"Healthy Ideas"? Will this ever go away?

Tuesday, February 10

I was going through my mail this morning shortly after breakfast (an omelet and half-caf in case you’re curious) and came across a pamphlet from my local Stop&Shop about a new on-shelf tag program identifying healthy food choices for consumers.  The “healthy ideas” symbol will be found on food products throughout their stores.  Stop&Shop has partnered with Giant Food in this new endeavor and is backed by “a team of registered dietitians and a scientific advisory board comprised of physicians and nutrition experts.”  In their description of this new program, they reassure me that “only truly healthy foods are identified – not simply better choices.” 

I’m excited!  Consumers need all the help they can get.

As I read further, much to my dismay, I found their definition of “healthy” is based on USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans.  In other words, the scientifically obsolete Food Guide Pyramid.  To make matters worse, as I browsed through the category of foods, I found they place no sugar restriction on fruit and vegetable juice and juice bars as well as refined grain products such as biscuits, pancakes and bagels, and allow a sugar content of up to 35% by weight in cereals and granola bars per serving.  All of these will carry the “healthy ideas” tag. 

And Stop&Shop/Giant Food proudly asserts that “The power of our program lies in the strength of its criteria.” 

This is really too bad because it’s a prescription for obesity and diabetes if I ever saw one!  Unfortunately, consumers are still being misled by agriculturally biased federal guidelines and ‘giant’ food companies.

I won’t be looking for the healthy ideas tag. 

Neither should you.