If you have ever wondered what something on a food label means, get this book. It is the most concise guide to those oftentimes confusing labels and claims that are on the shelves in the grocery store. It is organized by sections of the store, and is meant to be a guide. Meaning, you don’t have to read it cover to cover (though you probably will. I did.)
The sections cover:
- Produce
- Meat
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Dairy
- Grains
- Oil
- Bakery
- The “inner” aisles – frozen, canned, boxed food
- Coffee and Tea
- Snacks
- Carbonated and sweetened beverages
The author goes over general nutrition, politics, social science implications, economic considerations, and specific definitions of popular labels. For example, chicken labelled “hormone-free” is a misnomer, because it is illegal to give chicken hormones, “natural” means nothing about how humanely (or not) the chicken was raised. She breaks down each of the above sections into the major issues that you should be concerned about as a shopper. If you aren’t interested in your health and in understanding how food labels are manipulated to make them sound more appealing to consumers, then this book isn’t for your. But, if like most people, you want to know the difference between cage-free and free-range and free-roaming eggs (note: not much) then get this book.
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I always read informational reference books like a “good read.” this sounds like a good one!