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Superfood -

Superfoods were all the rage when they first appeared on the market. All of a sudden, foods such as blueberries were being marketed as quasi miraculous. The truth? "Superfood" is a marketing term.

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Superfood -

This is not to say that some foods are not good for you, but the buzzword was so popular and misleading that its use was banned in the European Union in 2007.

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Portobello, cremini, and button mushrooms -

Here’s one for fungi lovers: what’s the difference between button, cremini, and Portobello mushrooms? The answer is…nothing! They are the exact same type of mushroom: agaricus bisporus.

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Portobello, cremini, and button mushrooms -

The difference in size and color is due to the age of the mushroom. These mushrooms start as young button ones, then mature into cremini, and become Portobello mushrooms later in their development stage. A clever way to sell one product as three different ones with different price tags...

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Up to... -

“Save up to 40% this weekend only.” Indeed, "up to" denotes a great discount, and therefore a great deal. But it simply means “any amount less than.” This can mean that maybe just one product or service is being offered at this amount. Others often have a much lower discount.

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Starting at/As low as -

This one is similar to “up to,” but instead of misleading you on the discount, it misleads you on how much you'll pay for a product or service. The term is used as a simple indication of the lowest possible price you could pay, but you often find that you’ll end up paying a lot more.

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Freshly baked -

Isn’t this how every bakery works? Perhaps there are those that don’t sell freshly baked products and only sell stale ones?

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[insert word] salt -

Have you ever wondered what’s the difference between the different types of salt? Well, technically, all salt is sea salt. Even salt that is mined (i.e. rock salt or halite) can be traced back to the sea, even if a few million years ago.

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Corinthian leather -

You may or may not have heard the term Corinthian leather. It was used to advertise Chrysler luxury vehicles. It does sound rather special, but what is it, really? Well, it’s just leather!

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Corinthian leather -

It turns out it has nothing to do with the Greek city of Corinth. The term was coined by advertising agency Bozell back in 1974 to make simple leather sound more exotic and expensive.

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Free-range and cage-free -

We all want to eat eggs that have been laid by healthy, happy chickens, right? Therefore, many of us opt for those branded as free-range or cage-free. It turns out, however, that the label doesn’t necessarily mean that these are chickens that roam freely in a field.

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Free-range and cage-free -

Regulations are different, depending where you are in the world, but the term simply means that the hen that laid the eggs wasn’t in a cage. Most of these chickens are actually kept in rooms, with access to the outside (though there is no way to guarantee that the door is open).

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Artisanal -

From bread to chocolate, artisan products sound like they’re being made by local experts in a small village. The truth is that rarely is a skilled craftsperson behind the product described as artisanal.

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Gluten free -

The label is useful for those who are gluten intolerant, and it makes sense in products that indeed are often made with gluten (e.g. bread or cakes). However, many brands stick the label on their products even though they never had gluten in the first place (e.g. products made of rice or potato).

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Angus beef -

Why would you choose Angus beef over regular beef? Your preference of cattle breed, really. Angus is a Scottish breed called Aberdeen Angus. It’s not a better or worse type of beef. Sometimes it’s branded as superior, but it doesn't necessarily differ in terms of quality from other cattle breeds.

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Angus beef -

The only possible difference is between certified Angus beef and non-certified. The former must meet certain criteria, while the latter is simply beef from Angus cows. Uncertified meat is still sold as Angus beef, and the price tag may be inflated just because of that.

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Picked ripe -

This certainly begs the question: when should fruit be picked, really? “Picked spoiled” doesn’t really have the same ring to it, that’s for sure...

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Saltwater taffy -

What’s the difference between regular taffy and saltwater taffy? The answer is nothing. This quintessential American candy is not made with salt water at all.

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Saltwater taffy -

Legend has it that a taffy shop in Atlantic City was flooded sometime in the late 19th century, and they sold saltwater taffy as a joke. The name stuck and it’s used to this day.

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Handcrafted -

Handcrafted denotes quality, right? After all, it’s a product that can’t be mass-produced, or can it? Well, sometimes the “hand” marketers refer to is the one that pushes the button in the factory.

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Sushi-grade fish -

Sushi is raw fish, so sushi-grade fish must be really good, fresh fish, right? Except, there is no such thing as sushi-grade fish.

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Sushi-grade fish -

Sure, in many countries fish must comply with guidelines in order to be served raw, but “sushi-grade fish” is just a made-up term.

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The term “teenager” -

Today everyone knows what a teenager is, but if you had mentioned the term before the 1940s, they’d have no idea what you were talking about. It turns out, the term “teenager” was invented to market products to a specific demographic.

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No tears shampoo -

A shampoo that doesn't sting your eyes sounds great, especially for kids. But what if “no tears” actually meant not tearing the hair, instead of not making one cry? The interpretation of this claim was actually up for debate.

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No tears shampoo -

According to Trisha Bonner, Manager of Research & Development at Johnson & Johnson, “The ‘no more tears’ means the product won't sting if gotten in a baby's eyes.” So, what is the exact formula behind tear-free shampoo? That remains a mystery. All we know is that their formula uses large molecules.

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Smoked bacon, cheese, and others -

Buying a product that is applewood smoked, oakwood smoked, or driftwood smoked sounds fancy, but can you really tell the difference between them? It’s safe to say that most people can’t. Plus, many of these foods are not even smoked. Instead, artificial smoking flavor is added.

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Premium -

Using the word premium to describe a product or service is fairly common. The term has an expensive and exclusive connotation to it, but does it really equate to high quality? The answer is: no one knows. This is because there is no standard for what premium is. It can mean something, or nothing.

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Famous -

"Famous" is one of those empty buzzwords that is used to attract buyers. But what is the criteria that defines something as famous? Famous where, and according to whom? By which standards?

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Greenwashing -

Greenwashing labels are increasingly popular in this day and age. Terms include “eco-friendly,” “green,” and “sustainable,” among others. These vague (and often misleading) claims are used to make products and services seem more eco-friendly than they actually are.

Sources: (CBC) (Maelstrom Marketing) (TopTenz) (Barnabas Piper) 

See also: What is greenwashing, and how can you spot it?

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