Description
Book SynopsisHow did the Nutrition Facts label come to appear on millions of everyday American household food products? As Xaq Frohlich reveals, this legal, scientific, and seemingly innocuous strip of information can be a prism through which to view the high-stakes political battles and development of scientific ideas that have shaped the realms of American health, nutrition, and public communication. By tracing policy debates at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Frohlich describes the emergence of our present information age in food and diet markets and examines how powerful government offices inform the public about what they consume. From Label to Table explores evolving popular ideas about food, diet, and responsibility for health that have influenced what goes on the Nutrition Facts labeland who gets to decide that.
Table of ContentsContents
Acknowledgments
A Note on Primary Sources
Introduction: Food and Power in the Information Age
1. An Age of Standards
2. Gatekeepers and Hidden Persuaders
3. Malnourished or Misinformed?
4. The Market Turn
5. A Government Brand
6. Labeling Lifestyles
Conclusion: The Informational Turn in Food Politics
Chronology
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
