Center for Science In The Public Interest

Center for Science In The Public Interest http://www.cspinet.org News on nutrition, food safety, and more. www.cspinet.org http://www.cspinet.org/images/pearblogicon.gif http://www.cspinet.org USDA Faulted for Inaction on Antibiotic Resistant Salmonella Strains http://cspinet.org/new/201305161.html Multidrug-Resistant Strains in Ground Turkey, Beef Sickened 168 in 2011Leading consumer advocacy and public health organizations today called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to respond to a <A href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/cspi_petition_to_usda_on_abr_salmonella.pdf">two-year-old petition</a> submitted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest aimed at keeping antibiotic-resistant Salmonella out of the food supply. The <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/fsis_letter-abr_petition_sign-on.pdf">14 groups say that antibiotic-resistant pathogens in the food supply pose a serious risk to consumers</a> and that the federal government must do something to stop it.* Antibiotic-resistant bacteria in food will make foodborne illness harder to treat, according to CSPI. Today CSPI also released a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/outbreaks_antibiotic_resistance_in_foodborne_pathogens_2013.pdf">report documenting 55 foodborne outbreaks</a> caused over the years by pathogens resistant to penicillin, tetracycline, and other important drugs. Just in 2011, the last year for which data are available, three major outbreaks of Salmonella Hadar and Salmonella Heidelberg in ground turkey, and Salmonella Typhimurium in ground beef, sickened 168 and hospitalized 48, according to CSPI. Those strains, as well as Salmonella Newport, are the strains that CSPI wants USDA to treat as adulterants, much in the way USDA considers six deadly strains of E. coli (including the O157:H7) adulterants. Currently, USDA only recalls products with those antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella after the products have made people sick. The federal government already acknowledges that antibiotic-resistant pathogens in the food supply threaten to reverse medical progress, as important antibiotic drugs lose their effectiveness due to overuse. But the groups writing USDA say the agency is not doing enough to protect consumers, and hasn't even convened a public meeting to discuss the issue, let alone proposed a regulation. "USDA ignores this issue at our collective peril," said CSPI senior food safety attorney Sarah Klein. "The evidence is clear that antibiotic-resistant pathogens in food are very dangerous for consumers, and USDA could help solve the problem by making crystal clear that it won't accept these superbugs in meat and poultry." Besides ground meat and poultry, dairy products have also been implicated in outbreaks due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Those three categories together are responsible for more than half of all such outbreaks. In 31 outbreaks, the pathogens were resistant to five or more drugs. While Salmonella caused the most outbreaks (48 of 55), enterotoxigenic E. coli caused five outbreaks, and resistant strains of Campylobacter jejuni and Staphylococcus aureaus caused one outbreak each. "Antibiotic resistance isn't a hypothetical problem," said CSPI food safety research associate Susan Vaughn Grooters. "Real people are getting really sick from antibiotic-resistant pathogens in our food supply." CSPI, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and other consumer advocacy groups have urged the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates animal drugs, to prohibit the non-therapeutic use of medically important antibiotics in food animals. CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/ar/petition_3_99.html">first petitioned</a> the FDA to do so in 1999. In 2011, nearly 30 million pounds of antimicrobial drugs were sold for use in food-producing animals—three times as much as were sold for use in human medicine. *After this press release was issued, Keep Antibiotics Working signed on to the letter to Secretary Vilsack, bringing the total number of signatories to 14. 2013-05-16 Following New IOM Report, CSPI Urges Consumers, Industry, and Government to Reduce Sodium http://cspinet.org/new/201305141.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Director Bonnie LiebmanThe new <a href="http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2013/Sodium-Intake-in-Populations-Assessment-of-Evidence.aspx">sodium report from the Institute of Medicine</a> should not keep the government, food industry, health professionals, and consumers from acting on a public health problem of critical importance. As the IOM itself stated in 2010, urgent government action, including mandatory limits on salt in packaged foods, is required to help Americans bring their sodium consumption down to safe levels. The committee found too little evidence to say whether the safest intake—the green zone—is below 2,300 milligrams a day or below 1,500 milligrams a day. What the committee failed to emphasize is that most Americans are deep in the red zone, consuming 3,500 to 4,000 milligrams of sodium a day. It's clear that those excessive levels increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes. Whether we aim for 2,300 or 1,500 milligrams a day is irrelevant until we move down out of the red zone. At restaurants, you can get roughly 2,000 milligrams of sodium from just one burrito, a single-serve pizza, or an order of kung pao chicken, and at least 1,000 milligrams from a typical sandwich or burger. As the IOM concluded in 2010—and as <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/201305131.html">our new study published yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine</a> confirms—getting down to 2,300 will be nearly impossible until the government phases in reasonable limits on the sodium content of foods. The committee was boxed in by a narrow charge to examine only studies that looked at hard endpoints like heart attacks and strokes. Because of flaws in those studies, the committee did not conclude that low sodium intakes are harmful. No large scale studies have tested whether sodium intakes below 1,500 milligrams a day reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Instead, health authorities have rightly relied on a mountain of evidence that higher sodium intakes raise blood pressure, and that high blood pressure raises the risk of cardiovascular disease. 2013-05-14 Food Industry's Sodium Reduction Efforts Have Failed http://cspinet.org/new/201305131.html Scientists Call for Mandatory, Phased-In Limits on Salt in Food to Prevent Cardiovascular DiseaseFood manufacturers did not make much progress between 2005 and 2011 in reducing sodium levels in packaged and restaurant foods, according to a new investigation <a href="http://media.jamanetwork.com/">published online</a> today in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. Despite industry pledges to cut back, the average sodium content in 402 packaged foods tracked between 2005 and 2011 by the Center for Science in the Public Interest declined by just 3.5 percent. And even though public health officials have been ringing alarm bills about excess sodium's role in promoting high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease, chain restaurants actually increased sodium slightly in the 78 items tracked by an average of 2.6 percent. The authors say that voluntary action by the food industry to reduce sodium has failed, and that strong action on the part of the Food and Drug Administration is required to reduce the sodium content of packaged and restaurant foods. Such limits could be achieved gradually over a ten-year period, according to the paper. Its authors are CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson, professor of preventive medicine Stephen Havas of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and biostatistician Robert McCarter of George Washington University and Children's National Medical Center. CSPI collected data from Nutrition Facts labels for almost 500 food products in 2005, 2008, and again in 2011. "The strategy of relying on the food industry to voluntarily reduce sodium has proven to be a public health disaster," said Jacobson. "Inaction on the part of industry and the federal government is condemning too many Americans to entirely preventable heart attacks, strokes, and deaths each year." "The current high levels of sodium in packaged and restaurant foods, if not reduced, will likely cause at least one million deaths and $100 billion in health-care costs in the coming decade," Havas said. "Action by the FDA requiring the food industry to lower sodium in our food supply is long overdue and should begin without further delay. The Obama administration should take action forthwith." The average sodium in the 12 varieties of barbecue sauce tracked by CSPI increased by 6.3 percent, the average sodium in 11 varieties of Caesar salad dressing increased by 3.7 percent, and the average sodium in 7 varieties of 100 percent whole wheat bread increased by 3.6 percent. On the brighter side, the categories of fresh or frozen pork, canned diced tomatoes, canned white tuna, vegetable soup, and sliced turkey breast all saw average reductions in sodium of more than 20 percent. The federal government, the American Medical Association, American Heart Association, American Public Health Association, and World Health Organization have all called for steep reductions in sodium consumption. In 1978 and again in 2005, CSPI petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to set reasonable limits on the salt content of processed foods. A report of the Institute of Medicine backed mandatory limits on sodium in 2010, stating bluntly that four decades of public education and voluntary sodium reduction efforts failed to make a dent in Americans' intakes. Indeed, Americans are consuming more sodium now than 40 years ago. Researchers estimate that current per-capita sodium consumption is about 3,300 milligrams per day—but perhaps as high as 3,800 mg per day when adjusted for underestimating food consumption and salt added during cooking and at the table. Most of the population—a group comprised of African Americans, middle-aged or older people of any ethnicity, and people with high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease—are advised to limit their consumption to 1,500 mg of sodium per day. The American Heart Association recommends that limit for all people aged two and over. It's almost impossible for Americans to restrict themselves to that amount without large changes on the part of the food industry, the scientists say. CSPI found that sodium levels varied widely among brands of similar products. One brand of tomato paste had more than five times as much sodium as the brand with the least, and ounce for ounce, McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese had 34 percent more sodium than Burger King's similar Original Whopper with Cheese, for instance. That suggests that companies at the higher end in sodium could easily reduce levels and still have highly marketable foods. While the sample of 480 foods is broadly representative of the food supply, it is still a small percentage of the tens of thousands of foods in grocery stores and restaurants, the authors caution. And since 2011, most large companies have begun lowering sodium levels further, prompted in part by new research and development, as well as the National Salt Reduction Initiative led by New York City. McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Kraft, and Pepperidge Farm all claim reductions of more than 10 percent in recent years, and General Mills and ConAgra have pledged to reduce sodium by 15 percent, and Walmart by 25 percent, by 2015. 2013-05-13 Bayer to Face Lawsuit Over 'One A Day' Disease Claims http://cspinet.org/new/201305031.html Despite Bayer's Representations, Its Multivitamins Won’t Prevent Breast Cancer, Heart Disease, or Other Conditions, Says CSPIBayer makes unsubstantiated and illegal claims that One A Day multivitamins can prevent various diseases, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The nonprofit group today <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/bayer_demand_letter_050613.pdf">notified the drug company</a> that it will be sued for violations of state consumer protection laws unless the company drops the claims that the supplements "support" breast, heart, eye, and joint health, as well as physical energy, immunity, healthy blood pressure, bone strength, and metabolism. Such a notification is required in advance of a lawsuit in several of the states in which the suit might be filed. "Every three minutes a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer, and according to the American Cancer Society, the chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer at some point during her life is about 1 in 8," warns a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/tips_from_one-a-day.pdf">One A Day web site</a>. That page offers tips for avoiding the deadly disease, such as conducting self-examinations, getting annual mammograms, and eating a healthy diet. Bayer's final tip? "Take One A Day Women's multivitamins formulated with a high level of vitamin D to support breast health." The evidence that vitamin D plays a role in preventing breast cancer is inconclusive, according to studies cited by CSPI, but supplement manufacturers are prohibited from making disease-prevention claims altogether. <img src="/bayer-womens.jpg" width="403" /> "Bayer is literally putting One A Day multivitamins on a par with mammograms," said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. "Bayer is saying: 'Take these pills and you'll reduce your risk of breast cancer.' And elsewhere, when the company says it 'supports breast health,' it knows full well that cancer is far and away the top breast health issue for women." Labels and marketing copy for several One A Day multivitamins also claim that the product is formulated to "support heart health" or "support healthy blood pressure," basing such claims on the presence of vitamins B, C, and E. But in the same way consumers interpret "supports breast health" as "prevents breast cancer," consumers interpret these claims to mean that the pills prevent heart disease or lower blood pressure, according to CSPI. There is inconclusive evidence that those particular nutrients do either. Bayer might have realized it had gone too far with claims for One A Day Cholesterol Plus, which it marketed <a href="http://www.oneaday.com/cholesterol_plus.html">thusly</a>: "Keeping cholesterol and blood pressure levels within a normal range helps control two of the key risk factors for heart disease. That's why One A Day developed Cholesterol Plus." That product was discontinued in 2011. Bayer uses similar tactics when it claims its pills variously support bone strength, joint health, or eye health: It knows that some consumers will interpret those words to mean that the supplements will help prevent osteoporosis, arthritis, or eye diseases such as glaucoma or macular degeneration, CSPI says. When One A Day Women's Active Metabolism multivitamins are described as "specially formulated to help support your metabolism," Bayer is implying that the pills will aid weight loss. Labels and web copy cite its B vitamins, chromium, and caffeine as the foundation for its "supports metabolism" claims, but CSPI says there is no evidence that B vitamins aid weight loss and mixed and debatable evidence that chromium does. Caffeine may speed up metabolism slightly for a brief period of time but there is little evidence that it helps people lose weight. This is not the first time Bayer has faced legal action over One A Day multivitamin marketing. In October 2009, <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/200910011.html">CSPI filed suit against Bayer</a> over its claims that One A Day Men's multivitamins with selenium might reduce the risk of prostate cancer. In fact, the largest prostate cancer prevention trial ever conducted was abandoned once it became clear that <a href="http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/qa/2008/selectqa">selenium was no more effective at reducing prostate cancer risk than a placebo</a>. In October 2010, Bayer <a href="http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/bayer-settles-one-a-day-claims-case/">settled with a group of state attorneys general</a> who accused Bayer of deceptively leveraging fear of prostate cancer in order to market One A Day to men. That settlement agreement prohibited the German pharmaceutical giant from claiming that One A Day multivitamins may cure, treat, or prevent any disease, including cancer, unless the company can back up its claims with reliable scientific evidence. Even earlier, in 2007, Bayer <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/01/weightloss.shtm">paid a $3.2 million civil fine</a> as part of a consent decree reached with the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice over weight-loss claims on One A Day. Bayer's legal problems have not been limited to its supplement business. In the past decade, Bayer has also pleaded guilty to two separate criminal charges, one related to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/17/business/17DRUG.html">a scheme to overcharge Medicaid for the antibiotic Cipro</a>, and another related to <a href="http://www.justice.gov/atr/public/press_releases/2004/204602.htm">a price-fixing conspiracy</a> involving a chemical used to make rubber products. In 2009, Bayer paid $8 million to settle allegations by state attorneys general that the company <a href="http://www.atg.wa.gov/pressrelease.aspx?&id=11916#.UYAe1Mrkfl8">failed to warn physicians and consumers</a> about safety issues surrounding its now-withdrawn cholesterol-lowering drug Baycol. And in 2009, it was required to run a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO-G8O0lHq0">corrective advertising campaign</a> about its birth control pill Yaz as part of another legal settlement secured by <a href="http://www.oag.state.md.us/Press/2009/020909.htm">state attorneys general</a> and the Food and Drug Administration. "By positioning One A Day as a preventive for breast cancer, heart disease, and other conditions, Bayer is thumbing its nose at the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Trade Commission, and a dozen or so state attorneys general—continuing a decade-long spree of irresponsible and sometimes felonious behavior," Gardner said. "There's nothing wrong with selling—or taking—a daily multivitamin. But you can't sell something you can't deliver." 2013-05-03 And Now Caffeinated Gum? http://cspinet.org/new/201304291.html Wrigley Latest Mainstream Food Company to Add Caffeine to Product Enjoyed by KidsWhile the Food and Drug Administration is investigating <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/15/business/5-hour-energy-is-cited-in-13-death-reports.html?_r=0">deaths linked to caffeinated energy drinks</a>, the Center for Science in the Public Interest hopes the agency will be fully awakened by the addition of caffeine to more and more foods, including chewing gum. Alert Energy Caffeine Gum, launched today by Wrigley, a subsidiary of Mars, Inc., has 40 milligrams of caffeine per piece and 8 blister-packed pieces per box. The nonprofit watchdog group says that Wrigley's social-media heavy website is a sign that the company intends to market the product to young people. <img src="/7-11_Alert_Gum.jpg" width="403" /> In November, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201211141.html">CSPI notified the FDA</a> of its concern that manufacturers were caffeinating an explosion of foods, including Frito Lay's Cracker Jack'd snack, Kraft's MiO Energy water enhancer, and jelly beans, waffles, maple syrup, popcorn, and even beef jerky produced by smaller companies. The American Academy of Pediatrics <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/05/25/peds.2011-0965.full.pdf">discourages the consumption of caffeine</a> and other stimulant substances in the diets of children and adolescents. Too much caffeine can cause anxiety, restlessness, irritability, and insomnia in just about anyone, according to CSPI. Large amounts of caffeine can cause rapid heartbeat and seizures that are severe enough to require emergency care. While the FDA has regulations governing caffeine in cola-type beverages, those regulations did not anticipate the widespread caffeination of the food supply. "Could caffeinated macaroni and cheese or breakfast cereal be next?" asked CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "One serving of any of these foods isn't likely to harm anyone. The concern is that it will be increasingly easy to consume caffeine throughout the day, sometimes unwittingly, as companies add caffeine to candies, nuts, snacks and other foods. And that's on top of the soda, coffee, tea, and energy drinks that are already widely consumed." Wrigley is launching its gum today with a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/7-11_alert_gum_ad.pdf">full-page ad</a> in USA Today, in which the product is being advertised for free at 7-Eleven with the purchase of a Skinny Salted Caramel Mocha or other large hot—and presumably caffeinated—beverage. The addition of caffeine to chewing gum as exam time approaches at schools across America represents something of a reversal for Wrigley, says CSPI. In 2005, the company issued a <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases-test/stress-and-fatigue-top-students-concerns-about-college-exam-time-55720627.html">press release positioning gum as a study aid</a>—and listing caffeine consumption alongside snacking and studying late at night as "choices which can negatively affect [students'] scholastic performance, as well as their overall health." Wrigley is known for aggressively seeking scientific justification for chewing gum; its Wrigley Science Institute promotes "emerging science around chewing gum for stress relief and to help with focus and concentration." Its <a href="http://www.wrigley.com/global/benefits-of-chewing/wrigley-science-institute.aspx">web site</a> invites scientists to "browse the current WSI funding opportunities" for chewing gum research (though the actual list of opportunities seems to be missing). "It's a bad sign that Wrigley is marketing this new caffeinated gum to be consumed with, and not instead of, caffeinated beverages," Jacobson said. "Wrigley is basically inviting someone to have a serious adverse reaction." 2013-04-29 Chicken, Ground Beef Top List of Riskiest Meats http://cspinet.org/new/201304231.html Chicken Nuggets, Ham, and Sausage Pose Least Risk of Severe Foodborne Illness, According to New AnalysisGround beef and chicken are by far the riskiest meat and poultry products in the American food supply and pose the greatest likelihood of hospitalization, according to a new report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Furthermore, according to the nonprofit group's analysis of more than 33,000 cases of foodborne illness connected to products regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, chicken nuggets, ham, and sausage pose the lowest risk of foodborne illness. The report, <a href="http://cspinet.org/foodsafety/riskymeat.html">Risky Meat: A Field Guide to Meat & Poultry Safety</a>, ranks 12 categories of meat and poultry based on outbreak reports and the likelihood of hospitalizations associated with the pathogens most commonly reported in those foods. Ground beef and chicken are not only responsible for the largest numbers of outbreaks and cases of illnesses, but those illnesses tend to be more severe. The deadly bacterium E. coli O157:H7, for instance, was responsible for 100 outbreaks associated with ground beef in the 12-year study period. Because that pathogen is estimated to result in hospitalization in nearly half of those infected, ground beef had the highest severity index of the 12 meat and poultry categories. Ground beef is also connected to illnesses caused by Clostridium perfringens and Salmonella. <img src="/RiskyMeat_FB.jpg" alt="" width="403" height="403" /> "Outbreaks from ground beef and chicken are reported frequently, and all too often cause debilitating illnesses—illnesses that lead to hospitalization," said CSPI food safety director Caroline Smith DeWaal. "For example, approximately a quarter of those who are sickened by Salmonella will go to the hospital. The hospitalization rate for E. coli infections is nearly 50 percent and for Listeria infections it is more than 90 percent." Hospitalizations caused by Salmonella put chicken in the "highest risk" category alongside ground beef. Clostridium perfringens and Norovirus also cause outbreaks associated with chicken. Campylobacter bacteria are also believed to cause a large number of individual illnesses associated with chicken but rarely cause outbreaks. "Meat and poultry producers must bear primary responsibility for keeping pathogens out of their products, but when it comes to beef, chicken, and other raw meats, restaurateurs and home cooks must treat them like hazardous materials and take steps to minimize risk," said CSPI senior food safety attorney Sarah Klein. "Care should be taken to avoid spreading germs from the meat around the kitchen, and meat thermometers should be used to ensure that ground beef, chicken, and other meats are fully cooked." <img src="/findings_FB.jpg" alt="" width="403" height="403" /> CSPI's second tier, or "high risk" category of meats includes steak and other forms of beef, but excludes roast beef, which is of medium risk. Steak is typically seared on both sides, which helps to kill surface bacteria, but E. coli O157:H7 is still a problem. (The practice of mechanically tenderizing steak with blades or needles may drive surface bacteria into the steak's interior, thereby increasing risk.) With steak and other forms of beef, Clostridium perfringens was the pathogen responsible for the greatest number of illnesses. Rounding out CSPI's high risk category is turkey. November and December are big months for turkey-associated Clostridium illnesses—indicating that holiday turkey left out on the table too long is partly to blame. "Clostridium doesn't get the same kind of headlines that its far deadlier cousins E. coli and Salmonella get, but it's responsible for an enormous amount of foodborne illness linked to leftovers or food left out too long on the buffet," Klein said. "Keeping hot foods hot, refrigerating it within two hours of serving the meal, and using shallow storage dishes to ensure rapid chilling are all good strategies consumers can use to reduce their risk of getting sick from this common bacterium." CSPI's "medium risk" category includes barbecue, deli meat, pork (excluding ham and sausage), and roast beef. Listeria monocytogenes, though not a common cause of outbreaks, is a critical concern with deli meats. That bacterium hospitalizes almost everyone (94 percent) who becomes infected, with the elderly, ill, and immune-compromised consumers being at greatest risk. CSPI's barbecue category includes beef and pork barbecue, but not chicken barbecue, and its pork category includes chops and roasts, but not ham. With both of those categories, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, and Staphylococcus aureus are the primary pathogens of concern. Chicken nuggets, ham, and sausage make up the "low risk" category, reflecting their lower frequency and severity of illnesses. Norovirus is a common cause of infections from foods in this category, which suggests that improper food handling, such as insufficient hand-washing by restaurant workers, may be responsible for more illnesses than the foods themselves. CSPI says that its assessment of food safety risk is totally separate from the risk of chronic diet-related disease presented by the saturated fat or sodium in meat and poultry products. In other words, this analysis shouldn't be interpreted as license to eat a lot more sausage, the group says. 2013-04-23 Rise in Campylobacter and Vibrio Infections Troubling, Says CSPI http://cspinet.org/new/201304182.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalThe <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6215a2.htm?s_cid=mm6215a2_w">increased number of infections from Campylobacter and Vibrio</a> is troubling. Although these pathogens cause fewer outbreaks, they are causing significant and sometimes serious illnesses and industry clearly needs to adopt better controls. Targeted controls for chicken and shellfish are needed to reverse the increase in illnesses linked to Campylobacter and Vibrio. Other countries have successfully reduced Campylobacter by testing flocks for the hazard and requiring contaminated chicken to be frozen. Clearly better controls are needed in the U.S. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and industry are pushing for changes to poultry slaughter that would increase line speeds and decrease microbial testing. Rising rates of Campylobacter and a lack of progress on Salmonella make it clear that now is not the time to be easing regulations on chicken and turkey plants. Year after year, rates of Vibrio exceed public health goals. This pathogen is linked to shellfish, and is frequently deadly for immune-compromised consumers. The Food and Drug Administration should take immediate action to require better controls for shellfish harvesters and shippers. In 2012, the Center for Science in the Public Interest <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/201202091.html">petitioned the FDA</a> to set a performance standard for Vibrio vulnificus under new authority granted the agency under the Food Safety Modernization Act. This new report from CDC provides additional support and urgency for FDA to take action. 