I set out today to write a short entry on food labels, but quickly discovered that these debates are too varied and extensive to capture in a single blog entry. So, all this week, I'll discuss a different aspect of food labels and how they do (or could) affect the way we eat.
In general, the consequence of a new food label on a package is complicated. In addition to impacting consumer behavior, it can mean big changes on the producer side. A 2007 Amber Waves article, Do Food Labels Make a Difference? ... Sometimes, makes the argument that mandatory labeling often has more impact on producer behavior than consumer behavior. For instance, requiring producers to label whole grain content, could mean many producers move to whole grains even though only a small portion of the population reads this label. While mandatory labels are the most likely to create this producer-side change, we've certainly seen voluntary labels have a big impact too- consider that Trix are now made with whole grains. As I wonder through different controversies regarding food labels, I'll be looking at the effects on consumers and producers to see if all the trouble of a label is worth it.
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