things, how they show information to the public. There are many ways to hide sugar when you process foods. Names for sugar derivatives change often and regulations allow you to call sugar type additives (such as HFCS) different things on a box if the percentage used is small enough. So, there is essentially some level of ‘flex’ when you manufacture and package food and then market it to consumers.
The news bulletin yesterday was enough for me to research further. For one, I need to be on top of any changes as they affect my packaging and for two, I am interested from a healthy living, be balanced and eat variety type of lifestyle.
After looking further into the discussion, I actually think the proposal isn’t a bad idea. Folks such as Indigo’s CEO and ex-Lululemon’s CEO are calling for changes. Calling for more transparency especially when it comes to sugar labeling.
For one, most consumers have a hard time understanding grams. What is a gram? How much is it? It’s easy to lose track of how many grams of sugar we eat during a day. And it’s not relatable.
The minute I say to you that you should limit your sugar to 12 teaspoons a day, it is more relatable and understood.
Again, I’m not advocating not to eat a piece of chocolate or a piece of cake. I’m advocating for smarter more informed and much more understood choices.
So, in view of the fact that I stand for all things real and I stand to educate consumers. In view of the fact I take a stand for real food, for real solutions that make it easier for us to bring food back home, help us cook and bake and snack smarter. In view of the fact that I look to help us to enjoy our daily lifestyle solutions without fad diets, fad exercise regimes and patches/pills and other things I view as very temporary and sometimes dangerous solutions as they do not fix the problem or educate us on sustainability.
I have therefore decided to take a stand. We may be small, but it is within my power to make proper choices and become an example. So I figured that if Indigo’s CEO can remove that delicious chocolate I tend to grab when I walk by the counter after I have a stack of books in my hand ready to check out because even I get hungry from a day of running and forget my snacks, then I should be able to make a stand too.
All of our CRAVE IT and Do You Bake? new packaging (for both the USA and Canada) starting with our JUNE release of new products will highlight the amount of sugar (in teaspoons) per serving (dry) contained in each product. Further, based on our suggested baking and/or cooking and/or use directions, we will also provide our estimated per serving amount of sugar (in teaspoons) on the back of the box in order to educate the consumer.
I’m not afraid of the sugar in some of the products. You may think I am. I simply am not. I believe in balance, not perfection. I believe you can eat something slightly higher in sugar but be smart the rest of the day or week. I believe you can eat what you want, as long as you are educated and therefore as a manufacturer, this has to start with me and start with me I will.
So with all new products and when new packaging must be ordered on any existing products, we will add this information to better inform you, the consumer, so you can make the best choices for you.
There are a ton more of proposed changes that are equally important but this was the one that stood out first, one that is quickly within my control and power to take a stand on.
If you would like to read more about what has inspired me and motivated me to make these changes, please follow a few of the links below
Ciao! Jenn,
Co-Founder Do You Bake? and Founder CRAVE IT
Oh! And don’t forget I would love to hear about your journey through eating a real food way, adding real activity into your life and you are more than welcome to connect with me on Facebook, follow along on our CRAVE IT Instagram page.