Beyond the label

The new frontier of food? Eyesight, sense of smell, taste. When choosing what to consume, we cannot rely on the label alone, but must go one step further.

The label is only an indication. Useful, very useful, no question about it. It is certainly a key element, but it is insufficient. It cannot guarantee everything, if not indirectly.

Only when a product taken from the supermarket shelves is subjected to analyses verifying the exact correspondence with what is reported on its label can the consumer be certain of the content. Certainty only comes afterwards.

Only when one of the many food standard agencies operating on our territory carries out these tests can we feel safe. The label is only there to inform us, but as mentioned previously, it does not warrant anything, if not indirectly.

We should always be aware that the label only defines the food category, and that the rest is up to us consumers. When choosing what to purchase, what really counts is personal experience and our ability to compare products. Price is not the only parameter that we should take into account, but first and foremost comes our personal taste. All it takes is a simple “I like it” or “I don’t like it”.

If we were also capable of identifying and choosing products with a good quality/price ratio, then we would really deserve the title of “conscious consumers”.

Everything depends on our senses, and on our common sense. Choices should never be made relying on price alone. The first step is going beyond the label.

Luigi Caricato