 "Photo: Eduardo Herrera | Valley Star")
Until six weeks ago, Cookie Crunch cereal and Fruit Roll Ups had nothing in common with oat bran cereal and broccoli. However, under a new program, all of these foods are now considered to be "Smart Choices." Fat chance.
There is no substitute for personal responsibility. Shoppers who want to make the best choices should never rely on the front of the box to help them make their decisions.
According to the new Smart Choices program, Cookie Crunch cereal – and all other cereals with no more than 12 grams of added sugar per serving – will now be labeled with a green check mark indicating to health-conscious shoppers that they are making a wise decision.
While food packaging cannot lie, hyperbolic statements run amok. All food packaging is required to list nutritional information somewhere on the package. This is where consumers can look to determine if their selection is truly a smart choice.
With the Center for Disease Control reporting 43,000 new cases of Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes each year as well as a rise in the numbers of children with Type 2 diabetes, parents need to be especially aware of what their children eat.
Even though it is a good thing that groups like The Keystone Center – who helped spearhead the initiative – want to take a proactive approach to help America become a healthier place to live, the credibility of their program takes a major belly flop with the inclusion of these sugary substances.
A recent Los Angeles Times article reported that the reason the sugary cereals made the list was because the cereal manufacturers threatened to pull out of the program unless the benchmark for added sugar was set at the 12 gram threshold.
The Smart Choices organizers should have said, "Thanks, but no thanks," because the American people don't need any more misinformation.
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