Monday, March 16, 2015

Kraft Supports Kids Eat Right So "Proudly" They'll Pay to Tell You So

For those who have yet to hear or see, the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) has sold Kraft the right to use their Kids Eat Right logo on the front of packages of Kraft Singles - a "Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product".

AND has said, I kid you not, that the seal doesn't indicate that they've endorsed Kraft Singles, but rather that Kraft is a "proud supporter" of AND's Kids Eat Right program, and that in fact Kraft's purchase of that right is an advertisement from Kraft for the program Kraft supports so proudly.

I wonder what other proudly supporting companies want to advertise for AND on the fronts of their products? I'd bet there are plenty. Who wouldn't want to support such a great cause?

Given the various statements from AND I can only surmise that there aren't any criteria for companies who want to philanthropically proudly support and advertise for AND's Kids Eat Right program on the fronts of their packages because if there were criteria to be met, well that would mean there's an approval process, which in turn would mean products would require AND's sanction for the right to advertise Kids Eat Right, which of course is the very definition of an endorsement.

[If you're an RD and you'd like to write a letter of concern about this partnership to an AND delegate, the group Dietitians for Professional Integrity published a sample letter and links to the AND email directory on their Facebook page over the weekend.]