Junk Science Behind Junk Food

From Tea Party Patriots --

First, it was skyrocketing premiums. Then, it was non-compliant plans. Now, the far-reaching effects of Obamacare are coming to a vending machine near you. Food labeling regulations, namely Section 4205 of the Affordable Care Act, were finalized on April 3 by the Food and Drug Administration, requiring vending machines to now post the calorie content of all food items. This latest action sets into motion another costly measure that will have a profound impact on businesses.

Companies operating 20 or more vending machines, which dispense prepackaged and premade food items, will have to adhere to the new rule. According to the FDA’s own analysis, millions of machines will be affected.

“FDA estimates that there would be approximately 10,800 operators under the proposed requirements, controlling between 4 million and 5.6 million machines that sell covered vending machine foods. The initial mean estimated cost of complying with the proposed requirements is $25.8 million, with an estimated mean ongoing cost of $24.0 million… Per operator costs are estimated to be $2,400. FDA estimates that average per machine costs are less than $10 annually.” [1]

The FDA report tried to make this unreasonable mandate appear more palatable with its $10-per-machine breakdown. However, as Ohio Watchdog.org pointed out, it’s going to financially squeeze small businesses.

“Chris Heaton, director of sales for Enterprise Vending Inc., said his company can now begin to calculate costs. It won’t be cheap.

“It’s an investment without any return to the company,” Heaton said.

If the FDA estimates of less than $10 per vending machine for compliance costs are accurate, “the impact to Enterprise will be close to $500,000 annually.”

Based on industry estimates of one vending machine for every 40 adults, the total cost for Ohio businesses could be more than $2.2 million each year…

Does the FDA expect vending companies to eat the cost of the regulation?

“Unfortunately, that is realistic to expect,” Heaton said. “Just knowing the industry, the costs and the prices, there will be companies that struggle with the cost, the needed manpower, the labor and the printing to be able to cover the mandate with their current prices.”

He doesn’t think his competition will allow Enterprise to pass along the costs.” [2]

The added expense isn’t the only hurdle the industry faces in bringing the machines into compliance. The FDA originally estimated it would take 14 million hours annually for vending companies to comply. 

This generated outcry from industry experts, including National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) Sr. VP Government Affairs Ned Monroe, who stated, “Our industry has always understood that consumers need access to product nutritional information, but requiring an industry to invest 14 million hours annually is absurd and sure to kill jobs. We are opposed to the colossal burden these regulations impose on our industry and this report just confirms what an enormous and unfair burden it truly is.” [3] Through further data collection, the FDA decreased the hours of burden to 816,000. [1] 

This massive effort to “fundamentally transform” vending machines into calorie-conscious reminders at the expense of businesses must provide substantial benefits to do all this, right? Think again. FDA openly admitted:

“FDA has not estimated the actual benefits associated with proposed requirements. Food choice and consumption decisions are complex and FDA is unaware of any comprehensive data allowing accurate predictions of the effect of the proposed requirements on consumer choice and vended foods.” [1]

What’s even more disturbing is that there are published studies proving food labeling does nothing to modify consumer choice or curb obesity. [4]

Expensive, ineffective regulations backed by junk science or assumptions – what else can we expect from Obamacare?

REALLY BAD EGGS? IT’S WORSE THAN I THOUGHT

FOOD POLICE = FOOD TYRANNY

Last week (May 29), I blogged about Sen. Feinstein’s proposed legislation to impose meddling regulations on the egg industry. You can read Senate Bill 3239 here.

It’s worse than I thought. The American Thinker website has a devastating analysis of the consequences of this legislation, and if this monstrosity gets passed, get ready for more crippling regulations on meat, poultry, milk, and of course sweetened beverages.

From the article by Mindy Patterson [my emphases]:

One day soon, America could wake up to a dozen eggs costing $8 or more. And unless you are involved in some aspect of farming or agriculture, you would never know that egg prices are about to skyrocket or the reason why. . . .

With HSUS’ vegan animal rights platform as the motivations behind crafting a controversial egg bill, S. 3239 was introduced in the U.S. Senate on Friday, May 25, 2012, inching U.S. egg producers closer to a mandate which would require them to phase out conventional cages for egg-laying hens and transition to a system called “enriched colony cages” by 2029, at a cost to U.S. egg producers ranging between $4 billion to $10 billion.

And while most Americans shrug their shoulders and live their lives, they are completely unaware of how this regulation will affect the cost of food and its availability in the future. . . .

Instead of improving productivity for the American egg industry and supporting our farmers and ranchers, these imposed regulations will incrementally squeeze egg producers out of business. Fewer egg farmers means fewer eggs. Fewer eggs mean higher prices for the consumer, and importing more of our food from other countries where neither animal welfare nor food safety is top priority.

While these regulations may seem reasonable on the surface, the agenda behind them lies within the organization pushing these cleverly crafted laws, cloaked in a disguise of emotional propaganda used to advance these proposed regulations into law. HSUS is an organization that makes no bones about its mission to push anti-animal agriculture regulations, or any stiff regulatory reform on American farmers and ranchers. Just consider the goal of HSUS’ lead policy director and vegan activist, J.P. Goodwin, who has gone on record by saying, “My goal is the abolition of all animal agriculture.” . . .

After all, the ultimate goal of HSUS is about empty cages, not bigger cages.

. . . . now is not the time to stand by and allow an anti-egg-consuming animal rights organization to righteously dictate the future of U.S. egg producers and the future of our domestic food supply. Years ago, as an observation of foreign oppression, Henry Kissinger once said, “If you control the food supply, you control the people.” Today, Americans are facing food tyranny on our own shores, which must be stopped. I implore everyone to contact his or her U.S. representative and senator and urge them to vote no on this rotten egg bill, S. 3239, and its identical counterpart in the House, H.R. 3798.

Call your representatives on Monday or Twitter / Facebook / e-mail them now.

· Sen. Sherrod Brown DC: (202) 224-2315

· Sen. Ron Portman (and mention your opposition as well to the Law Of the Sea Treaty

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/robportman

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/robportman

Email: http://portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form

D.C. Office Ph#: (202)224-3353

· Rep. Marcia Fudge: 202-225-7032

· Rep. Dennis Kucinich: 202-225-5871

· Or find your representative here.

· Co-sponsor Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) is up for re-election. His office/fax number: Phone: (617) 565-3170 / Fax: (617) 723-7325

REGULATING EGGS??

Late last week, The Hill reported that

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and a half dozen other senators have proposed legislation setting a uniform national standard for the treatment of egg-laying hens, which would ensure egg producers aren't blocked from selling across state lines due to differing state standards. . . .

Feinstein said her bill, S. 3239, would codify an agreement between the United Egg Producers and the Humane Society on how egg-laying hens should be treated and how eggs should be labeled. . . .

The bill is co-sponsored by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Scott Brown (R-Mass.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), David Vitter (R-La.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

With no budget passed in over three years, you’d think these Senators would have better things to do than stick their noses into the egg business. But it’s probably worse than that.

It's an expansion of the Food Police (remember the Food Safety Act of 2010)? And if S. 3239 becomes law, it could be used as a precedent to further the Progressive interpretation of the Commerce Clause. Co-sponsor Sen. Scott Brown is up for re-election. His office/fax number

Phone: (617) 565-3170 / Fax: (617) 723-7325