The Smart Consumer

1. The Smart Consumer

3. Types of Stores - vary in size Self-service Food & nonfood - delis and bakeries - home delivery, credit, pharmacy, & banking - sell food in large quantities at reduced prices Sell same products as May not carry fresh meat or produce : fresh fruits & vegetables

4. Types of Stores cont. - large or small Cost usually higher - carry one specific type of product Dairies, bakeries, butcher shops, ethnic market - sell ready-to-eat foods, cold meats, salads, and rolls

5. Types of Stores cont. - reduced prices on products from individual food manufactures May not meet the manufacturers quality standards - owned and operated by groups of consumers Keep prices low by buying food in bulk, leaving of profit, and requriing volunteer labor

6. Types of Stores cont. - sell food directly from the farm to the consumer Fresher produce at lower prices - open near farms during the growing season Usually just one family runs them

7. Using a Shopping List Save time, avoid extra trips, & stick Keep in handy and before you shop Organize your list

8. Shopping Tips Read labels Compare Compare - per serving, fresh, frozen, and canned Buy foods that are in Take advantage of Prepare food from scratch Resist Do not take a cart if you only need a few items Do not shop when you are hungry

9. Using Unit Pricing : list of product�s cost per standard unit, weight, or measure Can compare the cost of different forms of products Need to be aware of food�s per serving costs as well as their unit price

10. Factors That Affect Costs : evaluating different brands, sizes, and forms a product before making a purchase decision : making an unplanned purchase without much thought Using coupons cut only if you need the product : indication of quality Higher the grade, higher the price

11. Factors That Affect Costs cont. : name a manufacturer puts on products : house brand, sold only by a store or chain of stores : advertised and sold throughout the country : plain-labeled, non-brand grocery product - low quality Packaging : thinking about how packaging material scan be reused or recycled before you buy the product

12. Organic Foods : foods produced without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or growth stimulants : agents used to kill insects, weeds, and fungi that attack crops Limit types of fertilizers Higher cost because harder to come by

13. Food Additives : substances that are added to food for specific purpose, such as preserving the food Ad nutrients Preserve quality Aid processing or preparation Enhance flavor or color : �generally recognized as safe� about 600 additives that can be used without permission Anything else needs to have permission from the FDA

14. Using Food Labeling Common name and or weight of the contents, including any liquid in which foods are packed of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor List of ingredients, in

15. Using Food Labeling cont. (UPC): series of lines, bars, and numbers that appears on packages of food and nonfood items : uses dates consumers can clearly recognize on perishable and semi-perishable foods - date food was processed and packaged - last day a store should sell a product - last day a consumer should use or eat a food - found on bakery products

16. Using Food Labeling cont. : breakdown of a food product�s contributions to an average diet Serving size Number of serving per container Calorie information Nutrients found in each serving of food products Total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugars, & protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, & iron

17. : dietary references that appear on food labels Help consumers use label information to plan healthy diets Maximum fat and minimum carbohydrate and fiber - based on 2,000 calories diet are given for each of the nutrients listed on the label Health and/or nutritional claims about their food products on product labels FDA has set standards Low fat, high fiber,and reduced calories