EVERY October, supermarket shelves, social media feeds and promotional campaigns seem to become a little healthier and a little pinker. Products are promoted around wellness, antioxidants, immunity, clean eating and disease prevention, while consumers are encouraged to make choices that support better health.

There is nothing inherently wrong with promoting nutritious foods. The problem begins when the language, imagery or claims surrounding a product create such a strong impression of healthfulness that consumers stop asking other important questions.

Is the claim actually supported?

Is the product really what the label suggests it is? Does “100 per cent juice” actually mean 100 per cent juice? Does “natural” mean safer?

Was the beverage pasteurised? Does it require refrigeration? How long has it been open? Has the food been stored at the correct temperature?

A product can project a very healthy image and still raise food safety, labelling, or consumer-protection concerns.

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, when consumers may be particularly receptive to messages about wellness and disease prevention, that distinction becomes especially important.

The Health Halo Is Real

Food marketing strongly influences how consumers perceive products.

Researchers use the term health halo to describe the tendency for one positive characteristic or claim to influence a person’s overall perception of a food. A product labelled “high in fibre,” “natural,” “antioxidant-rich,” “immune supporting,” or “plantbased,” for example, may be viewed as healthier overall even when the claim tells the consumer very little about other aspects of its nutritional composition or safety.

Research has demonstrated that front-of-package claims can influence perceptions beyond the specific characteristic being advertised.

One study involving nutrition bars found that describing a product as a “protein bar” increased perceptions of its overall healthfulness and even caused consumers to assume that it contained greater amounts of other desirable nutrients (for example, high sugar content) that were never claimed on the package.

Other research has similarly found that nutrition claims can increase perceived healthfulness and purchase intention, even when the product also contains nutrients of concern. In one study, the presence of nutrition claims reduced consumers’ ability to correctly interpret information about the product’s composition while increasing perceptions of healthiness and willingness to purchase it.

This does not mean that all health or nutrition claims are misleading.

Many are legitimate and useful. It means that consumers should avoid allowing one positive statement on the front of a package to become a substitute for evaluating the product as a whole.

A Health Claim Is Not Just Marketing Language In Jamaica, manufacturers do not have unlimited freedom to place health-related statements on foods. The Food and Drugs Act provides that food must not be labelled, packaged, processed, sold or advertised in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive, or likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its character, value, quantity, composition, merit or safety. The Act also restricts the advertising or representation of foods for the treatment, prevention or cure of certain diseases and conditions.

Jamaica’s mandatory standard JS CRS 5:2010, Labelling of Prepackaged Foods, goes further in addressing claims.

The standard prohibits claims that cannot be substantiated and claims suggesting that a food is suitable for the prevention, treatment or cure of a disease or physiological condition unless specifically permitted by the competent authority. It also prohibits potentially misleading claims and places conditions on the use of terms such as “natural,” “pure,” “fresh” and “organically grown”.

That distinction matters during awareness campaigns. A juice, tea, snack, supplement-like beverage or other food should not acquire the appearance of being protective against breast cancer simply because it contains berries, turmeric, ginger, beetroot, antioxidants or another ingredient associated with wellness. There is a significant difference between stating that a food contains a nutrient and implying that consuming the product can prevent or protect against disease.

Consumers should be particularly cautious when food marketing moves from describing the product to promising a health outcome.

What Does ‘100 Per Cent Juice’ Really Mean?

Juice is one of the clearest examples of how a healthy image can influence purchasing decisions.

Images of whole fruit, statements about vitamins and phrases such as “natural goodness” can make beverages appear nutritionally equivalent even when they are very different products.

In Jamaica, JS CRS 27:2017, Fruit and Vegetable Juices and Drinks, and Fruit Nectars, establishes requirements for juices and drinks derived from edible fruits and vegetables, fruit nectars and certain non-carbonated beverages. The existence of separate product categories is important because a fruit juice, a fruit drink and a fruit nectar are not interchangeable terms. A consumer therefore should not rely solely on pictures of fruit or prominent words on the front panel. The actual name of the food and the ingredient list matter.

A product presented as 100 per cent juice should not create the impression that it is entirely juice if substantial amounts of water, sweeteners or other ingredients make it a different type of beverage. The regulations specifically prohibit labelling or packing prescribed foods in ways that are false, misleading or deceptive or that create an erroneous impression regarding their character, composition, purity or other properties.

The wider research on beverage marketing also shows why consumers need to look beyond the front of the package.

A study of fruit drinks, flavoured waters and 100 per cent juices found widespread use of nutrient claims, implied “natural” claims and fruit imagery across beverage categories. The researchers noted that this combination of claims and imagery could lead consumers to perceive beverages as healthier or more natural than their actual composition might suggest.

