Will Juice Soon Follow the Soda Bans? USDA Finalizing ‘Guidelines’ That Have Some Worried
- Posted on June 24, 2012 at 11:45pm by
Erica Ritz
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USA Today is reporting that the federal government will soon be proposing new nutrition standards for school vending machines, stores, and cafeteria lines that have the cranberry industry, in particular, in a panic.
Spurred by first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative, USA Today explains, cranberry juice is particularly in the crosshairs because it is so heavily sweetened. The result could mean an exclusion from $2.3 billion in the school vending machine business, and a negative connotation with cranberry products that could impact marketing, industry officials say.

A worker uses a rake to push cranberries into a berry pumping apparatus near Camp Douglas, Wisconsin (Photo: AP)
“Lumping us in with other beverages [like soda] that don’t have the health benefits associated with them that cranberries do is definitely going to affect our ability to sell [our] products,” Tom Lochner, executive director of the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association, explained.
Randy Papadellis, president and CEO of Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., similarly said: “Our concern is more the signal…that says cranberries are unhealthy sends out to other constituencies. Many people take their cue from USDA in terms of what is healthy.”
And unlike soda, which has seen similar bans, the industry is pointing out that cranberries have some nutritional value. A letter to the first lady pointed out that cranberries “contribute to whole body health, particularly urinary tract health and the potential to fight cancer and other diseases,” but not everyone is sold on the matter.
Margo Wootan, the director of nutrition policy for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said: “There’s some evidence to show that cranberry juice can prevent urinary tract infections, but that doesn’t mean everyone should be drinking cranberry juice every day…Only 3 percent of kids a year have urinary tract infections, compared to one-third who are overweight. Urinary tract infection is not a booming epidemic. Obesity is.”
Here’s a commercial for one of the drinks that could be pulled:
And as everyone knows, such regulations often start out small and then radiate outwards. Within weeks of Mayor Bloomberg’s New York City “soda ban,” two other cities eyed similar measures and movie theater popcorn was analyzed for a similar restriction.
And it’s not just cranberry juice that faces the chopping block–if the department follows its earlier guidelines, only 100 percent juice beverages would be allowed in vending machines and school stores, Wootan said.
Numerous websites have already parodied the possible change. Gawker published an article titled “Michelle Obama’s War on Cranberries,” and commenter Art Demartini wrote: “First the left targets ”evil” oil, now cranberry juice. There is no end to their madness.”
(H/T: Mediaite)


















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Comments (109)
christos
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 2:07am…The sugar they add to the cranberries cancel out the health benefits of the cranberries,,,try – Earth Shift Products.com – Goji berries & unpasteurized almonds,cacoa beans,yerba mate to name a few great items.
Report Post »old white guy
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 7:31amtry getting the government out of our a$$ instead of sugar out of drinks.
Report Post »soybomb315
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 7:46amso tired of the government in my business. Just leave me alone. Never voting for a single progressive – red or blue
Report Post »ashestoashes
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 7:57amAre these people completely clueless? Cranberries keep urinary infections at bay.. They have “no sugar added” cranberry juice as well as other juices with no sugar added..I would like to see everything with no sugar added..Sugar is the culprit..not the juices..Juice comes from fruit! It is a natural beneficial beverage..all juices would have health benefits.. What Moochelle should be concentrating on is the GMO food..I understand that most countries have banned them and the ones who have not are only allowing 5% of the whole food supply to be contaminated with them and they are labeled..Here.70% of our food is GMO and they are suspected of causing cancer..auto immune diseases and alzhimers..The GMOs make their own insecticide and we eat them..They have a similar to our protein and they multiply in our stomachs exponentially even when we stop eating them. Monsanto as I understand refuses to label and threatens lawsuits if done. Clarence Thomas Supreme Court Justice..and Donald Rumsfeld are involved. A lawyer for Monsanto now works for the FDA..So many gov officials are involved. Banks are the biggest investors..followed by pension funds and private. THe rabbit hole runs deep.
Report Post »ashestoashes
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 8:17amBenefits of Cranberry juice.
