Food Police’s Next Target – Hot Dogs

The nutters have a new scare they want us to be aware of – hot dogs.   The Associated Press reports that the American Academy of Pediatrics wants the federal food police to make “sweeping changes in the way food is designed and labeled to minimize children’s chances for choking.”  Even though hot dog makers put warning labels on their packaging, it’s not enough for those who want to run our lives.  The AP story says over 100 children under 14 die from choking on food.  Hello!  Yes, people can choke to death if they swallow food the wrong way.  Every adult, teenager and child over four who is of sound mind knows that you can choke if food “goes down the wrong way.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics says the dangerous food items include hot dogs, grapes, carrots and apples.  It warns parents to cut these foods in little pieces the size of peas.  The AAP would ban giving popcorn, marshmallows, hard candies and peanuts to young children.  Note to AAP:  Don’t forget to warn that the child should only eat one pea-sized bite at a time – stuffing ten pea-sized bites into the mouth at one time could be dangerous.  This raises the medical and scientific question of how many pea-sized food items can a young child safely put in his or her mouth at once?  Is it only one or maybe three?  Does the answer depend on the age or sex of the child and the capacity of the mouth cavity?  Can you smell the need for the federal government to give multi-billion dollar grants to research an answer?

The AAP also wants the Food and Drug Administration to recall dangerous food items, including items that are dangerous because of their shape.  The story says that suckers that are flat are safer than suckers that are round.  Are you listening Tootsie Roll Pops?  Here come the trial lawyers making America safe for lollipop lovers.  Will Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc., be the defendant in a class action law suit because of the shape of its suckers?

See “Surely You Must Be Choking” in which the author states:

sidewalks are tripping hazards, and puddles are slipping hazards, and trees are bumping-int0 hazards. The minute you decide to get up off the floor and sit on a chair (falling hazard) or couch (fire hazard) or go out the door (big, wide world-hazard) you are taking your life into your hands.