Fear The Food? Or The Food Police?

‘Food Day’ was earlier this week, an event sponsored by The Center For Science In The Public Interest (CSPI). To celebrate the CSPI released their ‘Terrible Ten’ food list. It seems fitting that this list was released just before Halloween, as it makes ‘monsters’ out of food. “Vending machines dispensing soft drinks and candy are the ubiquitous, mute, metallic monsters that promote unhealthy diets 24/7”, according to the list. Even Toucan Sam is among CSPI’s list of terrors, “Kellogg’s Froot Loops, a fruit-less sugary cereal gussied up with synthetic dyes, is one of a host of junk foods marketed heavily to kids.” While these items and other foodstuffs make the ‘terrible’ list, one thing the CSPI does not find terrifying during Halloween or any other season is more government regulation and taxation. “Taxing soft drinks is an effective approach for cash-strapped federal and state governments looking for ways to fund health care and disease-prevention programs,” the CSPI website claims. There are many calls to action on the CSPI website, from efforts to eliminate transfats to urging the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to up taxes on alcohol related beverages...more