09/25/07 FDA Teaches Reading

With the agroterrorism issues, the lack of import inspections and food safety concerns wouldn't' you think the FDA would have bigger fish to fry then funding a campaign in conjunction with the "cartoon" network to teach kids how to read food labels . Heck we can't even get kids to read books! The FDA partnered with the Cartoon Network to target tweens, kids between ages 9-13 via an interactive Web page on the Cartoon Network's site designed to educate children on the fine art of reading nutritional labels. 10 year old Marie Grandguillotte is their poster child, this is a girl who while shopping with her mother carefully reads food labels avoiding products with fats and cholesterol. I'm the last to dispute that overweight and junk food addicted American kids need help with their diets but looking back on my frantic dash through the grocery store with two "tow headed" boys in tow I would have gone nuts if they insisted on reading every label. Rather I wish the FDA would focus more on the safety of imported food and let parents be responsible for the diet and reading lessons.