Education

Private Group To Develop Labels For Food Products for Children

January 22, 1992 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

WASHINGTON--Asserting that children need to be better informed about the food they eat, a private, nonprofit group has announced an effort to develop a voluntary nutritional label for food products aimed at children.

The group, KIDSNET, which is supported by the broadcast and cable industry, said the information on the label would help children learn better eating habits.

Karen Jaffe, the executive director of KIDSNET, said the group was inspired to develop the label when Dr. David Kessler, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said he favored a unique food label for children.

The group made its announcement at a conference sponsored here by Public Voice for Food and Health Policy, a Washington-based advocacy group.

Ms. Jaffe said the label, which would target children ages 6-12, will be developed over the next several months. The group will then try to persuade food manufacturers to place the label on their products, she said.

Funding for the effort has come from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Kaiser Family Foundation.

While the form and content of the label have yet to be agreed on, Ms. Jaffe said several key design elements are likely.

“We think it should be bold and simple, with the emphasis on graphics rather than words,” she said. “We also have notions of what it should not be--an endorsement of any kind, a replacement for the regular label, judgment about food, or a way to make claims not otherwise allowed.”

Dr. Kessler, who also spoke at the conference, said he would encourage food manufacturers to adopt the special label.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents 130 firms that manufacture 85 percent of the products sold in grocery stores, questioned the effectiveness of a special label aimed at children.

The association said it was still negotiating with federal officials over requirements in a 1990 law that double the required amount of information on food labels. Children could learn more about nutrition from school-based programs that emphasize the information on this new label than through an additional label specifically aimed at youngsters, it said.--E.G.

A version of this article appeared in the January 22, 1992 edition of Education Week as Private Group To Develop Labels For Food Products for Children

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: February 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 7, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: January 31, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: January 17, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read