Trump Administration Seeks to Limit Warnings on Junk Food Labels

The Trump administration is trying to limit the warning labels on junk food in the U.S., Mexico and Canada as part of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations.

As opposed to the Obama era's healthier school lunch initiatives, the Office of the United States Trade Representative—the leader of NAFTA negotiations—is seeking to make sure all countries in the agreement are limited in how they place labels on sugary or fatty food and drinks, according to a report in the New York Times. 

The U.S. and Mexico are the world’s most obese countries, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. 

Nations across the globe have sought legislation to do exactly the opposite—to curtail and reverse obesity rates, which have more than doubled in over 70 countries since 1980. For example, Chile created one of the most effective programs in 2016 when it passed strict regulations that include black warning labels on the front cover of certain food packages. 

Canada and Mexico have considered using specific shapes, colors or symbols to warn people about health risks, but U.S. officials want to prevent any sort of labeling that “inappropriately denotes that a hazard exists from consumption of the food or nonalcoholic beverages.” And we can only sit by and watch as our American citizens get fatter.

Related:Why Consumers Are Ditching Junk Food

We can only hope that our food companies and grocers stand up and do the right thing regardless of the administration's plans for our future eating habits.