What do food labels tell us about what we’re eating?

Apr 16, 2014

On today's Your Call, we're talking about food labels like "organic" and "fair trade.” Studies show that sales increase by 10 percent because of food labels. But what do they mean exactly? How are these labels enforced in the US and abroad? As the number of labels increase, how should we measure certification? And how does a label change the way you think about and buy your food? Join the conversation on the next Your Call, with Hana Baba and you. 



Kerstin Lindgren, Campaign Coordinator for the Fair World Project

Web Resources:

Eco-Labels Database

Fair World Project


YouTube - From fables to labels: Urvashi Rangan at TEDxManhattan


Businessweek - Fair trade proving anything but in growing $6 billion market

TruthOut - Corporate Clout Chips Away at Organic Standards

An Overview of What Some Food Labels Mean

Medical Xpress - Fuzzy rules govern “natural” claim on food labels

**We didn't have time to get this caller on, but she wanted to everyone to know about the dangers of citric acid - apparently it does not come from citrus juice but rather is manufactured by an industrial culture of a type of mold called Aspergillus Niger. It can cause severe allergic reactions and asthma and is almost never labeled!!