Time to Make the Smart Choices

Bob Vosburgh August 6th, 2009

OK, so here we go: Nutrition-at-a-Glance. The new Smart Choices Program is officially rolling out, supported by some of the biggest retail and manufacturer names in the business.

Wal-Mart, Wegmans and ShopRite distributor Wakefern are on board. Companies like General Mills, PepsiCo and Nestle are signed up, and the American Dietietic Association has given the program its blessing (along with the Ameican Diabetes Association and the Heart and Stroke Foundation).

The program relies on the logo shown at right, which will be placed on the front of packaging. Companies using the symbol are expected to use the Smart Choices information rather than the ones they’ve been using up until now (goodbye, Smart Spot!).

According to the program’s overseers, Smart Choices is different from other labeling systems (like Guiding Stars and NuVal) because it’s based on the largest consensus currently at work in the industry, ranging from individual diet experts to food companies to public health associations.

It certainly helps that the largest food companies are involved, because it means there will be a critical mass of uniformity, regardless of retailer or geography. There are private-label implications here, as well, as participating retailers start to submit their own-brand products for review.

Plus, more companies are going to have to reformulate products if they want the logo. Just checking sodium, for instance, I see that the entrees/main dishes category — a notorious haven for hidden sodium — is limited to 600 mgs max per serving.

Any guidance for consumers is great, and all the programs out there have merit. But it might be time for us to start moving to a single standard. Ideally it would come from the U.S. government. But Smarter Choices, which is based on the government’s own Dietary Guidelines for Americans (due to be updated next year), might be a good place to start.

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Related Topics: Nutrition Labeling, Wellness News

4 Comments to “Time to Make the Smart Choices”

Fooducate eat a bit better Says:

August 7th, 2009 at 9:12 am

This is an industry sponsored initiative. How can it be considered an objective means to recommended healthy food, when we all know most processed food is not healthy?

For details and five more reasons why Smart Choices won’t help consumers check our blog post at -

http://www.fooducate.com/blog/2009/08/07/six-reasons-smart-choices-food-labeling-wont-help-shoppers/comment-page-1/#comment-1287
Bob Vosburgh Says:

August 10th, 2009 at 7:36 am

I don’t agree with Fooducate. If you look at the complete roster of participants (and as noted in my post), the participants include the American Dietetic Association and the American Diabetes Association. C’mon, people — if this labeling program wasn’t legitimate, do you think these highly respected groups would sign on? In your blog post, you note that the FDA has yet to act. Understand that they will NEVER act. So who else BUT the industry is there to turn to? Luckily, this program also has a number of established university experts and is transparent. Look, consumers are going to have to do some legwork and research a little bit about their own health. No one entity, industry or government, is going to do everything for consumers. That lazy attitude is what’s gotten us into trouble in the first place!
Helen Miscelton Says:

August 12th, 2009 at 9:01 am

I’d have to agree with Fooducate. In case you haven’t looked lately the American Dietetic Association is ok with many of the chemicals, food dyes, and artificial sweeteners from the companies that support them. I’m also thinking about how Pepsi put their “Smart Spot” logo on Gatorade, which is made with HFCS, not exactly objective. It is all like the USDA’s food pyramid which aside from being beyond confusing was developed to support its constituents.

If you want some real education, go see Food Inc. which is in theaters in most major cities.

However, something is better than nothing.
Bob Vosburgh Says:

August 12th, 2009 at 9:49 am

Gotta love blogging, Helen! I am glad you pointed out some of the head-scratching standards accepted by the ADA. Note that both the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the ADA itself offer information on the organization’s sponsors and board members, etc. on their respective websites: http://www.cspinet.org/integrity/nonprofits/the_american_dietetic_association.html and http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_10575_ENU_HTML.htm .

We seem to be truly ready to address the nature of ingredients, the role they play in a person’s diet and placing limits those that are suspect. I hope public policy will change not only the standards used by organizations like ADA, but more importantly, within the manufacturing community itself. Until then, you’re right when you say it’s better than nothing (Hence my support).