For the Jamaican consumer, the practical lesson is simple: Turn the bottle around. Look at the actual product name. Read the ingredient list. Check whether sweeteners have been added. Look at the nutrition information where provided. Do not assume that pictures of oranges, berries or other fruit automatically mean that the beverage is 100 per cent fruit juice.

‘Natural’ Does Not Mean Microbiologically Safe

Perhaps one of the most persistent problems with health marketing is the assumption that a food described as natural, fresh, raw or minimally processed must also be safer. It does not.

A freshly prepared juice may contain nutritious ingredients and still be contaminated with harmful microorganisms. A smoothie made from raw produce may appear wholesome while still presenting risks if the fruit or vegetables were contaminated, the blender was poorly cleaned, the water was unsafe or the finished drink remained unrefrigerated.

Pasteurisation is particularly important in this discussion. Heat treatment is sometimes portrayed negatively in wellness marketing because consumers may associate minimal processing with greater nutritional value. However, pasteurisation performs an important food safety function by reducing pathogenic microorganisms that may be present in juice and other beverages. A product does not become safer simply because it is described as “cold pressed,” “raw,” “freshly made” or “natural”. Those descriptions tell the consumer something about processing or marketing positioning. They do not guarantee microbiological safety.

A Pink Label Does Not Override Temperature Control

The healthy appearance of a product can also distract consumers from one of the most basic principles of food safety: time and temperature still matter.

A refrigerated juice still needs refrigeration. A fresh smoothie can still become unsafe if left at room temperature for an extended period.

Cut fruit still requires appropriate handling. A product with antioxidants still needs a safe shelf life.

This is where consumers need to separate two very different questions: “Is this product marketed as healthy?” and “Has this product been handled safely?” One does not answer the other. A bottle of fresh juice may carry a strong wellness message, but if it requires refrigeration and has spent hours sitting in the sun at a roadside stall, the health claims on the label are no longer the most important issue.

Shelf Life Still Matters

Health-focused products are not exempt from deterioration, contamination or spoilage.

Consumers should pay attention to best-before and expiration dates, storage instructions and directions regarding how long a product should be consumed after opening. A product may be perfectly acceptable when sealed but become increasingly vulnerable to contamination or microbial growth once opened. This is particularly important for refrigerated beverages, fresh juices, dairy alternatives, dips, salads and other products often marketed within the wellness space.

Claims such as “preservativefree” may also sound attractive, but consumers should understand what the statement actually means.

Preservatives serve technological functions, including controlling deterioration and, in some products, helping to limit microbial growth.

Their absence does not automatically make a product better or safer.

Depending on the food, it may instead mean that temperature control, packaging and shelf-life management become even more important.

Read the Whole Label, Not the Loudest Claim

Jamaica’s labelling requirements are designed to provide consumers with more than advertising. The label should identify the food, provide the ingredient list, declare the net quantity and identify the manufacturer, packer, importer or distributor, among other required information. Jamaica’s mandatory JS CRS 5:2010 applies to pre-packaged foods offered to consumers, while the Standards (Labelling of Processed Food) Regulations also require the name of the food to reflect its true nature and prohibit false claims regarding beneficial effects or special dietary uses.

The ingredient list can often tell consumers more than the largest words on the front of the package. A beverage promoted around a particular fruit may contain several other ingredients.

A “wellness” drink may contain added sweeteners. A product highlighting one vitamin may still need to be considered in the context of its full nutritional composition. The front of the package is designed to attract attention. The rest of the label is designed to provide information.

Consumers need both.

Awareness Should Make Us More Critical, Not More Gullible

Breast Cancer Awareness Month creates valuable opportunities to discuss screening, treatment, survivorship and overall health.

However, heightened health awareness can also create fertile ground for products that attach themselves to the language of wellness.

Consumers should not assume that a food prevents cancer because it contains antioxidants, that a beverage strengthens immunity because it includes ginger or turmeric, or that a product is inherently safe because it is fresh, natural, raw or minimally processed.

Neither should businesses use emotionally powerful health campaigns to blur the line between a legitimate nutrition claim and an unsupported promise. The most responsible health message is one that respects both science and the consumer.

This October, look beyond the pink packaging, the fruit imagery and the wellness buzzwords. Ask what the product actually is. Read the ingredient list. Examine the claim.

Check the storage instructions.

Pay attention to refrigeration, pasteurisation and shelf life. A health claim can tell you something about a food. It should never stop you from asking whether that food is also safe.

About the Author

Allison Richards is a food safety communicator, certified trainer and the founder of The Food Safety Girl, a consumer awareness platform promoting food safety in Jamaica and the Caribbean. She is the Caribbean Chapter Director for Women in Food Safety (WIFS) and host of The Big Bite Food Safety Show. With over 15 years of experience in food safety regulation, she is committed to public education and consumer empowerment.

Through public education initiatives, including free community webinars, she continues to create space for learning, dialogue, and practical food safety awareness.

Allison Richards thefoodsafetygirlja@gmail.com .