Check the Label – When You Can
by Ansje Miller
The other day I saw the strangest label: a bottle of water claiming it was “gluten free.” I’m pretty sure there was never a gluten threat from water, so the label really wasn’t reassuring. As someone who shops for a gluten-sensitive member of my household, I found this misleading label to be particularly frustrating.
As consumers today, we are barraged by so many label claims that marketers now talk about “The NASCAR Effect.” When packages are covered with so many marketing claims, like race car drivers’ suits covered with corporate logos, they overwhelm the impact of the marketing, making it less likely the consumer will believe or recall any of the claims.
Labels you can count on
Fortunately there are still some meaningful labels in the marketplace, giving you tools for healthier purchasing when you buy food, electronics, and furniture.
Food: The U.S. Department of Agriculture organic seal is a reliable sign for organic food. Most people understand that organic food is produced without toxic pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, but many may not realize that organic also involves standards on farm sustainability, animal welfare, and prohibitions on genetic engineering (GMOs), irradiation, and the use of sewer sludge on farm fields. But beware that the misuse of “organic” on some non-food items, like cosmetics or hair care products, is not strongly enforced.
Electronics: Energy Star is probably the most well-known electronics label, giving consumers meaningful information on the energy efficiency of products. A tool that encompasses Energy Star and other criteria is the EPEAT ratings, a joint project of industry and government to define broad environmental standards for electronics. And when you go through your closets and drawers full of old, unused electronics, don’t just take them to the trash. Look for an E-Stewards rated electronics e-waste recycler, which is certified to handle e-waste responsibly and not let it end up in a toxic waste dump.
Furniture: A change in labeling will soon give consumers vital information enabling us to avoid toxic chemicals when we buy furniture. For decades almost all furniture was made with disease-causing flame retardant chemicals – toxics that don’t protect us in fires, but do expose our children and families to chemicals that can cause cancer and other serious illnesses. As of January 1, 2015, furniture makers will have to meet new rules requiring labels to inform consumers when furniture contains flame retardants.
Secret Ingredients in Your Home
While cosmetics and food are required to list their ingredients on the label, there are dozens of products we use every day that don’t disclose their contents. There are more than 80,000 chemicals that are allowed to be used in products, yet only a handful of these chemicals have been safety tested. When a chemical is found to be unsafe, companies can simply replace it with another untested and potentially unsafe substitute chemical.
We need to rethink our approach to the chemicals companies use in products for our children and families. Learn more from CEH about how you can help create safer policies for our children’s health.
About the author: Ansje Miller is Eastern States Director and Director of the Energy and Environmental Health program for the Center for Environmental Health (CEH), the leading national nonprofit working for sane chemical policies that put our health first. She also serves on the board of the Reproductive Health Technologies Project (RHTP). Prior to her work at CEH, Ansje founded and directed the Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative.
Photo Credit: © Can Stock Photo
