Froot Loops are a Bowl of Sugar, Not a "Smart Choice"

by Mike Smith · 2009-09-07 07:39:00 UTC
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WaterWhen choosing between Froot Loops and a doughnut, the cereal is obviously the smarter choice but that doesn't make it a smart choice. What exactly are "smart choices" when it comes to foods? Healthy foods perhaps, or foods that can be sustainably produced without destroying our environment. "Smart Choices" are also a food industry labeling campaign “designed to help shoppers easily identify smarter food and beverage choices.”

It may seem like a step in the right direction, but the Smart Choices certification may lead consumers astray. The New York Times reports that cereals like Froot Loops and Cocoa Krispies are given the green tick-mark Smart Choices certification — bear in mind that Froot Loops are 41% sugar.

The Department of Agriculture aren't fans of the scheme and a member of the Smart Choices panel quit last September when he decided that the certification was too dominated by members of the food industry. A Smart Choices representative explained that consumers don't want to hear negative messages, and that Froot Loops are sometimes a smarter choice for breakfast than feeding your kids doughnuts. Smart Choices is not a smart choice; educating kids, being honest with consumers, and building an infrastructure of smartly farmed foods is — all of which would obviously cost the food industry greatly.

More on how we can build a sustainable food infrastructure, and the steps the Obama Administration has already taken, in tomorrow's post.

[Photo credit: Vox_Efx]

Mike Smith
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