You may not be seeing these labels on food products much longer. The Smart Choices labeling program has been voluntarily halted after the FDA said it could be misleading.

The labels are supposed to make it easier for us to spot healthier foods, but the green check mark has been showing up on the front of boxes of sugar-laden cereals like Cocoa Krispies and Froot Loops. Last week, the FDA sent out a letter to food makers, saying it will crack down on those that go against federal labeling rules.

Smart Choices is among several nutrition labeling programs now being used, all with different nutritional criteria.

No wonder there’s so much confusion out there!

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Okay, remember my shock when I saw that the new Smart Choices nutrition labels on sugary cereals? Well, now the FDA is on it. The agency sent out this letter to food manufacturers, saying there are too many Front-of-Package (FOP) labeling programs which all have different nutritional criteria and can be misleading.The FDA does not name any specific products, but says it is reviewing FOP claims to see if any go against federal labeling rules.

The agency says with FOP labeling, people are less likely to check the Nutrition Facts label, which has the detailed information about what’s in the food. FOP labeling is voluntary, but more and more companies are using it to try to get our attention.

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Are your kids eating cereals that are more than half sugar? A new Consumer Reports (CR) review of popular children’ cereals finds 11 of them have as much sugar as a glazed donut.

Interestingly (and quite disturbing, IMO), some of the brands have more sugar and sodium when they are sold in the U.S. than they do when they are sold in other countries – the same brands! Why is that?

CR found two cereals – Kellogg’s Honey Smacks and Post Golden Crisp – are more than 50 percent sugar (by weight) and nine are at least 40 percent sugar.

Top Scores
CR gave “Very Good” marks to 4 cereals:

The review shows Cheerios, Kix, Honey Nut Cheerios, and Life all have relatively lower sugar and higher dietary fiber – the two categories CR considers most important. Cheerios tops the list with only 1 gram of sugar and 3 grams of fiber per serving.

But 23 of the top 27 cereals marketed to children rated only Good or Fair for nutrition. Here’s the breakdown from CR:

Photo and Chart Credits: Consumer Reports

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