Reprinted with permission of The Wall Street Journal © 1992 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
In one of his final regulatory moves as president, George Bush last week capitulated to the strident calls of self-appointed consumer groups. In announcing the administration's decision mandating the relabeling of nearly 300,000 American food products, Louis Sullivan, secretary of health and human services, declared: "The Tower of Babel in food labels has come down, and American consumers are the winners." The media bought this line, hailing the move as a victory for consumers. The reality is just the opposite. consumers will be the losers, left paying the bill with no benefits to show for it.
