The “Smart Choice” Program Was Not Smart Enough
Last month, FDA investigators halted the Smart Choice program. The program, just launched this summer, was designed to help consumers make better food choices by reading a handy little information box on the front of food packages. Americans generally find detailed label reading too confusing and not informative enough. This program hoped to make it simple with just one tiny box, assuring the shopper “this food is a good choice”. Groups of highly-renowned science, health, and educational organizations spent years deciding on the appropriate criteria and finally thought they had the answer. They all got together to establish the “Smart Choice Program” for easy understanding of foods that are “good for you” with this simple label. The problem is, it’s not simple at all.
Based on the 2010 dietary guidelines, there is extensive criteria for inclusion in the Smart Choice program. Foods must limit content of fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and/or cholesterol to be allowed to boast the Smart Choice label. Each food category (fruit, vegetable, meat, dessert, etc) has different criteria to follow. Some foods must merely limit those food components mentioned, while others must also contain a “nutrient to encourage” (such as fiber or calcium) or contain a “food group to encourage” (such as fruit). Some must meet all three criteria (limit “nutrients to limit”, contain a “nutrient to encourage” and contain a “food group to encourage”). In the minds of the developers of the program, the average consumer wouldn’t have to worry about all the details; they could just trust that there was a box on the label that reassured them the food was good for them. In reality, some foods managed to qualify as a “smart choice” that weren’t that smart, and the program is now going back to the drawing board.
One problem is, there is no food that is good for everyone, and certainly no food that is good on its own. Individual foods all combine to make up a person’s diet, and the bottom line is the healthy diet that is important.
Another problem is the vast number of these programs that were started by food manufacturers, councils, and local grocery stores years before the smart choice program. You can find the “real seal” on products that meet the standards of the Dairy Council; the “whole grain”seal from the whole grains council; “sensible solutions” only on Kraft products; “Smart Spot” on foods by Pepsi Co (which suggest that baked Doritos are healthy, but this is because they are being compared to the original higher-fat Doritos). “Guiding Stars” is a program started by a supermarket chain in the northeast region and “Healthy Ideas” by Stop & Shop and Giant foods. The Sara Lee company awards some of their foods the “Nutrition Spotlight” label, and the list goes on and on.
These organizations had the right idea. They wanted to help consumers make smart food choices without having to become registered dietitians or food scientists. They wanted to have a simple way the average shopper could glance at a food and be reassured by the label that they were making a better choice.
One of the snafus occurred because many food manufacturers have started adding nutrients to their foods to make them better than the competition. Examples include adding large amounts of vitamins to breakfast cereals (so they can claim “100% of the daily value for 10 vitamins and minerals”), adding calcium to orange juice (now you don’t have to worry if you don’t drink milk–the juice will cover it all!), and fiber to refined cereals (now fruit loops is good for you!).
Is Froot Loops with fiber better for you than corn flakes? Yes, if you need the fiber; no if you’d rather not have the extra sugar. I hope the Smart Choices program can come up with a solution that makes sense. There just aren’t foods that are good for every consumer in every situation. Perhaps if the new program is named “Smarter Choices” it will work. Comparing baked chips to fried, you can see which choice is smarter; comparing low fat ice cream to high fat ice cream, there is a better choice. No single food is “good for you”, but consumers sure could use some help just deciding which one is better than another in most cases.
Written by Laurie Beebe
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About The Author: Laurie Beebe has been a registered dietitian for 25 years and is certified in adult weight management. Laurie currently serves as a Related posts:
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