WP: Says Who? (shoppers get nutritional advice from food industry)

Says Who?
Food Companies Know What's Best. Just Ask Them.

By Margaret Webb Pressler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 22, 2005; Page F01


Cynthia Schneider of Vienna wants to buy more healthful foods for her young family, but she's confused. She doesn't know how to get more whole grains into the family's diet, how carefully to screen for different kinds of fats and why it's good to include ingredients such as Omega-3 fatty acids, selenium and lycopene in her diet.

"It's almost like there's too much information," she said, shopping with her youngest son at a Safeway store in Fairfax. "You don't know what to do until someone sits down and tells you."

And who's going to do that? Most likely, the food industry. Food manufacturers and supermarkets see the widespread confusion about nutrition in the grocery aisle as a rich marketing opportunity, and they are moving quickly to take on the roles of guide and educator. By helping consumers through the thicket of information, they believe, they can also steer shoppers to their own stores and products.

What that means is that shoppers are increasingly getting their nutritional advice from the same companies that are selling them the cereal and snacks. While food companies are being widely praised for promoting healthier foods, some nutritionists and industry experts worry about this turn of events.

"I don't know which food companies I would even consider to be highly credible sources for nutrition information," said Bob Goldin, executive vice president of Technomic Inc., a food industry consulting firm in Chicago. "They're trying to sell their products."...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/21/AR2005052101010.html

It's not alchemy to determine the make up and nutritional value of any food item. We have an adequate system of weights and measures to catch what happens.

who say yes got all their information from the dairy industry.

I don't know of an other source for information that is favorable to the industry other than the industry.

This is a result of the food industries that have already been allowed to write their own propaganda. Half of the "4 food groups" not being necessary to health, and even detrimental to it. It leaves a major amount of leeway for everyone else to do it too.

Food fads and nutritional fads focus on some essential detail in your diet, while ignoring the elephant in the room. A continual flow of news about the next food or nutrient that's found to be good for you also tends to give the public the impression that the powers that be are really looking out for everyone's health.

My parents are elderly and I wish I knew how to break the news to them about milk. My dad drinks a lot of it because it's a cheap source of protein and he believes he's protecting himself from osteoporosis. But the countries that consume the most dairy products also have the highest amount of osteoporosis. My mom loves ice cream, and I'd feel like I'm being a spoilsport. :(