BOSTON—Take a trip with Sugar Cane and Sugar Beet, cheery cartoon characters in a coloring book.
Sugar Cane, tall and lean, is a proud fellow. “Hello,” he says, “We make food with lots of vitamins and minerals taste good!” Sugar Beet, his short, stubby companion, reminds kids to watch their portion sizes but still likes indulgences. “Eat this,” he suggests, standing besides a small bowl of ice cream.
The book, produced by the Sugar Association, suggests other ways to get the sweet stuff into kids: sprinkle sugar on carrots and peas, for instance, or add it to fruit salad and vegetables.
“Because it’s all-natural, you can consume it with confidence,” the Sugar Association says.
Sugar is natural, indeed. But whether the trade group should be hawking it at an assembly of the nation’s dietitians — as it did here at a conference this month — has become a point of contention.
The event in question is the annual Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo, and it is a veritable feast of food-related promotion. But the event is also made possible by vast sums of money from companies and trade groups, in some cases reinforcing the perception that “Big Food” brands are corrupting the guidance provided to millions of Americans every year.
Over the years, the group hosting the event, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, has exacerbated those concerns.
Among the academy’s missteps: the paid endorsement of Kraft singles; the acceptance of soda company money to underwrite meetings; and a high-profile role as safe haven for corporate-sponsored food research.
Source: www.statnews.com