Report Post »Rich in phytochemicals – You probably heard the term on TV, but what does it do exactly? Phytochemicals do a lot of good stuff for the body. Cranberry juice is a good source of polyphenol antioxidants and phytochemicals, both of which are possible deterrents against cancer and disorders of the cardiovascular and immune systems. That’s a lot of benefits coming from a small fruit.Prevents urinary tract infection – Preservatives in food and beverages, along with poor hygiene, contribute to the rise in UTI cases these days. Cleanse by drinking a glass of unsweetened cranberry juice. Cranberry’s anti-adhesion properties—or the proanthocyanidins minerals found in the fruit—help rinse the body of urinary tract infections caused by E. coli bacteria.Reduces dental plaque – Unless you’re drinking sweetened cranberry juice, this beverage has nothing but good news for the teeth and gums. Experts say cranberry juice inhibit the growth of mouth bacteria that causes plaque. So drink up. A healthy dose of cranberry juice ensures your teeth are fresh and clean all the time.Prevents formation of kidney stones – This is still under active medical research, but the presence of quinic acid have experts saying it is possible for cranberry juice to help prevent the development of kidney stones. It makes sense since cranberry rid the body of wastes and bacteria—anything that doesn’t belong there. Perhaps 97% drink cranberry juice.
normalmom
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 1:04pmCan you say really really expensive. That is the irony of the government butting into out business, they claim how good all the organic crap is but don’t want to make it affordable. Than they chose to gripe about fat people.
Report Post »christos
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 1:18pm……SPOOKY Dude holds all or most of the stock in the company Monsanto,,,after juice is pasteurized all that’s left is a small amount of vitamin c not any of the phyotochemicals are destroyed by heat through the pasteurizing process,,your buying 10% vitamin c and water if the juice has corn syrup or refined sugar it depletes the minerals out of your bones,best to buy fresh fruit and just drink water,,,cheaper and 100% more beneficial.
Report Post »christos
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 2:47pmEdit not any of the phyotochemicals are (left they) are destroyed by heat through the pasteurizing process
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 4:35pmMake them drink buttermilk!
Report Post »acidovorax
Posted on June 27, 2012 at 12:59am“The sugar they add to the cranberries cancel out the health benefits of the cranberries,,,”
Christos, you got some references to support this claim?
Report Post »Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on June 27, 2012 at 1:06amMichelle The Food Nazi.Killing America one business at a time.
Report Post »christos
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 2:03am…The Illuminati at work with your tax dollars laughing all the way to their bank accounts.
Report Post »christos
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 2:02am…Juice is Pasteurized it has virtually no life force anyway,just eat Organic fruit,just like USDA pasteurizing nuts regulation that started in 2007 ruins the micro food value of the nuts besides protein there they also are dead food/no life force,,,the USDA is a wrecking ball,the food they do allow targets your liver and kidneys to destroy them on a cellular level,,,People under the constitution are legal to eat whatever they want,,,some food should have warning labels though,and then it’s the persons choice whether to eat it or not.
Report Post »acidovorax
Posted on June 27, 2012 at 1:02amAhhh Christ, the “life force” and “dead food” quacks. How do you test for “life force” concentration in a food?
Report Post »Force2bewreckin
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 1:36amThe government needs to be put in check!
Report Post »silentwatcher
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 1:58amget the h*ll out of my life Obama. You too Moochelle. You not my daddy,,,you not my momma. take a hike and get bent!!!
Report Post »Komponist-ZAH
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 3:08amCould someone please tell me where in the Constitution is a federal Department of Agriculture authorized?
Report Post »Living In NYC
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 6:39amThe goverment should maybe share information not dictate what we do and eat. Instead of restricting what we do…lets talk about exercise and caloric intake..those are the problems!
Meeshell the “self appointed food czar” is no doctor so what does she know about what our bodies needs. Start at home Meeshell…..it seems like every time I turn on ESPN; Barry is shoving hot dogs, pop corn and cokes in his face as some sporting event.
Meeshell..for the most part it caloric intake that makes people fat..no what they eat!
Report Post »sealwifenyc
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 1:24amOk people, can you read and understand anything? There is no banning juice, they are simply requiring that juices be 100% juice, oh the horror. This is for schools, for kids. Stop acting like the world is ending and jesus is coming back because our government is trying to limit things that make kids fat. 1 in 3 kids are overweight, since parents are obviously to lazy to provide healthy foods and instill healthy habits in their kids, we have to start somewhere. Do you have any idea what obesity does to our health care system?
Report Post »Flag-Man
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 1:34amAre you really so stupid you don’t see what is going on?????
Report Post »BOUGHT YOUR SILO YET?
