FDA Crack Down on Our Favorites, Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Have you ever seen these guys? Any child who has a memory of pre-2007 probably does (since the nation's child obesity issue has gotten way out of hand). These cartoons have been around forever to entice the hearts and appetites of many Americans but in recent years have been taken off the tv air waves.



Since cereal companies such as Kelloggs now cannot put up their cartoon mascot anymore, how do they get their cereal bought? They entice the parents by using an assortment of company created symbols that basically mean "I'm a healthy choice, pick me!"



These are just a few of the manufacturer made creations convincing parents that cereal like Froot Loops is a healthy choice. In a report on the Good Morning America Show,

"Smart Choices is one of the many programs developed by grocery stores, scientists, health organizations and manufacturers themselves to steer health-conscious shoppers to supposedly nutritional products. But the government is stepping in and cracking down, saying the different systems are too confusing. The Food and Drug Administration says it will analyze labels to make sure they are not misleading and is hoping to develop a nutritional gold standard for products that manufacturers want to label as healthy."

Michael Jacobson, a executive director for Center for Science in the Public Interest said, "When you have 40 percent sugar, can you imagine that? Half the box with grain and half of the box with sugar, that's not such a smart choice."

Now why would these top cereal companies want to call their products healthy when they aren't? Oh you know, to trick the parents into buying it, it's basically what all companies do. But when contacted, Kelloggs started defending their labeling, which they say was, "was developed during an open and lengthy collaborative process that included some of the most experienced and accomplished professionals in nutrition science."

Doesn't that kind of remind you of a murder case where the prosecution hires someone who expertly and knowledgeably assess the defendant as sane and the defense hires a different person who expertly and knowledgeably assess the defendant as insane?

Anyway, Mike Hughes, the chairman of the Smart Choices Program, one of many, said that the label, "complies with all U.S. laws and regulations. So now the FDA is employing their all-powerful scholarly brain to, as said before, create a gold standard that cereal companies have to level up to in order to keep their nutrition sticker.

If this ends up being like the time where they introduced Trix as little balls and slowly but surely removed the previous beautifully shaped watermelon, grape, and orange (especially the red and blue flower looking one) delicious version, many people may cry, including me.
Not only are these labels used on cereal but also items like Kraft's Strawberry Bagelfuls which are filled with not-so-healthy cream cheese and strawberry puree, sweetened with sugar with an added dash of red dye for looks.
That little green label down there, calls it a Smart Choice.
The GMA Show also stated, "While the labels are voluntary and developed by the industry, they are subject to federal guidelines under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938, which prohibits 'false or misleading claims and restrict[s] nutrient content claims to those defined in FDA regulations.'"
What gets me is this guy Richard Kahn, one of the Smart Choices Board members, who says, "our program is entirely transparent. The criteria have been published and available to all Americans." Yes, we get that its available, but it's not something a mother thinks to do when she's food shopping and sees a label that says/means healthy. It's kind of like McDonalds, for example, doesn't broadcast the calorie count and nutritional facts all over their packaging, but you can ask for a brochure with the information. But you have to ask.
And hey, I'm not saying Froot Loops, Captain Crunch, Lucky Charms, and Count Chocula are healthy or aren't healthy. I personally eat them because they are delicious and my stomach tells me to.

So as the saga unfolds, let us see what kind of monarchy rule the FDA will come up with.


Moral of the day: When you get Captain Crunch with Berries, eat all the berries by color, and then enjoy the slightly crunchy milk-filled goodness of the little yellow bits.