CAVEAT EMPTOR… (buyer beware)

Real! Simple! Artisanal! Even old brands such as Progresso have been slapping those words on their product labels, notes ShopSmart, the shopping magazine from the publisher of Consumer Reports. They can give you the impression that a product is higher quality. Or they can make food appear more healthful, according to the Hartman Group, a Washington-based firm that specializes in market research and food trends. And that might get you to choose one product over another and maybe even pay a higher price. But the truth is, some lingo is just “marketing paint,” says Carol Harvey, owner of Palate Works, a food-labeling consulting firm. What’s inside the package could be the same old fat, sugar and additives. So no matter what the box says on the front, it always pays to turn it over to check