Spilling the Beans on Food Labeling!

It was the beginning of the pandemic and I decided to start writing bi-weekly briefings for clients, advisors, and influencers.  Someone forwarded the briefings to Wave Editor Mark Healey and thankfully, he gave me the opportunity to write this column, which started on 5/1/2020. 

There are what I call ancillary (insurance term) benefits to writing the column.  One is, I appreciate the positive feedback I receive when I run into readers in Rockaway or when I receive emails from readers who appreciate The Financial Wave, thank you very much!  I also benefit as I now constantly think about what readers might want to know.

This week it hit me when I looked in the cabinet (I was jonesing for rice and beans) and noticed I had 3 cans left of black beans from 3 different companies (see picture).  Goya, Trader Joe’s and Wegman’s black bean cans were staring at me, so it was time to compare.  This would have never happened before this column hatched!

Regular “Financial Wave” readers already know my pet peeve against misleading food labeling in the USA, which is supposed to be regulated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).  I partially blame them for the obesity and diabetes epidemic we have in the USA, projected to get worse. 

Here is how the back of the 3 cans read:

                                    Trader Joe’s              Goya              Wegman’s

#servings/can                      3.5                  3.5                  3.5

What disturbs you about these numbers?  I have bolded what disturbs me!

My initial questions for the FDA are, “How many grams are in a cup?”  Google says 120 grams in a cup of water.  How can ½ cup have 3 different numbers of grams?        

Looking at the front of the cans, the Goya cans, in my opinion, have the most pleasant packaging to the eye.  It says, “Chefs Best Award” Excellence, and “Prime Premium” at the bottom.  What Chef are they referring to and what does Prime Premium mean?    

Trader Joe’s can says, “USDA organic, black beans made with sea salt, BPA free and kosher.  Beans are enlarged to show texture.”  

The Wegman’s can (Wegmans are now in Manhattan) says, “Food you Feel Good About, no Artificial Colors, Flavors or Preservatives.”

            You might be asking yourself, what does this all mean as it is confusing?  Sometimes I think they want you/us to be confused.  This is the first time I have compared cans of black beans.  Usually, I buy what is on sale, as I have seen the regular Goya black beans on sale 5 cans for $5. 

Here is my take:

1. The Regular Goya Can of Black Beans has 410mg of sodium, almost 300% more than Trader Joe’s.  Should one be hungry and eat the whole can in one sitting, that is 1,435 mgs of salt.  The USDA recommends less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day.  I am DONE with Goya regular black beans!  To be fair, Goya does sell low-sodium black beans with 140mgs of sodium costing 50% more money.
2. Carbohydrates: The Goya regular beans have 30% more calories at 130 than the Trader Joe’s Beans at 100.  These differences illustrate how important it is to read labels! 
3. This convinces me that if one educates oneself and reads labels and ONLY changes the products with the same exact diet, one can lose weight and be healthier.

To give you an idea of the money spent on weight loss (not including monthly Ozempic shots at over $1,000 each), as per www.GlobeNewsWire.com the USA spent $72.6 billion on weight loss products and services in 2021!

To summarize, the Goya regular black beans (when not on sale) are more expensive than the Trader Joe’s black beans.  I hope after reading this, you will pay attention to reading labels carefully!