2013-04-18 Consumers Urged to Avoid Ginkgo in Wake of New Cancer Concerns http://cspinet.org/new/201304181.html CSPI Downgrades Safety Rating of Common Supplement IngredientConsumers should avoid Ginkgo biloba, a common ingredient in dietary supplements, herbal teas, and some energy drinks, based on a <a href="http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/htdocs/LT_rpts/TR578_508.pdf">new study</a> from the government's National Toxicology Program that found "clear evidence" that the ingredient caused liver cancer in mice and "some evidence" that ginkgo caused thyroid cancer in rats. That is the advice of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which today <a href="https://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm#GINKGO">downgraded ginkgo</a> from "safe" to "avoid" in its Chemical Cuisine guide to food additives. "Ginkgo has been used in recent years to let companies pretend that supplements or energy drinks with it confer some sort of benefit for memory or concentration," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "The evidence for those claims has been dubious, at best. The pretend benefits are now outweighed by the real risk of harm." Ginkgo is often sold as a supplement on its own by companies such as NatureMade, Nature's Bounty, GNC, and other companies, or as one of several ingredients in supplements marketed as memory aids. It is or has been used in energy drinks such as Rockstar, Crunk, Hansen's Energy Pro, Guru, and Steven Seagal's Lightning Bolt. The Food and Drug Administration has sent warning labels to several drink companies, including Rockstar, stating that ginkgo is not generally recognized as safe, or GRAS, for use in food, though it is legal as an herbal supplement. Researchers at the NTP gave male and female rats dosages of Ginkgo biloba extract five times a week for two years. The NTP is an interagency program connected to the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health. It is headquartered at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, NC. "We conclude that Ginkgo biloba extract caused cancers of the thyroid gland in male and female rats and male mice and cancers of the liver in male and female mice," the researchers stated. 2013-04-18 Supermarkets, Pharmacies Urged to Shift From Soda Toward No- and Low-calorie Beverages http://cspinet.org/new/201304101.html Local Health Departments & Advocacy Groups Seek to Discuss Placement of and Advertising for Sugar DrinksSupermarkets and pharmacies could help reduce Americans' rates of obesity and diabetes by increasing their marketing of no- or low-calorie alternatives to soda and other sugar drinks. Local public health officials in Boston, El Paso, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Seattle and King County, and elsewhere today are calling on those retailers to discuss a variety of means of promoting healthier beverages. "With supermarkets 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," <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/hbi-letter-to-supermarkets.pdf">wrote the officials</a>, as well as the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest and other advocacy groups, to the chief executive officers of 14 top supermarket chains. "Possibilities include limiting sugar drinks from check-out aisles, posting signs in the soft-drink aisle to encourage people to switch to drinks with few or no calories, featuring primarily non- and low-sugar soft drinks at end caps and in 'spectacular' displays, giving greater prominence to lower-calorie drinks in your advertising, and adjusting prices to encourage the purchase of non- and low-cal drinks." <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/hbi-letter-to-pharmacies.pdf">Similar letters</a> were sent to the CEOs of CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens pharmacy chains. About one-third of children and two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese, and a growing mountain of epidemiological evidence links soda consumption with weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Clinical trials show that people who are assigned to drink sugar beverages gain more weight than those assigned to drink sugar-free beverages. <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/infographic_full.pdf">Yet soda and other sugar drinks are still the single largest source of calories in the diet</a>, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. "Cities and counties are beginning to do their part by improving the beverage options in vending machines on city property, for instance," said James Krieger, a physician who leads the chronic-disease-control efforts for Public Health—Seattle & King County, the local health department serving Seattle and surrounding King County. "Our hope is that supermarkets and pharmacies seize this as a win-win opportunity that improves their customers' health and simply shifts chains' profits from disease-promoting drinks to healthier drinks." "Supermarkets and pharmacies play a major role in Americans' diets and with that comes enormous responsibility," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "It's not enough to put the entire onus on soda companies on the one hand, and individuals on the other. Retailers should exercise their own sense of corporate social responsibility to help reduce soda-related diseases." 2013-04-10 Consumer and Industry Groups and Health Professionals Meet on Salt Reduction http://cspinet.org/new/201304011.html Two of the nation's largest food industry groups, <a href="http://www.gmabrands.com/">Grocery Manufacturers Association</a> (GMA) and the <a href="http://www.restaurant.org/">National Restaurant Association</a> (NRA), and the nation's most prominent nutrition advocacy group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), brought together food industry leaders, health professionals, and government officials to discuss the progress and challenges of reducing the sodium content in food products so that we can continue in our collective efforts to help consumers meet the 2010 Dietary Guidelines of 2,300 mg of sodium per day. The one-day meeting, Getting to 2,300: A Progress Report and Opportunities for Further Progress, was held today in Washington, D.C. Topics of discussion included the progress being made by industry at achieving sodium reductions in food products, the opportunities ahead for continuing this progress and the technical challenges of achieving these reductions without sacrificing consumer acceptance. "Food and beverage manufacturers are committed to providing consumers with the product choices they need to achieve their optimal sodium intake levels. For years, food companies have been introducing new products into the marketplace containing lower sodium, or with no added salt," said Pamela G. Bailey, president and CEO of GMA. "And although progress is being made, reducing sodium in products without affecting the taste or consumer acceptance of products is no easy task. Consumer acceptance of sodium-reduced food products is an important factor that must always be taken into consideration." "Neither public health officials nor many food industry executives are satisfied with the sodium status quo," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "It is encouraging that some of the major manufacturers and restaurants are taking the problem seriously, sponsoring research, and actually lowering sodium levels in their products." "Restaurants have made significant progress in developing lower sodium menu options for patrons," said Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. "The food and restaurant industries' proactive and ongoing efforts will better enable the gradual reduction of sodium in the food supply, which will ultimately drive us towards the goal of reducing sodium consumption by consumers." The one-day meeting was a follow up discussion to a joint conference sponsored by GMA and CSPI in 2007 that focused on exploring ways to help consumers lower their sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day. 2013-04-01 97% of Kids' Meals Flunk Nutrition, as Fried Chicken Fingers, Burgers, Fries, Soda Dominate at Chain Restaurants http://cspinet.org/new/201303281.html Subway Stands Out as Only Chain Meeting CSPI CriteriaNearly all of the meal possibilities offered to kids at America's top chain restaurants are of poor nutritional quality, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. In a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/cspi-kids-meals-2013.pdf">report</a> released today, the group found that fried chicken fingers, burgers, French fries, and sugar drinks continue to dominate the kids' meal landscape, with 97 percent of the nearly 3,500 meal possibilities not meeting CSPI's nutrition criteria for four- to eight-year-olds. And if you don't believe CSPI, ask the National Restaurant Association: 91 percent of kids' meals at America's major chains do not even meet the nutritional standards of the industry lobbying group's Kids LiveWell program. "One out of every three American children is overweight or obese, but it's as if the chain restaurant industry didn't get the memo," said CSPI nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan. "Most chains seem stuck in a time warp, serving up the same old meals based on chicken nuggets, burgers, macaroni and cheese, fries, and soda." One chain that has gotten the memo is Subway, according to the report. All eight of Subway restaurants' Fresh Fit for Kids meal combinations met CSPI's nutrition criteria. Subway is the only restaurant chain that does not offer sugar drinks as an option with its kids' meals, instead including low-fat milk or bottled water along with apple slices with all of its kid-sized subs. "Our goal has always been to provide the most nutritious, balanced kids meals in the industry and we are proud to be recognized by CSPI for achieving that goal," said Lanette Kovachi, corporate dietitian for the Subway brand. "As a mom and a dietitian I know that it's not easy to get kids to eat things that taste great and include essential nutrients. Our menu can make both parent and child happy." To meet CSPI's nutrition criteria, kids' meals must not exceed 430 calories, more than 35 percent of calories from fat, or more than 10 percent of calories from saturated plus trans fat. Meals that meet CSPI's criteria cannot have more than 35 percent added sugars by weight nor more than 770 milligrams of sodium. The criteria require meals to make a positive nutritional contribution either by providing at least half a serving of fruit or vegetable, including an item that is 51 percent or more whole grain, or including specified levels of vitamins or fiber. CSPI's criteria exclude sugar drinks in favor of water, juice, or low-fat milk. The NRA's standards are quite similar, though they allow more calories. Some of the least healthy kids' meals available at chain restaurants include: <ul><li>Applebee's Grilled Cheese on Sourdough with Fries and 2 Percent Chocolate Milk has 1,210 calories with 62 grams of total fat (46 percent of calories), 21 grams of saturated fat (16 percent), and 2,340 milligrams of sodium. That meal has nearly three times as many calories, and three times as much sodium, as CSPI's criteria for four-to eight-year-olds allow. </li> <li>Chili's Pepperoni Pizza with Homestyle Fries and Soda has 1,010 calories, 45 grams of total fat (40 percent of calories), 18 grams of saturated fat (16 percent of calories, and about as much saturated fat as an adult should consume in an entire day), and 2,020 milligrams of sodium.</li> <li>Denny's Jr. Cheeseburger and French Fries has 980 calories, 55 grams of total fat (50 percent of calories), 20 grams of saturated fat (18 percent) and 1,110 mg of sodium. Denny's does not include beverages with kids' meals.</li> <li>Ruby Tuesday's Mac 'n Cheese, White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, and Fruit Punch has 860 calories, 46 grams of total fat (48 percent of calories) and 1,730 mg of sodium. Ruby Tuesday's does not disclose saturated or trans fat content on its menus or website.</li> <li>Dairy Queen's Chicken Strips, Kids' Fries, Sauce, Arctic Rush (a Slushee-type frozen drink) and Dilly Bar has 1,030 calories, 45 grams of total fat (39 percent of calories), 15 grams of saturated fat (13 percent of calories), and 1,730 mg of sodium.</li></ul> At 19 chains, not a single possible combination of the items offered for children met CSPI's nutrition standards. At nine of those 19 chains, including McDonald's, Popeye's, Chipotle, and Hardee's, not a single kids' meal even met the NRA's Kids LiveWell standards. At Wendy's, only five percent of 40 possible kids' meals met CSPI's standards—most items were too high either in sodium or saturated fat; at Burger King, just 20 percent of the 15 possible kids' meals met CSPI's criteria. (At both of those chains, the same low percentages of possible meal combinations met the NRA's Kids LiveWell standards.) CSPI last reviewed the nutritional quality of kids' meals at chain restaurants in 2008. Overall, chains have made little progress since then. In 2008, just one percent of kids' meals met CSPI's nutrition standards, compared with three percent in 2012. Only one-third of the restaurant chains had at least one meal that met the nutritional standards in 2008; that percentage climbed to 44 percent in 2012. While more meals met CSPI's sodium and calorie standards, fewer met CSPI's limit for saturated fat. The report from CSPI recommends that companies consider several changes. It encourages chains to participate in the NRA's Kids LiveWell program, and to reformulate their kids' meals to meet those standards. Restaurants should offer more fruit and vegetable options, and make those, rather than French fries, the default sides. Chains should offer more whole grains and remove soda or other sugar drinks from kids' menus. And even though Subway was the only chain to meet CSPI's criteria for all its kids' meals, it should increase the whole grain content of its breads and continue to lower sodium, the group says. "The chain restaurant industry is conditioning kids to accept such a narrow range of foods," said Ameena Batada, assistant professor in the Department of Health and Wellness at the University of North Carolina Asheville. "More chains are adding fruit, like apple slices, to their menus, but practically every chain could be adding more vegetable and whole grain options. And given the impact of sugar drinks on children's health, those should be eliminated from kids' meals at restaurants." 2013-03-28 Reports of Foodborne-Illness Outbreaks Decline by 40% http://cspinet.org/new/201303251.html Public Health Budget Cuts May Undermine Reporting, According to Latest Outbreak Alert! Report from CSPIFoodborne illness outbreaks are trending downward, according to a new <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/outbreak_alert_2013_final.pdf">review of outbreaks</a> by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. From 2001 to 2010, the latest 10-year period for which data is available, outbreaks related to E. coli, Salmonella, and other dangerous pathogens appear to have decreased by more than 40 percent. Better food safety practices, notably the adoption of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) programs in the meat, poultry, and seafood industries, may have contributed to the decline, says CSPI. But the group cautions that incomplete reporting of outbreaks by understaffed and financially stretched public health agencies may also influence the data. "Despite progress made by the industry and by food safety regulators, contaminated food is still causing too many illnesses, visits to the emergency room, and deaths," said CSPI food safety director Caroline Smith DeWaal. "Yet state and local health departments and federal food safety programs always seem to be on the chopping block. Those financial pressures not only threaten the progress we've made on food safety, but threaten our very understanding of which foods and which pathogens are making people sick." Foodborne illness is already notoriously underreported, says CSPI, since most people do not seek medical treatment for typical cases of food poisoning. But another trend the group has observed is a decline in the extent to which reports of foodborne illness outbreaks are fully investigated. An outbreak is considered fully investigated when both the food and the pathogen responsible for the illnesses are identified. But during the 10-year period, the percentage of fully investigated outbreaks decreased from 46 percent in 2001 to 33 percent in 2010. Seafood, poultry, and beef showed the sharpest decline in the number of reported outbreaks in the study period; the trend line is less steep, but still downward, for the numbers of illnesses linked to those outbreaks. Outbreaks related to produce, which is responsible for more illnesses than any other category of food, have remained relatively flat. Illnesses related to dairy actually reached their highest point in 2010, the last year of the study period. CSPI says the increased availability of raw, unpasteurized milk and cheese may account for this; these products are inherently hazardous and should not be consumed at all, the organization says. Despite the high-profile outbreaks related to spinach, salsa, tomatoes, cantaloupes, and other fresh fruits and vegetables, CSPI says that people should continue eating a lot of them, because they are among the most nutritious foods, providing essential minerals, vitamins, and fiber. In fact, the group says that on a pound-for-pound basis, fruits and vegetables, as well as dairy, are among the safest foods to eat. When adjusted for consumption, it is seafood that presents the greatest risk of illness, causing almost 20 times as much disease as fruit and dairy. Foods regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, which include produce, seafood, dairy, and most packaged foods, were responsible for more than twice as many outbreaks as the meat and poultry foods regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The FDA is currently developing regulations to comply with the landmark FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which President Obama signed into law in 2011. That law gave the agency new authority to regulate the way foods are grown, harvested, and processed, as well as giving it the authority to issue mandatory recalls of contaminated products. CSPI's <a href="https://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/outbreak/pathogen.php">Outbreak Alert! Database</a> includes 7,194 unique and fully investigated outbreaks responsible for 205,867 illnesses from 1990 to 2010. It’s a small fraction of total foodborne illness, but represents those outbreaks that present the most useful information for consumers and government regulators. Most of CSPI's data comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Foodborne Outbreak Online Database, as well as from state health department reports, peer-reviewed journals, and CDC's Foodborne Outbreak Response and Surveillance Unit. According to the CDC, each year foodborne pathogens sicken 1 in 6 Americans each year, or about 48 million people. Approximately 128,000 of those people will be hospitalized, and 3,000 will die. 2013-03-25 Nearly 70% of Food Ads on Nickelodeon are for Junk http://cspinet.org/new/201303211.html Modest Improvement Not Sufficient, Given Kids’ Obesity Rates, Says CSPINearly 70 percent of the food ads during SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Fairly Odd Parents, iCarly, and other popular children's shows on the Nickelodeon network are for junk foods, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. CSPI researchers catalogued the <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/nickelodeon_brief_2013.pdf">food advertising</a> on 28 hours of Nickelodeon programming in October 2012 and found 88 ads for foods. Of those, 69 percent were for foods of poor nutritional quality. The most common products marketed to kids were sugary cereals, candy, yogurt with added sugars, fast food and other restaurants, and snacks. "Nickelodeon congratulates itself for running the occasional public service announcement promoting physical activity," said CSPI nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan. "But for each of those messages, it's running 30 ads for junk food. Nickelodeon is clearly doing far more harm than good when it comes to the health of America's young people." Last week, CSPI purchased a <a href="https://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/spongebobad.pdf">full-page ad</a> in The Hollywood Reporter in the form of a "Wanted" poster featuring mug shots of an unshaven and menacing SpongeBob SquarePants. The ad criticized Nickelodeon for "impersonating a responsible media company while aggressively marketing obesity to kids." Shareholders of Viacom, Nickelodeon's parent company, are meeting in Hollywood this afternoon. Nickelodeon does not have a clear, publicly available policy on food marketing aimed at children, according to CSPI. Nor has it joined the industry's self-regulatory program, the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus. In contrast, the Walt Disney Company has a comprehensive policy that applies nutrition standards to most of their marketing and advertising to kids (though it has at least one <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201210291.html">problematic exception</a>.) Qubo, a block of kid's programming on the ION Television network, is junk-food-free. This is the third time CSPI has analyzed food advertising on Nickelodeon. In 2005, 88 percent of food ads on Nick were for unhealthy foods; that percentage dropped to 79 percent in 2008 and 69 percent in 2012. That rate of progress is too slow, says CSPI, given that a third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese. However, there were fewer food ads generally on Nickelodeon in 2012 than in 2005 and 2008. In the 2012 study period, 10 percent of the ads were for food, down from 23 percent in 2008 and 22 percent in 2005. The number of ads for unhealthy foods declined from 148 in the 2005 sample to 61 in 2012, perhaps reflecting pressure on the food industry to reduce marketing to kids. "Junk food is making kids overweight, and contributing to the earlier onset of diabetes and other health problems," Wootan said. "Instead of acting responsibly, Nickelodeon is recklessly throwing gasoline on the fire. And parents are getting fed up." 2013-03-21 USDA Urged to Limit Impact of Genetically Engineered Crops on Neighboring Farms http://cspinet.org/new/201303201.html CSPI Asks Secretary Vilsack to do More to Foster CoexistenceThe U.S. Department of Agriculture should require that biotechnology companies mandate that farmers who purchase genetically engineered seeds take steps to limit GE crops' unintended impact on neighboring farms, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The nonprofit group says the USDA needs to do that and more to ensure that conventional and organic crops successfully coexist with their genetically engineered cousins. Organic farmers and conventional farmers that don't plant GE seeds are concerned about keeping biotech products out of their fields. If pollen flows from a GE to a non-GE crop, it doesn’t pose a food safety hazard, but it can create financial losses for organic or conventional farmers, who can often sell their crops at a premium price. In a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/coexistence-letter-to-usda-march-20.pdf">letter</a> today to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, Gregory Jaffe, CSPI's biotechnology director and a member of the USDA's Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture, wrote that the nonprofit group supports the advisory committee's consensus report, which recommended, among other things, exploring crop insurance as a potential means of compensating farmers adversely impacted by GE crops. But Jaffe says that coexistence policies must be a top priority on the part of seed companies, agricultural extension departments, farmers, grain handlers, and others who play a hands-on role in America's agricultural production. In February, USDA issued a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/usda-factsheet-ac21-final-recommendations.pdf">fact sheet</a> identifying the first set of activities it will undertake to address the coexistence recommendations from its advisory committee. "The activities announced last month by USDA—such as conducting coexistence research and collecting case studies—are not likely to change the day-to-day practices of the farmers and others who influence whether different farm production methods coexist," Jaffe wrote. CSPI says that USDA should provide GE crop developers and both GE and non-GE farmers with recommendations that would foster coexistence. Those might include segregation tools to keep GE and non-GE seeds and crops separate, actions to ensure seed purity for public and private seed varieties, and testing protocols to identify unintended presence. USDA should also implement financial incentives for farmers who set aside buffer land between GE and conventional crops, and use its conservation and crop insurance programs to foster coexistence. 2013-03-20 Soda Industry's "Selfish Giving" http://cspinet.org/new/201303191.html CSPI Report Tells How Big Soda's "Philanthropy" Buys Friends, Silences Critics, and Sweetens ProfitsThe injunction issued last week by New York Supreme Court judge Milton A. Tingling against Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's proposal to cap soda servings at restaurants at 16 ounces is viewed as a temporary setback by public health advocates (and by the city's lawyers). But according to a new report issued by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, that case, in which the state chapter of the NAACP and the Hispanic Federation <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/nyregion/fight-over-bloombergs-soda-ban-reaches-courtroom.html">unexpectedly joined</a> Big Soda's legal fight, is just the latest illustration of the persuasive power of "philanthropic" grants from the sugar-drinks industry. Both groups received grants from Coca-Cola, with the national NAACP receiving at least $2.1 million from the soda giant since 1986, <a href="http://savannahherald.net/naacp-receives-grant-from-cocacola-foundation-for-health-program-p1231-101.htm">including $100,000</a> as recently as December. The Hispanic Federation also lists Coke as a donor, and in February 2012 its president, Lillian Rodriguez Lopez, left the nonprofit group to become <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/lillian-rodriguez-lopez/49/aab/84a">director of Latin affairs</a> at the company. According to CSPI's report, <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/cspi_soda_philanthropy_online.pdf">Selfish Giving</a>, the soda industry's targeted generosity doesn't stop with civil rights or minority groups. Over the years, the industry has given money to—and cultivated relationships with—groups representing doctors, dentists, dietitians, anti-hunger advocates, and others. Sometimes, the industry's influence can be subtle, as when in 2009 a $600,000 grant from Coca-Cola paid for a health website for the American Academy of Family Physicians. While that site offers mild advice to consumers to choose water over sugary drinks, it does so with soft, industry-friendly language that echoes the industry's talking points, which often stress the need for "hydration." To the AAFP's credit, the group does support soda taxes, according to CSPI. And in 2003, a $1 million grant from Coca-Cola was seemingly enough to get the president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry to suddenly hedge the group's position on the extent to which soda causes cavities. Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, the American Beverage Association, and Kraft Foods, maker of such sugar drinks as Kool Aid and Capri Sun, are also big donors to two major anti-hunger groups, the Food Research and Action Center and Feeding America. Those two groups, alongside the beverage industry, oppose barring the use of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as Food Stamps) to purchase sugar drinks. FRAC and Feeding America are highly respected organizations, but CSPI says their opposition to changes that would improve their constituents' health raises questions about their longstanding ties to food and beverage companies. When Big Soda is under siege, as it was in 2009 when defending against a possible national soda tax to pay for health care reform, it can leverage its nationwide network of grantees to leap to its defense. At least 22 of the 26 minority groups belonging to Americans Against Food Taxes, an industry-funded front group, had financial ties to the beverage industry. And some of the groups, such as the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, joined the coalition despite a complete lack of prior engagement in nutrition or health policy. The industry organized similar front groups to oppose a 2008 soda tax proposal in New York State and two 2012 soda-tax ballot initiatives in the cities of Richmond and El Monte in California. All of the tax proposals were defeated. "Big Soda's giving isn't solely motivated by its love for the arts or its concern for minorities' or anyone else's health," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "Makers of sugar drinks give to burnish their soiled reputations. They give so they can soften, or even silence, potential criticism. But mainly the industry gives so when provoked it can activate an instant Astroturf army to advance its extreme, anti-health agenda." The soda industry also is forging financial partnerships with city governments, which can have the effect of muting municipal leaders' criticism of sugar drinks, according to CSPI. Last year, Miami Beach; Dayton, OH; and Ocean City, MD, all signed deals making Coke the "official soft drink" of those cities. And while some cities were aggressively proposing taxes or prohibiting sugar drinks in public facilities, the American Beverage Association partnered with the cities of Chicago and San Antonio on a wellness contest centered on another favorite industry theme: personal responsibility over government intervention. "I believe in personal responsibility," Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel told the Chicago Tribune, defending the city's participation in the $5 million contest. "I believe in competition, and I believe in cash rewards for people that actually make progress in managing their health care." In contrast, another Mayor, Philadelphia's Michael A. Nutter, rejected an offer to fund anti-obesity efforts with a $10 million soda-industry grant channeled through the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Local bottlers had proposed the program in the hope that the city would drop a proposed two-cent-per-ounce excise tax on sugar drinks, which would have been the highest in the nation. "It seems to me that accepting money from the beverage industry to fight obesity would be like taking money from the NRA to fight gun violence or from the tobacco industry for smoking cessations, I mean, it's ludicrous," Nutter told The Philadelphia Inquirer. The industry's philanthropic focus on African American and Latino organizations is particularly troubling because those communities suffer disproportionately from obesity and soda-related diseases. According to the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health, African Americans are 50 percent more likely to be obese and more than twice as likely to die from diabetes as whites. Latinos are 20 percent more likely to be obese than white Americans and 50 percent more likely to die from diabetes. While beverage companies offer funding for physical activity and community education programs, they simultaneously target disproportionate volumes of sugar-drink advertising and cause-related marketing at minority audiences. The soda industry's cooptation of nonprofit groups reminds some of the tobacco industry's tactics in the 1980s and 1990s, when it enlisted minority group grantees to oppose curbs on smoking or tobacco advertising. The New York state chapter of the NAACP, for instance, <a href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/bwq82b00/pdf;jsessionid=7990C5E0CFA48349362F358BD25F94C2.tobacco03">worked with the tobacco industry to oppose separate non-smoking areas</a> in restaurants and other public facilities. "The industry playbook is clear—make philanthropic donations to divide and conquer the very constituencies these policies would ultimately benefit," said Dr. Anthony Iton, senior vice president of The California Endowment, a private health-oriented foundation. "Big Soda has learned well from Big Tobacco. But as more Americans start to see through their cynical tactics, public opinion will shift to protect children, not profits." 2013-03-19 Nickelodeon "WANTED" For Impersonating Responsible Media Company http://cspinet.org/new/201303131.html CSPI Ad in Hollywood Reporter Takes On Junk-Food Pitchman SpongeBob SquarePantsNickelodeon is "WANTED" for impersonating a responsible media company, while it actually markets junk-food and obesity to children. That's the message of a hard-hitting, <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/spongebobad.pdf">full-page ad in The Hollywood Reporter</a> by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest and other groups. The ad is a "Wanted" poster featuring mug shots of an unshaven and disheveled SpongeBob SquarePants, whom the ad warns should be approached with caution: he may be armed with nutritionally dangerous foods. The issue hits newsstands tomorrow. "Nickelodeon prides itself on responsible programming for children, but what about its advertising?" asked CSPI nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan. "Nickelodeon is lagging behind companies like Disney when it comes to supporting parents and protecting kids from junk-food marketing." In 2011, American children under age 12 saw an average of 13 food advertisements per day, most of which were for unhealthy foods. Unlike Disney and Ion Media's Qubo, Nickelodeon has yet to set nutrition standards for which foods it will advertise to young children through television, its websites, apps, and other media. Nickelodeon, NickToons, and Nick Jr. recently have advertised unhealthy products such as Cocoa Puffs, Air Heads candies, Chuck E. Cheese's restaurants, and Fruit Roll-Ups. Nick characters are on fatty, salty Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and Cheese Nip crackers and sugary imitation-fruit snacks, Pez candy, and Popsicles. Unilever's Popsicle brand sells ice pops in the shape of SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer. The SpongeBob SquarePants bar is made from water, several forms of sugar, and a long list of preservatives, artificial food dyes, and other additives. In <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200610162.html">2006</a> and again in <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201206051.html">2012</a>, CSPI praised the Walt Disney Company for the progress that it has made to curb junk-food marketing to kids. Disney's updated policy will mean that the company will no longer accept ads for the unhealthiest foods on its children's television, radio, and websites, and that it is strengthening the nutrition standards for the foods its licensed characters can be used to promote. The Disney character Goofy, for instance, appears on packaging for a snack pack that includes cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery sticks, and dip. The ad was also sponsored by Berkeley Media Studies Group, Center for Digital Democracy, Children Now, Prevention Institute, and Voices for America's Children. Funding for the ad was provided by The California Endowment. "It's simply wrong for children's entertainment companies to push junk foods and junk drinks on their young viewers," said Daniel Zingale, senior vice president of The California Endowment. "Nickelodeon should follow the example of the Walt Disney Company and establish strong advertising guidelines that teach good nutrition and bar the promotion of unhealthy products on its television, radio, and online channels." CSPI has been <a href="https://secure2.convio.net/cspi/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1367">urging activists and concerned parents to send emails</a> urging activists and concerned parents to send emails to Viacom president and CEO Philipe Dauman and Nickelodeon president Cyma Zarghami urging them to implement a clear and transparent policy for food marketing to children. Nickelodeon's parent company, Viacom, is holding its annual shareholders meeting in Hollywood, CA on March 21. 2013-03-13 Judge Blocks Bloomberg Administration Soda Size Caps ... For Now http://cspinet.org/new/201303111.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonI wouldn't <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323826704578354543929974394.html">count out</a> Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City Health Department quite yet. When the city became the first to require calorie counts on chain restaurant menus, the industry similarly tried to use the courts to stop that measure from taking effect. Ultimately, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/nyregion/18calorie.html?ref=nyregion">the city prevailed</a>, paving the way for other jurisdictions, and eventually Congress, to pass similar calorie labeling measures. We are confident that the city will prevail here. Many years hence, people will look back and think it was <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/combined_infographic.pdf">crazy for sugar drinks to ever be served in 32- and 64-ounce pails</a>. 2013-03-11 New Study Links Sugar to Diabetes http://cspinet.org/new/201302271.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonRefined sugars, including high-fructose corn syrup, <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/infographic_full.pdf">especially when consumed in soft drinks</a>, increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0057873">Dr. Lustig's study</a> is another brick in the wall of evidence that excess sugar consumption is a major threat to public health. We hope Dr. Lustig's study spurs the Food and Drug Administration to determine and set a safe level of added sugars for use in beverages, as requested in <a href="https://www.cspinet.org/new/201302131.html">CSPI's recently filed petition</a>. The petition, supported by 10 local health departments and dozens of nutrition experts, calls on the FDA to sharply limit the sugar content of soft drinks and to urge voluntary reductions in baked goods, candy bars, and other sugar-rich foods. 2013-02-27 Sequester Bad News for Eaters, Says CSPI http://cspinet.org/new/201302261.html Statement of CSPI Senior Food Safety Attorney David PlunkettAnyone who eats should be gravely concerned about across the board budget cuts that will happen if Congress fails to repeal the sequester. This self-inflicted crisis would <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/hhs-letter-february-sequester-hearing.pdf">force the Food and Drug Administration to forgo</a> 2,100 domestic and foreign food inspections, even as the agency is trying to implement new food safety rules. With fewer inspections, FDA won't be able to stop problems at food plants until people start getting sick—or start dying. The sequester means <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/agriculture-letter-february-sequester-hearing.pdf">gutting the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food safety program</a> by about $50 million. That means less food reaching consumers, higher prices, and an increased likelihood that the safety of our meat and poultry may be compromised. The sequester is likely to cost meat and poultry producers more than $10 billion in losses. The ill-considered sequestration now looming is anti-business, anti-family, anti-consumer, and threatens the safety of our food supply. The White House and Congress should get rid of it. 2013-02-26 Former Peanut Corporation of America Officials Indicted http://cspinet.org/new/201302211.html Statement of CSPI Senior Food Safety Attorney David Plunkett Corporate disregard for food safety is a serious crime, especially when it leads to deaths. The behavior of the Peanut Corporation of America in 2009 clearly warranted criminal prosecution. At least nine people died and hundreds were sickened by Salmonella-contaminated products coming out of this filthy Georgia plant. We are pleased that the Department of Justice has indicted this company’s former owner and other former PCA officials. Today's <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/pca-indictment.pdf">indictment</a> should send a powerful signal to food industry officials that they and their companies could suffer severe consequences if they recklessly put consumers at risk of a foodborne illness. 2013-02-21 FDA Urged to Determine Safe Limits on High-Fructose Corn Syrup and Other Sugars in Soft Drinks http://cspinet.org/new/201302131.html Sugar Drinks' Role in Obesity, Diabetes, and Heart Disease Warrants FDA Intervention, Scientists SayUnsafe levels of high-fructose corn syrup or sugar in soda and other sugar drinks cause obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems, the Center for Science in the Public Interest said today. Along with leading scientists and other health-advocacy organizations, the group is <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/sugar_petition_2-12-13_final.pdf">urging the Food and Drug Administration to determine a safe level of added sugars for beverages</a> as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce Americans' dangerously high sugar consumption. Public health departments in Baltimore, Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Seattle, Portland, OR, and other jurisdictions are <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/letter-supporting-cspi-sugar-petition-2-12-13_final.pdf">also supporting the proposal</a>. A typical 20-ounce bottle of soda contains about 16 teaspoons of sugars from high-fructose corn syrup. That's twice the daily limit recommended by the American Heart Association, which advises consuming no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugars per day for women and no more than 9 teaspoons for men. CSPI and the scientists supporting the petition say that despite the concerns over artificial sweeteners, diet sodas are safer than today's full-calorie sodas. A gradual change to safer drinks will be made easier by the use of new high-potency sweeteners like rebiana, which is made from the stevia plant, and "sweetness enhancers" being developed by major manufacturers. "As currently formulated, Coke, Pepsi, and other sugar-based drinks are unsafe for regular human consumption," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "Like a slow-acting but ruthlessly efficient bioweapon, sugar drinks cause obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The FDA should require the beverage industry to re-engineer their sugary products over several years, making them safer for people to consume, and less conducive to disease." In a 54-page regulatory petition filed today with the FDA, CSPI details the substantial scientific evidence that added sugars, especially in drinks, causes weight gain, obesity, and chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and gout. In particular, a growing number of clinical trials have found that people who are assigned to drink sugary beverages gain more weight than those assigned to drink sugar-free beverages. Other clinical studies found that high-sugar diets increase triglycerides, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and liver fat. "If one were trying to ensure high rates of obesity, diabetes, or heart disease in a population, one would feed the population large doses of sugary drinks," said Walter Willett, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. "The evidence is so strong that it is essential that FDA use its authority to make sugary drinks safer." Willett is one of 41 leading scientists and physicians who signed a letter to FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg in support of the petition. Willett and his colleagues have conducted epidemiology studies that strongly link consumption of sugary drinks to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and gout. Soda and other sugar drinks are the single biggest source of calories in the American diet. <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/combined_infographic.pdf">Americans, on average, consume between 18 and 23 teaspoons—about 300 to 400 calories worth—of added sugars per day</a>. Teens and young adults consume half again more than the average. About one-fifth of adolescents aged 12 to 18 consume at least 25 percent of their calories from added sugars, according to the government’s 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. About 14 million people of all ages consume more than one-third of their calories in the form of added sugars. The FDA classifies high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, and other sugars as "generally recognized as safe," or "GRAS" in agency parlance. To be GRAS, there must be a scientific consensus that the ingredient is safe at the levels consumed. CSPI's petition contends that the current scientific consensus is that added sugars are unsafe at the levels consumed. The petition asks the FDA to determine what level of added sugars would be safe for use in beverages, and to require those limits to be phased in over several years. The petition did not propose a specific safe level, but notes that several health agencies identified two-and-a-half teaspoons (10 grams) as a reasonable limit in a healthier drink. In 1982 and again in 1988, the FDA committed to undertake a new safety determination if sugar consumption increased, or if new scientific evidence indicated a public health hazard. Both of those conditions have been met, which CSPI says obligates the FDA to act. Some in the soda industry seem to see the writing on the wall. "You will see Pepsi and Coke and Dr Pepper coming up with a whole variety of no-calorie sweeteners," Harold Honickman, the CEO of a major East Coast Pepsi bottler, told The Philadelphia Inquirer in October, describing how the soda market will be changing in the next few years. "I honestly think that you will find 'regular' Pepsi, 'regular' Coke with new kinds of sweeteners. They will be better-tasting drinks than we have today." Soda's role in causing obesity has led many health experts to compare the drinks to cigarettes, and local and state health departments are seeking to decrease the consumption of sugar drinks to prevent obesity. Under Mayor Mike Bloomberg, New York City will soon cap soda serving sizes at 16 ounces in restaurants and other establishments regulated by the city's health department. Boston now prohibits the sale of sugar drinks on city property. New York City, Los Angeles, and King County (Seattle), Washington, have all run print or Internet advertising campaigns urging people to drink less soda. Soda and most other full-calorie sugar beverages are no longer sold in schools, and two weeks ago the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed rules excluding high-sugar drinks from vending machines and elsewhere on school grounds. And state legislators have advocated excise taxes on sugar drinks to help reduce consumption and fund health programs. Besides asking the FDA to reduce levels of added sugars in beverages, CSPI's petition urges the FDA to encourage industry to voluntarily reduce added sugars in breakfast cereals, baked goods, and other foods, though beverages are the biggest problem. CSPI says the agency should add a separate line for added sugars on Nutrition Facts labels and mount, perhaps with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, education campaigns aimed at curbing consumption of added sugars. CSPI has long been active in seeking to reduce soda consumption, beginning with its landmark 1998 report, Liquid Candy. In 2005, CSPI petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to require warning notices on cans and bottles of sugar drinks warning of weight gain and health problems. In October, the group released an animated short film, <a href="http://www.therealbears.org/#video">The Real Bears</a>, which portrays a family of polar bears grappling with weight gain, diabetes, amputation, sexual dysfunction, and tooth decay due to their over-consumption of soft drinks. And last month, the group released "<a href="http://youtu.be/RyeImvWtnr4">Coming Together: Translated</a>," its interpretation of Coca-Cola's recent advertisement addressing obesity. Besides Willett, some of the other scientists or physicians writing FDA in support of the petition include David L. Katz of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, Ronald Krauss of the University of California San Francisco, JoAnn E. Manson of Harvard Medical School, and Barry Popkin of the University of North Carolina. The National Association of County and City Health Officials, American Society of Bariatric Physicians, Consumer Federation of America, National Consumers League, Prevention Institute, and Shape Up America! are among the national organizations supporting the petition. 2013-02-13 Girl Scouts Urged to Drop Bogus Claims Equating Cookies with Fruit http://cspinet.org/new/201302081.html "Mango Cremes with NutriFusionTM" Are as Junky as Other Cookies, Says CSPIIt's bad enough that the Girl Scouts of the USA sells cookies to raise money, but it shouldn't pretend that its new <a href="http://www.abcsmartcookies.com/mango-cremes-with-nutrifusion">"Mango Crèmes with NutriFusion"</a> are nutritionally equivalent to fruit, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The cookies at issue are 98 percent white flour, sugar, palm oil, and dextrose (sugar made from corn). Yet marketing copy on the manufacturer's website claims that its filling has "all the nutrient benefits of eating cranberries, pomegranates, oranges, grapes, and strawberries!" In a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/gs-letter-2-8-13.pdf">letter to Girl Scouts of America CEO Anna Maria Chávez</a>, CSPI says that by marketing these new cookies as a "delicious new way to get your vitamins," the Girl Scouts is misleading its young members and undermining their health. Besides flour, sugar, palm oil, and dextrose, the remaining 2 percent of Mango Crèmes with NutriFusion includes corn syrup, leavening, natural and artificial flavor, corn starch, salt, and coconut, followed by "nutrients from natural whole food concentrate (cranberry, pomegranate, orange, grape, strawberry, shitake mushrooms)." Soy lecithin, citric acid, malic acid, and annatto color round out the list of ingredients. A serving of three cookies has 180 calories, 4 grams of saturated fat, and less than a gram of fiber. CSPI says the tiny amounts of nutrients from fruit concentrate don't make the cookies remotely equivalent to fruit of any kind. "The Girl Scouts should promote healthy eating through all of its educational activities, including fundraising," wrote CSPI's executive director Michael F. Jacobson and nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan. "Sweet baked goods, including cookies, are a leading source of calories, sugars, and fats in Americans' diets." "If there were a badge for misleading marketing I'm afraid the Girl Scouts of the USA just earned it," Wootan said. Today is National Girl Scout Cookie Day. 2013-02-08 EPA Urged to Limit Herbicide Use on Genetically Engineered Crops http://cspinet.org/new/201302041.html Emergence of Herbicide-resistant Weeds Making Technology Unsustainable, Says CSPIOveruse of the herbicide glyphosate has resulted in the evolution of resistant weeds, threatening the long-term sustainability of corn, soybeans, canola, and other crops that have been genetically engineered to tolerate glyphosate. Today the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest is <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/letter-to-epa-feb-4.pdf">calling on the Environmental Protection Agency</a>, which regulates the herbicides sprayed on those engineered crops, to limit use of glyphosate and adopt other measures to slow the spread of resistant weeds. Farmers planted 170 million acres of genetically engineered crops in 2012. About 154 million acres of that was planted with crops that can tolerate herbicides, the vast majority to Roundup or other brands of glyphosate, which is a relatively benign chemical. But since farmers are increasingly dealing with weeds that aren't killed by glyphosate, they also are applying more harmful herbicides—negating much of the technology's benefit. In a letter to the EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, CSPI says that the agency should limit farmers’ use of glyphosate, especially in geographic areas where resistant weeds are becoming a problem. Such a limit might forbid farmers from applying glyphosate in the same field two years in a row. The agency should also encourage farmers to adopt resistant-weed management plans and reduce glyphosate use through integrated weed management, according to CSPI. Non-chemical weed management techniques such as crop rotation and cover crops will continue to be underutilized without EPA involvement, the group says. "It's not in farmers' or the biotechnology industry's short-term financial interest to adopt these measures on their own, so the EPA should use its authority to protect glyphosate's effectiveness," said CSPI biotechnology director Gregory Jaffe. "Otherwise, the industry might squander this very valuable benefit of genetically engineered crops." CSPI's letter points out that the EPA instituted similar requirements to protect the effectiveness of crops engineered to produce a natural insecticide, Bt. CSPI also urged the EPA to take steps to reduce the likelihood of weeds developing resistance to other major herbicides, such as 2,4-D and dicamba. That's because, according to CSPI, in 2013 the U.S. Department of Agriculture likely will approve new genetically engineered crops designed to tolerate application of those chemicals, and farmers may begin planting them by 2014. 2013-02-04 "Pour One Out" Video Contest Winners Announced http://cspinet.org/new/201302012.html Films Show the Impact of Sugary DrinksA Nashville family's rap video is the winner of a contest aimed at raising awareness of the harmful health effects of overconsumption of sugary drinks. The winning video "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNv-MU6m5V4&feature=youtu.be">Just Pour One Out</a>" features an original rap song from the Sullivan family, inspired by 41-year-old stay-at-home dad Peter Sullivan's personal struggle with soda consumption. "I was surprised by how much the process changed my drinking habits," Sullivan said of making the film. Announced by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest in October 2012, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/liquidcandy/pouroneout.html">the Pour One Out video contest</a> invited the public to produce short videos demonstrating the pouring out of sugary drinks in a creative way. Advertising pioneer Alex Bogusky joined CSPI staff in judging contest entries based on creativity, originality, and effectiveness of the health message. CSPI offered a $1,000 prize for the winning film, and $500 and $250 prizes for the second- and third-place films. The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVEehv86usI&feature=youtu.be">runner-up video</a> was produced by 5th-grade students in teacher Laurel Frederick's after-school club at Incline Elementary School in Incline Village, NV. "They calculated the amount of sugar in selected drinks and did hands-on activities to help drive the point home," said Frederick. Third place went to Dennis Nguyen, an IT professional from St. Metairie, LA, who worked with friends to create "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL53LBfO8eg">One For My Boy</a>," drawing inspiration from childhood memories of the ubiquity of Kool-Aid advertisements in his neighborhood. "Coke and Pepsi spend billions of dollars on television advertising and other forms of marketing, so it's exciting to see so many budding filmmakers take to the Internet to lampoon an industry whose products promote obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. Participants sought inspiration from the viral success of CSPI's <a href="http://therealbears.org/#video">The Real Bears</a>, an animated short film in which soda-guzzling, disease-ridden polar bears decide to pour out their sodas. The film, which features an original song, "Sugar," by Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Jason Mraz and rapper MC Flow, has been viewed more than two million times. CSPI has since released a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyeImvWtnr4">new video "translation"</a> of Coca-Cola's recent two-minute-long Internet ad addressing obesity. The widely jeered original gave the impression that all sources of calories are equal, when in fact liquid calories are more conducive to weight gain than solid calories. While Coke's ad congratulates the soda industry for "voluntary changes" in schools, CSPI's translation points out that those changes came only after parents, school boards, and state laws started pushing soda out of schools. 2013-02-01 USDA's Proposed National School Nutrition Standards Cheered http://cspinet.org/new/201302011.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanUnder <a href="http://www.fns.usda.gov/cga/020113-snacks.pdf">USDA's proposed nutrition standards</a>, parents will no longer have to worry that their kids are using their lunch money to buy junk food at school. Combined with the improvements in school lunches that schools began implementing this school year, at long last, all foods and beverages sold in schools will need to meet healthy nutrition standards. <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/school_nutrition_standards_fact_sheet_2012.pdf">Getting sugary drinks and junk food out of school vending machines</a>, a la carte lines in cafeterias, and school stores is much needed given the high rates of childhood obesity and children's poor diets. There's been good progress on school foods over the last decade as a result of local school district and state policies and voluntary efforts by the soft-drink industry. But still, there are too many unhealthy foods and drinks in schools. Two-thirds of elementary school students and almost all high school students can buy foods and beverages outside of the meal programs in schools. Studies show that unhealthy snacks and drinks sold in schools undermine children’s diets and increase their weights. Current national school nutrition standards for foods sold outside of meals only limit "foods of minimal nutritional value," like seltzer water, hard candy, and ice pops, and not candy bars, snack cakes, and sports drinks. The updated standards proposed by USDA will better address obesity and other dietary problems, like saturated and trans fats, salt, and sugars. 