A Problematic Solution

Although Kraft's self-created Sensible Solutions sticker (used to denote healthy products) can point consumers in the right direction (like with 100% whole grain Triscuit crackers), it is also used in some questionable manners.

One example? Lunchables Maxed Out Pepperoni Pizza.

This item boasts a "Sensible Solutions" sticker on the basis of being "a good source of protein" and "a good source of calcium."

The latter nutritional claim is valid, but the first one is irrelevant in a country where protein deficiency is practically unheard of.

The average child's lunchbox may be low in fiber and potassium, but with protein being found in whole grains, nuts, seeds, dairy, soy products, meats, and even vegetables, I don't think parents need to start scouting supermarket aisles for high-protein foods.

What truly puzzles me, though, is the presence of a Sensible Solutions sticker on a product that contains 850 milligrams of a sodium (a third of a day's worth), 35 grams of added sugar (thanks to the inclusion of an Airhead candy and a Kool Aid flavor pouch meant to be mixed with the included bottle of water) and a paltry two grams of fiber!

This is the problem with self-defined corporate criteria -- no one is overseeing the rubric to ensure it only pertains to healthier options.

My suggestion? Set up these criteria so that, in order to carry a Sensible Solutions sticker, a product needs to have at least 'x' amount of nutrient "A" while simultaneously limiting nutrient 'B' to 'y' amount.

Otherwise, as I saw for myself at the grocery store yesterday, KoolAid can carry a Sensible Solutions sticker simply because it is fortified with vitamin A and vitamin E!

Right, because nothing says "sensible" like 16 grams (4 teaspoons) of added sugar per 8-ounce serving.

You Ask, I Answer: Velveeta

What in the world IS Velveeta exactly? Cheese?

If so, why is it less expensive and "more melty" than cheddar, like all their commercials say?

-- Corey Clark
(location withheld)

Velveeta, which has been "pleasing families since 1928" (at least that's what Kraft says), is processed cheese.

This is different than pure cheese, as it contains added milkfat, water, and some emulsifying agent (in order to mix the fat and water evenly.)

A look at the ingredient list reveals:

Milk, water, milkfat, whey, whey protein concentrate, sodium phosphate, milk protein concentrate, alginate, sodium citrate, apocarotenal (color), enzymes, cheese culture.

In case you're wondering, alginate is a thickener and emulsifier derived from a brown algae (similar to carrageenan.)

Velveeta is very far from achieving "100% cheese" status. It's not even 51% cheese (if that were the case, it could be sold as a "pasteurized prepared cheese food").

Since it is approximately 40% cheese, though, it has to be legally advertised as a "pasteurized prepared cheese product."

Its low cost comes down to the fact that Velveeta is, in essence, "washed down" cheese.

This is also the reason for its unique melting properties. Its chemical makeup is different from traditional cheese, which is why it does not react to heat in quite the same way as, say, a slice of Swiss cheese.

While we're comparing the two, let's take a look at their respective nutrition facts.

One ounce of Swiss cheese contains:

106 calories
8 grams of fat
5 grams of saturated fat (25% of a day's worth)
54 milligrams of sodium (a mere 2% of a day's worth)
8 grams protein
22% of the Daily Value of calcium

One ounce of original Velveeta, meanwhile, adds up to:

80 calories
6 grams of fat
4 grams of saturated fat (20% of a day's worth)
410 milligrams of sodium (17% of a day's worth)
5 grams of protein
15% of the Daily Value of calcium

Velveeta's sodium value is even higher than that of higher-in-sodium cheeses like cheddar (174 mg per ounce) and provolone (245 mg per ounce.)

For what it's worth, Velveeta sales experienced quite a spike in 2008.

Kraft executives also explain that Velveeta sales increase approximately 50 percent on Super Bowl Sunday!

In The News: Coming To A Supermarket Near You.... Health Foods??

I can't help but roll my eyes at the news of "a start-up that helps pharmaceutical companies discover new drugs [signing] a deal with Kraft Foods Inc. to help develop foods that offer specific health benefits."

I'm assuming this means that certain phytochemicals naturally found in certain fruits and vegetables or lignans in flaxseed might possibly be tacked on to Oreos or ready-to-eat mac and cheese.

What this is supposed to accomplish -- other than provide higher profit margins for Kraft -- beats me.

If health foods are what people seek, how about starting out with the produce -- rather than cookie -- aisle of their supermarket?

Shame On You: Oscar Mayer Lunch-a-BLEGHs

On its Oscar Mayer Lunchables page, Kraft Foods states their mission is to create “foods that help provide the fuel and energy needed to tackle whatever it is [your children] happen to dream up that day.”

A young smiling girl is shown front and center, and Kraft acknowledges that, quelle surprise, “children who eat their lunch do better in school”.

I truly don’t understand how Oscar Mayer Lunchables fit into this wholesome “we have your child’s best interests at heart” theme, though.

For example, the Ultimate Nachos (bundled with a Capri Sun drink and some cookies) contain:

580 calories
8 grams saturated fat (40 percent of a day’s maximum)
1290 sodium (that’s half a day’s worth!)
2 grams of fiber.

The turkey and American cheese cracker stackers, also bundled with a Capri Sun, add up to:

350 calories
6 grams of saturated fat (30 percent of a day’s maximum)
770 milligrams of sodium
0 grams of fiber

The crackers, apart from being made entirely of refined carbohydrates, contain partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup.

Then there’s the deep dish extra-cheesy pizza pack. It comes with crispy M&M’s and a Capri Sun drink (sounds so healthy, doesn’t it?) and provides:

700 calories
9 grams of saturated fat (45 percent of a day’s maximum)
1,240 milligrams of sodium
4 grams of fiber
61 grams (15 teaspoons) of added sugar.

That is on par with wolfing down a Big Mac and medium soda at McDonald’s.

It's one thing to have these products on the shelf along with cookies and potato chips, where they are surrounded by other nutritionally empty foods.

It's shameful, though, to sell these products and stand behind a message of nutrition, healthy eating, and child welfare.