The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has launched a campaign to halve the amount of sodium in prepackaged foods and restaurant meals within 10 years. CSPI Executive Director Michael Jacobson this week presented the group’s case to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, claiming that “Because it raises blood pressure and increases the risk of hypertension, heart attacks and kidney disease, salt is arguably the most harmful ingredient in our food supply.” According to Jacobson, “Gradually reducing sodium levels in packaged and restaurant foods by half would ultimately save an estimated 150,000 lives and billions of dollars annually.” Jacobson’s testimony underscored a concurrent CSPI exposé on restaurant meals that contain more than 4,000 mg of sodium per plate. The consumer advocacy group apparently examined meals at 17 restaurant chains, finding that “85 out of 102 meals had more than a day’s worth of sodium, and some had more…
Category Archives Other Developments
General Mills, Inc. has reportedly enlisted hundreds of bloggers to receive and review products as part of its MyBlogSpark™ campaign, which sends free samples, coupons and other promotional materials to members in exchange for their feedback. The blog network has apparently registered approximately 900 writers–of whom more than 80 percent are mothers–to expand marketing distribution to an audience purportedly exceeding 8 million readers. One recent set of blog reviews garnered approximately 5 million “total impressions” and 8,000 comments, according to General Mills, which does not purchase ad space on the web pages. The blogosphere’s growing influence, however, has prompted the Federal Trade Commission to propose regulations that would require bloggers to reveal any affiliations with the product under review. MyBlogSpark has thus encouraged participants to divulge their relationship to General Mills, but also asked bloggers to submit any negative reviews to the program before posting them on the Internet. “We…
A UK-based consumer group recently released the results of a survey finding that some baby foods allegedly contain more saturated fat, salt and sugar by weight than popular adult snacks. The Children’s Food Campaign (CFC) apparently analyzed 107 products for infants or toddlers, claiming that only one-half met the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA’s) requirements for low fat, salt and sugar. According to CFC, “Farley’s Original Rusks contained more sugar than McVities Dark Chocolate Digestives, that Heinz Toddler’s Own Mini Cheese Biscuits had more saturated fat per 100g than a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese, and that Cow & Gate Baby Balance Bear Biscuits contained trans fat and were not labeled in the way required.” CFC also called on the government to (i) “Obtain a commitment from all companies that produce food marketed for babies and young children to reformulate products to remove trans fats and reduce the amount of saturated fat,…
A long-term study by the Mount Sinai Medical Center for Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research has reportedly suggested a link between childhood obesity and endocrine disruptors, including phthalates and bisphenol A. Part of a study titled “Growing Up Healthy in East Harlem,” the project followed 520 children ages 6 to 8 for five years in an effort to determine “how the area where the children lived affected diet, physical activity and risk for obesity.” Researchers apparently found that study participants had “higher levels in their urine of three endocrine disruptors – 2,5 DCP, MBP and MEHHP – than a national sample of children the same age.” According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, approximately 43 percent of East Harlem kindergarteners were also overweight or obese for their age in 2003. “The heaviest girls have the highest levels of phthalates metabolites in their urine,”…
A recent study has reportedly claimed that consumption of fructose-sweetened beverages raised blood lipid levels in overweight subjects, whereas glucose-sweetened beverages did not incur analogous effects. Kimber L. Stanhope, et al., “Consuming Fructose-Sweetened, Not Glucose-Sweetened, Beverages Increases Visceral Adiposity and Lipids and Decreases Insulin Sensitivity in Overweight/Obese Humans,” Journal of Clinical Investigation, April 20, 2009. University of California, Davis, researchers created two groups from 32 overweight men and women matched for age, weight, fasting triglyceride levels, insulin concentrations, total cholesterol, and other factors. Each group then consumed either fructose-sweetened or glucose-sweetened beverages for 10 weeks while living at a research center and while eating a normal diet as outpatients. The results indicated that although both groups experienced similar amounts of weight gain, the group assigned to fructose-sweetened beverages had larger gains in abdomen fat and increased blood levels of triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins when compared to their counterparts in the…
Former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner David Kessler has reportedly written a book, titled The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite, that criticizes the food industry for contributing to a culture of “conditioned hypereating,” a phenomenon allegedly comparable to drug addiction that encourages millions of people to eat high-fat, high-sugar foods even when not hungry. The book cites neurological research suggesting that foods high in fat and sugar can trigger dopamine pathways in the brain, which then becomes conditioned to associate specific aromas, tastes and places with positive experiences and to thus promote overeating. According to Kessler, people prone to hypereating must learn to resist temptations in an environment rife with inexpensive high-fat, high-calorie foods. He also apparently hopes more restaurants will rein in portion sizes and reveal calories on menus. “The food industry has figured out what works. They know what drives people to…
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has produced a report concluding that despite 20 years of research and 13 years of commercialization, genetically engineered (GE) corn and soybean crops have not increased yields compared to other agriculture technologies. Released in March 2009, the report reviewed two dozen academic studies of corn and soybeans and found that increase in yields for both crops over the last 13 years was largely due to traditional breeding or improvements in agricultural practices. It claims that genetic engineering is unlikely to play a significant role in increasing food production in the foreseeable future and recommends that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), state agricultural agencies and universities increase research and development for proven approaches to boost crop yields. “If we are going to make headway in combating hunger due to overpopulation and climate change, we will need to increase crop yields,” the report’s author, Gurian…
Green Century Capital Management, an investment advisory firm focused on environmentally responsible companies, and As You Sow, an advocacy group that promotes corporate accountability, have issued a new report urging food and beverage manufacturers to stop using the packaging chemical bisphenol A (BPA) or risk possible repercussions in the marketplace. The report claims that 14 of the largest public packaged food and beverage companies still use BPA despite studies allegedly linking it to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and metabolic disorders. The report states: “Companies that move toward BPA-free packaging are being recognized as putting their customers’ health first, while other companies refusing to phase out BPA may find themselves punished in the marketplace.” In published reports, a Green Century director expressed concern about the lack of urgency the packaged food industry appears to have in addressing BPA. “Alternatives to BPA exist for many products. We believe companies should implement all feasible…
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is sponsoring a National Conference on Childhood Obesity on June 18-19, 2009, in Washington, D.C. The event will address (i) evidence-based links between diet, obesity and chronic disease, (ii) opportunities in clinical practice for preventing and treating obesity and related chronic diseases, (iii) the ways that school food programs and government policies affect children, and (iv) upcoming changes to nutrition guidelines and related government policies.
The consumer advocacy group Food & Water Watch (FWWatch) recently launched a campaign to block chicken imports from China, where several U.S. companies are reportedly building plants. Alleging that these corporations are “putting pressure” on lawmakers, FWWatch has asked Congress to uphold its 2008 ban on imported processed poultry in light of “specific problems” with China’s food safety standards and inspection system. In particular, the group pointed to the rejection of other Chinese imports due to “contamination with melamine or banned chemicals like chloramphenicol; pesticide residues and unsafe additives; and conditions inspectors described as ‘poisonous’ and ‘filthy.’” “Even worse,” according to FWWatch, “China has experienced several outbreaks of the very contagious bird flu that has not only infected poultry but also been fatally transmitted to humans.” See Food & Water Watch Action Alert, April 14, 2009.
