When transparency about sugar becomes controversial

A Washington Post opinion column attacking Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for questioning the sugar content of commercial drinks reveals how quickly public health debates can become political.

Kennedy proposed that companies selling drinks containing enormous quantities of sugar should be able to demonstrate that their products are safe.

In response, the editorial board of the Washington Post argued that this proposal represents an unacceptable intrusion on consumer freedom, in an article titled “In Defense of Sugar.”

But the issue is not personal freedom. It is industrial manipulation of our food supply with hidden sugar.