Nutritional health claims on food packaging often mislead consumers

Research indicates that nutritional claims on food packaging, such as ‘high-protein’, ‘sugar-free’, or ‘low-fat’, often fail to reflect the overall nutritional quality of products.

A study of 299 high-protein items revealed that while these products often contain less sugar and fat, they frequently have higher salt content, more additives, and costs that are on average 132 percent higher than standard versions. Additionally, labeling can be misleading, as protein counts may refer to multiple servings rather than a single meal.

Further analysis of 145,609 new products introduced in the US between 2015 and 2024 found that approximately two-thirds of products with health claims were actually classified as less healthy overall. Researchers from Cornell University noted that these labels can create a ‘halo effect,’ where a single positive attribute leads consumers to overlook unfavorable nutritional components like high sodium or saturated fats.