"Defending Cheerios, Cereal of Liberty"

[Crouchingllama]

Defending Cheerios, Cereal of Liberty | U.S. | Reuters

Defending Cheerios, Cereal of Liberty
Wed May 13, 2009 3:38pm EDT

By dan.mitchell - The Big Money

Disputes over food-label claims are always political. But the current, insane iteration of the American right has walked several steps past the crazy line with its collective reaction to the Food and Drug Administration's demand that General Mills (GIS) tone down its health claims for Cheerios.

"It's fairly obvious to me why the Obama administration is going after Cheerios over possible deceptive advertising," says the Deadenders blog. "Babies love them more then him."

"This is the kind of irritating, intrusive nonsense that makes people weary of their government and every smarmy bureaucratic microbe in it," writes David Crocker of the Behind Blue Lines blog.

The FDA wants General Mills to reel back its claim that Cheerios can "lower your cholesterol 4 percent in 6 weeks." Such a claim is not backed up by science, according to a letter sent to the company by the FDA. The agency says that General Mills is making claims for its cereal that more properly, and according to federal law, should apply only to drugs designed to cure disease. The claims amount to a "serious violation" of laws governing label claims, according to the letter.

That's true, of course. But it hasn't stopped critics from characterizing the situation as President Obama yet again attacking a venerable American institution. Never mind that Obama almost certainly had no idea that his FDA was planning to go after Cheerios.

Food seems to be a common theme among crazy conservatives. For them, wholesome, "American" foods are a-OK. Eurocommie foods are right out. "Washington raised ciggie taxes to pay for SCHIP expansion and are [sic] gearing up to raise soda taxes to pay for Obamacare," writes the reliably nutty Michelle Malkin. "No vice is safe from the health police. Dijon mustard and arugula exempted, of course."

"So I guess now the Communist-in-Chief will declare a War on Cereal," rants Ed Anger of the Weekly World News, proving the increasing irrelevance of old-school parody. You can't tell it from the real thing.

Even in generally saner conservative quarters, marketing Cheerios as medicine is being defended as a matter of liberty. According to David Theroux, stopping General Mills from making questionable health claims is just another of the Obama administration's " 'progressive' (i.e., authoritarian) absurdities."

Theroux is the founder and head of the Independent Institute, a libertarian-leaning think tank that opposes the "wars" on terror and drugs and is skeptical on global warming.

The Institute's mission is "to transcend the all-too-common politicization and superficiality of public policy research and debate," according to its Web site. "The Institute’s program is pursued to rigorous standards without regard to any political or social biases."

How about starting with not equating progressive and authoritarian? From there, we can talk about how best to regulate label claims. Would corporate freedom be similarly compromised if, say, Anheuser-Busch InBev started marketing Bud Light as "learning juice," a la Homer Simpson? Or if Kraft's Nabisco started claiming that Oreos bestow the power of flight?

Note, by the way that none of these critics actually addresses the substance of the FDA's argument.

Admittedly, it would have helped if the FDA's letter had been a bit less strident. "Enforcement action" the agency wrote, "may include seizure of violative products." That's the kind of thing that's bound to startle not only the wingnuts but all of us.

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Seriously. WTF.

[Shalyn]

Gotta love Ed Anger... or not.

[Avanarius]

I love how they compared "claiming Cheerios can lower your cholesterol 4 percent in 6 weeks." to "claiming that Oreos bestow the power of flight"

good logic...

edit** Isn't there some kind of Health Organization that deals with these things rather then the Obama Administration? lol....

[Tristam]

I love how they compared "claiming Cheerios can lower your cholesterol 4 percent in 6 weeks." to "claiming that Oreos bestow the power of flight"

good logic...

edit** Isn't there some kind of Health Organization that deals with these things rather then the Obama Administration? lol....

Yes, it's called the FDA, and in this case they are doing their job. Cheerios by themselves don't do a damn for your cholesterol, at least nothing more than air, water, and sunlight. It's your diet as a whole and possibly certain medications that affect cholesterol, not the number of cheerios you had for breakfast. And the Obama admin has nothing to do with this, which is why it's double the crazy.

[Crouchingllama]

I don't know which one is more stupid, right-wing talking-heads for calling this an attack on an American institution (when it's really a question of Where's the Beef?) or the FDA for saying that enforcement actions could include seizing the offending products, why not just fine General Mills for false advertising?

