Product Alert!

[not2late]

I'm starting this sticky thread because during OWL Phase we begin introducing foods back into our menues. All too often, we come across a product that seems "too good to be true", when we figure the net carbs using the information on the nutritional label.

Be aware that some manufacturers aren't trying to cheat, but might not be labeling the product correctly. If you have a pencil and paper with you when you shop, you can easily figure out if the nutritional label is correct.

All you will need to know is the number of calories, the total grams of carbs, the total grams of protein and total grams fat. And this formula:

total calories = fat grams x 9 + protein grams x 4 + carb grams x 4

If you don't feel like doing math in the supermarket, use that pencil and paper to jot down the total calories, total fat grams, total carb grams and total protein grams, then use a Hidden Carb Calculator, like this one:
Hidden Carb Calculator for Mislabeled Low Carb Foods

Also, sometimes manufacturers will re-formulate a product, thus changing the nutritional info. Nature's Own Double Fiber Bread is an example of this. About 2 years ago, one slice of the bread had 5 net carbs. The bread was re-formulated and now one slice of bread has about 7 or 9 net carbs.

So, this sticky will list the products with problems like hidden carbs or a change in the nutritional information. If you want to add a product, please do so. But follow this format so the information will be easy to get:

Product: Name of Product

Submitted: Date product was submitted to ADBB

Nutritional Info: List the serving size, total calories, total fat grams, total protein grams, total carb grams, fiber grams and sugar/sugar alcohol grams (if available)

Problem:

I hope this will be useful to you all.

[not2late]

Product: SCHMIDT'S OLD TYME DOUBLE FIBER BREAD
Submitted: 11/30/2008

Nutritional Info:
per slice
Total Calories: 80
Total Fat grams: 1
Total Protein grams: 4
Total Carb grams: 7
Fiber grams: 5
Sugar grams: 3

Problem: Based on the nutritional info, it appears this bread has 2 net carbs per slice.

Using the Hidden Carb Calculator, this bread has 27 hidden carbs. The total carbs listed is probably the "net carb" amount, meaning, they have already subtracted the fiber from the total carb grams.

A tip off to a problem is that the sugar grams + fiber grams should equal the total carbs, which it doesn't for this product.

[Aways2Go]

Ole' Extreme Wellness High Fiber, Low Carb soft tortillas -

Submitted Sept 2009 (purchased August 2009)

Serving Size, 1 tortilla (45 grams)
Total calories, 71
Total fat grams, 2 grams
Total protein grams, 8 grams
Total carbs, 5 grams
- Total fiber grams, 12
- Total sugars, 0


The "hidden carb" calculator says there is one hidden carb, which would make it 6 carbs instead of 5 per the label.

I'm still trying to understand why the total carb count of 5 is less than the fiber count listed as 12. Can I really get negative 7 carbs for eating one of these? Wahoo! LOL!

[not2late]

That total carb number is probably the "net carb". So the "real" total carb is really 17, 12 of those carbs are fiber.

[Aways2Go]

That just doesn't seem fair for them to go ahead and deduct out what they choose and list the total carbs as the carbs minus the fiber already. How is a person to trust any processed item if they don't know if they should deduct the fiber or not if it is so inconsistent from one product to another/whether they are truly listing total carbs or if they are listing "net carbs" as "total carbs"? A person is going to have to become a mathmetician and use the above formula to quickly figure out if the "TOTAL CARBS" listed is actually net carbs already...

Another reason I am glad I gave up nearly all processed foods several years ago.

[RosieC]

Alert for UK Atkineers:

Under UK food labelling rules it is standard practice to show the net carbs on the label, so you should never subtract the fibre.

Example: Tesco black olives in brine:
Carbohydrate 3.3g per 100g
Fibre 4.2g per 100g

The net carb is 3.3g.
It's obvious in that case since there is more fibre listed than carbs, but you have to remember for everything, don't read food labels the American way.

I do not know if this is true across the whole EU ...?

[Elizellen]

I think it is true for most countries outside the USA/Canada, Rosie!
Thanks for mentioning that fact, which confuses many of us non-north americans

The main thing for us all is to look at the labels and see if the fibre (or fiber) is listed in the same section as the 'total carbohydrates' (and therefore needs deducting to get 'net carbs') or in its own section (in UK it is listed after the fats) and has not been counted as a carb.

[my31168]

Thanks for sharing. I've bookmarked the sight!

[chinadoll]

Wow! This is an eye opener! Thanks Megs!