from Chicago Tribune
Three days after federal regulators unveiled plans to crack down on potentially misleading food labels, a major nutrition labeling initiative by some of the country's largest packaged food makers announced Friday that it would voluntarily "postpone active operations."
Still, the "Smart Choices" nutrition label from several major food makers -- including Northfield-based Kraft Foods Inc. -- won't likely disappear any time soon.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it will review the front labels of food packages bearing symbols or language that suggest the product is healthier than actually merited by its ingredients.
The FDA didn't single out Smart Choices, but FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg noted during a call with journalists that some products bearing the logo "are almost 50 percent sugar."
Smart Choices was unveiled a year ago and launched in supermarkets in August. The idea: affix to packages an easy-to-read label with a green check mark accompanied by the term "Smart Choices," an indication that the product is essentially in line with what the government deems a healthy diet.
On Friday, the Smart Choices program said it is not encouraging wider use of its logo by new or current members. But a spokeswoman for the group said that most member firms will continue using the Smart Choices mark on products upon which it already appears.
That's what Kraft plans to do, said spokeswoman Susan Davison. "At this point, we don't have any plans to change (Smart Choices) packaging," she said.
When Smart Choices was announced last year, its backers said it was meant to bring some standardization to the thicket of competing health claims in groceries.
Still, the "Smart Choices" nutrition label from several major food makers -- including Northfield-based Kraft Foods Inc. -- won't likely disappear any time soon.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it will review the front labels of food packages bearing symbols or language that suggest the product is healthier than actually merited by its ingredients.
The FDA didn't single out Smart Choices, but FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg noted during a call with journalists that some products bearing the logo "are almost 50 percent sugar."
Smart Choices was unveiled a year ago and launched in supermarkets in August. The idea: affix to packages an easy-to-read label with a green check mark accompanied by the term "Smart Choices," an indication that the product is essentially in line with what the government deems a healthy diet.
On Friday, the Smart Choices program said it is not encouraging wider use of its logo by new or current members. But a spokeswoman for the group said that most member firms will continue using the Smart Choices mark on products upon which it already appears.
That's what Kraft plans to do, said spokeswoman Susan Davison. "At this point, we don't have any plans to change (Smart Choices) packaging," she said.
When Smart Choices was announced last year, its backers said it was meant to bring some standardization to the thicket of competing health claims in groceries.
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