At this point, it should be common sense that boxes of sugary, processed cereals are the furthest one can get from a healthy breakfast. Major food manufacturers behind Fruity Pebbles, Froot Loops, and Lucky Charms are threatening to sue so they can label their processed products “healthy” anyway.
Last fall, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed new guidelines on what may define a product as “healthy” to warrant the label on packages.
“Nutrition is key to improving our nation’s health,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in an agency press release. “Healthy food can lower our risk for chronic disease. But too many people may not know what constitutes healthy food. FDA’s move will help educate more Americans to improve health outcomes, tackle health disparities and save lives.”
The FDA’s current definition, established in 1994 and updated in 2016, allows food companies to label their products “healthy” if any amounts of total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium are below a certain limit. The foods also must provide at least 10 percent of daily recommended values for vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, protein, or dietary fiber. No limits exist, however, for added sugar.
The existing regulations have allowed cereal companies to advertise boxes of chemically processed grains drenched in sugary syrups as “healthy.” The new guidelines, however, would put salmon on the roster of healthy products while barring the label for most cereals. Foods like cereals with more than 2.5 grams of sugar per serving
