It's a very slow process - two steps forward, one step back - but I'm inching in the right direction. - Rob Reiner

July 24, 2013

Duped….Hoodwinked…Bamboozled Again!


In the 90s most of us were duped into believing fat free was the way to go.   I know I was.  Then there has been low carb, no carb, sugar free and on and on.  Lately we hear more about gluten free, wheat free, soy free and so on.  And then of course there is all natural, organic and recently non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms).
As I’ve began running more over the last several years I’ve become far more health conscious.  I’m not perfect by any stretch, but I really do try to watch what I put into my body.  For the most part I avoid artificial sweeteners (except Stevia).  I try to limit my gluten and wheat intake.  And when I’m not buying whole foods, I mainly buy organic and all natural products from the health foods section of the store.  I also buy organic or locally grown produce when it’s available (and not 3 times the price).
I love fresh fruit smoothies, but let’s face it they take some time to make.  So in a pinch, Jim and I have on several occasions purchased the Naked ALL NATURAL 100% JUICE with no sugar added.  How can you go wrong with this right?  They are 100% juice….sure they contain a little something to maintain freshness, but all products do right?
Well imagine my surprise when I turned on my PC this morning and read about the class action lawsuit against them.  Yesterday, PepsiCo (who owns the Naked brand) agreed to pay $9 Million for claiming there juice is “all natural”.  There juice actually contains “added synthetic compounds such as calcium pantothenate (synthetically produced from formaldehyde)” and “Fibersol-2 (a proprietary synthetic digestion-resistant fiber produced by Archer Daniels Midland and developed by a Japanese chemical company), fructooligosaccharides (a synthetic fiber and sweetener), and inulin (an artificial and invisible fiber added to foods to … increase fiber content without the typical fiber mouth-feel) (Source:  Nation of Change, July 24, 2013)”.  PepsiCo also “donated” $2.5 Million dollars to help defeat Prop 37 in California that would have required companies to label their products as containing GMO ingredients.
Was I seriously trusting my health to Pepsi?  I'm pretty sure they aren't too concerned with health.  Although I didn't know until this morning that Naked was owned by Pepsi.
This is just another reminder to read labels closely.  It’s not the first time I’ve been fooled, and probably won’t be the last.  It's also another reason to eat more whole foods.  Who needs this processed crap anyway?  I know I won't be buying these again.

11 comments:

  1. I drank those a few times until I found out they were owned by PepsiCo. Plus, they were super expensive - like $3 for a little bottle. It's a shame that they try to pull one over on people who are trying to find a healthier option. Boo!

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  2. I didn't know they were owned by Pepsi CO either or I never would have bought them
    I hate when I find out I have been duped.

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  3. Wow, that is too bad to hear. I also was reading something that generally fruit juices aren't the best to drink anyways because its very concentrated and high in sugar. In the end, basically the best liquid is water - I've realized that pretty much every other liquid to drink all seems to have some sort of problem - milk, fruit juice, beer, soft drinks, etc. I occasionally have beer or milk, but that is about it.

    On that prop 37 - I'm in CA and voted on that. I was really torn on how to vote. Mainly I hate regulation of anything, since CA loves to regulate everything, basically increasing the cost. So I voted no because I just didn't want more regulation - the more I heard later on and now reading your post, I probably should have voted yes, since all of Europe has their food labeled if GMO is in it. But hindsight is 20/20, and all you can do is try and vote with what you think is right.

    Oh, and the course record breaker set a personal course record, so don't worry =)

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  4. Gross. What the hell? Every time I turn around, it seems like something on a shelf is letting me down. You're right, the only way to know what you're eating is to make it from the raw products. This is why I live off of guacamole. HAHAHA!

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  5. Wow, I had not heard about this. If the healthy juice has all that junk in it, you might as well just drink the Pepsi. (Or at least that's the justification I use to indulge in soda I shouldn't be drinking.)

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  6. I was going to say the same thing as Rachel - they are $$$! I actually stopped and got one after my long run on Sunday... I'd like to think it's better than some other things I could have picked to drink?

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  7. It's so disappointing when big companies disregard the need to be honest to make money. We, the consumers, seem to be totally unimportant except as a source of profit.

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  8. That sucks, but it does prove that marketing is really powerful.

    I always figure you can't go wrong with someone that came from the ground (fruits, veggies, water, etc). That doesn't mean I eat them exclusively, but I do try to eat as much of them as I can so I fill up and don't have room for the other junk.

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  9. Ugh! I didn't know they were owned by Pepsi,Co and I thought I had read the label ... So deceitful!!! I won't be buying these again!

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  10. I'm super bummed by this, too. Even though they're super expensive, I justified that having one every now and then was still cheaper than the $500 Vitamix I seriously want but don't have that big of a need for. You think I could use this news as my new argument? haha!

    Guess that's what you get for trying to cut corners.

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  11. I hate this kind of stuff. Ugh. I didn't know Pepsi owned them, too.

    Although McDonalds owns Chipotle and they do a pretty good job of staying healthy.

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