Does the Smart Choices Program Lack Credibility?
In the US, "Smart Choices", the new food-label campaign, is being criticized by nutritionists for allowing their label to appear on products such as high-sugar cereals (Froot Loops and Cocoa Krispies).
The label has also been applied to high-salt processed foods, and full-fat mayonnaise.
The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and Department of Agriculture have written to the program's managers to let them know they will monitor the effect of the label on consumer choices. The New York Times explained that:
The letter said the agencies would be concerned if the Smart Choices label "had the effect of encouraging consumers to choose highly processed foods and refined grains instead of fruits, vegetables and whole grains."
Nutritionists have gone further. Walter C. Willett, from the Harvard School of Public Health, said that the application of the label to nutritionally-dubious products was:
"A blatant failure of this system and it makes it, I'm afraid, not credible."
Defining "Healthy"
So, how can cereals containing 40% sugar, and sandwiches containing 25% of your daily sodium intake, be marketed as a "smart choice"?
The program's guidelines mean that if a product meets certain criteria, and doesn't exceed the limits for others, it can have the label. In the case of Froot Loops, the cereal meets the standards for Vitamins A and C and for fiber content, and comes within the limits on fat, sodium and sugar. It contains 12 grams of sugar per serving, the maximum allowed--but, this is 41% of the product, by weight.
Dr Kennedy, president of the Smart Choices board, explained that a product like Froot Loops was healthier than donuts. True, but how many parents will be comparing donuts with cereals? It's much more likely that they'll compare one brand of cereals with another, and if they're a typical parent trying to give their kids a healthy breakfast, this label could easily sway them towards the Froot Loops, even if another product, perhaps from a manufacturer not involved in the scheme, is healthier.
Reading the Labels
This story highlights the importance of reading labels and understanding the nutritional makeup of a food. Don't assume that the presence of a Smart Choices mark, or similar, means a product is good for you.
And, don't assume that all products with the same logo are of equal nutritional worth. The Smart Choices mark is applied to both full-fat and reduced-fat mayo. No prizes for guessing which one's going to be better for you.
Hopefully though, the Froot Loops are an anomaly, and the majority of the Smart Choices approved products will be ones that are genuinely better choices for consumers.
The very best foods, however, tend to be ones that don't come packaged and labeled: fresh fruits and vegetables, and other foods that are as unprocessed as possible.
What do you think of this kind of labeling system?
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I do not agree with half the foods listed on the smart choice program. It is sad because we all know people are lazy and they will see the smart choice symbol and just buy based off that. This could make us gain even more weight. Read the labels people!
ReplyThere is obviously a flaw in this system based on your article above. I am an avid label reader & I also try to eat mostly whole foods & very few packaged foods so I manage to stay away from this processing, sodium & such in general.
ReplyThe paradox is that any food which comes in a box on which the Smart Choices label can be placed is not the smartest choice.
ReplyThis is where personal responsibility comes in because we are the only ones who can make the decisions for our own family.
When I was losing my 150 pounds, I learned to be an avid label reader. I still am, and hope that other people will look past the wording on the front and examine the ingredient list!
ReplyThe system is definitely flawed. I've seen the "Smart Choice" label on various packaged cereals that aren't really that great for you and on diet soda...foods that may be low in calories, but aren't necessarily nutritious. I mean, if parents are trying to pick out a healthy snack for their kids, I'm afraid that they'd choose something like low fat Doritos over mixed nuts because theoretically, the Doritos are lower in calories but the nuts have a lot more nutrients in them.
ReplyAnything with "Smart" in the name should be automatically discredited. It's a naked appeal to vanity with a little elitism mixed in. And it works too, because people are vain and shallow and like to think they are "smart". It's ironic that they let themselves be fooled by such an obvious marketing ploy.
ReplyPerhaps KFC can put a "Smart Choice" label on their buckets of fried chicken, you know because it's a healthier choice than a gallon if ice cream or a bottle of Wild Turkey.
ReplyDo you all know that you should pour Tab over your Fruit Loops instead of milk? It has less calories and sodium and no carbs. Eeew! I bet there is at least one person in this country who actually does that for that very reason and thinks they made a Smart Choice :)
ReplyI have absolutely NO PROBLEMS with the smart choice lables! Doesn't each label state what feature the product has anyways? Like no saturated fat, low sodium, etc?
They don't claim that every food is 100% free of vices. If one food doesn't have the feature you are looking for , move on to another product. And it is the consumers job to balance the diet and the portions. If they are already looking at labels, it shouldn't be any harder than driving a car.
This is another example of nutritionists trying to put everyone into their narrow little box, instead of helping people live their best life within the perameters of what they can individually handle and stick to.
ReplyThere is obviously a flaw in this system based on your article above. I am an avid label reader & I also try to eat mostly whole foods & very few packaged foods so I manage to stay away from this processing, sodium & such in general.
Reply