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 1:45amCan you read and understand anything? When sodas first got banned it started in schools and now look, its moving to the marketplace. You’re a dolt if you think that the governement should be telling us all what to eat and/or drink. Let people live their own lives. Unlike you, I am not stupid, I can make decisions all by myself without any help from mommy and daddy gub-ment.
Report Post »MAMMY_NUNN
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 1:48amGet rid of the High Fructose Corn Syrup which has replaced all sweeteners.
Report Post »semplar
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 2:18amOne of the reasons that the government exists is to protect its citizens. Feeding our children a bunch of high fat and high sugar junk is not protecting its citizens. As such, I applaud the government for cracking down on the school cafeterias. These rules, however, should not extend to the private market. If a restaurant wants to feed its customers junk, fine. The restaurant should be forthcoming with the ingredients of its food and then leave it up to capitalism to determine the fate of the restaurant.
This philosophy does break, however, when the government starts subsidizing health care. Just as many of you do not want unemployment going toward the purchase of crack, I do not want subsidized health care supporting a person who refuses to take care of his or her body. If you want US to help pay for your health, then you had better take care of it. If not, then pay for your own health care. If you want US to help pay for your school lunches, then you will eat healthy food.
Report Post »TheBurningTruth
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 5:34amDo you have any idea what any of the following does to our health care system?
1) Kids dropping out of school?
2) Kids having their own kids in their teens?
3) Druggies and dopers in their teens?
4) Two mommie / two daddy “families”?
5) Rewarding failures and penalizing successes?
6) Bareback riding spreading the communicable diseases?
7) Shared IV use spreading communicable diseases?
There’s a whole lot more resulting from the Progressive Liberal dismantlement of our society that hurts far worse than just obesity. As long as society gives the green light to other far worse behaviors, I don‘t see why people can’t eat what they like.
Report Post »arbeauchamp
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 7:05amSo, you don’t believe that parents have the ultimate responsibility in teaching kids how to eat properly? Why are the hysteria about lunch, when breakfast, snacks, dinner are served at home? What about personal responsibility and personal choices. If I decide to give my kids sugar/water, that‘s none of the government’s business. Do they really believe they are so much smarter than me and are helping me make the best choices for my kids? That’s really none of their business. This really isn’t about nutrition, it’s about control and that will become more apparent from now on.
Report Post »soybomb315
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 7:56amdrinks have high sugar content and have been replaced using high fructose corn syrup because…..
Government has subsidized the corn and sugar industry. Look at the most recent agriculture bill (which most republicans going to approve). The federal government subsidizes the big agricultural companies and requires things like ethanol (which results in more corn produced). The end result is more corn and sugar at lower prices. Naturally, these products end up in our food and drinks.
Like everything else, if you want to restore sanity – end the government involvement in the food industry
Report Post »christos
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 4:42pmTo SOYBOMB315 — You are Correct the Government subsidizes to those poor farmers – Wheat,Soy,Corn – and those three items are in everything,tax payers are paying them to destroy their health and the Big Fat Food Processors are laughing all the way to the bank,then the Doctors & Pharmaceuticals are their to drain the rest of peoples bank accounts,,,,Why do you think small companies that sell quality products disappear large companies buy the competition and either change the quality or they disappear altogether,,who owns all the holdings in these large companies,,,the anti +CHRIST+ JESUS+ said +HE+ would have the wicked store up the $ for the Righteous.
Report Post »loveliberty83
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 1:19amthe little cranbberry in the juice is good & much better then bladder antibiotics especially women if they drink a glass aweek will help the ph of the urine this has been proven & any urologist will tell you this.i have told many of my patients this & it has prevent problems Obama’s wife is just plan stupid , cranberry is good ladies & keep drinking it
Report Post »AmazingGrace8
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 1:18amIn many hollywood movies, there are chilling scenes where the victim is running from a danger. To make it more exciting, the victim, say a car is coming at them, will “run-in-a-straight-line” in front of the fast-moving car and you are yelling “you fool” you are setting yourself up to get run over. Then there is Jaguar Paw that thinks out a plan when his turn is next and he runs zig-zag to increase his chances of not getting hit with arrows. I am always concerned about the “last-person” in line as the group is going through, say a dark tunnel and there are monsters lurking somewhere. We figure the first person is “going-to-get-it“ but most of the time it is the ”poor-slob” that is last in line. However, with this current admin. “all of us in line are going through that dark tunnel of uncertainty” but there is a light at the end of the tunnel….Nov 2K12……however, we Americans & Israel are being “surrounded”by real “boogey-men”. This is NO MOVIE but real life.!!!
