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business. And more Americans are buying into the functional story. But as sales soar, federal regulators worry that some packaged foods that scream healthy on their labels are in fact no healthier than many ordinary brands. They have been cracking down on products that, in their view, make dubious claims and bamboozle shoppers with slick marketing. No one is saying that these products are unsafe or unhealthy, or that there isn’t science behind them. But nutritionists say that the vast number of functional foods has left many consumers confused about the products’ actual health value. And, in some cases, manufacturers are bending or even breaking the rules about how they market these products. Companies promote myriad processed foods that have been loaded with vitamins and nutrients, or contain a potentially beneficial ingredient, as wellness aids. For many, these “healthified” foods have become the new health food. Many Americans are willing to pay a premium for ready-to-heat and on-the-go foods that seem to promise shortcuts to healthier living. However, the bureau of consumer protection is concerned that people who buy foods that, for instance, claim to bolster immunity or reduce the risk of prostate cancer might forgo a flu shot or a doctor’s visit. The situation is clearer in Europe, where authorities have set up an independent panel of experts to check every health claim. Food makers submit applications with scientific evidence for a specific claim. The panel then reviews each case and issues an opinion on whether the evidence shows that eating the food indeed causes the advertised effect. A list of approved health claims is intended to make food shopping less confusing – at least for consumers in Europe. b) Beispielantwort Positive: Vitamin-packed, loaded with vitamins and nutrients, contain a potentially beneficial ingredient Neutral: for your heart, for your immune system, help your heart, lower your cholesterol, trim your tummy, healthy, unsafe, unhealthy, has left many consumers confused, ready-to-heat and on-the-go foods, claim to bolster immunity, reduce the risk of prostate cancer Negative: hyped, packaged foods that scream healthy, are in fact no healthier than, make dubious claims, bamboozle shoppers with slick marketing, “healthified” foods c) 1. vitamin-packed, 2. to beckon, 3. to turn into sth., 4. to buy into sth., 5. to crack down on sth., 6. to bamboozle sb., 7. myriad, 8. healthified, 9. ready-to- heat, 10. to forgo sth. The language of science: Location-based apps and the future of shopping a) Beispielantwort It is a current trend that more and more smartphone apps require access to location data provided by the phone’s built-in GPS module. According to a 2012 report, three- quarters of America’s smartphone owners use their devices to retrieve information related to their location. Such location data is promising to advertisers. They can begin sending customers so-called hyperlocal advertising, tailored not just to the city, but to a particular city block. The technology is called “geofencing”, which has been used for years in the ankle bracelets worn by accused criminals under constant surveillance. A judge might grant a criminal suspect permission to go to her job, her church and her local supermarket, with each approved location plugged into the court’s computer system. Data from the ankle-strapped GPS could confirm that the suspect was staying out of mischief or send a warning to police when she went to a prohibited location. Geofencing also has other uses, for example for parents who want to know about their children’s whereabouts. The service retrieves location data from a child’s phone and sends a message whenever the child arrives at home or at school or leaves again. When marketers build a geofence, they have no desire to restrict customers’ movements. The goal is to detect people’s close approach to a nearby business that is looking to make a sale, so the company can ping customers with a text message urging them to buy. Because marketers realise that nobody wants a constant stream of text messages, a policy of “frequency capping” is practiced. Customers generally get no more than five messages a week, even if many other attractive deals come within range. Still, geofencing is rarely used by advertisers nowadays. The technology requires constantly recalculating the phone’s position, which shortens battery life quickly. Yet, even if geofencing becomes more energy efficient, it might still not be a sound strategy for selling many consumer products. As psychologists found out, valuable things are usually not consumed spontaneously. It is highly unlikely that a customer, alerted by his phone that a half-price sale on expensive consumer technology is taking place in a store nearby, will act upon sudden impulse and seriously consider the offer. Even at the lower price, such items will cost hundreds of dollars 5 124 Key K Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv