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The Connecticut attorney general is beginning an investigation into a national labeling campaign that promotes certain foods as nutritional choices, according to the New York Times. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said he is investigating the Smart Choices program, which includes participants such as Kellogg’s, General Mills and PepsiCo, because of concerns that it is “overly simplistic, inaccurate and ultimately misleading.” The Smart Choices program, which began earlier this summer, includes products from national food manufacturers and uses nutritional criteria it developed in coordination with the food industry and based on the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Products that meet its standards can display a green check logo on their packaging. The investigation will try to determine if the labeling violates state consumer protection laws by producing misleading or false claims. Froot Loops, a Kellogg’s children’s cereal, is one Smart Choice-qualified product that has gained a lot of attention. Sugar is the first ingredient in the cereal, and although two cups of it provide half the daily requirement of several vitamins, they also contain 300 calories. Blumenthal will also be seeking information from groups such as the American Society for Nutrition—which was involved in the program’s development— and consulted several experts prior to launching the investigation, including Kelly Brownell of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. In a written statement, Smart Choices executives have said they would cooperate with the investigation and described the program as “an important step in the right direction to help consumers” (Neuman, New York Times, 10/14/09; Smart Choices Program). (Editor’s Note: The Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity is an RWJF grantee.)