http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...07/2678945.htm

I am absolutely disgusted.

We've had some conversation on this board about personal responsibility and with some arguments that people should do the research and KNOW what foods are healthy for them and their family.

And then this - if you're just a regular person and you pick up a box of breakfast cereal and it has this dumb check - wouldn't you think "okay this is a healthy choice for my beloved family". Forget that it's 41% SUGAR.

Quote from article:

Froot Loops qualifies for the label because it meets standards set by the Smart Choices Program for fiber and Vitamins A and C, and because it does not exceed limits on fat, sodium and sugar. It contains the maximum amount of sugar allowed under the program for cereals, 12 grams per serving, which in the case of Froot Loops is 41 percent of the product, measured by weight. That is more sugar than in many popular brands of cookies.

“Froot Loops is an excellent source of many essential vitamins and minerals and it is also a good source of fiber with only 12 grams of sugar,” said Celeste A. Clark, senior vice president of global nutrition for Kellogg’s, which makes Froot Loops. “You cannot judge the nutritional merits of a food product based on one ingredient.”

So what, if I add enough Vitamin A and C to cat food - it can have a Smart Choice Label???

Yes, if you pay the "application fee and deposit" to the company handling the program, for the right to put it on.

It's all about money. The guidelines were designed so that many products with huge advertising budgets can be tweaked moderately or not at all and still qualify.

Everything on the FRONT of the box - advertising. Everything on any area of the box other than the Nutrition Facts label - Advertising. The only thing I look at is the nutrition facts at this point - everything else is crafted by a marketer or paid for by the producer.

Its years of crap information like this that makes me totally distrust the entire healthcare industry and whatever gov't agencies are linked to it.

Coffee's good/coffee's bad
Egg's good/egg's bad
Blah blah blah.

We are on our own.

I like how it doesn't exceed the limits for sugar. Who set this limit?
I'd never speed if the limit was 85 mph. Sounds like a good solution!

On another note, I used to seriously love fruit loops as a kid.
My mom didn't buy em, but granny held a secret stash for me.

That's just wrong. . . I think I also remember reading in In Defense of Food that Fritos Corn Chips was trying to get the same label (although I don't think they have it yet).

OMG fruit loops are covered in sugar- no wonder more and more people have diabetes nowadays...

Part of the problem is so many people are clueless (hey I used to be one of them) they don't always realize that what they are eating is bad.

I mean I used to load my salads with dressing and think they were healthy!

Precisely why people need to educate themselves about nutrition. People cannot rely on others for their own education. The obvious being that something that is blue or pink, round, recommended by a cartoon bird, and didn't come from a tree is probably not good for you.

^^^This.

My 7yo reads nutritional labels (OK, he's a bit OCD), and can tell you what is a serving size and how many calories he's consumed. He wants more calories and protein to "get bigger and grow muscles to be better at baseball."

My 6yo and 7yo also will tell you that on TV is "advertising -- which means telling you things to get you to buy it, even if it's not good, healthy, or will break easily before you even get to use it 3 times."

Out of the mouths of babes...

See, that's why I think this BS is so insidious, how will people KNOW when they KNOW enough? You'd think you can trust a "smart choice" label on food. Someone who picks this cereal due to the label THINKS they are making a smart choice!

I have made nutrition/healthy eating a priority in my life, so I read, do research. By most "normal people's" standards, I am OBSESSED about food. Where is the middle ground between me and a person who would buy Froot Loops as a healthy choice due to this label?

I honestly think that people shouldn't have to work so hard, that a "smart choice" label should mean SMART CHOICE.

I have to say this is why I ignore the smart choice labels and read the label myself.

I just LOVE it when breakfast cereal ads claim that their cereal is "part of a healthy balanced breakfast" while showing their cereal surrounded by orange juice, fruit, a boiled egg and yogort. The ONLY thing balancing these breakfasts is the stuff AROUND the sugary cereal. If you took out the cereal, you'd have a balanced healthy breakfast!!!

Ads are what they are. And you have to admit -- if they can't even spell the word "fruit" on the box correctly (because there ISN'T any in there) it probably isn't good for you, no matter WHAT the label says. And I think most people, deep down, actually know this. Besides, what the label says is true -- they have no more than the maximum amount of sugar than the label says. Percentage of sugar isn't part of the criteria.

I mean, Dare Bear Paw cookies (strawberry and yogort) boxes are FULL of labels -- peanut free! (true) A good source of folate! (true -- they have added folate) Made with real strawberries! (true, but no idea about the amount of real strawberries used -- could be 1% of the total amount of strawberry flavor) Made with real yogort! (true, but see above). But 2 cookies packs 200 calories and 6 g of fat...

Labels are what they are. I think most people know this. But it IS misleading, and there is NO substitute for reading the actual nutritional values...

Kira

Sugary cereals can be made with "whole grains" and have a "smart choice" label, but they're still loaded with SUGAR. Then again, I just bought some Fiber One cereal and it has aspartame in it, which is probably worse.

I don't think products ought to be able to claim to be a source for isolated substances (vitamins) they artificially add to it. If that's all I'm after, I'll take a vitamin and get more vitamins without the sugar. It just doesn't make any sense.

OMG..Julie you are so very right.

Froot Loops have only ONE place in my house---in the TRASH! I would never, ever buy that garbage for even my dog!

Since I grew up fat and was surrounded by doctos/nutritionists, I don't actually remember a time when I didn't read labels. I'm not sure what the world would've been like for me if I relied on the front outside of a package to tell what is in the package.

This kind of labeling makes me want to scream. Not just Fruit Loops, but any company that uses the desire of people wanting to be healthy to unethically label and push their products. I do understand, in the end, it comes down to personal responsibility, but, when you have a person that really wants to be healthier and do the right thing, but may not know everything they should, this person should not be punished with false advertising. The one that really gets me is the companies that like to promote "all natural" or "healthy options" but slapping a earth-tone label on a product, and printing "all natural" on the label. What many people do not realize is things like high fructose corn syrup is "all natural." Good for you, no, much like the Fruit Loops, but not healthy at all.