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Michelle Obama gets her way on nutrition labels
politico ^ | May 20, 2016 | HELENA BOTTEMILLER EVICH

Posted on 05/20/2016 9:23:22 AM PDT by PROCON

First lady Michelle Obama will unveil Friday the country's first update to nutrition labels in more than two decades — a move that helps cement her campaign to encourage Americans to eat healthier.

The new Nutrition Facts labels, which will take effect in two years and appear on billions of food packages, for the first time require food companies to list how much sugar they add to their products and suggest a limit for how much added sugar people should consume — two changes vehemently opposed by many food companies.

The impact of the rule is difficult to overstate — labels on products from candy bars and sodas to crackers and cereal, at every point of sale across America, must be overhauled at an estimated cost of $2 billion. And those labels will remind Americans every time they open a package of how much added sugar they are consuming. “This is going to make a real difference in providing families across the country the information they need to make healthy choices,” Obama said in a statement.

The administration’s determination to stand its ground on added sugar labeling amid fierce opposition from business groups is a sign the first lady intends to bolster her already substantive food policy legacy in her final months in the East Wing. While the media has often painted Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign as soft and uncontroversial, the first lady has brought enormous pressure to bear on groups like the processed food industry and notched a series of wins related to what Americans eat.

(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: letsmove; michelle; michelleobama; mochie; nutrition; nutritionlabels; sugar
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To: PROCON

I don’t recall Michelle Obama being elected president or elected to congress. How is she making rules?


21 posted on 05/20/2016 9:59:25 AM PDT by Steve_Seattle ("Above all, shake your bum at Burton.")
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To: libertarian27; PROCON
I happen to think this is probably a good change since added sugar in lots of products has a great deal to do with the very serious obesity crisis. I don't have a problem with knowing what I am about to eat or feed to my kids.

Is there a difference between inherent sugar and added sugar in a product?

Technically yes, since added sugar is usually sucrose and inherent sugar might be fructose, lactose, maltose, etc.

Also knowledge that sugar was added to a product helps you identify sources of possibly unneeded extra sugar.

(This is going to cost multi-millions for food companies to run testing and change their labels)

Presumably they already know how much added sugar their products contain since they put it there. It has been a while since nutritional labels have changed and they could be more informative.

22 posted on 05/20/2016 10:00:52 AM PDT by wideminded
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Comment #23 Removed by Moderator

To: PROCON

How the hell does THE FIRST LADY make new law???


24 posted on 05/20/2016 10:03:47 AM PDT by Mr. K (Trump will win NY state - choke on that HilLIARy)
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To: PROCON

“Demonizing an ingredient”—LOL.


25 posted on 05/20/2016 10:03:56 AM PDT by firebrand
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To: PGR88

“Sorry folks, but the American experiment in limited government and ordered liberty springing up from civil society is OVER - and you lost.”

The Fat Lady hasn’t sung, PGR88.


26 posted on 05/20/2016 10:07:15 AM PDT by MichaelCorleone (Jesus Christ is not a religion. He's the Truth.)
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To: Jimmy McGill

Thanks,Saul.:-)

.


27 posted on 05/20/2016 10:09:37 AM PDT by Mears
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To: libertarian27
Isn’t sugar - sugar?

Genetically modified sugar wrecks havoc on Mr. Peel's system in a way that is testable. Pure raw honey or pure cane sugar is processed by his system just fine.

Many people have developed food allergies based on the amount of genetically modified items & preservatives in the US diet. The solution Mr. Peel & I found is NOT wishing for additional labeling, but to eat pure foods as possible. Fresh vegetables, fresh (wild caught) fish, green smoothies, filtered water. I make my own bread. Others can do as they please.

I don't believe the government needs to be involved. If you have a food allergy, more than likely you'll be avoiding that food item that's labeled anyway.

28 posted on 05/20/2016 10:15:32 AM PDT by MrsEmmaPeel (a government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take everything you have)
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To: libertarian27; PROCON

I guess added sugar could also be high fructose corn syrup, which appears to come with some additional problems.


29 posted on 05/20/2016 10:25:15 AM PDT by wideminded
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Comment #30 Removed by Moderator

To: PROCON

When did Congress pass the law mandating these labels?


31 posted on 05/20/2016 10:47:02 AM PDT by SoFloFreeper ((Just say no to HRC))
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To: Steve_Seattle

Ebony Belcher "transgender"


32 posted on 05/20/2016 10:58:59 AM PDT by Ray76 (Judge Roy Moore for Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)
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To: HotHunt
Trump will dump this new labeling rule and about a million other liberal agenda-driven regulations the Obama administration has invented

We'll see....

33 posted on 05/20/2016 12:32:07 PM PDT by hattend (Firearms and ammunition...the only growing industries under the Obama regime.)
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To: libertarian27

She going to have them label plain fruit? It’s high in natural sugars. http://greatist.com/health/sugar-wise-how-fruits-stack.

I want to know country of origin, more than sugar content. If the food comes from China I don’t want it. Went to buy some fresh pond raised catfish...raised in China was on the label. Got bypassed.


34 posted on 05/21/2016 6:13:45 AM PDT by GailA (any politician that won't keep his word to Veterans/Military won't keep them to You!)
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To: MrsEmmaPeel

Spot on, Sea Food is totally a NO, even fish oil pills, I don’t need a trip to the ER because you cooked sea food on the same grill you cooked my steak on. Which is why I avoid Surf and Turf restaurants. And have never darkened the door of Red Lobster or other Sea Food places. And I read labels, I’m not allowed SOY as a Thyroid patient.

Salt is a bigger issue than sugar is, heart patients, those with Meniere’s have to limit their Salt intake. You watch the cooking shows and anything but ingredient specific things like cake, cookies, are so heavy in Salt it would choke a horse.


35 posted on 05/21/2016 6:25:08 AM PDT by GailA (any politician that won't keep his word to Veterans/Military won't keep them to You!)
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