Improving child health means clarifying the food labels. Bad food labels come in three types. The FDA Food labels are confusing and difficult to read and they are our official, government approved, guide to child health. The government doesn’t clearly define food labels. Parents ask what the food label “100% Natural” means. It doesn’t mean anything. A processed blue food dye can be called natural. Then manufacturers manipulate the package wording. They will announce boldly “Whole Grain” but leave off the fibre content from the front of the box. Bad food labels impact child health.
Paranoid Parents expert Christie Barnes has a favorite: 100% Organic Fruit? Come-on. Worse than advertising sugar as ‘naturally fat free’ or butter as ‘low sugar alternative.’ Christie Barnes said, “With my food label detective hat on, this week I noticed a growing number of products sporting a 100% Organic Fruit label emblazoned on many products when the actual fruit content is .06% or less. These products appear to be organic but are predominately high fructose corn syrup and additives and colorings banned in the rest of the civilized world.”
Beware food labels on products especially intended for children sold at stores. Watch out for organic claims without Certified Organic labels.
NutritionLabel.jpg Former Chief Medical Officer of Colorado, Dr Ned Calonge, feels that the FDA let down the consumer with a very misleading labeling system. “It confuses or misleads more than it illuminates.”
The FDA is working on better labeling but this is at least 10 years off going through the standard approval process Again, improving child health means clarifying the food labels. Dr Calonge said that the food manufacturers lobbied extensively to keep food labels as confusing as possible to the consumer. A strong claim but it would explain the confusing numbers in the official label. Healthy food advice is not coming from existing food labels.
In the meantime, the US health care system faces a catastrophe in the next five to ten years with skyrocketing obesity.
