Friday, June 19, 2009

Cheerios Under Attack



According to a news article on the Foxnews website written by William La Jeunesse, FDA Take Cheerios to Task for Boastful Labels , the popular breakfast cereal isn’t considered a food; instead it’s a drug.

“Based on claims made on your product's label,” the FDA said in a letter to manufacturer General Mills, “we have determined (Cheerios) is promoted for conditions that cause it to be a drug because the product is intended for use in the prevention, mitigation and treatment of disease.”

We should have seen this coming down the pike when the Obama administration took over the mortgage industry and General Motors. Instead of General Mills it will be Government Meals, your daily ration of swill; mildly nutritional with a little roughage.

“It is showing us that there is a new era,” says dietician and a former advertising executive Ashley Koff. “They are saying, we are coming into town and we are going to show you what will and won't be allowed, and we’re going to be going after every single claim, whether it’s on a package or in TV.”

That takes a lot of Moxie; although most of the present generation wouldn’t have a clue as to where the term Moxie came from. “Moxie” means “guts” or “courage,” that is to say “intestinal fortitude” and “overtness” as in, “He’s got moxie!” I’d have to add, “brass” or “unmitigated gall” to go along with some of the sentiments voiced by others; “It’s cereal for goodness sakes!

“Consumers outside a Los Angeles grocery store were less supportive of a move some called "silly" and heavy-handed.”

As a side note from a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, for the longest time I thought Cheerios might be a form of religious indoctrination for children during the Sacrament meeting. My observations of parents holding little zip-lock baggies of the familiar little “O’s”, handing them out one at a time to their children as a reward for learning various points of basic Mormon doctrine; turned out they were simply doing their best to keep the kids quiet. There’s actually a light hearted book written on the premise; wish I had a link for you, that would have been even better.

“Obama administration goes after Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints – Not No Cheerios, Not No More, Not No How!” What else could you expect from a president intent on slipping under the sheets with Islam? I suppose we should give him the benefit of the doubt; perhaps Obama isn’t getting enough fiber; maybe that’s why he’s so full of it.

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