National Girl Scout Leadership need to get a Math Merit Badge
It is almost time for the annual ritual of little girls with parents in tow knocking on doors and asking for a few bucks in exchange for a box of cookies - or dodging the tables of parents in front of store fronts selling cookies.
But when good intentions go bad - Girl Scouts and trans fats - when zero could equal .5 g.
I’ve been on a personal trans fat reduction kick for quite some time so I look at the ingredients, if there is partially hydrogenated anything I don’t buy it. I was excited about NYC banning trans fats (I’m sure there are loopholes) . I’ve watched with awe over the years as my favorite junk food has dropped trans fats.
But when it comes to Girls Scout cookies - well, my beloved Carmel Delites haven’t made the trip. But I got excited this year when a conversation at work led me to believe that the cookies have indeed made the trip. I’m told that there is now Zero Trans fats in Girl Scout cookies.
So I say, prove it and guess what - there are trans fats in GS cookies.
So what is a trans fat. Well, it is a man made fat that help clog our arteries. Yep about sums it up. Partially hydrogenated anything is usually a clue. Read about trans fats at the Harvard School of Health
So from the Girl Scout press Release
While some “zero trans fat per serving” varieties of Girl Scout cookies were available in 2005 and 2006, this year all varieties will contain less than 0.5 grams trans fat per serving, which meets or exceeds the FDA guidelines for the “zero trans fat” designation.
There you have it folks.
When the label that says Zero trans fats - it actually can have .5 gram per serving. The release implies is that cookies have “zero” but it doesn’t say - so lets assume worse case.
Let’s take my personal favorite Carmel Delites. Check out the label but it says Zero trans fats which means up to .5 g per serving. Let’s do the math. 4 cookies could have up to a gram of trans fat. But who can each just 4? There are 8 serving per box so up to 4 grams of trans fat. Of course, partially hydrogenated oils are part of the formula.
Why can’t the Girl Scouts get trans fats out of their ingredients?
Why can’t a label be clear and concise as to exactly what it contains?
Why can’t the label say something like “can contain trace amounts of Trans Fats”. I mean for those with nut or wheat allergies, the labels say “product was processed on machines that also process nuts or wheat.”
Those interested in letting the market decide - let the market decide and tell buyers exactly what they are getting so they can make fully informed decisions.
Sounds like the National Girl Scout leadership spent their time getting a marketing merit badge instead of a math merit badge.
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But this a political blog. Yep.
Who decides the labels and what passes for Zero? Who issues guidelines for others to follow? Sounds like the government to me so
Why can’t we have a label that doesn’t beat are around the bush so to speak. Trans Fats bad? Tell people what they are getting.
Is it Orwellian? .5=0, 0 is not 0? When we have presidents elected without winning the popular vote perhaps numbers don’t mean what they used to mean.
lol - Apparently it is new math. Zero still equals Zero or at least it should. Our system doesn’t mandate a popular vote victory maybe it should but that is a a different post.
I didn’t have the time to research it but I recall either Mercury or Arsenic standards in water tables out in the SW. The Bush Administration raised the level that is considered harmul
- anyone want to point to this?
All we have to look at Federal Air standards after 9-11 in NYC. They were harmful, then them weren’t now look at the first responders with ground zero cough.
Our government is supposed to offer some level or protection to its citizenry. Of course, citizens can protect themselves if they know the facts. Trouble is getting the facts out.
Eureka! You’ve discovered the secret to our success in the Middle East: we have to “redefine” what success is. If we can change the definition of ZERO and arbitrarily redefine mercury and arsenic safety levels (hellO?), then we can certainly redefine victory in Iraq and get outta there.
As for our system not mandating a popular vote victory, I realize that, but I don’t have to like it.
Jerri - hope GWB reads RT.
Keep up the good work
Remember, GWB doesn’t have time to read. He’s much too busy with his “strategery.”