I've often said that labels shouldn't be much of a concern when you do your grocery shopping. Why? Because most of the foods you should be buying should come from the fruit and vegetable isle... and you don't see labels on those foods (although we should be concerned about their quality). Since most people don't or won't eat enough, you've heard me say that adding Juice Plus+® can help you get more nutrients from those foods. With over 400,000 consumables that are offered, it is no wonder that we have loud and persistent advocates for proper labeling. Well now, to reduce confusion that many food and/or nutrition labels may cause, the government may be implementing guidelines (another word for 'pass a law') for a standard in 'proper' labeling. Here's more --
The Food and Drug Administration is planning to propose new standards to regulate front of container nutrition information provided by food manufacturers such as the Smart Choices labels developed by the food industry that some critics say even help promote clearly unhealthy products such as Froot Loops.
The labels, which include a green checkmark on different packages, are expected to be seen on hundreds of products in the coming months, including some choices that Harvard School as Public Health nutrition department chair Walter C. Willet calls “horrible.”
The FDA had said that it intended to monitor whether the labels caused consumers to change their food consumption habits, but now the agency says it will develop standards by early next year to regulate the content of nutrition label on the front of packages.
It’s expected that food manufacturers will have to list both positive and negative nutritional information on the front of packages, including information about vitamins, fiber, fats and sugar.
The head of the FDA, Margaret Hamburg, says that the huge number of different labeling schemes currently being used by manufacturers is confusing to consumers and the standards need to be put in place so that consumers will understand which products truly give them healthier choices.
At several points during a press conference about the forthcoming regulations, Hamburg mentioned the front-of-package labeling systems used in Great Britain, which include green, yellow, and red lights to illustrate healthy and less healthy choices. She said the front-of-package labels would not be required on packages if food companies did not want to use them.
About Smart Choices
The Smart Choices labeling program was developed by a panel of nutrition experts and industry representatives, who say the guidelines conform to government standards for healthy choices. One representative said Froot Loops met the standards for the program because of its levels of fiber and vitamins A and C and it does not exceed the program limits for fat. But critics argue that the cereal, at 12 grams of sugar per serving, is 41 percent sugar by weight.
A representative from Kellogg’s says that no food should be judged on the basis of one single nutrient, and notes that even a sugary cereal is a better choice than some other options, such as a doughnut.
The program has been embraced by 10 major food manufacturing companies, including Kraft, General Mills, Tyson Foods, Unilever and ConAgra. The companies involved pay up to $100,000 a year to be able to use the logo on their products. The Smart Choices logo would replace various logos the individual companies have used to promote healthier choices among their product lines. ( more... )
Bottom Line: There are important reasons for having some guidelines for nutritional labeling. But more importantly, we need to focus more on a diet that doesn't have labels - foods straight from Mother Nature with thousands of phytonutrients. Fruits, Vegetables, Berries, Legumes, oats, bran, breads - foods that support good health and are rich in antioxidants.
Companies should not be allowed to mislead consumers into thinking that their product is somehow healthier because it has more Vitamin C for example. Yet, the best way to avoid this confusion is to fill your shopping cart with plenty of ripened, whole food fruits and vegetables. Avoid the juice drinks, sugary drinks, sugary foods, processed foods, or any of those that have a label with something that you can't pronounce or sounds like a chemical. You'll be surprised at how many products fall into this category! Stick with fruits and vegetables, primarily. You may find that you lose some weight, have more energy, sleep better, think clearer, and just feel better without all those "un-natural" foods and beverages!
For those of you who don't get enough fruits and vegetables, you are not doing your health any favors. Eat more of them. Be sure they are ripe. Eat them in their raw form. And add Juice Plus+® to get more nutrients from a variety of those foods. Juice Plus+ has been thoroughly researched for its efficacy.
I've often said that labels shouldn't be much of a concern when you do your grocery shopping. Why? Because most of the foods you should be buying should come from the fruit and vegetable isle... and you don't see labels on those foods (although we should be concerned about their quality). Since most people don't or won't eat enough, you've heard me say that adding Juice Plus+® can help you get more nutrients from those foods. With over 400,000 consumables that are offered, it is no wonder that we have loud and persistent advocates for proper labeling. Well now, to reduce confusion that many food and/or nutrition labels may cause, the government may be implementing guidelines (another word for 'pass a law') for a standard in 'proper' labeling. Here's more --
Bottom Line: There are important reasons for having some guidelines for nutritional labeling. But more importantly, we need to focus more on a diet that doesn't have labels - foods straight from Mother Nature with thousands of phytonutrients. Fruits, Vegetables, Berries, Legumes, oats, bran, breads - foods that support good health and are rich in antioxidants.
Companies should not be allowed to mislead consumers into thinking that their product is somehow healthier because it has more Vitamin C for example. Yet, the best way to avoid this confusion is to fill your shopping cart with plenty of ripened, whole food fruits and vegetables. Avoid the juice drinks, sugary drinks, sugary foods, processed foods, or any of those that have a label with something that you can't pronounce or sounds like a chemical. You'll be surprised at how many products fall into this category! Stick with fruits and vegetables, primarily. You may find that you lose some weight, have more energy, sleep better, think clearer, and just feel better without all those "un-natural" foods and beverages!
For those of you who don't get enough fruits and vegetables, you are not doing your health any favors. Eat more of them. Be sure they are ripe. Eat them in their raw form. And add Juice Plus+® to get more nutrients from a variety of those foods. Juice Plus+ has been thoroughly researched for its efficacy.