Imagery has always been a very powerful tool in marketing processed foods. When regulations get in the way of what manufacturers want to say, the use of iconic symbols and imagery has helped them bypass most restrictions in their quest to elevate their products and obscure reality.
One of the most compelling symbols in existence is the sun. Since the dawn of mankind, it has been associated with a life-giving force. In many ways the sun is the very essence of nature. So it shouldn’t be surprising to see this symbol crop up frequently in packaging and advertising for processed foods.
Sun Chips is a prime example of a brand that taps into the power of the sun. Launched in 1991 as a healthier snacking choice, Frito-Lay has continued to build Sun Chips’ better for you, wholesome brand image. Check out this commercial from a couple years ago and see how the magic of advertising works:
*|YOUTUBE:WvKwJHWigqQ:300|*
Visuals of sunlight, fields of wholesome grain, and picturesque landscapes provide compelling imagery that works subconsciously and lays the foundation for beliefs that Sun Chips are a healthier, more natural snack. In addition to these visual cues, Frito-Lay now bursts “All Natural” on Sun Chips’ packages and also makes several back panel claims:
- No artificial flaovrs
- No preservatives
- No MSG
- 0g trans fat
- 18g of whole grains per 1 oz. serving
But is the Sun Chips story really so sunny? Unfortunately the answer is “no.” Although Sun Chips may be healthier than some of their salty snack brethren, that really isn’t a very hard mountain to climb. With 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 120mg of sodium in a 1 ounce serving, snacking regularly on Sun Chips probably will lead to some long-term trouble. And when you consider how few chips there are in a 1 ounce serving (see below), you realize that an average Sun Chips snacking session is likely to have at least two or three times the calories, fat, and sodium.
Besides it’s dubious nutritional profile, there are several ingredients that don’t seem consistent with Sun Chips’s “All Natural” claim:
- Whole corn: If you’ve been reading my “All Natural … Really?” series very long, I’m sure you guessed it—this is GM corn (genetically modified)—hardly all natural in my book.
- Natural Flavor: This sounds like an innocent enough ingredient, but as Eric Schlosser points out in his book Fast Food Nation, “The distinction between artificial and natural flavors can be somewhat arbitrary and absurd based more on how the flavor has been made than on what it actually contains…. A natural flavor is not necessarily healthier or purer than an artificial one.” Natural Flavors are also closely guarded secrets of manufacturers and flavor houses. My request for more detail on exactly what is in Sun Chips’ natural flavors has yet to be answered, but rest assured, if it’s revealed, it’s most likely a list of complex chemical compounds that would double or triple the length of the ingredient panel.
- Maltodextrin: In the case of Sun Chips, maltodextrin has been enzymatically derived from GM corn. The result is a bland to slightly sweet additive that is a staple in processed food. To me, maltodextrin is to starch what high fructose corn syrup is to sugar: a highly processed, man-made concoction that bears no resemblance to its raw ingredient forebears. Although it is easily digested by most people, if you’re having gastrointestinal issues, monitor your consumption of maltodextrin since in some cases it has been known to cause extreme GI issues.
- Never eat out of the bag, it’s just too dangerous. If you’re going to indulge, get out a small bowl and control your portion.
- Try replacing a serving or two a week with a serving of cut up veggies. Then each week, replace another of your salty snack servings with veggies until you’ve reduced your addiction to an occasional treat. A piece of fruit like an apple is also a good replacement option.
- Good quality nuts are also a good alternative. But you’ve got to remember, nuts are packed with calories—a little goes a long way. So don’t go binging on the whole bag or jar.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Mixing Imperial and metric measures – 18g of whatever in 1oz of whatever – is really shameful. Like someone thought “How can I share information, but render it effectively meaningless.” You’ve got to be a pretty poor piece of work to think of something like that.
Thanks for your comment Tim. I agree. Let’s not ever be mistaken. The objective of the processed food industry isn’t to give an accurate perception of what’s truly IN any given product. Rather, food companies are only concerned about driving sales, so they will work dutifully to research different claims in hopes of maximizing brand growth. Truly educating a consumer is rarely if ever on their radar.
I may be one of the few members of the Canadian generation (early 1980′s) who were in elementary school during the phasing out of the Imperial measurements and introduction of the metric system. For me, it is easy to work in either system. I’ll run a 10 K at a 10 minute mile pace
But to use both systems on one food label is truly annoying, and it seems deliberately planned to make it impossible for the average consumer to quickly make a good shopping decision at the store.
Thanks for your comment Anthea. I totally agree. Unlike you, I have to pull out my calculator or metric converter on my phone to be able to make sense of it. In general, a good rule of thumb is to “think critically” and never believe at face value any claims made by food manufacturers.
Keep the comments coming. Thanks again for participating on my blog!
Hi- I wonder could you use those same sophisticated,flashy marketing & packaging tools to efficiently,accurately, & effectively market minimally processed, low margin good-for-you products ???
I’ve seen indra-nooyi/ pepsi ceo [who evolved out of India] make a distinction
” Our belief is the following: There’s always going to be a market and a terrific market for fun-for-you, better-for-you products because people always want to have a moment of fun and want a moment of indulgence, and you’re never going to tell them not to do that because it is just fine to have all of those products.
But there’s also a growing market, and that market for good-for-you products is growing about three times as much as the market for fun-for-you products. And these are products that give you positive nutrition like fruit and vegetables, grains, protein, these markets are growing 8, 9 percent a year in the developed world.
source:http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2011/10/05/pepsi-indra-nooyi/
Yes…the sun is being “used” and abused. I wish Mother Nature could exact revenge. And, don’t forget these toppers of the Sun-Abusers List: SunnyD and SunKist!!
Love your blogs.
General Healthy
I mean, the post has some generally fair points. Clearly marketing is desiigned to sell, which often involves clever deception. But it’s so pervasive and so acceptable that consumers really shouldnt be surprised at this point. If you don’t know that a snack sold alongside cheese puffs and bean dip is not healthy, then you’re doing it wrong. So your reporting on this “news” seems rather patronizing.
In any event, I only wanted to comment because this website, or the platform on which it is based, has an absolutely infuriating mobile experience. I can’t even see what I am typing on my iPhone because the screen is covered. Ompletely by buttons, overlays, share widgets, and such. They just fly out over the text while I am reading, too. Likely not your fault, but I thought you should know. Now to figure out how to submit amid all this chaos…
Thanks for your comment, AJ. Unfortunately many people aren’t as “aware” of how marketing manipulates and deceives them. We can hope though!
Regarding your technical problems with my blog, my apologies. I’m looking into your concerns immediately and hope to have some solutions to address them.
Thanks,
Bruce
As a nutritionist once told me, “Never trust a company to tell you that their product is good for you.” You have to be proactive and do the research yourself, especially concerning the foods you feed your children.