VIRTUAL INGREDIENTS.

Substituting cheap ingredients for expensive ones is as old as commerce. Five hundred years ago, every farmer or middleman knew that replacing rive or ten percent of his milk with water would (undetectably) increase his profits by five or ten percent.

As the food supply has grown increasingly complex, manufacturers have taken the old switcheroo to new heights. And outmanned and underfinanced government anti-fraud agencies don't stand a chance.

The misleading labels featured in "Ingredient Secrets" (pages 8 & 9) may be legal, but they're little different from the water-milk scam. A few examples:

* Peaches & Cream Oatmeal with no peaches

* Strawberry Yogurt with no strawberries

* Carrot Cake with more salt than carrot.

Companies put tempting, luscious-looking pictures of fruits, vegetables, chicken, whatever, on the label, but add only a sprinkling to the food.

Sometimes they don't even toss in that much. The only hint of kiwi or strawberry or broccoli may come from added flavors. Harried shoppers, of course, barely notice (or don't understand the message behind) the words "natural flavoring" printed on the label in tiny type.

Government officials typically say that they don't have the resources to stop deceptive labels that are not likely to harm people. But when a label tricks shoppers into believing that a food contains healthy or expensive ingredients, it's defrauding consumers.

Shoppers shouldn't have to verify the big print on the front of a food package by examining all the tiny print, even if it's legible, which is more than can be said of many ingredient lists (for examples, see "Don't Forget Your Magnifying Glass," page 10).

You can help put a stop to deceptive labels by filling out and mailing, faxing, or e-mailing the coupon below. You can also send a signal to companies by not buying deceptively labeled foods ... if you can spot them.

Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Center for Science in the Public Interest