Question

II.  Purchase two items ( or take pictures of the label) at the grocery store. The first item should be the regular product; the second should be its reduced-carbohydrate counterpart or its reduced fat couterpart .  Sodas, juices, milks, beer, and other beverages are off limits, as are yogurts.  Compare the two products in a Table Format.

I buy RITZ CRACKERS REDUCED FAT (50% LESS THAN ORIGINAL RITZ AND RITZ CRACKERS BAKED WITH WHOLE WHEAT (5G WHOLE GRAIN)

1.         (5 points) Remove the Nutrition Facts label and ingredient list from each product and compare:

• Serving size
• Calorie, protein, carbohydrate, fiber, and fat content per serving
• Percent calories from fat (calculate)
• Grams saturated fat per serving
• Sodium content per serving
• Content of micronutrients per serving

2.         (5 points) Examine the ingredient lists.  Are there significant differences in the:

• Ingredients used
• Order of ingredients
• Source of fat
• Preservatives used
• Sweeteners used

3.         (5 points) Was there a price difference between the two products?  Was either on sale the day you bought them?  Did one product have less in it (weight) than the other?  Which one would you more likely buy in the future, based on your observations?

4. Please include both labels( you do not have to buy the product, just take pictures of the label) with your typed report, which should be no more than 3 pages long.

Answer 1

1. Take any two products. Lets consider the same two products names here: RITZ CRACKERS REDUCED FAT and RITZ CRACKERS BAKED WITH WHOLE WHEAT.

For a serving size of 5:

Ritz crackers (whole wheat) has higher calories from fat: 21%

Similarly the % difference can be calculated.

2. Similar comparisons can be made wrt the ingredients.

3. This can only be performed by the student. From knowledge, whole wheat would weigh more than reduced fat.