[Avanarius]

Yes, it's called the FDA, and in this case they are doing their job. Cheerios by themselves don't do a damn for your cholesterol, at least nothing more than air, water, and sunlight. It's your diet as a whole and possibly certain medications that affect cholesterol, not the number of cheerios you had for breakfast. And the Obama admin has nothing to do with this, which is why it's double the crazy.

Oh damn, now the article makes more sense lol.... damn on and off partial reading

[Ksandra]

I hope McDonald's starts advertising that BigMac's lower your blood pressure, and help prevent AIDS. THEY ARE AN AMERICAN INSTITUTION TOO OBAMA *Shakes fists*


These are the same idiots that tried calling French Fries "Freedom Fries".

[Tyche]

people do love their cheerios

The Herd: Breakfast Bracket - ESPN

[Correction]

Raisin Bran was a #1 seed? That's some ol' bullshit right there. Clear Kellogg's bias in the voting.

[Crouchingllama]

people do love their cheerios

The Herd: Breakfast Bracket - ESPN

Because this is what ESPN is really about now....

[Furoris]

I love how they compared "claiming Cheerios can lower your cholesterol 4 percent in 6 weeks." to "claiming that Oreos bestow the power of flight"

Red Bull Gives you WINGGSS!~

At any rate the FDA has standing and a valid argument against the AD campaign, specifically because it is stated as if it was determined through clinic trials, when it wasn't. It is the FDA's job to maintain the integrity of true clinical trail/experimental trials by not allowing just anyone to slap such a claim on to something. However that is not to say that some of the FDA's language isn't a little bit extreme.

[Tyche]

Because this is what ESPN is really about now....

You have to understand how this started and on what morning show this started to completely understand the absurdity of the bracket.

[Tristam]

people do love their cheerios

The Herd: Breakfast Bracket - ESPN

I love the sugar v. healthy brackets, but combining cheerios and honey nut cheerios? that's total B.S. man, it deprives the viewer of the epic intra-cherrio battle that would occur if honey nut totally falls into the sweet category. The selection committee is obviously biased towards the general mills conference as frosted mini-wheats did not get combined with mini-wheats! As a Kellog's fan I demand justice.

I'm totally going to write an angry letter to ESPN.

[Crouchingllama]

I love the sugar v. healthy brackets, but combining cheerios and honey nut cheerios? that's total B.S. man, it deprives the viewer of the epic intra-cherrio battle that would occur if honey nut totally falls into the sweet category. The selection committee is obviously biased towards the general mills conference as frosted mini-wheats did not get combined with mini-wheats! As a Kellog's fan I demand justice.

I'm totally going to write an angry letter to ESPN.

^This.

Never heard of The Herd except as a college mascot, morning sports shows are not my thing. Sports Center is not included in the previous statement.

[Avanarius]

Cheerios suck anyways. OHISAYDIT

[KoalaTrap]

Not only has a regular diet of cheerios made me healthier, now I no longer fear death.

[Dimmauk]

The fake outrage and constant searching for any type of message from the GOP is fucking hilarious and sad.

[miokomioko]

I hate reading responses from big corporations finally getting called out for their bullshit. Nothing but crying foul as if they got it so bad.

I was just listening to NPR about how Obama wants to change the policies that allow corporations in indefinitely avoid taxes by keeping some of their institutions overseas and how the corporations that avoid taxes in such a manner are pissed off and claiming they are being unfairly targeted and how this is going to drive their entire companies overseas at a bad time for the American economy. Sometimes I honestly don't know corporate lawyers live with themselves. Oh wait, yes I do. Cocaine + Hookers helps dull the pain.

[Crouchingllama]

^That and a load of money will sooth a lot of pains... but then they might get anal cancer. But that never happens! How come!?

[Tomk]

Iirc the Cheerios box says something like "a diet high in fiber has been shown to yadda yadda yadda". They never actually say that Cheerios can do that. It's kinda like printing the benefits of vitamin C on Orange juice boxes.

Although they did imply that Cheerios can do that I really don't see the big deal. I always just assumed that it was compared egg and bacon breakfasts, which could very well lower cholesterol.

The FDA has taken some heat lately and maybe this is them trying to improve their image. I don't know how.

The GOP... wow... all I can say is wow.