2013-02-01 CDC Results Shows Dairy Products are Leading Cause of Hospitalizations in Food Illness Survey http://cspinet.org/new/201301291.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalOne surprising fact consumers should take away from the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/attribution-1998-2008.html">CDC study of foodborne illnesses between 1998 and 2008</a> is that dairy products, including milk, cheese, and ice cream, are big contributors to foodborne illness. Dairy products ranked as the leading cause of hospitalizations linked to foodborne illness; second to leafy greens in the numbers of illnesses; and second to poultry in the numbers of deaths. While CDC does not give much detail, CSPI's own analysis and ranking of the 10 Riskiest Foods Regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2009) identified ice cream and cheese as among the top 10 causes of illnesses linked to outbreaks. The risk from dairy products has increased in recent years with the increased rise in popularity of unpasteurized raw milk and cheeses. People who consume unpasteurized dairy products have no protection from hazards like E. coli O157 and Salmonella that are commonly found in dairy cattle. CDC's finding that leafy greens are a top contributor to foodborne illness is no surprise. The fact that three of the produce categories ("leafy greens," "fruits and nuts," "vine-stalk vegetables") <a href="https://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/outbreak_report.html">show up as top contributors</a> to illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths underscores the need for rapid implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act's new regulations to improve the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables, announced on January 4. Additional regulations are also long overdue for imported products that would be covered under the Act. Improvements will also require new funding for inspections and testing at both the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2013-01-29 Taco Bell Praised for Pulling Anti-Veggie Ad http://cspinet.org/new/201301281.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanIt's bad enough that there aren't many ads on television for broccoli, kale, or carrots. The last thing healthy fruits and vegetables needed was to be the subject of <a href="http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7wLg/taco-bell-variety-12-pack-veggies">attack ads</a>. We are delighted that Taco Bell is pulling an ad that urged people not to bring veggie trays to their Super Bowl parties, but to instead bring 12-packs of Taco Bell's tacos. Thanks to Taco Bell for responding with record speed to address nutritionists' and consumers' concern over this ad campaign. 2013-01-28 PepsiCo Takes Brominated Vegetable Oil Out of Gatorade http://cspinet.org/new/201301252.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson<a href="http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm#bvo">Brominated vegetable oil</a> is a poorly tested and possibly dangerous food additive, and there's no reason to use it in Gatorade or other drinks. After all, safe substitutes are used in Europe and elsewhere. It's crazy that the Food and Drug Administration has let BVO linger in the food supply on an "interim" basis for 42 years. It has long been used in Fanta Orange, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, and other beverages to keep flavor oils in suspension and provide a cloudy appearance. I applaud PepsiCo for doing the responsible thing and voluntarily getting it out of Gatorade without waiting for government officials to require it to do so. That said, Gatorade without BVO is nutritionally no better than with it. A typical 20-ounce bottle has 130 calories, all from its 34 grams of refined sugars, which promote obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. 2013-01-25 Coca-Cola Obesity Ad Translated from Cokespeak to English http://cspinet.org/new/201301251.html Translation? If You Gain Weight, It’s Your Fault and Not Ours.Coca-Cola may reign supreme on the airwaves but it doesn’t own the Web. There, its two-minute commercial addressing obesity was met with <a href="http://www.foodpolitics.com/2013/01/coca-cola-fights-obesity-oh-please/">guffaws</a>, <a href="http://www.boston.com/dailydose/2013/01/14/coke-stand-against-obesity-new-genuine-concern-hypocrisy/jZtCoQHd8PY0hZzR5TXRhN/story.html">incredulity</a>, and general <a href="http://jezebel.com/5975812/new-coca+cola-ads-mention-obesity-but-still-insist-coca+cola-has-happy-calories">ridicule</a>. Today, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest offers <a href="http://youtu.be/RyeImvWtnr4">a helpful translation of Coke's ad</a>. "Generally, when a company claims to be 'part of the solution' it means 'we know we're culpable so we must deflect the blame elsewhere,'" said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "So we thought it would be useful for consumers and policymakers to unpack similar examples of Coke's disingenuous corporate gobbledygook and present them in plain English." For instance, "for elementary, middle, and high schools, our industry has voluntarily changed its offerings," is how Coca-Cola's "Coming Together" ad describes sugary drinks' departure from schools. CSPI's translation? "By 'voluntarily changed' we mean after parents, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200612061.html">school boards</a>, and <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200509141.html">state laws</a> kicked sugary drinks out of schools." Coke's statement that "all calories count, no matter where they come from," is translated as "liquid calories are more conducive to weight gain than calories in solid foods." Last week, YouTube user "John Pemberton," presumably named after the Georgia pharmacist who invented Coca-Cola and marketed it as a "valuable brain tonic," released "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bHhCP5ad-zM">The Honest Coca-Cola Ad</a>." And in October, CSPI released <a href="http://www.therealbears.org/">The Real Bears</a>, an animated short film depicting a family of polar bears grappling with soda-related diseases, featuring an original song by Jason Mraz. That film has been viewed more than 2,000,000 times on YouTube. 2013-01-25 NAACP Should Return Coke Money, Support Efforts to Reduce Soda-Related Diseases http://cspinet.org/new/201301231.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonMy guess is that the NAACP looks back with some regret at its <a href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/bwq82b00/pdf;jsessionid=7990C5E0CFA48349362F358BD25F94C2.tobacco03">acceptance of money from Philip Morris and other tobacco companies</a> throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and wishes it could take back some of the <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2211&dat=19870606&id=WTAmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=c_4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=4432,2263896">favorable things the group said about those companies and its executives</a>, the tobacco sponsorship it accepted for NAACP events, and the times it <a href="http://www.californiahealthline.org/articles/2006/10/12/california-naacp-opposes-tobacco-tax-measure.aspx?topic=childrens%20health%20coverage">opposed raising tobacco taxes</a>, <a href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/action/search/basic?fd=0&q=NAACP">and so on</a>. I fear that the current leadership of the NAACP will look back with similar regret at its acceptance of money from Coca-Cola, and its subsequent <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hazel-n-dukes/ny-soda-ban_b_1834816.html">willingness to oppose</a> sensible public health measures such as the cap on soda serving sizes proposed by New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. No one doubts that <a href="http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/content.aspx?lvl=3&lvlID=537&ID=6456">obesity</a>, <a href="http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/content.aspx?lvl=3&lvlID=5&ID=3017">diabetes</a>, and heart disease exert a disproportionate toll on African-Americans, Latinos, and low-income Americans generally. And these are diseases that are directly related to soda consumption. Any group seeking to end health disparities should make reducing soda consumption a top priority. If I were the NAACP I would return the <a href="http://catonsville.patch.com/announcements/naacp-receives-100000-grant-from-the-coca-cola-foundation-to-support-project-help">December donation</a> from Coca-Cola, refuse to accept future grants from Big Soda as a matter of principle, and reevaluate the position the group is taking in New York City. 2013-01-23 Xtreme Eating 2013: Extremism Running Amok at America's Restaurant Chains http://cspinet.org/new/201301161.html Federal Rules for Calories on Menus Long Overdue, Says CSPIA milkshake with a slice of apple pie blended right in. A 3,000-calorie plate of pasta. A breakfast that includes deep-fried steak and pancakes (and hash browns and eggs and gravy and syrup). Obesity rates may show signs of leveling off, but it looks like America’s major restaurant chains are doing everything possible to reverse the trend, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. The group unveils the latest "winners" of its <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/extreme_eating_2013.pdf">Xtreme Eating Awards</a> in the current issue of its Nutrition Action Healthletter. "It's as if IHOP, The Cheesecake Factory, Maggiano's Little Italy, and other major restaurant chains are scientifically engineering these extreme meals with the express purpose of promoting obesity, diabetes, and heart disease," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "You'd think that the size of their profits depended on their increasing the size of your pants." Most people wouldn't sit down to eat a 12-piece bucket of Original Recipe KFC all by themselves, says CSPI. Yet The Cheesecake Factory somehow crams about that many calories into a single serving of its Crispy Chicken Costoletta—though the bucket of KFC has less than half the saturated fat, "only" two days' worth as opposed to the four-and-a-half days' worth in the costoletta. In fact, the Crispy Chicken Costoletta has more calories (2,610) than any steak, chop, or burger meal on The Cheesecake Factory's famously oversized menu. To put these numbers into context, a typical adult should consume about 2,000 calories and no more than 20 grams of saturated fat and 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming no more than six teaspoons of added sugars for women and nine teaspoons for men. The Xtreme Eating dis-honorees include: <ul> <li>IHOP serves a breakfast consisting of deep-fried steak with gravy, two fried eggs, deep-fried potatoes, and two buttermilk pancakes. The Country Fried Steak & Eggs combo has 1,760 calories, 23 grams of saturated fat, 3,720 mg of sodium, and 11 teaspoons of added sugar. CSPI says that's like having five McDonald's Egg McMuffins sprinkled with 10 packets of sugar.<img src="/IHOP.jpg" width="400"></li> <li>Johnny Rockets' Bacon Cheddar Double burger has 1,770 calories, 50 grams of saturated fat, and 2,380 milligrams of sodium. An order of the chain's Sweet Potato Fries adds another 590 calories and 800 mg of sodium. The chain's Big Apple Shake—a milkshake that actually contains a slice of apple pie—has 1,140 calories, 37 grams of saturated fat, and about 13 teaspoons of added sugar. That meal delivers a total of 3,500 calories (nearly two days' worth), 88 grams of saturated fat (four-and-a-half days' worth) and 3,720 mg of sodium (two-and-a-half days' worth. It's like eating 3 McDonald's Quarter Pounders with Cheese, a large Fries, a medium McCafé Vanilla Shake, and 2 Baked Apple Pies.<img src="/JohnnyRockets.jpg" width="300"></li> <li>The Deep Dish Macaroni & 3-Cheese at Uno Chicago Grill has four cups of pasta; Cheddar, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses; an Alfredo sauce made from heavy cream, cheese, rendered chicken fat, and butter; and a crushed Ritz Cracker topping. With a day's worth of calories (1,980), three-and-a-half days' worth of saturated fat (71 grams), and two days' worth of sodium (3,110 mg), eating this entrée is like eating a whole Family Size box of Stouffer's Macaroni & Cheese—with half a stick of butter melted on top.<img src="/UnoMacadoozy.jpg" width="300"></li> <li>One might think that the Bistro Shrimp Pasta from The Cheesecake Factory is one of the less fattening things on the menu, what with its shrimp, mushrooms, tomato, and arugula. It actually has more calories than any other entrée (at 3,120), along with 89 grams of saturated fat (enough to keep your arteries busy from Monday morning to noon on Friday, says CSPI). It's the nutritional equivalent of three orders of Olive Garden's Lasagna Classico plus an order of Tiramisu. <img src="/CheesecakeFactory.jpg" width="350"></li> <li>Smoothie King combines peanut butter, banana, sugar, and grape juice in its Peanut Power Plus Grape Smoothie. Some may think that sounds healthy, but a 40-oz. large size has 1,460 calories and three- and-a-half days' worth of added sugar (22 teaspoons). Make that six-and-a-half days' worth, since the 17 teaspoons of naturally occurring sugar in the grape juice aren't any healthier than added sugar. There's an additional 12 teaspoons of sugar coming from the banana and nonfat milk. <img src="/SmoothieKing.jpg" width="150"></li> <li>Few would consider eating an entire, eight-serving Entenmann's Chocolate Fudge Cake. Yet a slice of the Chocolate Zuccotto Cake at Maggiano's Little Italy is roughly equivalent, with almost a day's worth of calories (1,820), three days' worth of saturated fat (62 grams), and four days' worth of added sugar (26 teaspoons).<img src="/MaggianosCake.jpg" width="300"></li></ul> The full list of winners is available <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/extreme_eating_2013.pdf">here</a>. Calorie counts will soon be required on chain restaurant menus, thanks to the landmark health care reform legislation signed by President Obama in March 2010 and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in June. Draft regulations that implement the calorie-labeling provisions have been released by the Food and Drug Administration, though final regulations have been stalled for months, according to CSPI. "I hope the Obama Administration promptly finalizes overdue calorie labeling rules for chain restaurants," Jacobson said. "Not only do Americans deserve to know what they're eating, but, as our Xtreme Eating "winners" clearly indicate, lives are at stake. And perhaps when calories become mandatory on menus, chains will begin innovating in a healthier direction, instead of competing with each other to make Americans heavier and sicker." CSPI's <a href="https://orders.cspinet.org/subscriptions/">Nutrition Action Healthletter</a> is published 10 times a year, has 850,000 subscribers, and accepts no advertising. 2013-01-16 CSPI on New Coca-Cola Advertising Campaign & Obesity http://cspinet.org/new/201301142.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonThe soda industry is under siege, and for good reason. This <a href="http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2013/01/14/16506023-cokes-new-anti-obesity-ad-is-a-soda-maker-first">new advertising campaign</a> is just a damage control exercise, and not a meaningful contribution toward addressing obesity. What the industry is trying to do is forestall sensible policy approaches to reducing sugary drink consumption, including taxes, further exclusion from public facilities, and caps on serving sizes such as the measure proposed by Mayor Bloomberg. # # # Note: CSPI’s animated short film, <a href="http://www.therealbears.org">The Real Bears</a>, shows the impact of obesity, diabetes, and other soda-related diseases, on a family of Polar Bears. 2013-01-14 2,000,000 View "The Real Bears" Film http://cspinet.org/new/201301042.html Video, With Original Jason Mraz Song, Connects the Dots Between Soda Consumption and DiseaseMore than two million people have now seen what USA Today called "the video Coca-Cola doesn't want you to see": <a href="http://therealbears.org/#video">The Real Bears</a>. Conceived for the Center for Science in the Public Interest by advertising pioneer Alex Bogusky, The Real Bears is a moving (and sometimes harrowing) portrait of a polar bear family's struggle with obesity, diabetes, and other soda-related health problems. The film features an original song, Sugar, by Grammy-award winning singer Jason Mraz, which he performed with rapper MC Flow. "Manipulative marketing techniques position soda as a life-affirming source of happiness, when in fact out-of-control soda consumption is fueling an epidemic of disease," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. The Real Bears web site calls attention to a number of what CSPI says are lies told by soda executives, including one that the group says will go down in history: "There is no scientific evidence that connects sugary beverages to obesity," a <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/story/2012-06-07/coke-q-and-a-coca-cola-mayor-bloomberg/55453016/1">statement</a> made by senior Coca-Cola executive Katie Bayne to USA Today. "Denying any connection whatsoever between sugary drinks and obesity is reminiscent of the famous 1994 congressional hearing at which the nation's top tobacco executives testified that nicotine was not addictive," Jacobson said. "When one blandly states what one knows to be false, it truly crosses the line from spin to a lie." As The Real Bears reached its two-millionth view, Coca-Cola clawed back with an animated short film produced by Ridley Scott and his late brother, Tony Scott, entitled "The Polar Bears." "It's a shame that with all of its financial resources, Coke is trying to take back the bears with such a bloated, boring production," Jacobson said. "They should have called it 'The Corporate Bears.'" The Real Bears is "the kind of video that would make anti-smoking campaigns proud," wrote ReelSEO.com, which named The Real Bears one of the top 10 viral charity video campaigns of 2012. Besides Bogusky and Mraz, the film's creative team included the Austin, TX-based agency The Butler Bros. and Helsinki-based animator Lucas Zanotto. 2013-01-04 Proposed Food Safety Regulations a Welcome Sign of Progress, Says CSPI http://cspinet.org/new/201301041.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalTwo years ago, President Obama <a href="https://www.cspinet.org/new/201101032.html">signed into law</a> the most comprehensive food safety reform in over 70 years. The landmark FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was passed following a series of deadly outbreaks linked to FDA-regulated foods, like spinach, peanut butter, and imported produce. The new law should transform the FDA from an agency that tracks down outbreaks after the fact, to an agency focused on preventing food contamination in the first place. The <a href="http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm334156.htm">proposed rules</a> released by the FDA today, though <a href="https://www.cspinet.org/new/201209272.html">12 months behind the congressionally mandated date</a>, are an important step toward that goal. Both rules are essential to control the food safety hazards in processed foods and fresh produce that spurred Congress to enact FSMA. The rule mandating preventive control programs will require food manufacturers to conduct a hazard analysis of their facilities and to develop preventive control plans aimed at keeping Salmonella, E. coli, and other dangerous pathogens out of the food supply. The law also called for specific regulations aimed at ensuring the safety of produce, since outbreaks related to spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, melons, and other fruits and vegetables have become so frequent. These proposed regulations are a sign of progress that should be welcomed by consumers and the food industry alike. Still needed are protections in the form of rules aimed at ensuring the safety of imported food, also mandated by FSMA and long overdue. Americans want to know that the food coming from China, Mexico, and elsewhere is subject to the same standards, inspection, testing, and other regulatory improvements mandated for the domestic food industry. America’s increasingly global food supply demands a robust system that ensures that importers are living up to the same high standards we require of domestic producers. 2013-01-04 Little Improvement Seen in Food Marketing to Children http://cspinet.org/new/201212212.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanToday's <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/os/2012/12/121221foodmarketingreport.pdf">report from the Federal Trade Commission</a> indicates that much more needs to be done if industry self-regulation of food marketing to children is to become an effective way to protect children's health. Self-regulation has led to only modest improvements in the way food and media companies market and advertise food to children. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of foods advertised to kids is still of poor nutritional quality. It's a step forward that the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative adopted a common set of nutrition standards. But even under its "new and improved" standards, Cocoa Puffs, Popsicles, SpagettiOs, and Fruit Roll-Ups are considered nutritious foods that companies can actively promote to children. Unfortunately the food industry succeeded in killing the <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/201109271.html">federal Interagency Working Group's excellent voluntary guidelines</a>. Companies have taken steps to expand what they consider to be marketing to children. But it's crazy for companies to claim that putting Dora the Explorer on a Popsicle package or promoting Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toys in Happy Meals isn't marketing to kids. More companies need to take responsibility for what they market to children. Unlike Disney and Qubo, Nickelodeon and the Cartoon Network have not agreed to limit unhealthy food advertising during their children's television programming or on their websites. Chuck E. Cheese's, Topps Candy, IHOP, and all food companies that market to children should join the CFBAI. Although the FTC found that food marketing expenditures have declined, it's unlikely that kids are exposed to less marketing of unhealthy foods. Companies have increased their use of Internet, tablet, and cell phone marketing, which are less expensive—and more interactive—than television ads. And, $1.8 billion a year in spending is still a huge investment in implanting marketing messages on impressionable, still-developing young brains. If industry wants to continue to enjoy its extraordinary freedom to self-regulate in this area, those messages must not promote foods that promote obesity, diabetes, and other nutrition-related diseases in children. 2012-12-21 General Mills to Improve Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups Labeling http://cspinet.org/new/201212211.html Settlement Agreement Negotiated with CSPI Resolves LawsuitGeneral Mills has agreed to improve its labeling for Strawberry Naturally Flavored Fruit Roll-Ups. The agreement <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/201110141.html">resolves a lawsuit</a> brought against the company by a California woman, Annie Lam, who was represented by the nonprofit nutrition watchdog group the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the consumer protection law firm Reese Richman LLP. Strawberry Naturally Flavored Fruit Roll-Ups <a href="http://www.generalmills.com/ColorBoxImage.aspx?ImageId={70F95A88-FAE9-4853-BB95-E7F43C5D7640}&Width=730&Height=545">contain no strawberries</a> but are made with pears from concentrate, corn syrup, dried corn syrup, sugar, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, and 2 percent or less various natural and artificial ingredients. So long as the product continues not to contain strawberries, the new labels will not depict images of strawberries, according to the agreement. And, so long as the product's label carries the claim "Made with Real Fruit," such claims will be required to include the actual percentage of fruit in the product. Both of those changes will take effect in 2014. "By stating the actual percentage of fruit in the product, these labels will be less likely to lead consumers to believe that the product is all or mostly fruit," said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. "A more accurate name for the product would be Pear Naturally Flavored Fruit Roll-Ups, since pear is present and strawberry is absent. But the removal of pictures of strawberries is a step in the right direction. We are pleased to have worked cooperatively with General Mills to reach this agreement." In recent years, <a href="http://cspinet.org/litigation/index.html">CSPI's litigation unit</a> has negotiated agreements or otherwise spurred improvements in labeling or advertising for products as diverse as Airborne dietary supplements, Centrum multivitamins, and Aunt Jemima Blueberry Waffles. CSPI negotiated a historic settlement agreement improving the nutritional quality of Kellogg products marketed to children, and its lawsuit against KFC spurred that company to cease using partially hydrogenated oil. Currently, CSPI is pursuing litigation aimed at correcting labeling and advertising for <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/200901151.html">Coca-Cola's Vitaminwater</a> and <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/201211081.html">Dr Pepper Snapple Group's 7UP "Antioxidant" varieties</a>. 2012-12-21 Beyonce Urged to Reconsider Pepsi Deal http://cspinet.org/new/201212181.html In Letter to Singer, CSPI Cites Impact of Soda-Related Diseases on Minority CommunitiesBeyoncé should not let her name and image be used to promote Pepsi-Cola—a product that contributes to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, tooth decay, and other health problems in adults and children, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Today the nonprofit watchdog group <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/letter-beyonce-knowles-carter.pdf">urged the pop music star</a> to reconsider her $50 million endorsement deal with PepsiCo, which was <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/10/business/media/in-beyonce-deal-pepsi-focuses-on-collaboration.html">first reported</a> in the New York Times on December 9. "You occupy a unique position in the cultural life of this country and are an inspiring role model for millions of young people," wrote CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "Your image is one of success, health, talent, fitness, and glamour. But by lending your name and image to PepsiCo, you are associating those positive attributes with a product that is quite literally sickening Americans." Each additional sugary drink consumed per day increases the likelihood of a child becoming obese by 60 percent, according to the letter. Each soda consumed per day increases the risk of heart disease in men by 19 percent. Drinking one or two sugary drinks per day increases one's risk for type 2 diabetes by 25 percent. Diabetes, in turn, can cause complications including amputation, erectile dysfunction, blindness, coma, and early death. Almost all obesity-related health problems have a disproportionate impact on low-income, African-American, and Hispanic communities, CSPI says. As part of her deal, Beyoncé will star in a new TV ad and perform at the "Pepsi Halftime Show" during the February 3 Super Bowl; her image will appear on some cans of Pepsi, at least in Europe. This isn't the first time one of Beyoncé's financial arrangements has raised eyebrows. On New Year's Eve in 2009, Beyoncé performed at a party <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/05/hannibal-gaddafi-pays-bey_n_411602.html">hosted by Hannibal Gaddafi</a>, one of the sons of the now-deceased Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, for a reported fee of $2 million. That money was eventually <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/12638553">donated to charity</a>, according to published reports. CSPI says that if Beyoncé goes through with this deal with Pepsi she could similarly consider donating the proceeds to a hospital, a diabetes organization, or another charity involved in the treatment or prevention of soda-related diseases. 2012-12-18 5-hour Energy Stops Deceptive Web Ad http://cspinet.org/new/201212061.html CSPI Recommends Consumers Avoid Product Pending FDA Investigation into Deaths5-hour Energy—the controversial caffeinated supplement drink under federal scrutiny for its <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/15/business/5-hour-energy-is-cited-in-13-death-reports.html">reported role in 13 deaths</a>—has at least temporarily stopped running a web-based video ad which the Center for Science in the Public Interest said <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/201212051.html">misled the public about the nonprofit watchdog group's stance on the product's safety</a>. Lawyers for the Farmington Hills, MI-based manufacturer of 5-hour Energy say the ad will remain down while the company "research[es] the legal issues further." The ad in question featured a quotation from Time magazine in which CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson answered a question about whether it is possible to die from caffeine. "It's highly unlikely," Jacobson told Time. "Someone would really have to make an effort to consume 40 or so 200-mg caffeine tablets." CSPI told 5-hour Energy that its use of that quote in its ad gave the false impression that Jacobson or CSPI endorsed the product. In fact, CSPI does have concern about 5-hour Energy, which contains far more than just caffeine. It also contains citicoline, tyrosine, phenylalanine, taurine, malic acid, glucuronolactone, unspecified natural and artificial flavors, the artificial sweetener sucralose, potassium sorbate, and sodium benzoate. "People have been drinking coffee and tea for millennia," Jacobson said today. "People have been consuming 5-hour Energy only since 2004. Considering that the FDA is investigating reports of heart attacks, convulsions, and deaths associated with the product, we recommend people not consume 5-hour Energy until the FDA gets to the bottom of the problems." The company is also under investigation by the New York Attorney General's office, and Representative Edward Markey (D-MA) recently called for a Federal Trade Commission probe into the advertising for 5-hour Energy and other energy drinks. Yesterday, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said the recent 5-hour Energy ad quoting Jacobson was misleading and should be stopped. 2012-12-06 Health Group Issues Warning Over Deceptive "5-hour Energy" Web Ads http://cspinet.org/new/201212051.html Ad Falsely Implies CSPI Believes Product is SafeThe nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest is warning consumers not to believe <a href="http://www.5hourenergy.com/what-about-caffeine.asp">a new web ad</a> for 5-hour Energy—the controversial caffeinated drink under federal scrutiny for its <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/15/business/5-hour-energy-is-cited-in-13-death-reports.html">reported role in 13 deaths</a>. The 5-hour Energy ad gives the misleading impression that CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson believes the product is safe, merely because he told a <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2012/11/19/what-you-should-know-about-caffeine/">Time magazine</a> reporter that it would be hard to overdose—to death—on caffeine alone. It is true that it would take a lot of caffeine to kill most people, according to Jacobson. But 5-hour Energy may be doing harm at much lower levels—perhaps causing insomnia, anxiety, reduced fertility, and other problems related to caffeine. Moreover, besides caffeine (about 215 milligrams), 5-hour Energy contains large doses of B vitamins as well as an "energy blend" that contains chemicals such as citicoline, tyrosine, phenylalanine, taurine, malic acid, glucuronolactone, unspecified natural and artificial flavors, sucralose, potassium sorbate, and sodium benzoate. It is conceivable that interactions between, or contaminants in, the various ingredients could be responsible for illnesses or deaths, says CSPI. Besides being linked to 13 deaths in the last four years, the product has been associated with 30 other serious, life-threatening events, including heart attacks, convulsions, and one spontaneous abortion, according to the New York Times' review of Food and Drug Administration records. On November 16, <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/fda-revised-letter001.pdf">CSPI wrote to the FDA expressing concern</a> about the expanded addition of caffeine to foods and beverages, including a new variety of Cracker Jack (called Cracker Jack’D), Kraft's MiO Energy "water enhancer," and others. In fact, one of the concerns expressed in CSPI's letter was the number of deaths linked to 5-hour Energy and other energy drinks. "[T]he proliferation of caffeinated foods or beverages could lead to troublesome or serious health problems for children and adults who consume those products—especially when they consume multiple products over the day," Jacobson wrote. "That is especially significant in light of the deaths reported in connection with energy drinks, including 5-hour Energy." CSPI called the use of Jacobson's words in an advertisement a self-serving attempt to imply his and CSPI's endorsement of the safety of the product. Lawyers for CSPI sent a cease and desist letter instructing 5-hour Energy parent company, Farmington Hills, MI-based Living Essentials LLC, to stop using Jacobson's and CSPI's names in its advertisement. "I advise consumers not to use 5-hour Energy—at least until the FDA gets to the bottom of the heart attacks, convulsions, and deaths that have been reported in connection with the product," Jacobson said. "And I call on the marketer of 5-hour Energy to stop using my name and my organization's name in its misleading advertisement when the company knows that I have grave concerns about 5-hour Energy and other energy drinks." "This ad campaign is misleading and should be stopped," Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said. "The amount of caffeine and other additives in many of these energy drinks is way in excess of what is healthy for children and adolescents. As a result of these concerns, Senator Durbin and I have urged the FDA to investigate these products. Stronger oversight and awareness through warnings and other possible measures are clearly needed." "The advertising claims made by energy drink makers are particularly disturbing when they are targeted to appeal to younger audiences, especially since the FDA has not substantiated the health claims," said Representative Edward J. Markey, a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "Marketing pitches that promise to give customers an 'extra boost' need extra attention, especially if they are being targeted to children and teens. Until we know more about the health impacts of these drinks and until the federal government evaluates their claims, all Americans, particularly younger ones, should be cautious before consuming them." 5-hour Energy is manufactured by Farmington Hills, MI-based Living Essentials LLC. 2012-12-05 Nickelodeon Knocked For Pitching Junk Food to Kids http://cspinet.org/new/201212031.html Health Groups Urge Nick to Match Disney Efforts & Set Nutrition StandardsShould Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants really be hawking junk food to young children? That's the question raised by more than 55 health groups and 30 prominent nutritionists, physicians, and other experts, who today <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/nickelodeon-campaign-letter-dec-2012.pdf">called on Nickelodeon and parent company Viacom</a> to implement strong nutrition standards for the foods marketed to kids on Viacom's various channels and that bear images of its characters. <img src="/spongebob-snacks-400.jpg"> The company has taken some small steps in the right direction, including a vague policy to limit the licensing of Nick characters to healthier food products. However, SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer are still used to promote unhealthy foods like imitation fruit snacks, Popsicles, PEZ candy, Cheese Nips crackers, and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Nickelodeon, NickToons, and Nick Jr. recently have advertised unhealthy foods like Cocoa Puffs, Air Heads candies, Chuck E. Cheese's, and Fruit Roll-Ups. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KxtZ_ATtz7k?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Nickelodeon lags behind the Walt Disney Company, which earlier this year <a href="http://www.letsmove.gov/blog/2012/06/05/today-first-lady-announces-disney%E2%80%99s-healthy-food-marketing-standards">announced new nutrition standards</a> that it is expected to apply to all its marketing. "We appreciate Nickelodeon's efforts to promote healthy lifestyles to children," wrote the groups and experts in a letter to Viacom Inc. president and CEO Philippe Dauman and Nickelodeon president Cyma Zarghami. "However, such efforts are insufficient given the magnitude of the problem. Your PSAs, philanthropic activities, and partnerships with children's groups do not counterbalance the effect of Nickelodeon's core business and children's exposure to food marketing. The mix of Nickelodeon's marketing remains out of balance, doing more to promote unhealthy than healthy eating." The letter was coordinated by a coalition called the Food Marketing Workgroup. Led by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest and Berkeley Media Studies Group, the coalition includes the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Jamie Oliver Food Foundation, Environmental Working Group, and others. "Nickelodeon prides itself on responsible programming for kids, but how can a program be responsible, if the ads during that program are irresponsible?" asked CSPI nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan. "Feeding kids healthfully is tough enough without Nickelodeon letting its programming and characters be used to market foods that promote obesity, diabetes, and other health problems in children." The health groups urged Viacom to join the Council for Better Business Bureaus' Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, a self-regulatory group that promotes a baseline set of standards for food marketing to young children. The company could go even farther by implementing the food marketing guidelines proposed by the Interagency Working Group, a federal task force that in 2011 proposed draft non-binding standards. The National Academies' Institute of Medicine (IOM) has concluded that marketing puts children's health at risk. <a href="http://www.foodmarketing.org/resources/food-marketing-to-children/">Most foods marketed to children are unhealthy</a>, according to CSPI, and food marketing affects children's food preferences, food choices, diets, and health. "It's not just a matter of parents saying 'no.' Junk food marketing shapes what children are willing to eat, not only at home but also at school, afterschool programs, and daycare. It causes battles over breakfast, conflicts when shopping, and can be down-right embarrassing when kids throw a tantrum in a restaurant or grocery store," said Wootan. "Nick should stop turning our kids against us and deliberating making parents' job harder." 2012-12-03 Sugary Drink Tax Should be on Table During Fiscal Cliff Talks, Group Says http://cspinet.org/new/201211301.html Penny Per Ounce Tax on Soda Could Raise $160 Billion Over 10 YearsAs lawmakers seek to avoid pushing America off the "fiscal cliff" at year's end, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest is urging Congress to consider adding a sugary-drink tax to the mix. A penny-per-ounce tax on soda and other sugar-based beverages would raise $160 billion over ten years even as it would make a modest dent in consumption, the group says. Even smaller soda taxes, of just a penny-per-can, could raise $10 billion over 10 years. Plus, CSPI says that the resulting decline in soda consumption would help reduce health care costs by reducing the incidence of obesity, diabetes, and other expensive health problems. Raising tax rates on alcoholic beverages could raise another $14 billion per year, or $140 billion over 10 years, and reduce alcohol problems, says the group. Those taxes have been frozen for more than 20 years and have been severely eroded by inflation, according to CSPI. "Soda and sugary drinks are fueling an epidemic of costly diseases, and the fact that these drinks are dirt cheap is part of the problem," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "A truly balanced approach to deficit reduction should not leave this easy money on the table." <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/letter-to-members-congress-tax.pdf">In letters</a> to members of the Senate Finance Committee, the House Ways and Means Committee, and both chambers’ Budget Committees, Jacobson wrote that taxing sugary drinks is not a new idea. More than 30 states including Arkansas, California, New York, and West Virginia have imposed excise or sales taxes on sugar-sweetened drinks to generate revenue for health care or other purposes. The letter also encouraged boosting alcohol taxes. "Americans spend about $150 billion a year on medical expenses related to obesity, of which half is paid for with Medicare and Medicaid dollars," Jacobson wrote. "While a wide variety of actions are needed to reverse the obesity epidemic, a federal levy on sugary drinks would deter some excessive consumption and allow the government to recoup at least a fraction of the public costs associated with the consumption of those beverages." <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/11/16/how-think-tanks-would-reduce-the-deficit-in-two-charts/?wprss=rss_ezra-klein">Taxes on sugary drinks</a> are also supported by the Economic Policy Institute and the Bipartisan Policy Center. Recently, former Obama Administration Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2012/11/23/larry-summers-its-time-to-tax-carbon-and-treats/">endorsed the idea</a> of taxes on sugary drinks, telling a gathering of tax economists, "Mark my words, this one will come." According to The Washington Post, Summers told the economists that the evidence is overwhelming that sugary snacks cause diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The idea of taxing sugar and alcoholic beverages enjoys a distinguished conservative pedigree also: In 1776, Adam Smith, the "father of free market economics," wrote that "sugar, rum, and tobacco are commodities which are nowhere necessaries of life, which [have] become objects of almost universal consumption, and which are therefore extremely proper subjects of taxation." "Taxes on tobacco have proven to be highly effective in raising revenues and reducing consumption and harm," CSPI wrote. "The same would be true for a tax on sugary drinks and updated taxes on alcoholic beverages." 2012-11-30 FDA Closure of Peanut Butter Plant Welcome But Rules Still Need Finalizing http://cspinet.org/new/201211271.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalA <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200901221.html">2009 outbreak</a> caused by contaminated peanut products shocked the country and built momentum for reform that resulted in the landmark food safety legislation signed in 2011. So in a way it's fitting that the Food and Drug Administration is using that new law to <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hEMs6fjkdBvorfAZlN1uZFAApvxQ?docId=7f62ae46fd364eaf8a881b76e4eb6b0f">halt operations</a> at a separate Salmonella-infested peanut butter facility. We hope food manufacturers take note—clearly the FDA is not going to hesitate to use its new authority to shut down plants that are churning out contaminated product and putting Americans at risk of illness or death. But the key is to prevent contamination before it occurs, and before people get sick. The FDA and the Obama Administration need to finalize a number of important and long-overdue regulations that are aimed at doing exactly that. Regulations covering everything from preventive controls, produce safety standards, imports, and recalls have been unaccountably stalled, presumably because no one wants to issue new regulations during a campaign. But now that the elections are over the Administration should release these rules and bring the new food safety law into full force. 2012-11-27 Calorie Labeling Feasible for Supermarkets' Prepared Foods, CSPI Finds http://cspinet.org/new/201211151.html Available Nutrition Info, Dietitians on Staff Indicate Compliance Should be EasySupermarkets should easily be able to comply with soon-to-be finalized regulations to require the disclosure of calories for restaurant-style prepared foods, according to a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/supermarket-labeling-report.pdf">new analysis</a> of industry practices by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The nonprofit watchdog group surveyed the top 50 food retailers and found that of those that sell prepared foods (36 chains) more than 80 percent of them already possess nutrition information for some of those foods. Nearly 80 percent of the retailers also employ registered dietitians, either at the corporate level or in individual stores. In other words, supermarkets are already well-equipped to comply with the calorie labeling provisions included in the 2010 health care reform law. Though supermarkets and convenience stores would be covered under the <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ucm248732.htm">regulations proposed</a> by the Food and Drug Administration in April of 2011, the supermarket and convenience-store industries have been lobbying aggressively not to be covered. "If chain restaurants have to disclose calories, it would only be fair that supermarkets and convenience stores that sell fast food or other prepared meals should disclose calories as well," said CSPI nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan. "In fact, that's exactly what Congress intended. Besides, supermarkets are acting more and more like restaurants, by offering buffets, salad bars, delis, and seating at tables." Included in CSPI's sample of food retailers was the convenience-store giant 7-Eleven. That chain, which sells hot pizza slices, chicken tenders, nachos, burritos, and other foods, also has nutrition information for most of those items. Though it makes much of that information available online, it's just not easy to find in stores. Providing calorie labeling at restaurants, supermarkets, and convenience stores is important, says CSPI, because Americans get a third of their calories from outside of the home. <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/is-menu-labeling-working-factsheet.pdf">Several studies</a> show that calorie labeling exerts a gentle downward pressure on the number of calories consumers end up ordering and that restaurants end up serving. At Starbucks, in what was the biggest and best study conducted to date, menu labeling had little impact on beverage calories ordered, but reduced the calories in food purchases by 14 percent. Plus, calorie labeling <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/reformulation_fact_sheet.pdf">encourages food service establishments to reformulate meals with fewer calories</a>. CSPI's analysis also reveals how similar many supermarkets are to restaurants. Most supermarkets have bakeries; so do many restaurants, such as Panera Bread and Au Bon Pain. Similarly, many restaurants and supermarkets have buffets and salad bars. "Why should consumers at Golden Corral's buffet have nutrition information, but diners at Whole Foods' supermarket buffet have none?" asked Wootan. According to a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201206041.html">national survey</a> commissioned by CSPI last June, 81 percent of Americans favor having supermarkets provide calorie information for their prepared, restaurant-type foods, such as rotisserie chicken, sandwiches, and soups, and 77 percent want calorie labeling for the prepared foods available at convenience stores. "People not only want nutrition information, they need it," said Wootan. "Consumers, and even nutrition professionals, are unable to accurately estimate the calorie content of popular restaurant-type foods." In <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/supermarket_kroger_ceo_letter.pdf">letters</a> to the top 36 food retailers that sell prepared foods, CSPI is urging the chains to support the FDA's proposal. Final rules for calorie labeling are expected from the FDA later this year. CSPI also has urged the FDA not to exempt movie theaters or alcoholic beverages from calorie labeling requirements or to let vending machine operators provide calorie labeling on posters next to the machines that few people would notice. CSPI is also anticipating the release of long-overdue food safety regulations from the agency, which has missed several deadlines required by the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act. 2012-11-15 CSPI Urges Crackdown on Caffeinated Snacks http://cspinet.org/new/201211141.html Rev. 11/15/12Boxes of Cracker Jack are famous for having a toy surprise inside. But what parent suspects that Cracker Jack might come with a surprising dose of a mildly addictive stimulant drug? A soon-to-be-introduced version of that classic, kid-friendly snack does, in fact, have added caffeine—in the form of coffee, according to the manufacturer. The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest says that if government regulators don't take some kind of action, products like Frito-Lay's Cracker Jack'D could set off a new craze in which manufacturers add caffeine itself or coffee to more and more varieties of foods and beverages. In a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/fda-revised-letter001.pdf">letter</a> to the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson alerted the agency to Cracker Jack'D, Kraft's caffeinated "water enhancer" MiO Energy, and caffeinated "Extreme Sports Beans" marketed by the Jelly Belly Candy Company. "The way things are going, I fear that we'll see caffeine, or coffee. being added to ever-more improbable drinks and snacks, putting children, unsuspecting pregnant women, and others at risk," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "How soon before we have caffeinated burgers, burritos, or breakfast cereals?" MiO Energy comes in 32- and 48-milliliter squirt bottles that dispense half-teaspoon-sized servings intended to flavor water, according to the label. Each serving has 60 milligrams of caffeine, about as much as a small cup of coffee. In a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/kraft-letter-mio-11-14-12.pdf">letter to Kraft</a>, Jacobson said young children might enjoy squirting two or three times as much MiO Energy into water. "It is relevant to note that several state and city attorneys general and United States senators recently expressed concern about the caffeine content and marketing of energy drinks," Jacobson wrote. "Those products are marketed mostly to teens and young adults and have reportedly been associated with several deaths." MiO Energy appears to be formulated with many of the same ingredients as other "energy" drinks. Besides caffeine, MiO Energy (in the Black Cherry variety) contains water, citric acid, propylene glycol, taurine, guarana extract, ginseng extract, niacinamide, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, the artificial sweeteners sucralose and acesulfame potassium, sodium and potassium citrates, Red 40, Blue 1, and potassium sorbate. A Green Thunder variety is identical but has Yellow 5 instead of Red 40. It's unclear exactly how much caffeine is in Cracker Jack'D, though the labeling suggests a serving has as much as a cup of coffee. "Whether or not they are advertised directly to children, it is certain that young children will consume Cracker Jack'D... and sometimes consume it to excess," Jacobson wrote executives at Frito-Lay and parent company PepsiCo. Both MiO Energy and Cracker Jack'D have fine print on labels saying the products are inappropriate for children but CSPI <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/cracker-jackd-revised001.pdf">told the companies</a> that that's not sufficient to prevent children from consuming them. Effects of caffeine include anxiety, restlessness, irritability, excitability, and insomnia, according to CSPI. The American Academy of Pediatrics <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/05/25/peds.2011-0965.full.pdf">discourages the consumption of caffeine</a> and other stimulant substances in the diets of children and adolescents. The FDA considers caffeine safe for use in cola-type beverages up to 0.02 percent (72 mg per 12 ounces), but does not regulate coffee, according to CSPI. "Additional concerns regarding the use of caffeine in children include its effects on the developing neurologic and cardiovascular systems and the risk of physical dependence and addiction," the AAP says. "Because of the potentially harmful adverse effects and developmental effects of caffeine, dietary intake should be discouraged for all children." 2012-11-14 7UP Sued Over Antioxidant Claims on Cherry, Mixed Berry, and Pomegranate Flavors http://cspinet.org/new/201211081.html Antioxidant Comes From Illegal Fortification, Not the Named and Pictured Fruits7UP manufacturer Dr Pepper Snapple Group is facing a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/complaint-7up.pdf">lawsuit</a> over its practice of touting an added antioxidant in its regular and diet Cherry Antioxidant, Mixed Berry Antioxidant, and Pomegranate Antioxidant varieties. "There's never been a more delicious way to cherry pick your antioxidant!" is how 7UP's web site puts it. But according to the lawsuit filed today in federal court in California, the antioxidant claim is both misleading, since it gives the impression that the antioxidants come from the pictured healthful fruits, and illegal, since Food and Drug Administration regulations prohibit fortifying nutritionally worthless snack foods and beverages with nutrients. The suit was filed on behalf of a Sherman Oaks, Calif., man who purchased the drinks but would not have had he known the product didn't contain juices from the advertised fruits, and that the drinks have only a small amount of one isolated antioxidant, vitamin E. The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest is acting as co-counsel in the lawsuit, with the consumer protection class action law firm Reese Richman LLP. "Non-diet varieties of 7UP, like other sugary drinks, promote obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, and other serious health problems, and no amount of antioxidants could begin to reduce those risks," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "Adding an antioxidant to a soda is like adding menthol to a cigarette—neither does anything to make an unhealthy product healthy." Despite the pictures of cherries, blackberries, cranberries, raspberries, and pomegranates on various 7UP labels, the drinks contain no fruit or juice of any kind. 7UP Cherry Antioxidant contains water, high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid, potassium benzoate, and the controversial dye Red 40. The Mixed Berry and Pomegranate varieties also contain Blue 1 dye. One 12-ounce serving contains 9 teaspoons (38 grams) of sugars and 140 calories. The diet versions replace the high-fructose corn syrup with the artificial sweeteners aspartame and acesulfame potassium. In all six products, the added antioxidant is a small amount of vitamin E in the form of vitamin E acetate or d-alpha tocopherol acetate. But the purported health benefits of antioxidants are suggested by studies involving the consumption of whole fruits and vegetables, not artificially fortified foods, according to CSPI. Moreover, the FDA has a policy that states that the agency "does not consider it appropriate to fortify...snack foods such as candies and carbonated beverages." The FDA sent a warning letter to Coca-Cola for similar violations of that policy. According to the lawsuit, the antioxidant claims violate several California laws, including its Consumers Legal Remedies Act, the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Law, and several provisions of its Business and Professions Code related to fraudulent business practices and misleading advertising. This isn't the first time that 7UP's labeling and marketing practices have attracted CSPI's attention. In 2006, CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200605111.html">threatened to sue</a> to stop the company from calling 7UP "100% Natural" even though it contains factory-made high-fructose corn syrup. Cadbury Schweppes, then 7UP's parent company, soon <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/200701121.html">dropped that claim</a> though it now makes reference to the drinks' "100% natural flavors." In May, CSPI had privately contacted 7UP’s new parent company, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, over the issues surrounding the antioxidant claims, but the company has since refused to correct its labels. Reducing soda consumption is increasingly a priority of public health officials. "High consumption of SSBs [sugar-sweetened beverages] has been associated with obesity...diabetes, elevated triglycerides, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, elevated uric acid levels, gout, and dental caries," according to a guide published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CSPI recently released <a href="http://therealbears.org/">The Real Bears</a>, an animated short film that depicts a family of polar bears suffering from some of the adverse health effects of soda consumption. "Every can or bottle of 7UP consumed brings one closer to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other serious health problems," said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. "So I look forward to having 7UP go under oath and testify before a judge or a jury that this disease-promoting sugar water is actually a source of healthy antioxidants." 