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:57amHere we go with the next step of the dictator of Obama and friends at work.
Report Post »Living In NYC
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 6:42amSeems like Michelle and Barry are the bullies on the school bus…pointing their fingers at us and demanding that we do “what they say”.
Report Post »lassiegirldawn
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:46amThis is supposed to be bad for us, but GM sown grass in Texas is killing mass cattle. The grass is producing Cyanide Gas, wonder how they work on the barbie.
Report Post »http://www.infowars.com/gmo-grass-kills-cows-in-texas-cyanide-gas/
RepubliCorp
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:44amFirst, Ocean Spray Cranberries is 90% sugar water and 10% Cranberries sold at the price of pure juice. So it is hardly a health food or a good value. But if I want to drink it that’s my choice. The smoking Nazis have move to sugar. Just wait for the sugar tax it is coming.
Report Post »DEFCON4
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 1:00am@REPUBLICORP, Right you are. Sugar /sucrose/ is indeed, a hydocarbon on the list to be taxed, and Regulated.
Report Post »JACKTHETOAD
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 5:55amI wonder when the smoking nazis will BAN SMOKING?!? Bwahaha. (Fake piety stoma commercials, anybody?)
Report Post »Living In NYC
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 6:49amReally Jack…the tobacco industry is giving to Barry’s campaign..so they are off limits….Maybe if the Juice Lobby forks some cash over for Bully in Chief’s re-election this will go away for them.
Cash is King to the Bullies in the Whitehouse..pay to play or pay to get off the radar screen! It’s all about cash!
Report Post »arbeauchamp
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 7:07amI’m starting to wonder if this is some sort of an attack on the cranberry industry….are their CEO’s and business leaders NOT democrats? If they were, this wouldn’t be news.
Report Post »glockman641
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:40amthey made a movie called “demolition man” with sly stallone,denis leary and sandra bullock. of course it was typical hollywood with the earthquake creating san angelas but the storyline of all the items DEEMED BAD FOR YOU sounds like whats really going on in washington. in the plot, smoking,candy, sex,sodas,cigarettes, alcohol,toilet paper(remember the three sea shells) plus music,(how about that no hip hop)plus a laundry list of other items. well leary’s character went underground because he refused to abide by the utopian and narcissistic ramblings of one man. sound familiar(obama) he forced his ideals on the population based on what he thought was best for them(just as the democrats try to do). well it sounds like our government is using this movie script to pass laws and regulations on business and the people. well are we going to move underground or you gonna sit like a “good citizen” and let the govt tell you whats best for you. i know what im gonna do..in novrmber!!
Report Post »normalmom
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 1:12pmThat’s funny my husband and I were just saying the other day that is where the government is heading. Don’t forget no salt. We would be underground, I believe in flavor in my food. Scary thought and the government needs to butt the heck out of our personal lives.
Report Post »Apple Bite
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:37amAll they have to do is ban High Fructose Corn Syrup! You can have juice without the man made sweeteners! This is why this country will fail to resolve the health problems in this country, the USDA and FDA refuses to do their due diligence in keeping the public safe from all of the unchecked, never been vetted artificial stuff in our foods and drinks. Americans back in the 70‘s weren’t in this bad of shape. It didn’t begin until HFCS became the norm, and more and more artificial sweeteners came to the forefront.
But they‘ll have the public believe it’s sugar (from Sugar Cane, a natural made substance. Can’t get more organic than that!). If only we were all so oblivious to the truth…
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:45amThat is fine, start with educating the masses rather than politically indoctrinating them. Let’s go back to actually teaching real facts in those health classes regardless of how the union wants the teachers to goof off. We don’t need the government taking away freedoms to choose. Like somebody else here pointed out, get the government out of their bodies, get the government out of the bedrooms, get them out of anything where they have no business.
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:51amIt was the feds interference that increased the price of sugar to the point that HFCS was brought in as the cheaper alternative. Remember the New Coke/Classic Coke fiasco?
Report Post »glockman641
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:58ami cant stand the word banned. greg gutfeld of the five should put that on his banned word list. i dont think banning is the correct method. the government could put a “tax” on it that would basically make companies realize their product is too high for competition( they would have to change the ingredients) they taxed items like tanning beds and other things. they could try to influence the consumer to make them aware of the health issues of hfc. but this is america,dont ban things just because you can. when i think of “banned” and “banning” i think of a dictatorship,a monarchy,a fascist,a communist ideology. we can think and compare on our own if the information regarding a certain product is known. i challenge our govt to help us make good choices not make them for us. sounds like another nanny dept of this admin.
