Enough Already?

5 a Day, 3 a Day, Heart Check, Smart Spot – these are just a few of the many nutritional icons on food packages these days. Do you think there are too many? Do you look for these symbols to indicate that a food is a good choice? Do you know what each one represents? Do symbols released or endorsed by health organizations hold more clout with you than those designed by food manufacturers? Can you even tell the difference?

Well, one consumer watchdog group is trying to put the kabash on them all and start from scratch, with just one. The group Center for Science in the Public Interest has proposed that the Food and Drug Administration create a single, simple, clear system for helping consumers make healthful food choices. And their proposal is endorsed by the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee as well as by many leading nutrition experts.

So, what do you think? Are you confused by the number of symbols and messages on packaged foods? Do you think one government-designed program will clear the clutter? Or, should health organizations such as the American Heart Association continue to put their stamp on foods that meet standards they deem healthy? Please share your thoughts!

Photo courtesy of National Cancer Institute

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