Comments on: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Fat Free

By: Lang Skrimshire

Lang Skrimshire — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:47:18 +0000

Having lived in the US and the UK I’ve noticed a big difference in claims of fat/calories and I think it’s time the FDA adopted more stringent standards. In Europe and most of the world nutrition information and claims are based on percentage in the food itself. In the US, the Food and Drug Administration says any food serving that contains less than half a gram of fat, protein or carbohydrate can claim 0 grams — and thus, 0 calories — for those nutrients. Plus, any nutrient with less than 5 calories can be listed as having no calories on the nutrition label. This is why in the UK French’s Classic Yellow mustard is labelled as ‘low fat’ (it’s about 4% fat) and in the US it claims to be fat and calorie free. Coke Zero is advertised in the US as Zero Calories, when in fact the can has 4.5, it just says ‘Zero Sugar’ elsewhere. But surely a little common sense is appropriate, I use ICBINB spray, and the main ingredient is soybean oil, if i use more than the 1.25 sprays (I don’t even know how you’d do a quarter spray!) you get more product and therefore more calories

By: rebecca

rebecca — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 05:26:17 +0000

agreed about the bending out of shape over butter. the way some people are defending it makes them sound like close personal friends of the spray butter trying to redeem its bruised ago. or employees of the company. but anyways, this posting has opened my eyes to this particular scam. i am skeptical by nature of claims made by companies wanting to sell a product, but i really thought they could not, would not lie this blatantly for fear of being caught and that backlash, if nothing else. i understand that the FDA says a little fat means fat free, and that only a few calories is none. but, in reality, a little fat is a little fat, and 4 calories are 4 calories. companies should be held responsible with truth, but wishful as that is, we should expect the government that regulates these companies to uphold the truths they will not, and not near-truths.

By: plumps

plumps — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:37:28 +0000

To be honest, I think all of these diet/low fat/sugar free/no carbs foods are soooo bad for you.

They are so outrageously over processed that all nutritional value has been completely extracted from the food. Then they have to pump it full of additives and preservatives, not to mention oodles of salt, to make it in any way palatable. If something is fat- or sugar-free, then you should ask yourself what exactly has been used to replace it.

I think you’d be much better off using whole, unprocessed foods, whether you’re on a diet or not. (Not to imply that I don’t eat my fair share of processed stuff!) Fresh, unprocessed food made with good quality ingredients is so much tastier. And often, you don’t eat as much of it, because you’re satiated with smaller, flavorful amounts. Besides, you need all of these food groups in your diet (in moderation) to feel full and to properly fuel your body.

At the end of the day, a small (small I said knob of butter (which is basically unrefined and unmodified apart from the addition of some salt) is going to be much less damaging to your health. Plus, people tend to know exactly what they’re getting into with butter, and can treat it with the respect it deserves.

By: Hikaroo

Hikaroo — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:17:31 +0000

I never would have thought of using butter spray to any extreme… (I don’t like butter anyway!) I tend to look at all of the labels of everything that I buy so I can get a rough idea of what a serving size is and what I’m getting in that serving size.

It just pays to look at every angle of what you buy.
That’s why I spend a really long time buying my groceries in the grocery store… *-*

However! Thank you for the information, I totally appreciate it. :3

By: Admin

Admin — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 03:12:45 +0000

Most people don’t take moderation into consideration when something is labeled as being fat free and zero calories. They think that they can over indulge all they want with no worries.

By: Monica

Monica — Sat, 31 May 2008 13:31:16 +0000

You need to step back and think about the reason you got to where you are (needing to lose weight). Excesses…Moderation is key in EVERYTHING you do even when it comes to “diet” foods.

By: Lena

Lena — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:19:03 +0000

Hey everyone–thanks for all the info. Even if there are differing views and some people are getting a little too passionate about butter…the back and forth comments have given me the information I was looking for about this butter substitute I’ve been using. Thanks!

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:46:42 +0000

I just found this post on a forum……. I completely disagree with Rachel’s comment. If something says it contains 0 calories and that it is fat free, of course people are going to think that they can use the heck out of it. I have used this stuff for about 6 months and a few sprays can’t even coat a piece of toast. I also was suspicious about the nutritional facts label claiming that the spray was fat free and no calories, so I asked someone at my gym if they knew anything about it. They said pretty much the same thing as this article.

Why should consumers suspect that something contains fat or calories when the nutritional facts say zero for everything? The FDA needs to be a little more strict with companies when it comes to nutritional labels and serving sizes. They have rules regarding the amount of fat and everything that’s in a product to be labeled ‘fat free’, but they have absolutely no rules as to how much a serving size has to be.

And as far as Rachel’s comment about potato chip serving sizes, that’s common sense. I completely agree with the article that if someone labeled potato chips as fat free and called a serving size 1 potato chip, there will be plenty of people who don’t pay attention to the serving size and just eat half the bag of chips thinking that they’re indeed fat free. Of course people accept what companies say. If a product is labeled as being fat free, why would you think otherwise?

After all, they surely wouldn’t be allowed to use misleading nutritional facts, right? (sarcasm)

I think the article is just trying to point out that nutritional labels can be very misleading if you’re not careful. You ladies seem to be getting all bent out of shape, thinking that the guy is calling companies liars or something. I don’t think that is the case. He is acknowledging that what they’re doing isn’t by any means illegal or breaking the rules, it seems like he’s just trying to warn people and let them know that it isn’t really fat free as it claims to be, and to use it with caution.

