"Smart Choices" May Not Be So Smart for Your Family's Health

We're a bit late reporting on this one, but in case you haven't yet heard, there's a new "Smart Choices" food labeling campaign, sponsored by some of the U.S.'s largest food manufacturers, which aims to steer shoppers to "smarter" food and drink choices. The Smart Choices label -- a big green checkmark -- will appear on a variety of products, and companies pay to become part of the program. What's the problem? Isn't a system to help people choose better products a good thing?

Well, aside from the fact that a new study has revealed that most citizens don't even recognize labels that are meant to help them make healthier, more sustainable decisions, some of the items given the Smart Choices label seem less than smart choices. Mayonnaise, ice cream and sugary cereals (such as Froot Loops and Cocoa Puffs) are on the list, for example.

Critics say that the new labeling system is just a marketing ploy. According to a New York Times story, Marion Nestle, a nutrition professor at New York University, said, "The object of this is to make highly processed foods appear as healthful as unprocessed foods, which they are not."

There are nutrition guidelines in the criteria that products have to meet, but that doesn't necessarily make them healthy. Under the program cereals, for example, are allowed up to 12 grams of sugar per serving, which could be 40% or more of the cereal's calories per serving.

Check out some recent stories about the controversy here and here.

This issue not only demonstrates how important it is to think for ourselves and to investigate claims thoroughly, but it also offers an opportunity to teach kids about the value and importance of critical thinking and the power of marketing to frame how we see things.

~ Marsha

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