Sustainable Food

Change.org Activists Get Health Organizations to Back Away from "Smart Choices" Food Labeling Ploy

by Robin Beck

category: Health

Published September 18, 2009 @ 09:09AM PT

More than 3,600 people have taken action on our recent campaign asking leading doctors, universities and health organizations to rescind their support for the new "Smart Choices" food labeling program. The industry-backed program has generated a big controversy because it allows products like Froot Loops to get a green "Smart Choices" check mark on their packaging. Froot Loops is more than 40% sugar and no reputable scientist would call that a healthy breakfast.

Initially the Smart Choices program featured four doctors "representing non-industry" on their board of directors and listed their affiliations with Tufts University, Baylor College of Medicine, the American Dietetic Association, and the American Diabetes Association. These doctors (Eileen Kennedy, Dennis Bier, Mary Hager, and Richard Kahn respectively) were obviously recruited to legitimize the new labeling scheme.

Thanks to change.org activists and a lot of attention in the media and across the blogosphere, both the American Dietetic Association and the American Diabetes Association have had their names removed from the Smart Choices web site.

You might notice that Smart Choices hasn't done much to publicize the fact that neither group endorses the new marketing ploy (let's call it what it is shall we?). Both of the ADAs, it seems, understand that they can't in good conscience be affiliated with any sort of labeling that calls Froot Loops healthy.

Good for them and good for all the change.org readers who helped them understand the need to distance themselves from the industry-backed system.

Now we need to turn our attention to the two universities that are still allowing their names to be used in the Smart Choices marketing materials: Tufts and Baylor.

These are both reputable schools that should know better than to allow an industry marketing effort co-opt their good names in order to sell more sugary cereals to children. Our petition is still up and these schools, not to mention all four doctors who are risking their individuals reputations on supporting the "Smart Choices" label, need to know that the public is paying attention. Once we get all of the institutional names wiped off the Smart Choices site it is going to be a lot harder for the ridiculous "Smart Choices" program to continue to maintain any real credibility.

Add your name, send a message, and stand up to unhealthy industry marketing gimmicks. For added motivation, read Mike's post that explains Ten Reasons Why the Smart Choices Food Labeling Scheme is Outrageous.

[Photo credit: dark magshin]