A few weeks ago, I read this article in the Times about a new labeling program ironically called "Smart Choices," that is clearly a desperate attempt by various food conglomerates to counter the sustainable food revolution. Nutritionally bereft foods such as Cocoa Krispies, Froot Loops, Fudgsicles and Hellman's Mayo have made the list and get a cheery green check mark and the "Smart Choices" imprimatur. (The official-looking logo says, "Smart Choices Program: Guiding Food Choices.) Companies such as Kellogg’s, Kraft Foods, ConAgra Foods, Unilever, General Mills, PepsiCo and Tyson Foods have all signed up and the entire program is chaired by a nutritionist (!!) named Eileen T. Kennedy, who is the dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts.
This makes my blood boil.
I was raised to be skeptical of food labels, to examine the "Ingredients" lists on packaging and steer clear of foods that had sugar as one of the first three ingredients. My folks only allowed us to have Golden Grahams and other specious excuses for cereal (which at the time, of course, my sister and I adored!) for dessert. And guess what? I didn't have my first cavity until I was a senior in high school.
But I well know that my family was not typical. And when a parent who is shopping for cereal sees a label that seemingly tells them the food is healthy, they may believe or want to believe that it's true. I wish that most people knew better, but the fact is—they don't.
So where is our government on this? How can we stop the madness?
William Neuman, in his article, said that the FDA and and Department of Agriculture had sent a letter to the Smart Choices organizers, saying they "intended to monitor its effect on the food choices of consumers." That's a start, but it's not exactly going to stop the program in its tracks.
Then I read on Marion Nestle's site that Mike Smith of Change.org has organized a letter-writing campaign asking the nutritionists on the board of Smart Choices to resign. If you, too are outraged by this insidious labeling initiative and believe that Teddy Graham's and Froot Loops (41% sugar) are— if not evil—better reserved for the rare snacking indulgence, please take a moment to write a letter to the Smart Choices folks.
Nearly 4,000 people have already done so and—get this—Tufts University, the American Diabetes Association, AND the American Dietetic Association have all asked that their names be removed from the Smart Choices site.
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