What’s wrong with trying to inform people so that they don’t use the heck out of the butter spray thinking that it’s fat free?

-J

By: Rachel

Rachel — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:43:43 +0000

This is why advertising works. Because people accept what companies say at face value. How about you actually know what is in your food before indiscriminately shoveling it in your face? ICINB spray is made up of mostly oil. Guess what, oil=fat. Oh, and using 80 times the recommended serving size and then complaining that it has more calories than the bottle claims is ludicrous. Eating an entire bag of potato chips doesn’t make it only 180 calories because that is what it says for ONE serving.

People like you are the reason coffee shops have to put “CAUTION: HOT BEVERAGE” on their coffee drinks to avoid lawsuits. Use some common sense, use the serving size and take some personal responsibility.

By: Admin

Admin — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 09:34:22 +0000

I was at the grocery store last night picking up a few small things. I went to grab my usual big box of Post’s Honey Combs and I checked out the nutritional facts. The serving size was 1 and 1/2 cup. I then checked out the Chocolate Honey Combs, which I have never tried. I expected the fat and calories to be much more than the regular Honey Combs, however, Post calls a serving size of the Chocolate Honey Combs 1 and 1/4 cup, making it appear that the chocolate version of the delicious breakfast cereal contains less fat than the regular version. Just another small example of how nutritional labels can really be misleading if you don’t pay attention to everything on them.

By: Admin

Admin — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:03:10 +0000

The FDA says that as long as a serving contains 1/2 a gram of fat or less per serving, it can be labeled “fat free”, the only catch is, the FDA has no rules on how much a serving size has to be. Companies could make “fat free potato chips” just by calling a serving size 1 chip. People need to be aware of these tricky nutritional labels before jumping on these so-called fat free products. Be sure and research something before buying it for dieting purposes and be sure to read all of the nutritional facts. If you’re unsure about something, ask a nutritionist or a doctor.

By: Admin

Admin — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:51:11 +0000

Yes, I know exactly how the nutritional facts work, but, as I said, many people over-use the products (as I did) thinking that they are actually 100% fat free and have no calories no matter how much they use, which is not the case. I have read plenty of reviews about these butter sprays online and watched several video reviews with people saying things like “you can use as much as you want, its fat free!” and “this stuff is great if you’re dieting and want a fat free alternative to butter and margarine”. People have absolutely no idea that the nutritional facts on the butter sprays are misleading, which is all I am trying to point out. I am not telling you not to use these products, I am just trying to insure that people understand that they aren’t truly fat free. By all means, use a couple of sprays on a piece of toast, just don’t overindulge in the stuff and think you’re eating healthy and fat free.

By: Joanna

Joanna — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:40:12 +0000

Jane, I can’t agree with you more. Though I also am addicted to Spray Butter on Green Beans…well any veggie for that matter.
I think that your response is great, and everyone should chill. There is a trick that I do, which people might want to know… pure half the bottle into another container, and fill the other half with water. This will water down the butter for you still leaving some of the flavor, sure it is not as creamy, but it works.
Also. Molly McButter salt is good and McCormick Imitation Butter Salt is okay for popcorn and non canned veggies.

By: Jane

Jane — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:16:20 +0000

I think you are, or were, misinformed. A serving size is 5 sprays and a little goes along way (since the product is sprayed, as opposed to using a glob of butter, it goes farther on your food, so you *don’t use as much*). THAT’S the idea.

And for your info, the term “no-calorie” is allowed when the number of calories per serving is less than 5; fat-free means there are less than 0.5 grams per serving. For a butter spray product, 25 sprays add up to approximately 20 calories and 2 grams of fat – a whole lot better than 1 Tbsp of butter/marg at 100 cals and 11 g of fat. Plus, soybean oil is low in saturated fat, contains no trans fat, is high in poly- and monounsaturated fats, and is better for you than butter. Didn’t you read the ingredients – the 2nd on the list is Soybean Oil, and the last time I checked, all oil had fat and calories, and you would be ignorant to think otherwise.

“Every time I fixed green beans, I was actually removing the spray cap and pouring the liquid butter over the green beans, coating the entire bowl with a thick layer” and the other comment of “poured it on my oatmeal” to consume an entire bottle in one day??….yeah, not exactly how the product is to be used.

By: Admin

Admin — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:23:02 +0000

I am glad you found this post and were able to quit using the “fat free” butter spray. Many people are using it as much as you were and have no idea how unhealthy it really is. I have found several blog posts and videos on websites such as YouTube with people talking about how great the butter spray is and how it is fat free and contains no calories. People really have no clue. I hope that more people can find this post and quit using the butter sprays. Thanks for visiting.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:45:42 +0000

I have actually been using this product for 12 years. For the past two years, I have literally poured it on my oatmeal. Usually I would consume an ENTIRE bottle every day!!! At least Twice a week, I would eat a bowl of oatmeal with my “fat free” butter for dinner and breakfast. I found out last night that one bottle was 900 calories!!! I was sick. My innocent bowl of oatmeal could have been replaced with four donuts or the biggest meal possible from mcdonalds. I was consuming between 7000 to 10000 calories per week on spray butter! I know its overboard, but I had no idea how unhealthy this was. I have forwarded an email to a friend a shape magazine and my trainer who is on the radio….I’m only hoping others find out how misleading this product is.