Now, I like the idea of food companies using fewer ingredients in their products. What I don’t like is the transparent marketing. Much like the “low carb” label craze and the deluge of “low fat” products (Wow! Low-Fat Apples! Um…duh) of the previous trend, we’re now starting to see foods that normally contain few ingredients being repackaged and marketed for how few components they have.
Just yesterday at the market, I saw a man buying a pint of Haagen Dazs’ new Five Milk Chocolate ice cream. As you can see on the container (and if you check the ingredients), it contains SKIM MILK, CREAM, SUGAR, EGG YOLKS, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI.
Sounds pretty good, right? Nice and simple.
However, the ingredients listed for regular Haagen Dazs chocolate ice cream are CREAM, SKIM MILK, SUGAR, EGG YOLKS, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI.
The only difference between the two products (if there is a difference), is the predominance of the skim milk vs. cream.
So, I’m just saying, don’t be taken in. I am a fan of simplifying things, but just make sure you’re not just paying a premium for the name.