Food Maker's Self-Regulation Nothing More Than Foolish Fuckery

Cocoa_puffs.jpeg

Proving there's no such thing as meaningful self-regulation in any for-profit industry, food manufacturers, following their recently introduced guidelines for advertising food with too much sugar to kids, have simply played games serving sizes to limit per-serving sugar content to the agreed upon 12 grams thereby loopoling their way past the very junk food guidelines they created for themselves.

As an example, the U.S. Food Policy blog took a look at the nutrition labels for Cocoa Puffs and Trix and determined Cocoa Puffs, the cereal with more sugar than Trix based on the government's standard 30g serving size, will be able to advertise while Trix will not. This is possible courtesy of the foolish fuckery food manufacturers deploy when it comes to serving size. At a serving size of 27g and 12g of sugar, Cocoa Puffs meets guidelines while Trix, with a 32g serving size and 13g of sugar does not.

Watch your food labels, my friends. We predict there will be quite a bit of serving size fuckery in the near future as food brands mischievously have their cake and eat it too. we can't wait for the flurry of press releases and food packaging snipes claiming adherence to guidelines that are sure to follow just as they did with the whole Trans Fat thing when, in fact, most foods didn't have any trans fat to begin with.

Why do we continue to accept the label of retard food makers place upon us? You know they're up there in the floor to ceiling glass-walled conference room laughing at us as they continue to talk out of both sides of their mouths while taking out money.

Noting the idiocy of the entire controversy, one Consumerist blog commenter wrote
"Any parent buying cocoa puffs for their child, as a steady diet, or thinking it is healthy, is a retard and should have their children taken away." Oh wait, maybe some parents do need guidelines. Hmm.

by Steve Hall    Jul-23-07   Click to Comment   
Topic: Brands, Opinion, Policy, Worst   

Enjoy what you've read? Subscribe to Adrants Daily and receive the daily contents of this site each day along with free whitepapers.



Comments



Comments

It may not be health food, but given alternatives - buttered bagels, egg & cheese sandwich, waffles, bacon and sausage, Pop-Tarts, etc - a bowl of Cocoa Puffs is a pretty good option, especially with milk and a glass of OJ.

That still doesn't excuse the f***ery you mentioned with the inconsistency.

Posted by: David Berkowitz on July 23, 2007 2:51 PM

I remember realizing -- when I was a kid -- that the only reason Froot Loops et al were "part of a complete and balanced breakfast" (as advertised on TV) was because they were pictured with a glass of milk, a glass of OJ and toast.

I just bought some cereal that claims a quarter cup is a serving size. Great, if you're a hamster.

Posted by: robin on July 23, 2007 3:57 PM