Neither had anyone else in the world, including the cereal manufacturer Kellogg’s when they were called on by the Federal Trade Commission to show their math. The mendacity of the claim isn’t as alarming as the stupidity: Only children's immunity and kids’ attentiveness – What about my adult needs?
Kellogg's said in a statement their company had “ long history of responsible advertising”. The same press release failed to mention why they were trying to destroy that track record now.
Earlier this week the BBC reported on an article appearing in the Journal ‘Thorax’, really I typed that properly; The Journal Thorax. Children who eat 3 or more burgers a week were linked to a greater risk of asthma and wheezing. This causality is found only in more affluent nations; poorer nations are more concerned with finding the calories found in 3 burgers every week.
Being British, they threw in this gem of understatement, “the authors said children who ate several burgers a week were likely to have other unhealthy lifestyle habits as well.” Inadequate cooking space, costly inefficient appliances, expensive produce, lack of grocery stores and a dearth of clean, safe play areas – the burger franchise with a playground looks much like a good enough place to spend food dollars – the whole system is kind of messed up…
Speaking of, lawmakers are currently considering Senate Bill 510, a sweeping update to food safety regulations that really haven’t been revisited since their inception in 1906. While everyone is for affordable, healthy and safe food – this bill will do little to address any of these concerns.
Normally, I shy away from straw man constructs and Zinn/Chomsky paradigms, but I am not sure how else to explain this, so with my apologies: There are those who think, opine and occasionally statistically quantify that what various federal government regulatory standards actually do is force the small players out of the market, rather than insure the healthy and safety of consumers and citizens.
Through various fees and filings, Senate Bill 510 will place a heavy burden on small food and agricultural businesses. Small producers are not holy, holy and magically exempt from bacterial outbreaks, but the answer is not requiring more paperwork, it is aiding farmers so they can produce safe and healthy food.
That and considering half our farmers will be retiring in the next decade we need as many new young and small growers, ranchers and producers in the field as possible.
Fortunately, Senator Crew Cut, Jon Tester, whose day job as a Montana wheat farmer gives him a decidedly un-Kennedesque perspective, is sponsoring an amendment exempting producers who make under $500,000 from these changes. And right now, in lieu of a sane food policy that promotes safe, healthy food, this is as good as it is going to get. You can find and contact your Senator here and urge them support the Tester amendment.Breakfast related Artwork by friend and colleague Brendan Jones from his soon to be published - Breakfast of the Gods. You can visit Brendan's work online with this very link
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