FDA Cracks Down on Froot Loopiness

Did the food industry really think it was going to get away with its "Smart Choices" labeling program? That's the one that infamously decided that Froot Loops (and lots of other dubious foods) are good for you.

The near-instant backlash was predictable—the program has been widely, and justly, ridiculed since it was rolled out in August. Only slightly less predictable was that the Food and Drug Administration would act. That's what's happening now.

Several months before "Smart Choices" was introduced, the FDA warned that it might classify Cheerios as a drug because of General Mills' claim that the cereal lowers cholesterol. And whether or not that claim is true, Cheerios are actually good for you.

Froot Loops, on the other hand, are loaded with sugar and chemical nasties. Nonetheless, the companies involved in the program, along with their academic enablers, deemed Froot Loops worthy of getting the label and, we must assume, actually thought they'd get away with it. 

The FDA now says it will propose new standards for what front-of-package labels can and cannot claim, nutrition-wise.  "That could force manufacturers to deliver the bad news with the good," the New York Times reports, "putting an end to a common practice in which manufacturers boast on package fronts about some components, such as vitamins or fiber, while ignoring less appealing ingredients, like added sugar or unhealthy fats.

Mike Hughes, Smart Choices' chairman, sounding a bit like the "intelligent design" people, said the program continues to "believe in the science" behind the program.