Report Post »WhatsUp
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:34amAmerica–have you had enough–are you willing to Stand Up, Speak Out and Fight Back?
We can’t wait until November to show those establishment elitists in DC (with our voting them out of office) how we feel; how we’ve had enough! We need to march on DC and we need to march now and march often–Who’s with me?
Report Post »DEFCON4
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:42amSounds like, you are HIGH on Sucrose !!!!
Report Post »apojoe69
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:22amGood God! When will Congress or the President stop these crazy government agencies from interfering in the everyday lives of the people? What the hell is the matter with our judgement? What is this crazy grab for power over the people that we see in these leaders? Why can’t they let us be free people as the Constitution says?
Report Post »FedUpMan
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:48amDrunk with power the dictates continue unabated. The king and queen have spoken, watch out or they will put you head on a pike and put it on display for the world to see.
Report Post »The Secret Service has the power to arrest people for speaking their mind in earshot of the president. The 1st amendment is under assault and this is only the beginning.
beebacksoon
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 5:05pmapojoe69: You are kidding, right? Obama and his administration WANTS control of every aspect of our lives. What better way than putting his wife in charge of healthy eating and forcing it, via new policies and guidelines, mandates and laws, down our throats. Obama wants to be King, and Michelle wants to be his Queen. If he gets reelected that just might happen. The Constitution, to them, are bothersome and in the way!
Report Post »rickc34
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:18amWhen the prro choice hags chanted keep your hands of my body.. I say keep your hand off my food choices my life my choice you stupid fool. Obama care will kill more people than sugar.
Report Post »lassiegirldawn
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:17amIt is not about the nutrition of the food, the size or how good it is for us. It is the control over us. If people accept these controls, they will be led to accept all controls like good little sheep, the government knows best.
Report Post »possom
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:16amThe whole damn gov need’s to shut down and get out of our business, their just screwing thing’s up! Especially the DOJ, TSA, HOMELAND SECURITY, EPA, DOE, IRS, and the 5 bagillion csars need to be fired!
Report Post »navykurt
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:14amYou can get an abortion on demand but you can’t have a double gulp. What the hell is the world coming to?
Report Post »rawmilker
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:22amThese bastards want to put everyone out of business….jobkillers!
Report Post »___
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:14amthe name of the game is control
Report Post »MIBUGNU2
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:29amIn a few months MO will baloon out like the Goodyear Blimp..
Report Post »Hide and watch !!!!
lukerw
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:11amFASCITs… always know what is Right for everyone else!
Report Post »MAMMY_NUNN
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:03amHow about banning High Fructose Corn Syrup it’s in everything today fattening the cattle for slaughter.
Report Post »TRILO
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:34amPlus there is a good chance it is made from GMO corn. So not only are you getting a good dose of high calories you are getting an added bonus of increased pesticides in your system. Not to mention a greater chance of increased allergies.
Report Post »MAMMY_NUNN
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 1:59amWhat a epidemic there would be if High Fructose Corn Syrup replaced sweeteners in candy.
Report Post »Ducky 1
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:02amI LOVE SUGAR !!!! Government stay away from my food choices!!!
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:00amSo, how many more hundreds if not thousands of people do they plan to put in the unemployment lines? Next they will outlaw the playing of the Mary Poppin’s tune, “A little Sugar Makes The Medicine Go Down!”
Report Post »MEANS2RESIST
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:11amI think they are trying to attack any alternative beverages to water so theres nothing other than H2o to drink. Control the food & water & you control the people. This sonuva b i t c h obama is an evil mf’r!
Report Post »DEFCON4
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:28am@MEANS2, Dr. Strangelove. Only drink rain water and grain alcohol, Jack……
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:33amMEANS2RESIST, Oh yeah, control the food, control the population. Typical tactic of the Marxists.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on June 24, 2012 at 11:55pmObama: In ‘Married, with children’… the Bundy’s funeral plan… was to have Al on the bottom, and Peg on top, in the same Coffin… in Eternal Bliss!
Report Post »randy
Posted on June 24, 2012 at 11:52pmGet the HEII out of my Fridge OBAMA!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:07amWhat part of the Economy… are we Stimulating… with Product/Size/Content Bans? Is LESS actually MORE?
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