The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently revision Guidelines for food nutrition labelling also include which products can use the word “healthy” on their packaging and marketing. Yes, the government that came up with the food pyramid still wants to be seen as the authority on healthy eating.
Proposed rule from FDA expected to be finalized In the coming weeks— is likely to declare that dried fruits such as cranberries and cherries can no longer be labeled as “healthy.” If the agency actually goes ahead with it, this could be a huge disaster for small, independent orchard owners and fruit growers across the country.
The agency’s proposed rules, released in 2022, prohibit Dried tart cherries and cranberries aren’t exactly healthy if they have added sugar. These fruits are naturally puckering, so sugar is often added to make them more palatable and also acts as a natural preservative. But this added sweetener doesn’t make them inherently unhealthy. In fact, it’s simply Equalize Compared to more naturally sweet dried fruits like raisins, dried fruit has an edge in terms of sugar content (not to mention, dried mangoes are also packed with natural sugars).
Cherries also contain antioxidants, sauce They’re rich in fiber and vitamins A and C, and studies suggest they may help with gout, arthritis, and heart health. Similarly, cranberries are Found It is said to be effective against everything from cardiovascular disease to urinary tract infections.
The impact of declaring cherries no longer healthy could be devastating for states known for their large cherry and cranberry production, such as Michigan, Wisconsin, Utah and Massachusetts. The Utah Tart Cherry Marketing Board said: Estimation The rule changes could affect up to three-quarters of the tart cherry industry’s sales.
The FDA has mounted a strange defense against these claims. of The Washington Post attentionIn the costs and benefits section of the proposed rule, the agency quietly writes: statement“We estimate that a small minority of these consumers (between 0 and 0.4 percent of those who attempt to follow current dietary guidelines) make meaningful long-term food purchasing decisions based on implied ‘healthy’ nutritional labels.”
In other words, fruit growers believe that this rule will seriously hurt them, but the government is basically saying that it will have no effect. This raises the question: if both sides agree that this rule change will help Why change everything, anyone?
Further hindering government involvement in this issue is the surprising fact that the federal government Bad track record When providing nutritional guidance.
Perhaps most infamously, the government declared a decades-long war on saturated fats. Completely lost credibilityWith this rulemaking, the FDA Ongoing It recommends upper limits on saturated fat as a component of “health,” according to a 2022 academic paper. Expressionless“The challenge now is to get this new consensus on saturated fat recognized by policymakers. In the United States, policymakers have shown remarkable resistance to the introduction of new evidence.”
On the other hand, sugary cereals like Honey Nut Cheerios Still allowed Salmon proudly displays its health benefits on its packaging, Banned The FDA is proposing to change the classification of these two products: salmon is classified as “healthy” and sugary cereal as “unhealthy.” just now Given this change, its role as an institution offering diet advice comes into question.
Greek yogurt with moderate amounts of added sugar is considered “healthy.” under The FDA’s new rule applies to cranberries, but not to the slightly sweeter varieties. The FDA’s logic is so arbitrary that it has caught the attention of a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers: Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) rarely all agree. pen A letter to officials asking for a reconsideration of the “healthy” status of cherries and cranberries.
Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time the federal government has decided to weigh in on the geopolitical issue of regulating cherries and cranberries: In the early 2000s, the FDA sent out threatening letters. character Even cherry and cranberry growers Minimal health benefits And then the FDA finally announced earlier this year that Ceasefire A half-century long, ridiculous war on frozen cherry pie.
Governments, who have been giving out flawed nutrition advice for years, should not be deciding what is “healthy.” This latest move against dried fruit is just another example of misguided overreach that could harm small farmers without providing any real benefit to consumers.
