Editor’s note: Several of the nation’s largest food manufacturers recently rolled out a new label called “Smart Choices.” Controversy erupted when processed junk like Froot Loops and Fudgsicles made the cut. In a Sept. 4 New York Times article, Eileen T. Kennedy, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and president of the Smart Choices board, defended those choices. What follows is a letter written directly to Kennedy in response to her remarks in the Times article. Should Kennedy respond, Grist would love to publish it. — Tom Philpott
“Smart Choice”–or sugary junk?Zanastardust/FlicDear Dean Kennedy,As someone who has worked on building community food security and local food systems capable of increasing access to fresh, healthy, affordable local food in vulnerable communities, I must say that I am dismayed by the decisions made by the Smart Choices Board. As the Dean of the Friedman School I’m sure you have carefully weighed the facts in this situation and have prepared yourself for the controversy now starting, prompted by the recent article in The New York Tim... Read more
