Buzz
In today’s fast-paced society, the sheer number of options available when shopping can be overwhelming. This is especially true for those living in the United States, where the abundance of choices can often feel excessive. Amidst the sea of processed foods, it’s easy to lose track of what we’re actually purchasing unless we invest significant time in research.
Given our busy lifestyles, most of us don’t have the luxury of thoroughly investigating every product we buy. As a result, certain items slip through the cracks, no matter how informed we try to be. Sadly, grocery stores are filled with items that are either fake, deceptively marketed, or not what they appear to be.
10. Honey
Honey is a beloved flavor in the world of sweets, cherished globally for its unique taste and health benefits, such as its low glycemic index and natural antibacterial qualities. Many households stock honey, often opting for more affordable varieties. While these may not be top-tier in quality and could be processed, consumers generally assume they’re still purchasing genuine honey.
The harsh truth is that unless you’re certain about the source and likely paying a premium, the honey you buy might not be authentic. Adulterated or outright fake honey is surprisingly widespread, a fact supported by numerous studies. Research suggests that about one-third of the honey sold globally is counterfeit. In Europe, the situation is even worse, with only half of the honey being genuine. To ensure authenticity, your safest option is to purchase raw honey from a trusted local supplier, such as a farmers market.
9. Olive Oil
Olive oil is a global kitchen staple, found in most households today. Renowned for its health benefits and subtle flavor, it’s a key ingredient in Italian cuisine, which has gained international popularity. However, shopping for olive oil can be overwhelming, with countless brands on grocery shelves all boasting high-quality extra virgin status, leaving consumers unsure of what to choose.
The confusion deepens when you consider the involvement of the Italian mafia in the counterfeit olive oil trade, which has duped consumers into purchasing diluted, fake, or inferior products for years. While the exact scale of this issue is hard to pin down—since the mafia isn’t exactly transparent—some experts estimate that up to 80% of olive oil on global shelves may be affected. While some argue this figure is exaggerated for outright fake products, they agree it’s likely accurate when including low-quality oils marketed as extra virgin.
8. Anything “Chocolaty”
With the rising cost of chocolate globally, companies are innovating ways to deliver the beloved chocolate flavor at an affordable price without compromising too much on taste. This has resulted in some unsuccessful attempts, such as aerated chocolate, which incorporated air to mask the reduced chocolate content. Additionally, manufacturers have experimented with blending minimal amounts of real chocolate with chocolate flavorings to balance taste and affordability.
In the United States, a product must contain at least 10% chocolate to be labeled as such, with even stricter regulations for items marketed as milk, white, or dark chocolate. However, using the term “chocolaty” allows companies to create the illusion of a chocolate-rich product, even when it contains only a tiny fraction of real chocolate, supplemented largely by artificial or natural flavorings.
7. Apples
Apples, alongside bananas and oranges, are a fundamental part of the American diet and a fruit we’re all deeply familiar with. With numerous varieties available, apples are versatile—perfect for pies, beverages, and more—and nearly everyone has a preferred type. While most of us rarely consider the origins of these varieties, the reality might come as a surprise.
Every Red Delicious apple you consume is a clone of another Red Delicious, and the same applies to other varieties. Most apple types aren’t the result of lab experiments but rather natural growth and experimentation. When growers discover a desirable new variety, they graft a branch from that tree onto a sapling, effectively cloning the apples. This process makes creating new apple varieties simpler than preserving old ones, as it relies on natural tree growth.
6. Most Blueberry Products
Blueberries are a beloved berry and a highly sought-after flavor in a wide range of confectionery items, from muffins to donuts and beyond. Their appeal lies in being marketed as “blueberry” while remaining affordable. This is significant because blueberries are among the priciest berries, and a substantial quantity is needed to achieve a robust blueberry flavor.
Many blueberry products feature images of what appear to be small blueberry pieces, leading consumers to assume they’re real, even if the packaging doesn’t explicitly state so. While some may acknowledge that the flavoring is artificial, they often believe the visible bits are genuine blueberries.
In reality, those tiny blueberry-like pieces are a mix of sugar, flour, preservatives, food coloring, and flavorings. This practice, while not outright false advertising, borders on legal trickery. Companies avoid claiming their products contain real blueberries, but the imagery and packaging often create a misleading impression.
5. Artificial Banana Flavoring
Bananas are the most popular fruit globally and a staple in produce sections everywhere. We all recognize their distinct taste and believe we could easily identify it in a blind test. This makes it puzzling why artificial banana flavoring is so far off from the real thing. While food scientists typically excel at replicating flavors, banana flavoring remains a notable exception.
Many assume bananas are simply difficult to mimic, but the reality is more intriguing. In the 1930s, when bananas were gaining popularity, food scientists based their flavoring on the Gros Michel variety, which has since been largely replaced by the Cavendish banana. As a result, artificial banana flavoring is a close match—just not for the bananas we eat today.
4. Sandwich Cookies
Oreo and similar sandwich cookies are among the most beloved treats in America, rivaling even chocolate chip cookies. Available in countless flavors, their signature creme filling is the star of the show. Some fans admit they’re more interested in the filling than the cookie itself. While many assume these cookies contain dairy, this isn’t necessarily the case.
Despite not being a health food, sandwich cookies are surprisingly vegan. The filling is labeled as “creme” for a reason—it contains no dairy. Instead, it’s primarily made from vegetable shortening and sugar, along with various preservatives and flavorings.
3. Subway Tuna
Subway first faced backlash over azodicarbonamide, an ingredient found in both yoga mats and some bread products. Now, they’re embroiled in a lawsuit alleging their tuna isn’t actually tuna but a cheaper fish substitute, misleading customers and exploiting their trust.
Amid this controversy, independent labs have tested Subway’s tuna to verify the claims while the legal case unfolds. Notably, the New York Times conducted tests but yielded inconclusive results. The tests failed to detect tuna DNA, though this was likely due to the tuna being pre-cooked, rendering the results unreliable.
To resolve the issue definitively, a judge may need to order DNA testing of the tuna at the cannery before it’s cooked. What is known is that Subway’s tuna salad consists of (alleged) tuna and mayonnaise, reportedly mixed in a fifty-fifty ratio by employees.
2. Fresh Fish
Fresh fish is one of the more peculiar items in grocery stores, largely due to its unique handling requirements. Typically displayed on ice, fish is kept chilled from the moment it’s caught to maintain freshness. While this practice is widely accepted, it’s often overlooked that this is simply how fish is presented, and consumers assume it’s the freshest option available.
Our primary concerns usually revolve around whether the fish is accurately labeled by species and if it’s sustainably sourced. Unfortunately, studies reveal that mislabeling is rampant in supermarkets. Two separate investigations found that a significant portion of fish was incorrectly labeled, either as a different species or falsely marketed as sustainably caught. One study reported 30% mislabeling, while another found 21%, averaging to about one-quarter of fish being misrepresented.
1. Saffron
Saffron, a spice most of us rarely use due to its high cost, can fetch at least ten dollars per gram. Occasionally, cheaper grocery stores offer saffron at reduced prices, leading consumers to assume it’s of slightly lower quality or less meticulously dried. This might seem like an opportunity to try it, assuming even premium products go on sale occasionally.
However, purchasing inexpensive saffron from discount stores often means it’s either fake or adulterated. While data is scarce for many regions, a study in India, a global spice hub, found that only about 52% of saffron was genuine and accurately labeled. The remainder was counterfeit, low-grade, or mixed with other substances. Saffron’s labor-intensive production—requiring manual farming, harvesting, and curing—makes it nearly impossible to reduce costs, contributing to its status as the most counterfeited spice worldwide.
