I have been thinking for quite some time whether I should really talk about this. But this topic is something I personally felt strongly about for a long time. And to give you a heads up from the start, it’s not in my nature to name brands and give specific names. I would rather talk about this hypothetically and give just a couple of real-life examples.

In real life, imagine a situation where you want to conduct business or make a purchase. And out there are so many choices of people to do business with. Some of them are good, some of them are bad. Would you willingly spend your money doing business with bad people? People who have repeatedly and without any consequences done bad things that resulted in other people being hurt? It is easy to assume blame and view things objectively when discussing people. For example, you are not going to hire a nanny who has a criminal record or was accused of child neglect. You will for sure not hire a person to be a security guard who is not fit and has no training in doing such work. You will not do business with a person who has a history of being dishonest. But we buy things each day from different companies and brands. Do you ever wonder what their actions are like? Do you ever think that companies have a responsibility to uphold any kind of integrity to individuals and communities? For more on the food industry, check Sugar Addiction – Is There Such A Thing?

What should we expect?

When you buy a product, any type of product, you look for quality and price. You expect that product to deliver its purpose. But do you ever wonder about the company that makes it? Do you ever wonder who made it, in what conditions, where, and how? We have all heard about child labor, environmental pollution, difficult working conditions, and such. But sometimes it’s more complicated than that.

Sometimes companies will make a product that is not as good as advertised. And maybe the way it’s advertised is done in a manner that it promises more than it gives. For a person who uses common sense, they will see that marketing is not really truthful. But still, there are vulnerable people and communities out there that will believe what is being told to them by shiny signs and honest sales representatives. Especially in less developed countries where multinational companies make their billions.

If I told you that some formula milk companies created a hunger crisis because of their targeted marketing and powerful lobbies, would you still buy from them? If I mentioned to you that some of the food industry companies that specialized in sweets and sugary drinks targeted children in their promotional campaigns and donated to schools to increase their revenue, to create an entire generation of children with health issues, would you still support them? And if I dare to conclude that companies created monopolies and took advantage of corrupt officials to make more money without any regard for the environment or safety regulations, would you still consider their products?

I understand that most of us will make a decision also based on money. But the price of these so-called international brands is usually much higher if you compare it to more generic brands. It saddens me a lot because I have seen it so many times, especially with the popular brands of baby formula. The parents would buy it because they are made to believe it would make their child healthier, even though they claim it would make the baby smarter. But because they are so much more expensive, often the babies are first given water to fill up their bellies, and after that, the expensive baby formula. It causes health issues such as stunting and underdevelopment. If you research the number of countries with high percentages of stunting, you will also see what are their top-selling formula brands. It doesn’t surprise me at all.

We have a choice even if we don’t see it

Perhaps you think you are just one individual and that you can’t make a difference alone. And you would be completely right. But we have to start somewhere. We have to learn about what is happening in the world around us. Because at the end of the day, it is our money that is paying for their existence. We pay for their private jets, golden parachutes, expensive team-building trips, new office buildings, and hundreds of employees.

I learned a long time ago to see what is behind shiny signs and smiling faces. I will never forget how easy it is for the sales representatives to repeat well-learned slogans while they try to sell you something they are paid to do. Trust me, they don’t do it because they think you need it. They do it to make money. And if you dare to ask them a couple of honest questions about the usefulness of their products, or just ask about the possible harmful ingredients, they will look at you all confused as if they don’t understand what you mean.

We should be asking them questions. We should be insisting that they deliver the product they have promised, and not something that they don’t even want to share the full list of ingredients. Because it is a business secret and they don’t have to share it with us. The end user. The person who will actually be drinking it, wearing it, or putting it on their skin. So, how protected are you really if you don’t try to protect yourself?

How it should really be

If we are talking about a perfect world, all the companies should be very clear about their history and values. Same as you would look at the past working history of a person you want to do business with. We should be looking at what they have done, not only in our areas but in other parts of the world. We should be asking where their factories are and how much they are paying their workers. Take into account how useful their product really is and see if the salesperson is just a dummy or can really explain what they know about the thing they are selling.

Being a responsible consumer is all about making choices and doing your own research. Check the ingredient lists of the products you are buying and compare them to other brands and products. After all, you want value for money and not just buying a brand or a name. Sometimes our choices come because of aggressive marketing and false recommendations that are bought and not really researched. It is on us to make the appropriate and correct choice because, in the end, it is we and our families that will be consuming it.

The reason I wanted to address this issue is that I believe we deserve the best. Trying to have a healthy diet not only for ourselves and our families can be hard at times. Because we never think that producers could be dishonest. We rarely question the slogans and selling points they repeat to us every single day. Some of them are just pure manipulation techniques and marketing traps that have no real standing. So do your research. Do what is best for you, and have in mind that what is best for you sometimes can lead you far away from the current best-selling products on the shelves.