Why Food Labels are So Confusing

With the new year finally here, most people will look at making some healthy changes in their lives. What might be on everyone's list is exercising or eating healthier. Making smart decisions at the grocery store is now harder than ever, with food labels galore often confusing consumers and making claims that are not exactly backed by science. Author and speaker Michelle Payn is on a mission to educate both consumers and agriculture experts to better understanding the other side.

"I go through the psychology actually in the book that shows where some of these labels target you and target what your interests and needs are. In the food world, if we could get back to asking the questions "Is this notorious?" and "Is this food safe?" We stay away from the BS (Bull Speak) claims. The bullying claims really target those esteem and belonging needs."

Misinformation in food labeling as well as ag in general, are often hurting the relationship between farmers and consumers. Michelle thinks that the best way to combat the misinformation is to be proactive.

"But I would urge everyone who's out there, this is one of the biggest reasons to be proactive when speaking out for agriculture. The more misinformation that is put into people's brains, the harder we're going to have to work. So why don't we just get the right information out there in a meaningful way to people first, before some of this misinformation becomes more popular."