The nonsense of food labeling
Posted on 27 April 2009
Published April 27, 2009 . Filed under: Food and Medical Politics, Healthy Eating, Unhealthy Eating!
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I avoid food with packaging and labels, period. No packaging, no labels, no health claims.
What our governments are doing do to us in the name of health is really disturbing…
April 28, 2009 @ 2:05 am
OUI D’ACCORD!
the truly healthy food comes without packaging and does not require nutrition labelling.
April 28, 2009 @ 8:13 am
Excellent blog Dr Briffa, but please note that the content of external sites linked to may change in time and so may undermine the point you make now.
Take, for example, Deidre Huttons’ biog on the Food Standards Agency <> which I first viewed on 10/02/2009. I cannot be certain, but I have an inclination to think that the page content may have changed slightly since then. (Just MHO).
So for the record here is some of the pertinent content as of 28/04/2009 :-
(Quote)
“Personal interests
Consultancies and/or direct employment
HM Treasury, non-executive member
Thomas Hutton (son), research chemist, Tate & Lyle plc
Nicholas Hutton (son), researcher for Jo Swinson, MP
Fee-paid work
None
Shareholdings
Shares in GlaxoSmithKline, Unilever, Eclectica Agricultural and Intercontinental Hotels to a value of approximately
April 28, 2009 @ 9:00 am
The ones that really bug me are the labels listing fats in minute detail, and “sugars” but NOT carbs.
Or worse than that the ones which list an RDA for the various nutrients but NOT carbs. Or list something like 250 g/day
Don’t Eat Food With Small Print . . .
April 29, 2009 @ 6:06 pm
The FDA in the United States is no better. It is sad that the government organizations that were formed to help the public lead healthier lives have “sold their souls to the devil,” which certainly does nothing for the people. It just fills the pockets of some people and some companies. The question is, what to do? I write to my Senators regularly, feeling that I have to do my part or nothing will ever change. I think these issues have to impact more people in a direct way before anything will change. That seems to be the nature of most people — they do not feel passionate about something and react until it affects them directly. If more people would speak up and tell their government that they want something better, nothing will change. So, I urge everyone — in the UK and the US — to write letters! Let those for whom you voted to represent you know how you feel about the current food labeling laws (and other issues affecting your health) and, then, maybe things will improve! We have a show in the US called 360 Anderson Cooper — he has a segment called “Keeping them Honest” — well, we need to do the same with our elected representatives. Let’s do our part to keep them honest!
May 1, 2009 @ 9:23 pm
Last night I watched two BBC programmes which were broadcast recently. One was about the history of the wheat harvest (so sue me, I like big machines!) the other was about the machinations of the Food Industry. Scary stuff and well worth watching when they are repeated (soon). There’s a LOT of Big Money in the background.
May 2, 2009 @ 4:16 am
You think this is new? Go and read or re-read Dorothy Sayers “Murder Must Advertise” set in pre-WW-II-London and read about advertising rules in those days. An excellent, amusing read and an eye-opener.
Another rule: don’t eat anything with things in it that you can’t pronounce
May 2, 2009 @ 5:00 pm
Thank you Dr. Briffa for this blog!
It not only explains de fraud in the food industry, it also points out some of the persons that are to blame. This is exactly what we need more of and I find you very brave for doing this as I know the risk you take.
I would love to see more of this clarifying blogs and why not on the food that many think (including your readers) is healthy ; the no-label-food.
It needs to be explained how an apple or grape is produced today and that they have very little in common with the fruit produced 200 years ago. Why has micro nutrients gone down severely, why they are sprayed with anti-hormones to make them seedless, GM, hybrid seeds, pesticides, etc.
THANKS
May 2, 2009 @ 10:07 pm
[...] The nonsense of food labeling This post was written by SuperFoodie on May 23, 2009 Posted Under: Superfood Talk The nonsense of food labeling [...]
May 24, 2009 @ 3:40 pm