2012-11-08 CSPI Urges Tougher Oversight of GE Foods in Farm Bill http://cspinet.org/new/201211021.html Provisions Would Limit USDA's Environmental AnalysisThe nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest is urging members of the House not to include certain provisions in the Farm Bill that would limit the government's authority to conduct environmental analyses of genetically engineered crops. The <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/farm-bill-sections-10011-10014.pdf">bill language</a> at issue would specifically limit the U.S. Department of Agriculture's regulatory review to specific issues, such as whether the engineered crops could act as "plant pests"—a scenario CSPI says is not supported by science. Instead, Congress should write stand-alone legislation that would give USDA specific regulatory authority over genetically engineered crops and consider the full range of actual potential problems with such crops, such as the development of weeds or insects that were resistant to the crops’ technology, and the impact of gene flow to weedy relatives. "Why would Congress add to the public's skepticism of genetically engineered crops by letting new varieties go to market before a thorough analysis of their potential environmental impact?" asked Greg Jaffe, director of CSPI's biotechnology project. "As written, these provisions would handcuff USDA and prevent it from eliminating or managing potential environmental harm that might be caused by these products." <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/farm-bill-letter-ag-com.pdf">In a letter</a> to agriculture committee Chairman Frank D. Lucas (R-OK) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN), Jaffe wrote that the current regulatory process at USDA is not only too slow, but does not even focus on the most important risks of genetically engineered crops. CSPI believes that foods made from currently marketed genetically engineered crops are safe to eat, and that with effective oversight the crops' environmental impact could be managed safely. But CSPI also supports legislation that would require mandatory pre-market approval of genetically engineered crops before they enter our food supply—authority government regulators at FDA still lack. 2012-11-02 Americans Come Together at 3,200 Food Day Events http://cspinet.org/new/201210241.html Second Annual Food Day is Wednesday, October 24New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will observe Food Day by leading the city in an effort to set a world record for the "Most Participants in an Apple-Crunching Event." Massachusetts Governor Deval L. Patrick will celebrate Food Day with local students and members of his cabinet at the Hayley House Café in Roxbury, Mass. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn will announce new food policies for their cities. And at more than 3,200 large, medium, and small events today and this week, Americans will be gathering together to celebrate healthy, affordable, and sustainable food—and to push for improved food policies in their communities. "Through innovative partnerships, we are expanding access to healthy, fresh and locally grown food and protecting the land and water resources essential to sustain local food production," said Governor Patrick. "I am proud to join students and advocates who share our mission of engaging communities in bringing sustainable, affordable food systems to all of our residents." In its second year, Food Day is coordinated by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest with the backing of dozens of state and national <a href="http://www.foodday.org/partner_organizations">partner organizations</a> and an <a href="http://www.foodday.org/advisory_board">advisory board</a> led by members of Congress, nutrition authorities, physicians, chefs, writers, and advocates for sustainable agriculture, farmworker justice, and animal welfare. "All around the country, people are coming together to make a change for the better, whether it's a positive change in their own diet, or a change for the better in the food policies of a campus, a business, a city, or a state," said Food Day founder and CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "It's exciting to see so many diverse events and so much momentum building for a food system that is healthy, environmentally sustainable, and fair for all." This morning, at the Haven Academy charter school in the Mott Haven neighborhood in New York City's South Bronx, officials from the city, the New York Foundling, and Bolthouse Farms will cut a ribbon on a new rooftop garden and outdoor educational space. The school, located in the poorest Congressional district in the country, serves at-risk children in the foster care and child welfare system. Cookbook author and television host Ellie Krieger, who serves on the Food Day advisory board, will give a healthy, interactive cooking lesson for the students, showing them how to prepare a vegetable salad with wheat berries, quinoa, and brown rice. "Good food is a cornerstone of our well-being as individuals and as a nation," Ellie Krieger said. "Food Day is a time to celebrate and support it—a day to get together to foster healthy change in our eating habits and our food systems." In Washington, D.C., this evening, Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) is hosting a conference in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center on the Future of Food: 2050, during which panelists from Wal-Mart, the Worldwatch Institute, the Institute for Alternative Futures and other organizations will speculate on what diets and agriculture might look like by the middle of the century. (Attendees will Tweet using the #FOF2050 hashtag.) For the second year in a row, perhaps the biggest Food Day event will be the massive festival scheduled for this coming weekend in Savannah, GA. The city's Daffin Park will see 10,000 people enjoy food, music, exhibitors, and kids' activities. "Through the cooperation of the entire county's public school system, several colleges and universities, and our own advisory board of nearly two dozen individuals representing their own organizations or businesses, we will be offering something for all members of the family," said festival organizer Rene Teran, publisher of Well FED Savannah magazine. Some organizations are using Food Day to publish research findings. The Food Labor Research Center, based at the University of California, Berkeley, along with the Food Chain Workers Alliance and the Restaurant Opportunities Center, are releasing a report finding that a proposal to raise the minimum wage would increase retail food prices for American consumers by at most 10 cents per day. The proposal, The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2012, sponsored by Food Day honorary co-chair Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Rep. George Miller (D-GA), would represent the first increase in the non-tipped minimum wage in five years and the first in 21 years for workers who receive tips. Tens of thousands of college students at least 273 schools in 46 states are participating in Food Day with the leadership of the campus-based Real Food Challenge. Last night and today, students at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass., are participating in lectures, discussions, and a meal led by the college’s entrepreneur-in-residence, Andrew Zimmern, host of Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel, alongside Wholesome Wave founder Michel Nischan and Gail Simmons of Top Chef and Food and Wine. At Sacramento State, Food Day activities include kitchen demonstrations in the morning and afternoon, panel discussions, and a jamboree in the Library Quad. Topics include sustainability in fashion, agriculture and food production, and achievements and challenges in the school food environment. Online, people can celebrate Food Day by taking the <a href="http://www.foodday.org/quiz">Eat Real Quiz</a> and sharing their results on Twitter and Facebook. Sustainable Table is hosting a five-hour <a href="http://www.foodday.org/eatsustainable/food_day_twitter_conference">Twitter conference</a>, with an hour focused on each Food Day priority (hashtag #FoodDayConf). At least two food-related films, including the Humane Society’s A Pig’s Tail and Anna Lappé's Food MythBusters, are having their premieres today. In Seattle, the impact of Food Day will extend far beyond October 24. "The action plan creates the path for our city's food future," said Mayor McGinn. "It will help strengthen our food economy, ensure that more people can grow food locally, and improve access to affordable healthy food." 2012-10-24 273 Colleges Join Food Day http://cspinet.org/new/201210222.html Student Activists and University Leaders Educate Campuses & Make Pledges to Change Food System as Part of New Grassroots CampaignOn October 24, tens of thousands of students on over 250 college campuses in 46 states will take part in Food Day. On-campus events will range from cook-offs and movie screenings to public demonstrations and local food banquets. Food Day is being co-coordinated by Real Food Challenge, the largest national student organization committed to building a just and sustainable food economy, and the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. This event is part of a larger movement towards 'real food' on college campuses that has exploded in the past two years. On October 12, for example, Macalester College became the 8th institution in the nation to sign the president's Real Food Campus Commitment—pledging to devote at least 30 percent of their campus food budgets to local farms and fair food businesses. Macalester joins leading institutions such as Wesleyan University, UC Santa Cruz and University Vermont in this effort to reinvest in millions of dollars in innovative, sustainable farms and food cooperatives. "We're transitioning our purchasing from conventional corporate food to food that is real," explains Macalester College junior Abbie Shain. "A commitment to food justice is a commitment to people. It's about the farmworkers in California and the truck drivers in Nebraska and the people who serve food in our dining hall." Food Day 2012 will further this trend with events highlighting the problems of obesity, struggling family farmers, food chain worker abuse—as well as celebrating the transition to healthy, fair and sustainably-produced food systems. <ul><li>At Duke University in Durham, NC, the Duke Real Food Campaign celebrates Food Day with "Food For Thought," an outdoor real food potluck and discussion in front of the iconic Duke Chapel. <a href="http://www.foodday.org/16494/campus_event_real_food_dinner_at_duke_university">More details here</a>.</li> <li>UC Santa Cruz will celebrate Food Day with 100% local and organic dining hall fare, and a special pumpkin carving festival on their 20+ acre campus farm. <a href="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/66248_491053670929126_1890302398_n.jpg">More details here</a>.</li> <li>At Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, student organization Real Food Hopkins is hosting their 3rd annual 100-Mile Meal, comprised of ingredients within 100 miles of campus, and featuring the premiere of film series Food Mythbusters with guest appearance by Anna Lappe, the film's creator. <a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-a-livable-future/_images/news_events/Events/100%20Mile%20Meal%20flyer%202012.jpg">More details here</a>.</li> <li>Williams College in Williamstown, MA is celebrating Food Day with a week of events and activities, including a garden work party, gender and food lunch discussion, and an outdoor vendor fair. Williams also welcomes biologist and writer Joe Roman along with chef and activist Bun Lai for a lecture called Eat the Invaders, discussing the eradication of (tasty) invasive weed species by eating them. <a href="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/578512_490751730959320_1967325236_n.jpg">More details here</a>.</li> <li>At University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Food Day will showcase a "Good Food for Eating" fair featuring 30+ campus and community organizations that work on health, food, and sustainable farming. The event will be followed by a "Good Food for Thinking" symposium highlighting the academic side of the food movement. <a href="http://www.hfhl.umn.edu/NewsEvents/HFHLEvents/FoodDay2012/index.htm">More details here</a>.</li></ul> Altogether, an estimated 30,000 students are expected to participate in Food Day events this week. They join Americans of all walks of life who will participate in more than 2,500 events nationwide. "This growing tide of student activism may in fact be the quickest way to create a healthier food system. Colleges and universities spend $5 billion of food each year and consistently lead food industry trends," said David Schwartz, Campaign Director for Real Food Challenge. "If students are successful in their 'real food' efforts, this could mean new opportunities for tens of thousands of small farms and food businesses—radically shifting the US food landscape." "Americans are craving changes for the better in food and food policy, and nowhere is this more obvious than at colleges and universities," said CSPI executive director and Food Day founder Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D. "What Real Food Challenge is doing on Food Day is going to have a powerful and lasting impact on students, individual campuses, and the entire food chain." # # # <a href="http://www.realfoodchallenge.org">Real Food Challenge (RFC)</a> is a national student organization dedicated to creating a just and sustainable food system. Real Food Challenge mobilizes students and campus stakeholders to shift college and university food spending to local, fair, ecological and humane food sources. To date, RFC has shifted $48.5 million in institutional purchases to 'real food.' <a href="http://www.FoodDay.org">Food Day</a> is the nationwide celebration and movement for healthy, affordable, and sustainable food. Food Day takes place annually on October 24 to address issues as varied as health and nutrition, hunger, agricultural policy, animal welfare, and farm worker justice. Spearheaded by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest and backed by a diverse advisory board of food leaders and organizations, the ultimate goal of Food Day is to strengthen and unify the food movement in order to improve our nation’s food policies. 2012-10-22 News Advisory: The Future of Food: 2050 http://cspinet.org/new/201210221.html Food Thought Leaders Share Their Visions on Food DayThe <a href="http://www.foodday.org/2012_marquee_event">Future of Food: 2050</a> is the marquee national conference for Food Day, the nationwide celebration and movement for healthy, affordable, and sustainable food. The conference will convene top food movement thought leaders to share their predictions on the future of the American food system. Hosted by Representative Chellie Pingree and with welcoming remarks by Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and founder of Food Day, the conference will include a panel on diet and food moderated by April Fulton of NPR and a panel on agriculture led by food writer Jane Black. Who: Speakers include Eric Meade of the Institute for Alternative Futures; Andrea Thomas, Senior VP for Sustainability at Walmart; Dr. David Katz of Yale University Prevention Research Center; Catherine Badgley, professor of sustainable agriculture at University of Michigan; A.G. Kawamura, farmer and former California Secretary of Agriculture; and Danielle Nierenberg, Director of the Worldwatch Institute’s Nourishing the Planet project What: Panel discussions on diet and food, and agriculture When: Wednesday, October 24, 2012 5:00 pm Reception at the Caucus Room, Cannon House Office Building 6:15 to 8:30 pm Conference Program, Capitol Visitor Center Where: United States Capitol Visitor Center, Washington, DC Why: Food should be healthy, affordable, and produced with care for farm animals, the environment, and the men and women who grow, harvest and serve it. The Future of Food: 2050 will connect the Food Day priorities of today with the improved food environment of the future. RSVP: Space is limited. Please RSVP to <a href="mailto:cpolitano@cspinet.org">Clare Politano</a> by October 23. Coordinated by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, Food Day is led by a diverse advisory board of nutrition experts, policymakers, public health advocates, and agricultural innovators. Food Day is a great opportunity for the news media to cover food-related issues such as health, sustainable agriculture, farmworker justice, and animal welfare. Find Food Day events at <a href="http://www.foodday.org/all_events">foodday.org</a> Follow The Future of Food: 2050 on Twitter at #FOF2050 2012-10-22 Thousands of Food Day Events to Push for Healthy, Affordable, Sustainable Food http://cspinet.org/new/201210181.html Second Annual Food Day is Wednesday, October 24Food Day, the nationwide celebration and movement for healthy, affordable, and sustainable food, will feature thousands of events in all 50 states. Coordinated by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest and led by a diverse advisory board of food movement thought leaders, Food Day is a great opportunity for the news media to cover food-related issues such as health, sustainable agriculture, farmworker justice, and animal welfare. Who: Thousands of parents, teachers, public officials, chefs, farmers, college students, activists, festival-goers, and others What: Food Day events When: On and about Wednesday, October 24, 2012 Where: All 50 states; <a href="http://www.foodday.org/find_all_events">details on the map at FoodDay.org</a> Why: Food should be healthy, affordable, and produced with care for farm animals, the environment, and the men and women who grow, harvest and serve it. But too often our food system falls short of that ideal. Food Day seeks to motivate Americans to change their own diets for the better and to take action for improved food policies. Typical Events: All Times Local <a href="http://www.foodday.org/2012_marquee_event">Future of Food: 2050</a>. Food Day's marquee national conference. Speakers include Food Day Founder Michael F. Jacobson, representatives of Walmart, Worldwatch Institute, Institute for Alternative Futures. Hosted by Rep. Chellie Pingree in the United States Capitol Visitor Center, Washington, DC, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. <a href="http://www.foodday.org/nyfoundling/haven_academy_food_day_learning_garden">Mott Haven Academy Rooftop Garden Opening</a>. With the support of Bolthouse Farms, the New York Foundling, and cookbook author and chef Ellie Kreiger, the school will dedicate a rooftop garden and outdoor educational space. Ribbon cutting and cooking lesson. 170 Brown Place (South Bronx), New York, NY. 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. <a href="http://www.foodday.org/seedsinthemiddle/eat_real_at_foley_square_nyc">Eat Real at Foley Square</a>. The premiere public Food Day event in New York City is a joyful field-to-fork culinary festival, where some of the Big Apple's finest culinary talent creates sumptuous fare from seasonal produce. At noon, attendees will participate in the Big Apple Crunch, an initiative of Mayor Michael Bloomberg to set a world record for "Most Participants in an Apple-Crunching Event." Foley Square, 60 Center Street, New York, NY. 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. <a href="http://www.wellfedsavannah.com/foodday.html">Savannah Food Day Festival</a>. With Well FED Savannah magazine and other sponsors, more than 10,000 people are expected in Savannah's Daffin Park for food, music, cooking demonstrations, exhibitors, pet-friendly fun, and children’s activities. 1198 Washington Avenue, Savannah, GA. This event is Sunday, October 28, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. <a href="http://www.botanicgardens.org/events-exhibits/special-events/food-day?gclid=CJCR7I74iLMCFQuk4AodOwgA4A">Denver Botanic Gardens Food Day</a>. With Denver Urban Gardens and Chipotle, 1,500 people are expected at a day-long festival and expo with classes, free food samplings, film screenings, hands-on cooking demos for adults and kids, and an appearance by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock. 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. <a href="http://goodfoodla.org/calendar_readmore.php?id=26">Los Angeles Food Policy Council</a> will announce its new Food Day Resolution, including a "Good Food Purchasing Pledge," with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Public Health Director Dr. Jonathan Fielding, Los Angeles Unified School District Food Service Director David Binkle, and members of the City Council. Los Angeles City Hall, 200 Spring Street, Los Angeles. 9:00 a.m. <a href="http://www.foodday.org/10671/food_days_at_babson_college">Food Days at Babson College</a> will celebrate innovations in the food system with Babson Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Travel Channel host Andrew Zimmern, with a dynamic fair, expert panels, and an "action tank" to promote food entrepreneurship. Babson College, 231 Forest St, Wellesley, MA. October 23 from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. and October 24 from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. Online Events <a href="http://www.foodday.org/quiz">Eat Real Quiz</a>. Participants can score their diet on the basis of health, environment, and animal welfare, and share their results on Facebook and Twitter. <a href="http://www.humanesociety.org/about/departments/faith/a-pigs-tail.html">Film Premiere</a>. The Humane Society of the United States has teamed up with award-winning Aardman Studios to create A Pig's Tail, a short animated children's film about factory farming, featuring James Arnold Taylor and Catherine Taber of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and original music by Stephen Delopoulos. <a href="http://www.foodday.org/eatsustainable/food_day_twitter_conference">Twitter Conference</a>. Sustainable Table will host a Twitter conference from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. on October 24 at #FoodDayConf, with each hour addressing one of Food Day's 5 priorities. Food Day news and chats will also be trending at #foodday2012, #fooddaychat, and #FOF2050 (Future of Food: 2050) throughout October 24 and beyond. Many more events are listed at <a href="http://www.foodday.org/">FoodDay.org</a>. 2012-10-18 $1,000 Offered for Best "Pour One Out" Soda Video http://cspinet.org/new/201210161.html Contest a Great Way to Celebrate Food Day, Says CSPITo help celebrate Food Day, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest is inviting people to submit <a href="http://cspinet.org/liquidcandy/pouroneout.html">creative videos</a> of people pouring out soda on or about October 24. The contest aims to inspire conversation about soda, soda marketing, and the impact of sugary drinks on the obesity epidemic. Submissions will be accepted through Wednesday, November 7 with the winning entry receiving a $1,000 cash prize. Entries will be judged on their creativity, originality, and the effectiveness of their message, subject to the <a href="http://cspinet.org/liquidcandy/Pour-Contest-Official-Rules.pdf">official contest rules</a>. The contest comes on the heels of the viral success of <a href="http://www.therealbears.org/">The Real Bears</a>, the controversial video in which soda-guzzling, disease-ridden polar bears decide to pour out their sodas into the Arctic Ocean. The film, which features an original song by Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Jason Mraz and rapper MC Flow, has been viewed about 1.4 million times since its world premiere on October 10. "Food Day is about inspiring people to change diets for the better and by advocating for better food policies," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "Making a "Pour One Out" video is the perfect way for a budding filmmaker—or anyone with a smartphone, frankly—to join the movement for healthy, affordable, and sustainable food." Soda and other sugary drinks are the single-largest source of calories in the American diet and contribute to weight gain, obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, heart disease, and other health problems. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans discourages the consumption of sugary drinks, and health officials are increasingly focusing on reducing their consumption population-wide. New York City officials recently passed a regulation requiring food outlets regulated by the city's health department to cap soda serving sizes at 16 ounces. On Election Day, voters in Richmond, Calif., and El Monte, Calif., will decide whether those cities implement penny-per-ounce taxes on soda and sugary drinks. Alex Bogusky, the advertising guru who led The Real Bears creative team, will help select the winner of the Pour One Out contest. Bogusky is credited with the success of the anti-tobacco Truth advertising campaign. The second-prize winner will be awarded $500, the third-place winner $250, and 10 honorable mentions will receive a commemorative T-shirt. In its second year, <a href="http://www.foodday.org/">Food Day</a> will be observed in more than 2,000 events all around the country, including festivals in Baltimore, New York City, and Savannah, GA, and a conference on <a href="http://www.foodday.org/2012_marquee_event">The Future of Food: 2050</a> in the United States Capitol Visitor Center. 2012-10-16 The Real Bears Take America http://cspinet.org/new/201210151.html Animated Short Film Aimed at Soda Industry Goes Viral<a href="http://www.therealbears.org/">The Real Bears</a>—the animated short film that encourages Americans to pour out their sodas—has been viewed more than 1.3 million times since its launch last week. The video, created by ad guru Alex Bogusky for the Center for Science in the Public Interest and featuring an original song by Jason Mraz, spread rapidly on Facebook and Twitter after USA Today called it "the video that Coca-Cola does not want you to see." Morgan Spurlock, the filmmaker who stunned the nation with the 2003 documentary Super Size Me called The Real Bears "one of the most brilliant counter-campaigns ever created." Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food author Michael Pollan called the film "weirdly compelling" and Corby Kummer of the Atlantic wrote "wow." And msnNOW.com wrote of The Real Bears that "this warning against drinking sugary soda is ultimately uplifting, kinda touching and—dare we say it—very sweet." "Depressing, touching, and effective," is how The New York Times' Mark Bittman put it, observing via Twitter that "anti-soda marketing begins to catch up." Fitness expert Jillian Michaels, publisher Arianna Huffington, Bizarre Foods host Andrew Zimmern, consumer advocate Ralph Nader, and the Today Show's Joy Bauer were among the thousands of people who tweeted about the film. The film features a family of polar bears under constant assault from soda advertising. Boy Bear's weight gain makes fishing more difficult. Sis suffers from tooth decay. Pop Bear fares the worst, losing a hind leg to a diabetes-induced amputation. But in the end, the family decides to take back their health and happiness by dumping their soda into the sea. The film is probably not for the youngest of viewers, or the most squeamish. A steamy bedroom scene (okay, not so steamy) might not be appropriate for children; nor will a harrowing sequence in Doc Fox's primitive polar operating theater. "This is irresponsible and grandstanding and will not help anyone understand energy balance," huffed a Coca-Cola spokesperson. The Real Bears website includes a number of other quotes from Coca-Cola executives, including a false statement from Coke's Katie Bayne: "There is no scientific evidence that connects sugary drinks to obesity." "Of course there is scientific evidence that connects sugary drinks to obesity, and in the short time since Ms. Bayne made that laughable statement, <a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1203039">yet another set</a> of studies has come out making the connection even clearer," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. Each additional sugary drink consumed per day <a href="http://nepc.colorado.edu/files/lancet.pdf">increases the likelihood</a> of a child becoming obese by about 60 percent. Drinking one or two sugary drinks per day <a href="http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/33/11/2477.full.pdf">increases one's risk</a> for type 2 diabetes by 27 percent. Diabetes, in turn, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15663920">can result</a> in complications that include erectile dysfunction and amputation. CSPI is encouraging people to make their own "Pour One Out" videos, and is <a href="http://cspinet.org/liquidcandy/pouroneout.html">offering a $1,000 cash prize</a> to the most compelling one. (Alex Bogusky will help judge the entries.) The group says that participating in the contest is a great way to participate in <a href="http://www.foodday.org/">Food Day</a>—the nationwide celebration and movement for healthy, affordable, and sustainable food that takes place on October 24. Alex Bogusky will conduct a Twitter chat about The Real Bears on Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. ET. People can submit questions using #TheRealBears or #bearchat hashtags. The film is available at <a href="http://www.therealbears.org/">TheRealBears.org</a>. The Real Bears Agency: Common (Boulder, CO) and The Butler Bros. (Austin, TX) Executive Creative Director: Alex Bogusky Executive Producers: Marty & Adam Butler Writers: Ronny Northrop & Ryan Kutscher Art Director: Stefanie Hermsdorf Account Director: Mark Ekhardt Producer: Amanda Fox Director/Designer/Animator: Lucas Zanotto Music: Jason Mraz Guitar and mix: Bill Bell Horn parts: Grooveline Horns Offline/Online Editor: Travis Wurges Sound Design: Nikolai von Sallwitz Mix: Travis Wurges Web Design: Cyrus Clemensen 2012-10-15 Food Day Aims to Fix Broken Food System http://cspinet.org/new/201210111.html Health, Animal Cruelty, Environmental Pollution, Farmworker Justice Among 2012 PrioritiesThe American diet does more harm than it should to human health, the environment, to food and farm workers, and to animals raised for food. That's why the second annual Food Day aims to use October 24 to raise consciousness on these and other food-related issues and inspire Americans from all walks of life to take action. On an interactive map at FoodDay.org, more than 1,600 events have already been scheduled nationwide in schools, on campuses, and in government buildings, parks, and fairgrounds. Film screenings, debates, educational programs, and other activities will encourage people to learn about the health and environmental impact of their food choices, hunger and food access, corporate treatment of restaurant and farm workers, and the treatment of factory-farmed chickens, pigs, and cows. The Humane Society of the United States will observe Food Day by releasing an animated short film that highlights the mistreatment of pigs. "A Pig's Tail" is designed to introduce children to the harsh realities of industrial farms. The film was animated by the makers of "Chicken Run" and "Wallace and Gromit" and features voice actor James Arnold Taylor and actress Catherine Taber of the animated series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." Another filmmaker, Anna Lappé, working with watchdog group Corporate Accountability International and a range of other partner organizations, will hold an event in New York City on October 24, as well as dozens of screenings nationwide, to promote "Food MythBusters," an initiative that takes aim at "Big Ag's billion-dollar PR machine." "The American public has long been presented a false choice between growing food sustainably or feeding the world," said Lappé. "It's time we put such a pervasive myth to rest so that our communities can more effectively work to create a food system that serves human needs over corporate profit." Despite problems in the food supply, organizers of Food Day, which is spearheaded at the national level by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, say that there are reasons to be optimistic that when Americans agitate for change, they can change corporate practices. CSPI cites the organizing efforts of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, which recently <a href="http://www.ciw-online.org/chipotle_agreement_news.html">secured the commitment</a> of fast-food chain Chipotle to participate in the farmworkers' Fair Food Program. The burrito giant now became the 1lth major restaurant chain to commit to buying tomatoes from sources that pay fair wages and treat workers humanely. Nonprofit groups also are winning battles to get trans fat out of the food supply, get sugary drinks out of schools, and pass laws requiring that farm animals are raised humanely. One way Food Day is helping educate Americans about the health, environment, and animal welfare consequences of their diets is by promoting its <a href"http://www.foodday.org/quiz">Eat Real Quiz</a>, which prompts people to share their grade on Facebook and Twitter. CSPI is also sponsoring a contest for the best short film depicting sodas or other sugary drinks being poured out—into <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EHBQ1OahNM&list=UUpzJH_htqtZV8-ac6UFFENg&index=1&feature=plcp">toilets</a> or elsewhere. And just yesterday CSPI released an <a href="http://www.therealbears.org/">animated short film</a> with an original song by Jason Mraz showing an animated family of polar bears dumping out soda. "Americans are craving change, both in their own lives and in their communities," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "All over the country Americans are planning on standing up to big food companies and demanding better corporate practices and government policies. It's time to stop ruining our health and polluting the planet with a food system that is unjust, unsustainable, and not nearly as healthy as it should be." Food Day is also bringing together leading thinkers on nutrition, agriculture, and economics at a <a href="http://www.foodday.org/2012_marquee_event">landmark conference</a> in the United States Capitol Visitor Center to forecast what the food system might look like by the year 2050. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) are honorary co-chairs of Food Day. Its diverse advisory board includes Growing Power founder Will Allen, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics CEO Pat Babjak, author and filmmaker Laurie David, Los Angeles Health Director Jonathan Fielding, actress and health advocate Jane Fonda, former FDA Commissioner David Kessler, Rodale Inc. CEO and Chairman Maria Rodale, cookbook author Nina Simonds, chef Alice Waters, and World Food Day founder Patricia Young. 2012-10-11 INTRODUCING "THE REAL BEARS" http://cspinet.org/new/201210101.html Animated Short Film Takes on Big Soda Features Original Song by Jason Mraz<img src="/TRB-pronline.jpg"> The Center for Science in the Public Interest is escalating its longstanding campaign to reduce the consumption of soda and other sugary drinks today with the release of an animated short film exposing the drinks' unhappy health consequences. <a href="http://www.therealbears.org">The Real Bears</a> tells the story of a family of polar bears who, even in their distant Arctic environment, are not immune from sunny marketing messages from Big Soda. The whole family is consuming too much soda… and is experiencing everything from weight gain to tooth decay to problems in the bedroom. Only after recuperating from a terrifying visit to Doc Fox's chilly surgical suite does Pop Bear come to realize that soda has brought nothing but sadness to his family. In the film's stirring dénouement, he leads his family to reclaim their health—and their happiness. The film features an original song, Sugar, by Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter Jason Mraz which he wrote and performed with the San Diego-based rapper MC Flow. Though consumption has declined slightly in recent years, soda and sugary drinks still are the biggest single source of calories in the American diet, accounting for about 7 percent. And while Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and other soda companies spend lavishly to position the products as sources of happiness, sugary drinks are directly linked to obesity and diabetes. Each additional sugary drink consumed per day increases the likelihood of a child becoming obese by about 60 percent. Drinking one or two sugary drinks per day increases one's risk for type 2 diabetes by 27 percent. The Real Bears family learns—like many real American families have—that these conditions and their complications are sources of sadness, not happiness. "Coke and Pepsi have skillfully cultivated incredibly strong emotional bonds with consumers around the world even though their products actually cause quite a bit of misery," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "The Real Bears seeks to sever some of those bonds, and to get people thinking about what they're drinking. We don't have their budgets but we do have the truth. And the truth is that soda equals sadness." CSPI turned to advertising guru Alex Bogusky, formerly co-chairman of Crispin Porter + Bogusky, for creative direction when the group decided to produce a short film aimed at repositioning soda. Among other things, Bogusky helmed advertising campaigns for Burger King, Coke Zero, Microsoft, and the pioneering anti-tobacco Truth Campaign. Marty and Adam Butler of the Austin, TX.,-based The Butler Bros. served as executive producers and asked Helskini-based animator Lucas Zanotto to direct and design. "I like the taste of soda and I've had my share and I don't imagine a world without soda," Bogusky said. "But the reality is that over the years sugary drinks have gone from an occasional treat to an everyday, every-occasion beverage. This project attempts to contrast the marketing hype around soda with the stark reality and it is my hope that it makes some small contribution to a critical cultural awakening. We need to begin to connect the dots between what we are sold, what we eat, and how sick we have become," said Bogusky. "No one's saying you can't have the occasional soda," said Mraz. "But by calling attention to some hazards of sugar consumption perhaps folks will choose healthier options. I have had people close to me devastated by the effects of over-consuming sugar and soda on a daily basis over many years. I hope The Real Bears inspires people to think about what they drink and make a change for the better." "Anyone who ever chugged a soda should watch this film," said Morgan Spurlock, the filmmaker behind the 2003 documentary Super Size Me. The film is available at <a href="http://www.therealbears.org">TheRealBears.org</a>. The Real Bears Agency: Common (Boulder, CO) and The Butler Bros. (Austin, TX) Executive Creative Director: Alex Bogusky Executive Producers: Marty & Adam Butler Writers: Ronny Northrop & Ryan Kutscher Art Director: Stefanie Hermsdorf Account Director: Mark Ekhardt Producer: Amanda Fox Director/Designer/Animator: Lucas Zanotto Music: Jason Mraz Guitar and mix: Bill Bell Horn parts: Grooveline Horns Offline/Online Editor: Travis Wurges Sound Design: Nikolai von Sallwitz Mix: Travis Wurges Web Design: Cyrus Clemensen 2012-10-10 Nut Butter Recall a Tragic Reminder of Missed Food Safety Deadlines http://cspinet.org/new/201209272.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalThis week consumers are again sifting through their cabinets for contaminated peanut- and almond-butter, as Sunland, Inc. <a href="http://www.sunlandinc.com/788/html/pdfs/SunlandRecall.pdf">announces a recall</a> of products tainted with Salmonella Bredeny. Up to 30 people <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/bredeney-09-12/index.html">have been sickened</a> across 19 states—and those numbers will likely increase. Dozens of brand names are implicated, from a variety of retailers. In January 2011, President Obama signed the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, requiring the Food and Drug Administration to issue important regulations designed to reduce the terrible toll of foodborne illness. What have they done so far? Miss deadlines. On January 4, 2012, the deadline for a rule telling retailers how best to alert consumers to recalls in supermarkets was missed. On July 4, 2012, the deadline to issue rules requiring preventive controls and food safety plans at manufacturing facilities was missed. Also on that date, the deadline for publishing a "how to" guide for retailers to quickly print pertinent recall information for posting at their supermarkets was missed. Deadline after deadline has come and gone with the agency taking no action, leaving consumers vulnerable and industry without guidance. Peanut butter and other foods are no safer than they were at the beginning of the President's term, when he rightfully expressed concern about the peanut butter in his daughter's sandwiches. What on Earth is the FDA waiting for? It's time to protect consumers and implement the law. 2012-09-27 Get Ready for Food Day with "Eat Real Quiz" http://cspinet.org/new/201209271.html Social-Media Tool Weighs Impact on Health, Environment, AnimalsHow does your diet rate? How about your friends' diets? The new <a href="http://www.foodday.org/quiz">Eat Real Quiz at FoodDay.org</a> invites carnivores, vegetarians, flexitarians, and eaters of all stripes to score their diets' impact on their health, the environment, and farm animals—and to share their results on social media. Food Day is October 24. It's a nationwide celebration and movement for healthy, affordable, and sustainable food. In its second year, Food Day will be observed in more than 2,000 events all around the country, including festivals in Baltimore, New York City, and Savannah, GA, and a conference on <a href="http://www.foodday.org/2012_marquee_event">The Future of Food: 2050</a> in the United States Capitol Visitor Center. For those who won’t be able to make it to a Food Day event in person, the Eat Real Quiz provides an easy way for people to learn a little bit about the impact of their diets and to spread the word about Food Day. "Food Day is a day to push for better food policies at all levels of government, as well as an opportunity to improve the way we eat individually," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "The Eat Real Quiz aims to point people in a healthier direction, and in a way that benefits the earth and farm animals. Getting from a 'C' to a 'B' might mean eating more fruit, cutting back on cheese, or eliminating sugary drinks." Food Day is led by an advisory board that includes some of the most prominent thought leaders in the food world, including author Michael Pollan; physicians Caldwell Esselstyn, Michael Roizen, and David Satcher; nutrition authorities Walter Willett, Kelly Brownell, and Marion Nestle; chefs such as Dan Barber and Alice Waters; and cookbook author and television host Ellie Krieger. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) are honorary co-chairs, and Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) is hosting the Food Day conference at the Capitol. "Good food is a cornerstone of our well-being as individuals and as a nation," Ellie Krieger said. "Food Day is a time to celebrate and support it—a day to get together to foster healthy change in our eating habits and our food systems." "Taking the Eat Real Quiz is a great way to improve your diet and an easy way of spreading Food Day's message of change," said Super Size Me filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, another member of the Food Day Advisory Board. 2012-09-27 New Studies Add to Evidence Linking Soda to Weight Gain http://cspinet.org/new/201209211.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonTwo important <a href="http://www.nejm.org/">new studies</a> are adding to the weight of evidence showing that soda and other sugary drinks promote weight gain and obesity. Considering the enormous personal and economic costs of obesity, it's high time for concerted action at all levels of government to reduce consumption of sugary drinks. We can start with major education campaigns, requiring warning notices on labels, imposing substantial taxes on sodas, and eliminating soda from public buildings and parks. Nutritionally worthless sugary drinks are the largest single source of calories in the American diet. Consumers who want to reduce their risk of becoming a statistic in the next round of studies linking soda to weight gain and obesity would be well advised to sharply reduce or eliminate their consumption. 2012-09-21 Food Day Shoots for Thousands of Events in Second Year http://cspinet.org/new/201209201.html Food Festivals, Soda Protests, School Participation, and a U.S. Capitol Conference on the Future of Food Among HighlightsOrganizers of <a href="http://www.foodday.org/">Food Day</a> are anticipating thousands of events big and small for the nationwide celebration and movement toward healthy, sustainable, and affordable food going into its second year. Even though Food Day is more than a month away there are nearly 700 events tagged on an interactive map at FoodDay.org and hundreds more in the works. Food movement leaders say that Food Day 2012 is on track to top the 2,300 events held to celebrate the occasion in 2011. In Massachusetts, more than 200 school nutrition directors in 45 school districts are committed to participate in Food Day and will challenge students to "Eat Real" on October 24. Several mayors intend to participate in Food Day events, as are Governor Deval Patrick and Food Day advisory board member Representative Jim McGovern. In Pennsylvania, the pioneering Rodale Institute will hold a Harvest Festival on October 20, featuring great organic food and with proceeds going to the Institute’s Heritage Breed Livestock program. In Denver, the <a href="http://calendar.botanicgardens.org/show/detail/58173">Denver Botanical Gardens</a>, along with Denver Urban Gardens and other community partners, and with the support of Chipotle, will hold a free all-day festival with hands-on cooking demos for adults and kids, film screenings, and an address by Mayor Michael B. Hancock. Perhaps the biggest Food Day event will be the <a href="http://www.wellfedsavannah.com/foodday.html">massive festival</a> slated for Savannah, GA, where some 10,000 are expected on October 28 to enjoy food, music, and exhibitors at the city's Daffin Park. "Our focus is on bringing the message of Food Day to families and youth in particular," said Rene Teran, publisher of Well FED Savannah magazine, which is sponsoring the festival. "Through the cooperation of the entire county's public school system, several colleges and universities, and our own advisory board of nearly two dozen individuals representing their own organizations or businesses, we will be offering something for all members of the family. All of this is made possible through the continued development of close partnerships between various local entities that share the <a href="http://www.foodday.org/food_day_priorities">five priorities</a> of Food Day." For its part, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the nonprofit group that is providing national coordination for Food Day, is encouraging groups of young people to hold <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/liquidcandy/pouroneout.html">"Pour One Out"</a> events, where participants dump out cans or bottles of sugary soda. The group is also convening a conference on the future of food, which will be held at the United States Capitol Visitor Center. Hosted by Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME), the <a href="http://www.foodday.org/2012_marquee_event">Future of Food conference</a> will ask leading thinkers on nutrition, agriculture, and economics to forecast what the food system might look like by the year 2050. "The celebratory aspect of Food Day will help bring people in, but we want people to go away from Food Day events inspired about how they can change their diets for the better or how they can organize to solve food-related problems in their communities," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "It's a great opportunity for legislators, mayors, health departments, and governors to announce new initiatives increasing citizens' access to healthy, affordable food." Food Day is led by an advisory board that includes some of the most prominent thought leaders in the food world, including author Michael Pollan; physicians Caldwell Esselstyn, Michael Roizen, and David Satcher; nutrition authorities Walter Willett, Kelly Brownell, and Marion Nestle; filmmakers Morgan Spurlock and Laurie David; chefs such as Dan Barber and Alice Waters; and authors and television hosts Ellie Krieger and Daphne Oz. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) are honorary co-chairs. National organizations participating in Food Day include the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association), Chefs Collaborative, the Farmers Market Coalition, the Humane Society of the United States, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, and the campus-based Real Food Challenge. 2012-09-20 Popular Children's Lunch Contains Hidden Danger, Groups Warn http://cspinet.org/new/201209191.html Report Presents Findings on Mercury in Tuna Sold to SchoolsSome children may be at greater risk from mercury in tuna than previously thought, finds a new study by the Mercury Policy Project (MPP). <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/tunasurprise.pdf">Tuna Surprise</a> contains the first-ever test results of canned tuna sold to schools, and assesses children’s mercury exposure from canned tuna. Independent studies, not available when government advisories were issued eight years ago, indicate that adverse effects to methylmercury occur at much lower levels of exposure than previously thought. The report, co-released by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Safe Minds, and several other public health, consumer and environmental groups, advises schools and parents not to serve any albacore tuna to kids and to limit consumption of light tuna to twice a month for most kids and only once a month for smaller children (under 55 pounds). "Most children are already consuming only modest amounts of tuna and are not at significant risk," said Michael Bender, MPP's director. "So the focus really needs to be on kids who eat tuna often, to limit their mercury exposure by offering them lower-mercury seafood or other nutritious alternatives." "Fish, including tuna, is generally a nutritious part of a healthy diet," said Sarah Klein, staff attorney in the Food Safety program at CSPI. "But especially for our littlest, most vulnerable children, we have to make sure the risks from mercury in tuna don't outweigh tuna's benefits. We're urging parents and schools to limit children's tuna consumption and, when they do serve it, to choose lower-mercury options." "As the report states, light tuna has one-third as much mercury as albacore does," added Eric Uram of Safe Minds. "But contrary to the current Federal fish consumption advisory, it is definitely not a low-mercury fish." <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/tunasurprise.pdf">Tuna Surprise</a> points out that canned tuna is by far the largest source of methylmercury in the US diet and accounts for nearly one-third of Americans' total exposure to this toxic mercury compound. MPP tested the mercury content of fifty-nine samples, representing eight brands of tuna, sold to schools in 11 states around the country. "As far as we know, no one has previously tested this market sector," said Bender. Testing showed that the tuna contains mercury levels similar to what other investigations have found in canned tuna sold in supermarkets. Albacore or "white" tuna had much higher mercury levels than did "light" tuna, and mercury levels in both types were highly variable. Canned tuna is inexpensive and nutritious, a low-fat protein source, and a popular lunch food for kids. American kids eat twice as much tuna as they do any other kind of fish, and one out of every six US seafood meals is canned tuna. A tuna sandwich is an easy-to-fix parental favorite, and canned tuna is served through the federally subsidized school lunch program. And schools may be switching to leaner protein sources this fall as they implement the <a href="http://cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/back2school.html">new school lunch standards.</a> Ned Groth, Ph.D., an environmental health scientist with over 40 years of experience, analyzed a variety of scenarios in which children of different ages ate different amounts of tuna with different mercury levels, and examined the relative exposure and risk from each scenario. Exposures in those scenarios ranged from less than one-quarter of to more than 40 times the current federal definition of safe exposure. "Kids who eat tuna frequently can easily get very high mercury doses," says Groth. "Some of the larger doses are clearly far too high to be acceptable." "It's a shame that such a great source of inexpensive protein is contaminated with mercury," say Dr. Thomasson, Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility. "To reduce risk, we need to both reduce children's exposure to tuna and reduce mercury pollution the majority of which is from coal-burning power plants." While reducing mercury emissions will take years, parents and schools can manage risk now by being aware of children's tuna consumption and taking steps, where necessary, to keep exposure to mercury low. <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/tunasurprise.pdf">Tuna Surprise</a> offers these recommendations (among others): <ul> <li>Children should not eat albacore tuna. Albacore or "white" tuna contains triple the mercury level of light tuna; nothing justifies tripling a child's mercury dose.</li> <li>Children weighing more than 55 pounds should not eat more than two servings of light tuna per month. This amount of tuna (six ounces) is more than the average child currently consumes; the mercury dose it contains is acceptably low in risk.</li> <li>Children up to 55 pounds should consume no more than one tuna meal per month. Because of their smaller body size, an added margin of caution is appropriate for younger children.</li> <li>"Tuna-loving" kids should be the focus of risk-management efforts. In particular: <ul><li>No child should eat tuna every day. (Tuna Surprise presents cases of children who did that, and were diagnosed with clinical methylmercury poisoning.)</li> <li>Parents and schools should offer children other seafood choices, such as shrimp and salmon, which are just as nutritious but contain far less mercury.</li></ul></li> <li>The U.S. Department of Agriculture's School Lunch Program should phase out commodity purchases of canned tuna, and replace it with lower-mercury alterative seafood items and other extra-lean protein sources.</li> <li>Parents should monitor their children's canned tuna consumption at school and ensure that the total consumed at home and at school does not exceed the recommendations for exposure.</li> 2012-09-19 New York City Health Board Caps Soda Serving Sizes http://cspinet.org/new/201209131.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonNew York City Mayor Bloomberg has ignited an important national conversation about out-of-control serving sizes for—and consumption of—soda and other sugary drinks. We are gratified that the city’s Board of Health voted to cap serving sizes of sugary drinks sold at the restaurants and other food vendors it regulates to 16 ounces, as the Mayor proposed. It is the responsibility of city and state health departments to prevent disease. And to make a dent in expensive and debilitating conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems, it makes perfect sense to act to discourage and reduce soda consumption. Soda and other sugary drinks are the single biggest source of calories in the American diet and provide nothing of value, only empty calories from high fructose corn syrup or other sugars and a bunch of other questionable chemicals. Yet what was once a rare treat is now basically the default drink, especially for youths. One chain is even marketing soda specifically as a breakfast beverage! And the standard 12-ounce can, itself a replacement for 6.5- or 10-ounce bottles—is increasingly being supplanted by 16- or 20-ounce bottles, or 32- or even 64-ounce tubs. No one misses the partially hydrogenated oil or stink of cigarettes Mayor Bloomberg dispatched from New York City restaurants. And very few are really going to miss quart-sized soda servings despite the professionally <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/10/new-york-soda-ban-rally-bloomberg_n_1661423.html">manufactured outrage</a> from soda-industry front groups. I hope that New York's action emboldens other health departments and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to limit serving sizes and use other measures to reduce consumption. 2012-09-13 McDonald's to Put Calories on Menu Boards http://cspinet.org/new/201209121.