It’s time to close food loopholes

Even though I spend a good portion of my day writing, reading and talking about food, I’m still as confused as anyone at the grocery store. For every health claim that proves to be false — vitamin flavored soda better for you than regular soda! — another claim comes along to replace it.

Having worked in bakeries, I’ve always been wary of grocery store wheat bread. I know what real wheat bread looks and tastes like, and not much supermarket wheat bread actually fits that description. My suspicions were confirmed yesterday by the Wall Street Journal, which explained that the term “wheat bread” is utterly meaningless. “All bread is made with wheat. Some manufacturers add to the illusion by

using a brown wrapper or darkening bread with brown sugar or molasses.

The more healthful stuff is whole wheat … Check the ingredients. If the first one listed is ‘enriched

wheat flour,’ you aren’t getting much whole grain.”

It got me thinking — with the White House cracking down on businesses that use tax loopholes, now is a perfect time to do a similar crackdown on food loopholes.

Even more common than the wheat-bread loophole is the trans-fat one.