WSJ.com – FDA Weighs Plan To Let More Foods Wear ‘Lean’ Labels

This article might not be about what you think, if you just read the headline…. it’s related to food and the FDA.

The FDA’s proposed label change would allow the “lean” label on products that contain less than eight grams (0.28 ounce) of total fat, up to 3.5 grams of saturated fat and less than 80 milligrams (0.0028 ounce) of cholesterol per serving. The public has until Feb. 8 to comment in writing on the proposal.

In a way, it’s a shame that any manufacturing company or any executive can slap a “lean” label on a factory or an entire firm, especially when many of these companies are far from lean. I’m not proposing government regulation or a phone-book sized list of requirements for being “lean”. Part of the problem is agreeing on a defintion of lean, but then also how do you measure the “softer” side of lean, such as respect for people?

About LeanBlog.org: Mark Graban is a consultant, author, and speaker in the “lean healthcare” methodology, focused on improving quality and patient safety, improving access, reducing costs, and fully engaging healthcare professionals. He is also the Chief Improvement Officer for KaiNexus.