Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Do Dietitians Really Endorse Kraft Singles?


I joined the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as a nutritional professional (not a dietitian) a little over a year ago because I wanted to be a part of a professional organization focused on the promotion of nutritional health, education and public policy. The American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics received lots of negative media attention over the past week because of the announcement that Kraft Singles will soon carry the Academy’s Kid’s Eat Right logo. 

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3876/15101893732_4375d8593e_h.jpg
What?


News Headlines

Coverages spreads fast in today’s 24-hour, instant media market and the quality of coverage varies. I hesitate to use the word journalist to refer to most writers who cover “news” these days, particularly when it comes to nutrition related news. Often times, the coverage is not researched and involves no more than regurgitating press releases issued by motivated and biased parties. Over the past week, Kraft announced that their processed cheese squares, Kraft Singles with 2% milk, will carry the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Kids Eat Right logo. 

Lifted from NY Times Blog: A Cheese 'Product' Gains Kids' Nutrition Seal



Here is a link to the article that appeared on New York Times blog that started it all: A Cheese 'Product' Gains Kids' Nutrition Seal (3/15/2015). Kraft Singles will soon carry the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Kids Eat Right logo on 2% milk Kraft Singles Products.  Overnight, Kraft American cheese singles rose from being perceived as barely a food choice to a health food recommended by nutrition experts. Here are a few of the thousands of links covering it.





NY Times blogger Stephanie Storm wrote that according to Kraft the logo is an endorsement of Kraft Singles. Not true, according to Mary Beth Whelan, Vice President/Executive Director of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Whelan was quoted as saying “the Kids Eat Right logo on Kraft Singles packaging identifies the brand as a proud supporter of Kids Eat Right... It also serves to drive broader visibility to KidsEatRight.org, a trusted educational resource for consumers.” 

Are we really to believe that people are going to see the Kids Eat Right logo and think “sure, the dietitians don't support this product rather Kraft is a supporter of KidsEatRight.org." In a March 17, 2015 letter to the membership about the Kids Eat Right logo, Nutrition and Dietetics Academy CEO Patricia Babjack stated it was “... not an endorsement. It [was] not a seal of approval.” Keep saying that President Whelan and CEO Babjack. It’s a difficult message to swallow and digest and not one that the media is picking up. 


What is Kids Eat Right?

KidsEatRight.org provides excellent resources for parents and other care givers looking for nutrition information and ideas for children of all ages. The site offers recipes, suggestions, videos, discusses hot-topics, and connect you with other resources (like local dietitians) to help answer nutrition questions. The information provided is reliable and put together and reviewed by experts in nutrition and dietetics.
http://www.eatright.org/resources/for-kids




Final Thoughts

It may take a while for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to recover from this debacle. As a member of the organization, I was unaware that manufacturers could purchases a Kids Eat Right logo from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. I don’t know what (or if) criteria exist for products to be eligible to carry the logo. I don't know how a reasonable person going to know that the Kids Eat Right logo is not a product endorsement from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The label and the intent of the label is not intuitive.  I would not know or assume, even with the little tagline that is part of the labeling purchase, that it means the manufacturer endorses KidsEatRight.org but that the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has nothing to say about the product.

I joined thousands (more than 10,000) of others when I signed a petition calling for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to stop the misleading practice of selling the Kids Eat Right logo. It saddens and disappoints me that this happened, especially during a time when nutrition professionals are working towards increasing clarity on food labels and ingredient lists. That this happened at a time when large public bodies are calling out questionable and illegal practices in the dietary supplement industry.


Considering the breadth of conflicting, over-staed, and sometimes blatantly deceptive nutrition information out there already, I sincerely apologize if you feel let down by the nutrition organization you should be able to rely on most to advocate for your best interest. 


Jon Stewart Explains the Kids Eat Right Label on Kraft Singles


UPDATE! Nutrition Tuesday: Do Dietitians Really Support Kraft Singles? Update! posted April, 1, 2015