Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Is Now A ‘Smart Snack’ In Schools
Frito-Lay reformulated Flamin’ Hot Cheetos to meet new federal rules and is now considered a “Smart Snack.” The version sold in schools has less fat, less salt and more whole grains compared to the original.
A report from NPR on Saturday investigates how junk processed food like Hot Cheetos end up as a “Smart Snack.” Companies can just change a few ingredients to meet guidelines but it really doesn’t change what these products are: addictive junk food designed to drive profit. Even schools themselves are in it for the money: In Chicago, schools get a 20% commission on all sales of Cheetos.
New York University nutrition professor Marion Nestle isn’t surprised. She thinks the rules almost guaranteed that schools would end with a lot of processed foods that simply meet certain nutrient targets.
“If you set up nutrition standards,” Nestle says, “the food industry can do anything to meet those standards, and this is a perfect example of that. So this is a ‘better-for-you’ junk food and, of course, the question is, is that a good choice? And no, of course, it’s not.”
This reminds of how pizza is considered a vegetable in America because of tomato sauce content. SMH.