Bernie wants black labels on “unhealthy” sodas and snacks, so kids will understand

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is calling for warning labels on Americans' sodas and snacks in a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

It wants so-called “unhealthy foods” to be labeled in a way that warns consumers that they could get type 2 diabetes or become obese with their favorite drinks, desserts and snacks. The move could also increase prices of items.

“Sanders he wrote to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf earlier this month in his capacity as chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to call for the agency to implement “robust front-of-package labels so that all consumers, especially children, can understand them.” which products are harmful to your health,'” the Washington Examiner reported

“Sanders did not specify what design the labels should have, but in his letter to Califf, he supported designs similar to those in several Latin American countries proposed by the Pan American Health Organization. These stop sign-shaped labels are intended to inform consumers that certain products contain high amounts of salt, saturated fat, sugar and calories,” the medium noted.

The labels would have a high probability of being black as that is what other countries use. It is also what drives the World Health Organization.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 20 percent of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19, or 14.7 million people, are medically obese. Nearly 42 percent of adults over 20 years are obese, and more than 9% are severely obese,” wrote the Washington Examiner.

The CDC has not collected obesity data since March 2020 due to the pandemic.

“The FDA can and must do more to ensure that Americans, especially children, teens and their parents, understand the health risks associated with eating these unhealthy, ultra-processed foods,” he said. declare Sanders in his letter. “Other major countries around the world have moved aggressively in this area, and there is no reason why the United States should be so far behind.”

The socialist senator referred to several Latin American countries, such as Chile, Uruguay and Peru. These countries use black octagonal warning labels that highlight the high percentage of unhealthy chemicals in food and drinks.

According to the Washington Examiner, “Academic studies of Chile's implementation of the food labeling policy indicate that the policy greatly accelerated the downward trend in the purchase of unhealthy foods and the marketing of unhealthy foods healthy for children. The researchers, however, were unable to fully disentangle the effects of the labeling policy from other healthy eating policies implemented in Chile at the same time, including changes in school lunch programs.”

Sanders admitted to the FDA that labels may not be enough to prevent Americans from indulging in unhealthy drinks and foods. He pointed to the warning labels on tobacco products that warn of a link to cancer. Many ignore these warnings.

The Vermont senator was very clear about what he wanted to do:

In my opinion, we need strong labels on the front of packages so that all consumers, especially children, can understand which products are harmful to their health. Tobacco labels in the United States do not say “high in tar, high in nicotine, high in carcinogens.” They say cigarettes cause cancer.

…

Today, one in five children and more than 40 percent of adults in our country are obese. Equally alarming, more than 10 percent of people in the United States have type two diabetes. According to a recent study, ultra-processed foods now make up an incredible 73 percent of our nation's food supply and can be as addictive as alcohol and nearly as addictive as cigarettes. It is estimated that if the United States does not change course, the number of children with type 2 diabetes will increase by 700 percent over the next 40 years.

The senator informed Califf that the HELP Committee would hold a hearing on the FDA's role in the health food market. He hinted that Califf would be called to testify before the committee.

“The HELP Committee will hold a hearing in the near future to discuss what FDA can do to fulfill its mission to protect and advance the public health by ensuring that the foods and beverages Americans consume do not they hurt,” Sanders told Califf. . “I look forward to your testimony at this hearing.”

Terresa Monroe-Hamilton is a constitutional conservative who researches and writes extensively on politics and current affairs.

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