Rush Limbaugh is CCF and Bill Maher is PCRM

“Hot Dogs cause Butt Cancer”

In today’s political climate we have liberals versus conservatives that take arguments so far out into left and right field that we are past the warning track and into the bleachers.  Their attacks on each end of the spectrum are almost comical if only in their tabloid style approaches.  You can find this in any industry and the food industry is no exception.  

A recently story from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is causing a bit of a stir for the processed meats and sausage industry (see bill board copy below).  The PCRM is not a completely credible point of nutritional and dietary information because their non-profit charter promotes a completely vegan diet.  Its founder, Neal D. Barnard, has called cheese “dairy crack” in his quest to promote his message of vegetarian and vegan diets.  PCRM’s membership is large and its advisory board is full of brilliant people.  They also have a strong relationship with PETA, which may push them more to the radical edge of medical science.

I do not dispute PCRM’s logic and I find myself as a Food Scientist and manufacturer at odds with its overall message, after all I have been manufacturing ice cream, cookies, pies, and cakes during my career.  Food has become an issue for our population, because some get too much and some get too little.  The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF), a non-profit lobby group for the food and beverage industry, is obviously in the opposite corner in its relationship with PCRM.  So much show, I find myself at odds with its overall approach to educating the eating public also.

Family relationships, friendships, and acquaintances and generations of history tell us that an occasional hot dog with chili and cheese, or a sub sandwich with salami and cheese, cake and ice cream are not going to adversely affect our health.  Eating a hot dog with chili and cheese at every meal could be a major problem just like eating only Kale could result in some unpleasantness.

I look at the PCRM group as the very skinny (almost anorexic) team on one side and the CCF as the obese (real fat cats) on the other side.   Most of the United State population’s thought processes fall in the middle.  The middle is not a bad place to be.  Diet, nutrition, exercise all need balance to be effective for our population.  There is room for brussel sprouts and a good steak in our diets.   

To be continued………