Marketing traps

Why the packaging does not tell the whole story

A pack has one job: to make you want it. It does so with words, colours and images, long before you have read any useful information. None of this is necessarily illegal, but the impression left is often more flattering than the actual composition. This article distinguishes what isregulated by lawfrom what is merelystaging, and gives simple habits for not being led by the front of the pack.

Nutrition claims: words with precise thresholds

In the European Union, wording such as "high in", "source of" or "light" arenutrition claims. They are governed byRegulation (EC) No 1924/2006, which sets a numerical condition for each one in its annex. A claim is therefore not free: it may only be used if the product meets the threshold. A few examples, as they appear in the annex:

• "Source of fibre": at least 3 g of fibre per 100 g."High in fibre": at least 6 g per 100 g.
• "Source of protein": at least 12% of the product's energy value provided by protein."High in protein": at least 20%.
• "Low fat": no more than 3 g of fat per 100 g (1.5 g per 100 ml for liquids).
• "Low sugars": no more than 5 g of sugars per 100 g (2.5 g per 100 ml for liquids)."Sugar-free": no more than 0.5 g per 100 g.
• "No added sugars": no sugars or sweetening ingredients added. If the product naturally contains sugars, the label must say so.
• "Light"or "lite": same conditions as a reduction claim, i.e. at least30% lessthan the comparison product, with an indication of what makes the product light.

This last point deserves attention. A product "light in sugars" is less sweet than the reference version from the same manufacturer or the same category, not necessarily low in sugar. If the reference was very sweet, the 30% reduction still leaves a product that is very sweet. Likewise, "no added sugars" does not mean "sugar-free": a fruit juice or a fruit-based product contains natural sugars. To go further, seehidden sugar and salt.

Finally, the regulation specifies that "naturally" may only precede a claim if the food naturally meets the condition. This is the only point where the word is regulated in this text.

Health claims: an official register

"Contributes to the normal function of the immune system", "helps bone growth": these arehealth claims. The same regulation sets a strict principle: they areprohibited, unless authorisedand entered on the official list. Their use comes with information obligations, in particular about the importance of a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, and about the quantity of food needed to obtain the claimed effect.

The European Commission keeps apublic register of nutrition and health claims, which lists both authorised and rejected claims. It is a good habit when a promise seems too good to be true: if it is not listed there, it should not appear on the packaging in that form.

Terms with no precise framework

By contrast, words very common on shelves have no uniform legal definition: "natural", "traditional", "artisanal", "farmhouse" or "grandma's recipe". They look like labels, but they are not. The details are in our article onlabels. Similarly, an "organic" product follows a real specification, which does not prevent it from being sugary or processed: seeis organic really better?.

Visual staging

Much of the message does not go through words, and therefore not through the thresholds above:

• Photos of fruit, cereals or milk: the image shows the ingredient, not its proportion. Only the ingredient list, ranked by descending quantity, shows what is really inside and in what position.
• Green, beige, kraft colours: they evoke nature or homemade food, without any guarantee value.
• Added colourings: a vivid colour may come from an additive rather than the ingredient shown. Seefood colourings.
• Characters and storytelling: "grandma's recipe", a countryside landscape or a mascot are communication choices.

"Children's", "fitness", "protein", "free from..." products

Some categories play on thehalo effect: one highlighted quality makes people believe everything else is good.

• Children's products: funny shapes, cartoon heroes, added vitamins. A survey by the NGO Foodwatch, reported in the press, concludes that nine out of ten products aimed at children among the 228 examined are too fatty, too salty or too sugary according to WHO criteria. Check each product rather than generalising.
• "Fitness" or "protein" products: "fitness" is not a claim defined in the annex. "Source of" or "high in protein" is, with the 12% and 20% of energy seen above. A product high in protein can also be sugary or fatty.
• "Free from" mentions: "palm oil free", "gluten free" or "preservative free" inform about the absence of one ingredient, not about the quality of the rest. A palm-oil-free biscuit is still a fatty, sugary biscuit if it is made with another fat.
• "Slimming" products: they do not replace checking the composition. Our article onnatural appetite suppressants and flat stomachssorts promises from reality.

This phenomenon is documented. In an online survey conducted in Germany with around 1,100 people, the authors conclude that products with a poor image can be made to look better by sugar-related claims on the front. In their study, showing a Nutri-Score next to the claim reduced this effect in several cases (notably with a D), but not in all of them, and this was a limited sample with only three products tested.

Unrealistic portions

Many packs display valuesper serving, in addition to values per 100 g. However, the serving is chosen by the manufacturer: a small serving makes sugar, salt or calories look lower. If you eat twice the stated serving, everything doubles. To compare two products, use the columnper 100 g(or per 100 ml), which is the same everywhere. Our guide toreading a label properlysets out the method.

Shrinkflation: less in the pack, same price

Theshrinkflation(called réduflation in French) consists of reducing the quantity of a product while keeping its price or raising it, so the price per kilo or per litre goes up. It is legal, but the Institut national de la consommation specifies that, since 1 July 2024, large food retailers over 400 m² must indicate it for two months near the product, with the old and new quantities. Enforcement falls to the DGCCRF. The price per kilo or per litre shown on the shelf therefore remains the best reference.

How to protect yourself

• Turn the pack over: the front of the pack is advertising, the back is regulated information.
• Read the ingredient list: the first is the most abundant. A short list of recognisable ingredients is a good sign.
• Compare two productsin the same column, per 100 g, with the same units.
• Be wary of words with no threshold: "natural", "traditional", "indulgent", "pleasure".
• Check a thresholdwhen a claim interests you: "high in fibre" must reach at least 6 g per 100 g.

In Yumiq, the product's single rating combines several dimensions (nutritional quality, processing, environmental impact, additives): it therefore does not depend on a front-of-pack promise.

How to report a dubious practice

If you think a claim is misleading, you can report it onSignalConso, the free public service of the DGCCRF. The report can be forwarded to the company, and the DGCCRF intervenes if necessary. The site has also been adapted to receive reports about shrinkflation.

Sources

• Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, annex (nutrition claims), consolidated text
• Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, Article 10 (health claims)
• European Commission - Nutrition and health claims
• European Commission - Register of health claims
• INC - Shrinkflation or réduflation: retailers must inform you
• SignalConso - DGCCRF
• Jürkenbeck et al., PLoS One, 2022 - Nutri-Score and sugar claims
• 24matins - Foodwatch and food marketing aimed at children (press)