Weasel Words

Real Ingredients.

I can’t even. What does that mean? Very specifically, it means nothing. It is meant to evoke authenticity: ingredients you are familiar with, so that you feel what you’re buying or eating is healthier, more mindful, more authentic, less processed.

It’s one of those terms that makes my teeth hurt. And because it’s a non-term, because it doesn’t actually mean anything, it’s not actionable. Anyone can use it to mean anything. Hellman’s Mayonnaise (or Best Foods Mayonnaise, on...