Food/Nutrition Bloopers from Restaurants,
Food Companies, Web sites and News Media
The following are actual quotes or observations (the latest entries are at the top). Click for our comments. Some of these errors/misinformation have been subsequently corrected by their source and some have not.
"Low-Sugar" Dark Chocolate Bar
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- Created on 01, October, 2011
A dark chocolate bar is described as “low in sugar."
Calorie-Estimating Phone App
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- Created on 01, September, 2011
A smart phone app takes a photo of food and claims to be able to estimate the calories.
Nutrition Label Errors on Cereal
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- Created on 01, August, 2011
A nutritionist/blogger is gifted 3 products by a manufacturer for a review and misses a major nutrition label error.
Pistachio Calorie and Fat Claims
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- Created on 01, July, 2011
An advertisement claims pistachios are the lowest calorie and lowest fat nut.
Generic Sodium Data for Ham in Recipe
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- Created on 02, June, 2011
A health reporter touts a recipe for honey-glazed ham, saying it has only 580 mg sodium per serving.
Incorrect Nutrition Data for Restaurant Salad Online
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- Created on 02, May, 2011
A restaurant trade magazine reviewing restaurant nutrition calculators quotes a consumer saying a restaurant salad was not a good/balanced choice according to data she saw online.
Wrong Nutrition for Cupcake Recipe on Diet Web Site
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- Created on 01, April, 2011
A vegan cupcake recipe posted on a diet/fitness site shows 72 calories, 1.54 g fat, etc. per cupcake.
"Fat-Fighting" Dessert with Impossible Nutrition Data
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- Created on 01, March, 2011
A restaurant dessert is declared best in its category for “fighting fat.”
Coconut Chip Called "Low in Fat"
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- Created on 01, February, 2011
An award-winning coconut chip is described on a food industry Web site as “low fat.”
Fruit Bar with Unsupported Antioxidant Claims
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- Created on 01, January, 2011
A dried fruit and nut bar has the word “antioxidant” on the front label. The nutrition panel shows 0% DV for vitamins A and C.
Antioxidant Boost from Hot Pepper Spices?
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- Created on 01, December, 2010
Web sites and food/nutrition blogs claim that cooking with cayenne and other hot pepper spices will give an “antioxidant boost.”
Dietitian Touts Brain-Building Foods
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- Created on 01, November, 2010
A dietitian interviewed by a medical news reporter touts brain-building foods.
Too Much Fiber?
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- Created on 01, October, 2010
A nutrition “expert” (RD) evaluates the nutrition data of a fast food dish for a newspaper article and declares the 65-115 g fiber to be too much.