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June 21, 2011

Obama's Food Police Crack Down on What You Can Choose to Feed Your Kids And What the Free Market Can Market

Topics: Political News and commentaries

Before the day that the Obamas (Barry and Michelle) came into office, what you chose to feed your kids was your between you and your kids and free market capitalism was alive and well. However, that was then, and is no longer true. The Obamas' nanny state is out to control both choice and free market capitalism ... telling parents what they can feed their children by telling food manufacturers (and restaurants) what and how they can market their products to kids (thereby essentially removing the choice from the parents):

Tony the Tiger, some NASCAR drivers and cookie-selling Girl Scouts will be out of a job unless grocery manufacturers agree to reinvent a vast array of their products to satisfy the Obama administration's food police.

Either retool the recipes to contain certain levels of sugar, sodium and fats, or no more advertising and marketing to tots and teenagers, say several federal regulatory agencies.

The same goes for restaurants.

[...] Although the intent of the guidelines is to combat childhood obesity, foods that are low in calories, fat, and some considered healthy foods, are also targets, including hot breakfast cereals such as oatmeal, pretzels, popcorn, nuts, yogurt, wheat bread, bagels, diet drinks, fruit juice, tea, bottled water, milk and sherbet.

Food industries are in an uproar over the proposal written by the Federal Trade Commission, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"The most disturbing aspect of this interagency working group is, after it imposes multibillions of dollars in restrictions on the food industry, there is no evidence of any impact on the scourge of childhood obesity," said Dan Jaffe, executive vice president of the Association of National Advertisers.

The "Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children, Preliminary Proposed Nutrition Principles to Guide Industry Self-Regulation Efforts" says it is voluntary, but industry officials say the intent is clear: Do it, or else.

[...] If the food is not reformulated, no more ads or promotions on TV, radio, in print, on websites, as well as other digital advertising such as e-mail and text messaging, packaging, and point-of-purchase displays and other in-store marketing tools; product placement in movies, videos, video games, contests, sweepstakes, character licensing and toy branding; sponsorship of events including sport teams and individual athletes; and, philanthropic activity tied to branding opportunities.

Read the whole thing. The piece goes on to point out, among other things, that by the year 2016, all food products within the categories most heavily marketed directly to children should meet two basic nutrition principles. Such foods should be formulated to ... make a meaningful contribution to a healthful diet and minimize the content of nutrients that could have a negative impact on health and weight.

Clearly, the Obama administration's willingness to intrude into the rights decisions of parents and into what should be the function of a free market is unlimited by common sense and what use to be typical American freedoms and liberties.

Posted by Richard at June 21, 2011 6:10 AM

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