The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), other advocacy groups and local public health officials have sent letters to the CEOs of supermarkets and pharmacies urging them to “encourage customers to purchase healthier, no- and low-calorie drinks in place of higher calorie sugar drinks to improve customers’ health, as well as boost [their] company’s reputation for social responsibility and caring for the health of its customers.” The letters cite scientific studies purportedly demonstrating that “sugar drinks (carbonated or not) are a major contributor to the obesity epidemic,” “the single largest source of calories in many Americans’ diets,” and “the only food or beverage that has been directly linked to obesity.” “With supermarkets [and pharmacies] selling the lion’s share of sugar drinks, your company and others clearly have an opportunity to promote your customers’ health by encouraging customers to switch from high-calorie to low-calorie drinks,” the letters assert. “Possibilities…
Tag Archives soda/soft drink
The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) has published two “Perspective” articles in its April 3, 2013, issue, commenting on the recent ruling by Judge Milton Tingling overturning the New York City Board of Health’s restrictions on the size of sugary drinks sold at certain city establishments—the “Portion Cap Rule.” Details about the ruling are included in Issue 475 of this Update. Attorneys Wendy Mariner and George Annas with the Boston University School of Health opine in “Limiting ‘Sugary Drinks’ to Reduce Obesity— Who Decides?” that the court was likely correct in ruling that the Board of Health lacked the authority to adopt the rule given a court of appeals ruling overturning indoor smoking rules after examining “the difficult-to-define line between administrative rulemaking and legislative policymaking.” They contend that higher taxes on all soda sales would be a reasonable alternative to the Portion Cap Rule, noting that “[h]igher prices often…
A Lancet commentary supportive of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s effort to curb the size of sugar-sweetened beverages sold in the city questions whether food and beverage industry partnerships with minority advocacy organizations are “merely a smokescreen to hide the continued targeting of the most susceptible consumers.” Comparing “Big Soda” to “Big Tobacco,” the article refers to a recent article, summarized in Issue 472 of this Update, to suggest that the answer to the question is yes. The article also cites the Access to Nutrition Index, which ranked companies, in part, on their “nutrition-related commitments, performance and disclosure practices,” to call for continued industry monitoring with the aim of reinforcing “the best business practices.” The Index is discussed in Issue 475 of this Update. In a related development, Center for Science in the Public Interest Executive Director Michael Jacobson has authored an article for Huffington Post arguing that soft drink…
Immediately after a New York court determined that the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene lacked the authority and a rational basis to adopt a prohibition on the sale of sugary beverages in containers larger than 16 ounces, the city filed a notice of appeal, which will reportedly be heard during the first week of June 2013. N.Y. Statewide Coal. of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce v. NYC Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene, No. 653584/12 (N.Y. App. Div., filed March 12, 2013). Declaring the rule invalid, the state’s supreme court—New York’s trial court—enjoined and permanently restrained the city from implementing or enforcing it. The “Portion Cap Rule” was set to take effect on March 12, but New York Supreme Court Judge Milton Tingling, after exploring at length the scope of the Department of Health’s authority as reflected in city charters dating back to the 1600s, found that it…
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has submitted a petition to the Food and Drug Administration, asking the agency to set limits on the amount of sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) allowed in beverages. CSPI also implores FDA to make the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status of HFCS and sucrose contingent on such limits, which would gradually be phased-in, while calling on the agency to (i) “revise the ‘Sugars’ line on Nutrition Facts labels to address ‘added sugars’”; (ii) “set targets for lower levels of added sugars in foods (apart from soft drinks and other beverages) that provide significant amounts of sugar to the general populations or population sub-groups”; (iii) “conduct a public education campaign to encourage consumers to consume less added sugars”; and (iv) “work with the food industry and interested federal, state, and local agencies to encourage reduced use and consumption of added…
Apparently motivated in part by an online petition started by a 15-year-old from Mississippi, PepsiCo has reportedly decided to remove brominated vegetable oil (BVO), a flame retardant, from Gatorade®. Sarah Kavanagh posted the petition on Change.org after she read about studies linking BVO to possible health effects, and it was signed by more than 200,000 who agreed with her call for its removal. Additional information about the petition appears in Issue 463 of this Update. The company will not remove BVO from Mountain Dew® products. A company spokesperson reportedly said that PepsiCo has been testing alternatives for about a year, but because it continues to believe that the ingredient is safe, was not going to change the formulation until the petition met with such a response. Kavanagh taped a segment for “The Dr. Oz Show” and visited The New York Times while she was in New York. When she learned about…
Cancer Council, Diabetes Australia and the National Heart Foundation of Australia have issued recommendations about the sale and availability of sugar-sweetened beverages as well as launched a new public service announcement titled “Rethink Sugary Drinks.” According to a January 17, 2013, press release, the three organizations “have called for immediate action by governments, schools and non-government organizations such as sport centers to tackle one of the key contributors to obesity in Australia—sugary drinks.” In particular, the groups advocate (i) a government-sponsored social marketing campaign “to highlight the health impacts of sugar sweetened beverages consumption and encourage people to reduce their consumption levels”; (ii) a Federal Department of Treasury and Finance investigation “into tax options to increase the price of sugar-sweetened beverages or sugar-sweetened soft drinks, with the aim of changing purchasing habits and achieving healthier diets”; (iii) government restrictions on the marketing of sugar-sweetened beverages to children, “including through schools…
The NAACP’s New York state branch and the Hispanic Federation have joined those arguing in court that New York City’s restrictions on the size of sugary beverages sold by certain vendors, such as corner stores and delis, should not take effect on March 12, 2013. During the January 23 hearing, opponents, including several City Council members, apparently argued that the rule should have been adopted by the elected City Council rather than the mayor’s appointed health board and that it was too narrow, exempting certain other types of beverages and excluding convenience stores and supermarkets, to be fair. The American Beverage Association and groups including movie theater owners and Korean grocers were expected to oppose the rule, but the issue is reportedly complex for minority advocates in light of high obesity rates in the African-American and Hispanic communities. Still, these groups claimed in an amicus brief that the rule will…
A Change.org petition started by a high school student urges PepsiCo Americas Beverages and Gatorade Canada to remove brominated vegetable oil (BVO) from their products, citing a December 12, 2012, Scientific American article allegedly linking the stabilizer to “impaired neurological development, reduced fertility, early onset of puberty and altered thyroid hormones.” Garnering more than 180,000 signatures, the petition argues that BVO is banned in both the European Union and Japan, where Gatorade sports beverages do not contain the ingredient. “You put slick ads on TV encouraging people like me to buy your products, but it’s shocking that you have a flame retardant chemical called ‘brominated vegetable oil’ in some flavors,” opines the petitioner. “Please stop deceiving consumers and remove this chemical from your products.” In a related development, the U.K. Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a call for research on the occurrence of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in food…
PepsiCo, Inc. has reportedly launched a “fat-blocking” soda in Japan, sparking media interest in the latest product to take advantage of a Japanese government study finding that the water-soluble fiber supplement dextrin blocks fat absorption in the digestive system. According to various sources, “Pepsi Special” containing “indigestible dextrin” has received a “Food for Specified Heath Uses” label in Japan, which awards the designation to products with a demonstrated health benefit. Although Pepsi Special will not be available in markets outside Japan, the product has already attracted criticism from scientists and consumer groups questioning whether dextrin is as safe and effective as advertised. “Unless Pepsi can provide data from controlled studies in humans to the contrary, their claim should be regarded as bogus and deceptive,” Harvard School of Public Health Chair of Nutrition Walter Willett told Time magazine. This sentiment was echoed by Center for Science in the Public Interest Executive Director…
