General Mills International and Cheerios Claims
May 20, 2009
My Vegan acquaintance has warned me about the FDA's interest in turning herbs into prescribed medication due to health claims - so this is scary! The FDA needs to reconsider their stance on this, or we farmer's marketers may someday have to be licensed as physicians to educate the public on the environmental, and health benefits, of consuming sustainable, organic and non-GMO plants and produce. Will peddling our tomatoes or asparagus require particular verbiage on our labeling or in our conversations with customers? Will we be told we cannot promote the health benefits or what we produce and believe so strongly in, or be required to pay for scientific studies to prove the precise level of increased health benefit of each fruit or vegetable?
There's got to be limits set on the FDA's power. Why not concentrate on things that truly harm the public's health, rather than things that help, or do they have their hand in the back pocket of the pharmaceutical companies? We can feed our children fruity, candied cereals at will, as long as we don't tell them how much it harms their pancreas, and that's ok, right? What we don't know won't hurt us?
Thanks guys! Love waking up to you with coffee and AgDay in bed each morning :) Your like my farmer 'public radio'.
Sincerely,
Wm. Patrick & Camilla Ward
Chatfield MN
