What do they really mean?
Food manufacturers and retailers are letting shoppers down. This is the view of the CWS, which has just brought out a new report.
According to the report, shoppers believe food labels(标签) because they think there are strict regulations in place. 36 So the food industry can get away with all sorts of tricky strategies to make products look bigger and sound better than they are.
The report has identified the different ways in which shoppers are misled. 37____ Descriptions on packaging are sometimes inaccurate in an attempt to oversell the product. One example given in the report is the phrase "haddock fillets", used for a product that is in fact cut from big blocks of fish rather than individual slices.
38 These include "traditional", "wholesome", or "premium". The claim that a brand is "90% fat-free" hides the fact that it contains 10% fat, which above recommended levels. Phrases such as "free from preservatives" make a virtue out of a normal attribute of food.
Labels have a wide variety of text sizes on them. You sometimes need a magnifying glass to read the small print. 39
Another deliberate type of misinformation lies in the image. Many pictures on packets use small plates to make the product look bigger. 40
However, misleading messages on packaging could soon be a thing of the past. The CWS recently produced a code which, if used, would end the current inaccurac
ies and half-truths. It has called on the government to support it as a way of improving food standards.
A. Meaningless adjectives are often used to give a positive message.
B. An officer says the labels will receive very serious consideration.
C. Photographs are sometimes retouched(修饰) to achieve the same effect.
D. By contrast, the hard sell (强行推销) information is given emphasis.
E. The rules are, in reality, very weak at present.
F. This result has not pleased the food industry.
G. The most common of these is poor labeling.