Prevention Institute Criticizes Children’s Food Labeling

The Oakland-based Prevention Institute has issued a report claiming that
front-of-package (FOP) labeling for children’s food is “misleading.” Authors
of the study used the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative’s
product list to identify 58 prepared foods, snacks, cereals, and beverages with
FOP labeling. The researchers then defined a product as “unhealthful” if it met
one or more of the following criteria: (i) greater than 35 percent calories from
fat; (ii) greater than 10 percent calories from saturated fat; (iii) greater than
25 percent calories from total sugars; (iv) greater than 480 mg sodium per
serving for non-meal items or greater than 600 mg per serving for meal items;
and (v) less than 1.25g fiber per serving.

Of the products sampled, 84 percent were allegedly “unhealthful and did not
meet one or more nutrient criteria” derived from the U.S. Dietary Guidelines
and the National Academies of Science. The report also supplies statistics on
caloric sweeteners such as high-fructose corn syrup, whole food ingredients
and artificial food dyes. In particular, the results purportedly indicate that
(i) 57 percent of the study products contained high levels of sugar and 95 percent contained added sugar; (ii) 53 percent were low in fiber; (iii) 53
percent did not contain any fruits or vegetables; (iv) 24 percent of prepared
foods were high in saturated fat; (v) 36 percent of prepared foods and meals
contained high levels of sodium; and (vi) 21 percent contained artificial
coloring.

The Prevention Institute has since claimed that these findings underscore
flaws in the current FOP labeling system for children’s foods. “Without FDA
regulation, instead of giving more information to parents struggling to
make the best decisions for their kids, the system is deceiving them,” states a
January 2011 press release. “The food industry can—and should—do better.”
See Food Politics and Los Angeles Times, January 19, 2011.