When we talked about healthy snacks and focusing on US production, we opened a can of worms that continues to crawl all over us. Claims are being made and consumers are being challenged to have confidence in their products. Here are a few instances where we are getting the help we need to decipher all the labeling confusion.

Whole Foods decided they needed companies to certify the organic claims for their personal care products. Such changes do not come overnight so the company is giving them until August to submit their compliance plans and until next June for full compliance. This should be interesting to watch! Wonder how many companies will just disappear from the shelves since they cannot meet the claims they advertise! Hmm. They are asking manufacturers that claim a product is organic to verify that it meets the USDA’s National Organic Standards.

We should applaud this move as well as salute the companies that are focusing us on our food verification. A final quick note (for today) in the anxiety column: Sunscreens.

We have been told to protect ourselves from the harmful rays of the sun. That damage and increased skin cancer rates are making us vulnerable to future problems. We lather our children and ourselves with 15-30-45 SPFs and higher so they will not be victims of future skin problems. Wait: The news may not be what it seems. Some sunscreens have ingredients that subject us to future problems; not protect, but enhance the dilemma. Now the Environmental Working Group has a list we need to check and cross-check against the products we regularly use.

As they say, it’s complicated: Protecting our food supply, making certain claims are authentic, and finding the safest, best products. We need to stay ever vigilant!

Trust….