“Clean” Eating: How Deceptive Food Labeling Promotes a Disordered Relationship with Food
Written by Justin Waller, DTR
Dietetic Intern, California Polytechnic State University
“Clean” labels are the biggest dietary trend of the decade in packaged and prepared food with more consumers reportedly following a “clean” eating diet than any other over the past year.
“Clean” eating may sound like an innocent health trend at first. However, under the surface of this “socially acceptable” eating pattern lies a problematic relationship with food defined by food moralization, obsessive thinking, and rigid food rules.
Read more to find out:
What “clean” eating is
How “clean” eating masks a disordered relationship with food
What food labels are and how they are regulated
How food labels can promote misinformation and restrictive diets
How to navigate food labels while grocery shopping
What is clean eating?
“Clean” eating is a diet approach in which a person eats only “clean” foods in hopes of gaining some perceived health benefit. However, what qualifies as a “clean” food often differs depending on who you ask. Some popular sources define “clean” foods as whole foods with minimal processing or additives, whereas others follow more restrictive interpretations, such as gluten-free, vegan, or “real” foods.
In response to the “clean” eating trend, food manufacturers began to label their products using language such as “certified clean,” “clean and raw,” among others. Without a clear consensus on what “clean” food labels mean, or adequate FDA oversight, consumers are left vulnerable to manipulation by deceptive marketing practices that promote restriction of foods that are not arbitrarily deemed “clean” or healthy. In fact, an investigation comparing online “clean” recipes to matched control recipes concluded that “clean” recipes are unlikely to provide additional health benefits to the average person.
How does “clean” eating mask a disordered relationship with food?
The “clean” eating trend and use of “clean” food labels are problematic for several reasons.
The cultural moralization of eating behavior and preference for “clean” food may contribute to preoccupation with “clean” dieting among groups at risk for eating disorders. Dieting is an established risk factor for disordered eating even when it involves “healthy” or therapeutic diets.
“Clean” eating behaviors often mirror that of Orthorexia Nervosa (ON), an eating disorder characterized by obsessive thinking, ritualistic behavior, and dietary restriction focused on the perceived purity or health of food. Initial research indicates that favorable attitudes toward “clean” diets are associated with disordered eating behaviors, including symptoms of ON, and higher levels of restrained eating, a risk factor for eating disorders.
Labeling certain foods as “clean” may influence consumers to falsely believe that foods without such labels are unhealthy or “bad,” and may contribute to feelings of guilt when they choose to eat them.
Under the guise of “clean” eating, individuals can develop unhealthy thoughts and rules around food; a slippery slope that may have devastating consequences.
What are food labels?
Food labels are statements printed on the package of a food or supplement which indicate ingredients, properties, or claims about the food. There are several types of food labels including:
Nutrition Facts
Allergen labels
Food certifications (i.e., certified gluten-free, certified clean, etc.)
Health claims: describe the relationship between a food or food component and reduced risk of disease or health-related condition (i.e., adequate calcium intake may reduce osteoporosis risk)
Nutrient content claims: describe the level of a nutrient in the product or compare the level of a nutrient in the product to that of another (i.e., high in calcium)
Structure/function claims: describe the role of a nutrient or dietary ingredient intended to affect the normal structure or function of the human body (i.e., calcium builds strong bones)
Food labeling evolved out of a desire to protect consumers from misinformation and help them make informed choices about their nutritional health. However, the government’s legal authority to regulate labeling is limited, leaving the consumer vulnerable to deception.
How are food labels regulated?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) share jurisdiction to regulate the advertising and labeling of foods. The FTC is primarily responsible for making sure that food advertisement is truthful and not misleading, whereas the FDA is responsible for regulating food labeling.
Food labeling that uses health and nutrition claims, such as the term “healthy” is regulated and must be backed-up by a sufficient level of scientific evidence. However, claims that primarily indicate what is not in a food and are used for marketing, such as “clean” or “natural,” are not defined by regulation. Additionally, dietary supplement labels can display unapproved health and nutrition claims as long as they include a disclaimer that the FDA has not evaluated the claim.
How do food labels promote misinformation?
Without sufficient regulatory oversight, food labels can be misused to promote restrictive diets based on false expectations about curative effects. Assertions about the astonishing healing properties of “clean” foods are rampant. For example, a “vegan superfood greens powder” claims to support “cleansing, energy, and rejuvenation” without any supporting evidence.
Additionally, food manufacturers capitalize on consumer fears by using labels to highlight the absence of unfamiliar and “chemical-sounding” additives, asserting that their food contains “no B.S.” This advertising tactic is based on the assumption that consumers may favor foods with shorter ingredient lists associated with “clean” label products due to the perception that the ingredients are “natural, harmless, and simple”. However, many of the processing practices used to keep foods safe (i.e., antimicrobials to prevent bacterial growth) are removed from “clean” foods to give them the perception of being “healthier”. Even antioxidants, such as ascorbic acid and tocopherols (the scientific names for vitamin C and E), which are used to keep the food color fresh and vibrant, may be removed from packaged foods to achieve the appearance of being “clean”.
Navigating food labels at the grocery store
If you are feeling enticed by a food label while grocery shopping, consider this:
Does the label make health-related promises that sound too good to be true?
Does the label mention weight loss, cleansing, or fat burning?
Do the item’s food labels include ambiguous certifications, such as: Certified C.L.E.A.N or Certified R.A.W.?
If the answer is yes to one or more of the questions above, think twice about buying food from this company. Then, ask yourself:
Does this food look tasty?
Will I enjoy eating this food?
Will my mind and body feel satisfied after eating this food?
As you learn to identify pro-diet culture food labels and claims, listen to your body as it guides you towards foods that will more appropriately meet your needs. Chances are, if the health claim on the food label sounds a little farfetched, eating that food won’t give your body and mind the nourishment and satisfaction it is truly craving.
If you are or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, take the first step today and talk to someone about recovery or simply learn more about the holistic eating disorder recovery programs we offer here at Central Coast Treatment Center.