Almost three decades ago, food cops at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) lobbied for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban caffeine in soft drinks and require warning labels on other caffeinated products. In 1980, their demands were considered shrill, unfounded, and over-the-top. And 28 years later — calling for another round of labels on fruits, vegetables, and eggs — they show no signs of letting up.
Nanny-in-Chief Michael Jacobson formed the organization in 1971 under the pretense of “protecting” American consumers. (Left to helplessly navigate the minefield of eating choices without government intervention, it’s remarkable that the human race even made it that far.) Since its conception, CSPI has attacked such “threats” as bread, eggs, Chinese food, drinking water, milk, wine, margarine, and fresh produce. At one point, the activist organization even called for government regulation of serving sizes in restaurants. And last week it identified yet another menace: corn sugar.
It’s a wonder there’s any food left that’s considered “safe” to enjoy.
Here’s the truth: Experts agree that any food can be part of a healthy diet. But Jacobson and his band of health nuts, who have unilaterally labeled our country’s food supply “unsafe at any bite,” hardly comprehend the idea of “all things in moderation.” And if the food cops have their way, American will follow the lead of Great Britain, where lawmakers are demanding that restaurants “change their menus and put health warnings on meals in the hope of improving the national diet.”
(Caution: Overuse of warning labels may result in a loss of common sense.)