freedom of choice vs. freedom of information

i got some junk mail this week that was actually somewhat interesting. it was a subscription "invitation" from the Nutrition Action Health Letter. i'm all for people naming names and dispelling nutrition myths. the envelope came with a list of samples of corporate crap food, for instance:

- the Starbucks Venti Mocha Coconut Frappucino Blended Coffee with whipped cream has 710 calories and 26 grams of fat (19 of them saturated). "to your heart, it's like drinking two McDonald's Quarter Pounders"

- Chex Milk'n Cereal Bars are made of mostly sugar, nonfat milk, lactose, palm kernel oil, and other additives. it's so-called "nutrition" comes from the vitamins and minerals that are added to these "glorified Rice Krispies Treats".

- half a can of Campbell's red-and-white-label condensed soups contains about half of a person's daily quota of salt.

On the other side of the pamphlet was a list of "Ten Super Foods You Should Eat". Included on the list was Kellogg's All-Bran Original or Post 100% Bran. So then I started wondering if this newsletter was funded by big bad companies trying to slam other companies - not a horrible thing, but I'm sure Kellogg's and Post are just as guilty as General Mills (maker of Chex) of filling kids with sugar-laden cereals.

The newsletter is published by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. With Tim's help, we found their website:

CSPI is primarily funded by the 800,000 subscribers to its Nutrition Action Healthletter and individual donors. Private foundation grants make up approximately 5% to 10% of CSPI's annual revenue of $15 million. Nutrition Action Healthletter accepts no advertising, and CSPI accepts no corporate or government grants.

Further more, the NAH's website is currently blasting Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Blueberry Yogurt Bars, so perhaps I was a little quick to judge NAH for corporate bias.

Could these be the good guys?

Here's something potentially even more interesting: CSPIScam, propaganda from The Center for Consumer Freedom, "a coalition of concerned individuals and businesses working together to promote personal responsibility and protect a full menu of consumer choices."

Read the site and feel the hate.

Can you guess where they get their funding?

The Center for Consumer Freedom is supported by restaurants, food companies and more than 1,000 concerned individuals. From farm to fork, our friends and supporters include businesses, employees and consumers.