The FDA Takes on Cheerios
Science is giving us unique opportunities to leverage diet in health… By adjusting food nutrients, the diet choices we make could play a prominent role in mitigating disease by identifying people at risk for certain conditions like cancer and using nutrition as a tool for chemoprevention.
Standing in the way: the FDA, which won’t let General Mills tell you that Cheerios can help lower bad cholesterol.
Interesting post. Have to run. Cheerio.
Here’s a question for everyone to ponder. If the FDA closed up shop and went away, would mortality in the United States rise or fall? I say it would fall.
I wasn’t able to open the whole article, but judging from the first few lines, I’m thinking the solution is this: The FDA creates labels for certain nutritional attributes (lowers cholesterol, improves brain function, etc), which food manufacturers apply for. If they meet the requirements, they can put the label on their boxes.
This isn’t the optimal solution. It would be better if a third-party did a “consumer report” about various foods. But, if the FDA is going to be involved, why not try this?
(And for the record, Cheerios are the most bland and tasteless food. It’s no wonder they are good for you.)
So General Mills cannot claim Cheerios are a healthy food. Yet, if McDonalds offered to put a warning on its sugary drinks and Big Macs (explaining how they might lead to diabetes) would the FDA also complain?
I think we should do like they do in Canada – disgusting pictures of rotted lunges on a cigarette package.
I would like to see an obese diabetic on a Big Mac wrapper.