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanTo its credit, McDonald's is getting out in front of the other big burger chains and most other restaurants by putting calorie counts on its menu boards and drive-through menus—even before the federal requirement to do so kicks in. It's a step that's important for McDonald's customers' health, and it's a sign that calorie counts on chain-restaurant menus are here to stay. McDonald's announcement won't be noticed by folks in New York City, California, and Vermont, for instance, where laws <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/ml_map.pdf">already require</a> calorie labeling in chain restaurants. And companies like Panera Bread and Au Bon Pain are already posting calorie counts. Though not all studies are able to measure an effect of menu labeling, bigger studies show that calorie labeling is <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/is-menu-labeling-working-factsheet.pdf">helping consumers</a> make lower calorie selections when eating out. And perhaps most importantly, calorie labeling is encouraging companies to <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/reformulation_fact_sheet.pdf">reformulate products</a>. If the biggest restaurant chain on Earth can cheerfully announce that it'll put calorie counts on menu boards, the Food and Drug Administration should take notice. The Administration should issue final menu labeling rules that include vending machines, restaurant-style foods sold at supermarkets, convenience stores, and movie theaters, and not give in to every special interest that doesn't want to play by these same rules. It's terrific that McDonald's is testing new healthier menu options. Good nutrition didn't matter much at restaurants in the past when eating out was an occasional treat. But with Americans now getting about a third of their calories outside the home, people need more options that are healthy, appealing, and competitively priced. 2012-09-12 Students Returning to Healthier School Meals http://cspinet.org/new/201209051.html More Vegetables, Fruit, Whole Grains; Less Salt and Trans FatAs they return back to school, students will get twice the amount of vegetables and fruits on their meal trays, as well as more whole grains, and less salt and unhealthy fats. The <a href="http://cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/back2school.html">updated school meal standards</a>, unveiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in January, have been highly praised by health and education groups, including the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. The standards set calorie maximums for the first time and lower calorie minimums to better ensure that school meals address obesity, as well as hunger. "The new school meal standards are one of the most important measures to promote children’s health in decades," said Center for Science in the Public Interest director of nutrition policy Margo G. Wootan. "With one out of every three children in America overweight or obese, 31 million children eating school lunch, and 15 years since the last update, it was time for a change. School food service professionals are working hard to implement the new standards, and they need the support of parents, teachers, administrators, and food manufacturers." <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/b2s-tips-parents.pdf">Parents</a> can help by reinforcing healthy eating at home, and encouraging their children to try the new menu options, says CSPI. <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/b2s-tips-educators.pdf">Teachers</a> can try the new school lunches and speak supportively about them with students. <a href="http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/healthierschoolday/school_admin.htm">School administrators</a> can support the program by showing leadership and support for the programs and help ensure the new standards are fully implemented. State child nutrition programs can continue to support school efforts and provide ideas for menus and recipes. And companies can produce products with more whole grains and less salt. The updates to school meals were required by Congress in the bipartisan <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/hhfka-summary-factsheet.pdf">Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act</a>, which President Barack Obama signed into law in late 2010. The law also provides <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/cost-fact-sheet.pdf">additional funding for school meals</a> through several provisions, including the first increase in reimbursement rates (above inflation) in years and reasonable pricing requirements for school lunches and a la carte items. Beginning October 1, schools will be eligible to receive an additional six cents for each healthy lunch they serve. 2012-09-05 CSPI Whacks Welch's Over Deceptive Health Claims http://cspinet.org/new/201208141.html Juice, Spreads, Fruit Snacks Don't Promote Heart HealthWelch's shouldn't be slapping a heart-health icon on its grape juice and other products, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. In fact, says the group, not only does Welch's juice not improve heart health, it may, on balance, do harm by contributing to insulin resistance and obesity. CSPI <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/welchs-demand-letter.pdf">notified</a> Welch Foods, Inc., that it will face a lawsuit unless it stops making heart-health claims on its juices, spreads, fruit juice cocktails, and fruit snacks. Welch's relies on the presence of polyphenols and vitamin C in grape juice to justify its statement, often placed inside a red heart shape, that the juice "helps support a Healthy Heart." Welch's cites only studies that were uncontrolled, conducted on animals, or that actually showed that grape juice was ineffective at providing the cardiovascular benefits associated with polyphenols. And the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements found that studies of vitamin C gave no indication of cardiovascular benefits. Making matters worse, says CSPI, is that Welch's encourages consumers to drink juice in lieu of eating fresh fruit, stating that "Getting enough fruits and vegetables each day is important for overall health—but everyday life often gets in the way … Welch's 100% Grape Juice makes it easy to squeeze in more purple fruit each day as part of a healthy diet for the whole family." The effects of too much sugar and too many calories negate any possible health benefits from Welch's products, the group wrote in a letter to Welch Foods Inc. president and CEO Bradley Irwin. An 8-ounce serving of Welch's grape juice contains 36 grams of sugar and 140 calories, about one-third more than the same amount of Coca-Cola. "Most Americans concerned about their weight and risk of diabetes would actually do well to drink less juice," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "It's deceptive and misleading for Welch's to claim that grape juice has any special benefit to heart health." Welch's similarly uses a giant heart-shaped logo on its Fruit Juice Cocktails, which are only 25 percent juice, as well as on various jams, spreads, and fruit snacks that are little better than candy, according to CSPI. Labels for Welch's Berries 'n Cherries Fruit Snacks state "Reward Your Heart" and invite consumers to "Learn about Family Heart Health at <a href="www.welchs.com">welchs.com</a>," and to "Celebrate American Heart Month!" The labels show pictures of wholesome strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and cherries, and bear an icon stating "Made With REAL Fruit," yet the snacks are mostly made with apple and pear <a href="www.welchsfruitsnacks.com/product_snacks.html">juice</a> concentrates, which are similar to empty-calorie sugar syrup, and corn syrup, sugar, and modified cornstarch. "On the ingredients list, fruit purees come after all of these unhealthful and non-nutritious ingredients," CSPI's letter states. The products also have no fiber, which is present in real fruit, and artificial food dyes, which are not. "It takes a heroic amount of chutzpah to tell consumers that these fruit snack candies will reward anyone's heart," said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. CSPI's letter invites Welch's to resolve the issues it raises without litigation but says that if Welch's does not respond, CSPI will pursue litigation. CSPI's in-house litigation unit is currently pursuing cases to improve the labeling or marketing of products made by General Mills (fruit snacks, Nature Valley granola bars), Coca-Cola (Vitaminwater), and others. It has negotiated improvements in Kellogg’s food marketing to children, the labeling of Aunt Jemima blueberry waffles, and the labeling and advertising of Airborne dietary supplements. 2012-08-14 "Splenda Essentials" Target of Lawsuit http://cspinet.org/new/201208091.html Fortifying an Artificial Sweetener with Vitamins or Fiber Doesn't Make it "Essential" for Health, Says CSPISplenda Essentials is a higher-priced line of the no-calorie artificial sweetener sucralose that is fortified either with B vitamins, antioxidants, or fiber. Those additions are designed to give the impression that Splenda Essentials will help one lose weight, avoid disease, or confer other health benefits. But that impression is false according to a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/splenda-essentials-complaint.pdf">lawsuit</a> filed today in federal court, which alleges that Splenda Essentials provides no health benefits whatsoever and short-changes consumers. "Make everything you sweeten a little bit better for you with Splenda Essentials Sweetener Products!" is how the product line is described on the Splenda Essentials <a href="http://www.splenda.com/essentials">web site</a>, which goes on to tout the sweeteners' "small boost of healthy nutrients–B vitamins, antioxidants, or fiber." Splenda Essentials with B Vitamins' label states that the product "helps support a healthy metabolism," and the Splenda web site describes how the vitamins support the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. That kind of language implies the burning of additional calories and the prospect of weight loss, the plaintiffs allege. But not only are most Americans not deficient in B vitamins, no reliable studies show that supplementation with B vitamins promotes weight loss or weight management, according to the complaint. Besides purchasing Splenda Essentials with B Vitamins to stir into her own coffee and sprinkle on her cereal at home, co-plaintiff Barbara Bronson, 71, would put it out for patrons of her Corte Madera, California, hair salon. "I was attracted to the idea of keeping my metabolism going strong, and I'd talk with my clients about how it might shed a pound or two," said Bronson. "It's really terrible that Splenda would try to make us believe something that isn't true." The packaging of Splenda Essentials with Antioxidants' claims that it contains "20% of the Daily Value of antioxidants vitamins C and E, like those found in fruits and vegetables." But despite the pictures of antioxidant-rich fruit on the label, the antioxidants used in the product are from fortification. In fact, the complaint notes, the type of vitamin E used in Splenda Essentials is a synthetic version, dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, and the vitamin C is synthetic ascorbic acid. In clinical studies, supplementation with pure vitamins has generally failed to provide the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. Similarly, Splenda Essentials with Fiber's label depicts foods high in intact fiber, such as strawberries, apples with their skin on, and whole grain cereal. And its web site says the "small boost of healthy fiber" is an "easy way to bump up your fiber intake," and points out that most adults are deficient in their fiber intake. But the lone gram of fiber in a packet of Splenda Essentials is refined corn fiber. There is no scientific consensus that a refined fiber functions like the intact fibers found in whole foods such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes. "It's ridiculous–but apparently profitable–to claim that bulking up Splenda with vitamins or powdered fiber is going to make it a magical health food," said Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, the nonprofit nutrition watchdog group that is helping to bring the suit. "It's an artificial sweetener, not pixie dust." An online survey conducted by ORC International's Online Caravan found that up to 68 percent of 1,014 respondents formed incorrect perceptions of Splenda Essentials' potential benefits after being exposed to packaging or advertisements for each of the products. This is not the first time that McNeil Nutritionals, the Johnson & Johnson subsidiary that manufactures Splenda Essentials, has misled consumers about the sweetener. In a 2005 campaign, the company ran ads claiming the product is "Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar," triggering a lawsuit from Merisant, the manufacturer of the competing sugar substitute Equal, as well as a complaint filed by the Sugar Association, an industry trade group. In fact, Splenda is created by chemically reacting sucrose with chlorine, forming a unique molecule that is 600 times sweeter than sugar. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California on behalf of three California consumers, and seeks certification as a class action. Besides CSPI's litigation department, the proposed class is represented by Robert W. Mills, Joshua Boxer, and their colleagues from The Mills Law Firm of San Rafael, California, <a href="http://www.millslawfirm.com/">www.millslawfirm.com</a>. The complaint alleges that Splenda Essentials’ labeling and marketing violates California’s Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Law, the Consumers Legal Remedy Act, and the fraudulent business practices provisions of the state’s Business and Professions Code. It seeks restitution to consumers and disgorgement of profits from the product line, as well as injunctive relief prohibiting the company from continuing its deceptive labeling and marketing. 2012-08-09 "Natural" Nature Valley Products Have Unnatural Ingredients, Says Lawsuit http://cspinet.org/new/201207261.html Bars Have Factory-Made High-Maltose Corn Syrup, MaltodextrinNature Valley goes to great length to market its granola bars and "thins" as "natural," even though they contain industrially produced artificial ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup, high-maltose corn syrup, and maltodextrin, according to a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/nv-complaint-datestamp.pdf">lawsuit filed today</a> against Nature Valley parent company General Mills. "Our Chewy Trail mix bars are made with delicious combinations of 100% natural ingredients like whole almonds, cranberries, peanuts, and pomegranate," is how the company describes Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix bars on labels. The front of the package describes the product as "100% NATURAL," and a side panel notes that Nature Valley "is proud to be the official natural granola bar for" the U.S. Olympic Ski Team and the PGA golf tour. Yet the product contains high-maltose corn syrup and maltodextrin. According to the complaint, high-maltose corn syrup and maltodextrin are both produced by applying acids, enzymes, or acids and enzymes in sequence to corn starch, depolymerizing the starch to glucose and maltose. The acids or enzymes are then neutralized, removed, or deactivated, and the resulting product is then refined, purified, and concentrated. "High maltose corn syrup and maltodextrin are highly processed, do not exist in nature, and not even under the most elastic possible definition could they be considered 'natural,'" said Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. CSPI's litigation department is acting as co-counsel in the suit. High-maltose corn syrup and/or maltodextrin are in dozens of Nature Valley varieties including various flavors of Sweet & Salty Nut bars, Chewy Trail Mix bars, and Granola Thins. Packages for Dark Chocolate Granola Thins tout "[t]he uniquely delicate crunch of crispy granola paired with an irresistible, melt-in-your-mouth taste-all in a 100% natural square." Besides the deceptive labeling and marketing copy on packages, Nature Valley's web and social media presence surrounds itself with images of forests, mountains, lakes, deserts, beaches, and other natural imagery, and shows hikers, backpackers, and divers eating the products. A caption reads, "[N]o matter how many flavors we create, you can be assured that with Nature Valley you’re always getting The Taste Nature Intended." <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tHaVmemUXs8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> A Nature Valley TV ad depicts "Granola Thins" as "100% Natural," even though they contain <a href="http://www.naturevalley.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=37">high-maltose corn syrup and maltodextrin.</a> "My daughter's special diet requires that I select natural products and avoid artificial dyes, sweeteners, or additives—and I'm willing to pay a little bit more for products that are truly 'all natural,'" said Amy McKendrick, a resource teacher from Kern County, Calif., a plaintiff in the suit. "Who would assume that a '100% Natural' product from a company called Nature Valley would have these factory-refined ingredients?" CSPI privately raised concern with General Mills over Nature Valley "Natural" claims in July 2010. General Mills responded be indicating they would work to eliminate high-fructose corn syrup from the product line. While few, if any, Nature Valley products still contain high-fructose corn syrup, many still do contain high-maltose corn syrup and maltodextrin. "Few companies would like to brag that their ingredients are 'fresh from the factory,' but that's exactly where high-maltose corn syrup and maltodextrin come from," said CSPI assistant director of litigation Seema Rattan. "General Mills is misleading consumers when it suggests otherwise." The lawsuit was filed in United States District Court in the Northern District of California, on behalf of McKendrick and another California woman, both of whom sought out natural products on medical advice. The suit says Nature Valley's labeling and advertising is in violation of several California consumer protection laws, including the California Legal Remedies Act, the Unfair Competition Law, and the False Advertising Law. Besides CSPI's litigation unit, the San Francisco law firms of Baker Law, P.C., and Sherman Business Law are representing the consumers. Besides seeking certification to proceed as a class action, the plaintiffs seek to stop General Mills from making deceptive natural claims on Nature Valley products. 2012-07-26 Health Groups Urge Surgeon General's Report on Soda http://cspinet.org/new/201207191.html Sugary Drinks' Contribution to Obesity, Diabetes, Heart Disease Warrants Call to Action from Nation's Top Doc, Groups SayNearly 100 national and local health, medical, and consumer organizations, several municipal public health departments, and more than 20 prominent individuals <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/letter-to-sec-sebelius.pdf" target="blank">are calling on</a> the Surgeon General of the United States to issue a report on the health effects of soda and other sugary drinks. Citing the importance of the 1964 landmark Surgeon General's <a href="http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/access/NNBBMQ.pdf" target="blank">report</a> on tobacco use, the groups and individuals say a report on soda would appraise the health-damaging effects and alert health professionals, government officials, and consumers to the public-health impact of over-consuming sugary drinks. "Soda and other sugary drinks are the only food or beverage that has been directly linked to obesity, a major contributor to coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers, and a cause of psychosocial problems," the groups wrote in a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. "Yet, each year, the average American drinks about 40 gallons of sugary drinks, all with little, if any, nutritional benefit." The groups say that soda and sugary drinks have a devastating effect on the health of young people in particular. Each extra soft drink consumed per day was associated with a 60-percent increased risk of overweight in children, according to one important <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2800%2904041-1/abstract" target="blank">study</a>. Type 2 diabetes, which used to occur primarily in middle-aged and older adults, is now becoming more common among teens. Though soda consumption has declined somewhat in recent years, consumption is still dangerously high, according to the letter. Even almost half of two- and three-year-olds consume sugary drinks every day, according to the group. "Previous reports and calls to action from the Surgeon General, on topics as varied as tobacco, underage drinking, and obesity, have helped galvanize policymakers at all levels of government," said Center for Science in the Public Interest executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "Unlike just about any other product in the food supply, sugar-based drinks are directly connected to obesity and diet-related disease. Reducing their consumption should be one of the main pillars of the government’s prevention strategy." The call for a Surgeon General's report on soda and sugary drinks was organized by the CSPI, and included the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, Consumer Federation of America, National Hispanic Medical Association, Prevention Institute, the Trust for America's Health, and Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. Public health departments in Boston, El Paso, New York City, and Philadelphia also signed the letter to Sebelius. 2012-07-19 DreamWorks Under Fire for Letting 'Madagascar' Characters Peddle Junk Food http://cspinet.org/new/201207181.html Studio Urged to Set Nutrition Standards for Foods Its Characters Market to ChildrenDreamWorks Animation is renting out the lovable images of Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, and Melman the Giraffe to market nutritionally poor food choices to impressionable young children, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/dreamworks_7.18.12.pdf" target="blank">letter</a> to DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, the nonprofit nutrition watchdog group urged the studio to set nutrition standards for the foods for which it licenses its characters, much in the way Katzenberg’s former employer, Disney, did last month. CSPI's letter pointed to the Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted characters appearing on packages of Lance Sandwich Crackers and Nekot Cookies. The products exceed recommendations for the amounts of saturated fat or sodium appropriate in snacks marketed to children, according to <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/os/2011/04/110428foodmarketproposedguide.pdf" target="blank">draft guidelines</a> from the Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children, a federal taskforce composed of representatives from the FTC, CDC, FDA, and USDA. Madagascar 3 characters also have tie-ins with McDonald’s, General Mills, and other companies. CSPI also urged DreamWorks Animation to join the Council of Better Business Bureau’s self-regulatory program, the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative. <img src="/lance.jpg">Lance Sandwich Crackers and Nekot Cookies display 'Madagascar 3' characters. "Parents are faced with an enormous amount of advertising that's intended to change their children's dietary preferences," said CSPI director of nutrition policy Margo Wootan. "When a young child sees the Madagascar penguins on a package of junky crackers, they feel a powerful emotional connection—which is why companies do it in the first place. Entertainment companies like DreamWorks have a responsibility to wield that power in a way that doesn’t undermine kids’ health." CSPI <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/lance_7.18.12.pdf" target="blank">also called on</a> Snyder’s-Lance, Inc., CEO David V. Singer to set nutrition standards for the foods it markets to children and to join the CFBAI. 2012-07-18 Pfizer, CSPI Resolve Centrum Labeling Issues http://cspinet.org/new/201207051.html Company Will Drop Breast, Colon Health Claims on Centrum Dietary SupplementsPfizer Consumer Healthcare will remove claims related to breast and colon health on advertising and labeling for certain Centrum brand multivitamin supplements, as part of an <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/pfizer-letter-agreement.pdf" target="cspi">agreement</a> negotiated with the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. The agreement announced today means that the group will not move ahead with a lawsuit it had planned to file against the company over those and other claims on Centrum supplements. Labels for Centrum Ultra Women's and Centrum Silver Women's multivitamin supplements stated those products supported "breast health," while labels for Centrum Ultra Men's and Centrum Silver Ultra Men's stated those products supported "colon health." In CSPI's view, those claims of breast and colon health implied that the supplements would prevent breast and colon cancer—disease prevention claims that supplement manufacturers can't legally make. Centrum relied, in part, on the presence of vitamin D in all of those products to base those claims. In fact, there is limited and inconsistent evidence on vitamin D’s relationship to breast cancer, and inconclusive evidence on vitamin D's relationship to colon cancer. "For many consumers, a daily multivitamin is an inexpensive insurance policy to make sure that one's getting the recommended daily amounts of important vitamins and minerals," said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. "But supplement manufacturers must not mislead consumers into thinking that these pills will help ward off cancer." On labels and advertising for Centrum products that bear a claim for "heart health," Pfizer Consumer Healthcare will add clarifying language that the products are "not a replacement for cholesterol-lowering drugs." On labels and advertising for Centrum products that bear an energy claim, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare will add language clarifying that the products do not directly provide an energy boost, but rather help support metabolic function. The changes negotiated with CSPI will be made on Pfizer web sites and advertising within 30 days of today, and changes on product labels will be implemented over the next six months as supplies of packaging are depleted. "Although Pfizer disagrees with our position, we are pleased with the collaborative spirit with which Pfizer was willing to discuss our concerns and resolve them without resorting to litigation," Gardner said. CSPI's litigation unit has helped achieve other improvements for consumers on supplement advertising and labeling. CSPI sued Bayer in 2009 over false claims that the selenium in its One A Day men's multivitamins reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Eventually a group of three state Attorneys General announced a settlement agreement with Bayer that ended those claims. In 2008, CSPI joined litigation that returned approximately $12 million in refunds to consumers who purchased the dietary supplement <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200808142.html" target="blank">Airborne</a>; labels and ads falsely claimed the product would cure and prevent colds. 2012-07-05 Tests Show Carcinogen Levels in Coca-Cola Vary Worldwide http://cspinet.org/new/201206261.html Coca-Cola Sold in Brazil is Most ContaminatedCoca-Cola sold in California now contains little of the cancer-causing chemical 4 methylimidizole (4-MI), but new laboratory tests show alarming levels of the carcinogen in Cokes sold elsewhere around the world. The carcinogen forms when the ammoniated <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm#caramel" target="blank">caramel coloring</a> used in colas is industrially produced. Coke began using a less-contaminated caramel coloring earlier this year in California after the state required a cancer-warning notice on soft drinks with excessive levels of 4-MI. CSPI first released test results showing the levels of 4-MI in Coke and Pepsi in March. Coca-Cola obtained from Brazil had 267 micrograms (mcg) of the carcinogen per 12 fluid ounces (355 ml). Coca-Cola from Kenya had 177 mcg per 12 ounces. Cokes marketed in Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, and the United Kingdom had between 144 mcg and 160 mcg per 12 ounces. Coke from China had 56 mcg and in Japan had 72 mcg. Coca-Cola purchased in Washington, DC, had 144 mcg per 12 fluid ounces, while Cokes bought in California contained only 4 mcg. <center><img src="/4-MI.jpg"></center> To put those levels into context, the state of California requires a cancer-warning label if a food would lead to people consuming 30 mcg or more of 4-MI per day. Thus, people drinking one 12-ounce soda per day would ingest that much if the soda contained 30 mcg or more of 4-MI. The state estimates that that amount of 4-MI would cause cancer in one in 100,000 people over their lifetimes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration restricts carcinogenic contaminants in food to lower levels—amounts that would not cause more than one cancer per million people. If the FDA applied its standard, a Coke would have to have under 3 mcg of 4-MI. Coca-Cola marketed in California is close to meeting that standard, but Cokes in most other countries, even allowing for lower consumption in most countries, greatly exceed that standard. CSPI’s test results will be published shortly in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health (vol. 18, No. 3). </> "Fortunately, people in China, Japan, Kenya, and some other countries drink much less soda than we Americans do, so their exposure to this dangerous chemical is proportionately lower," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "But now that we know it's possible to almost totally eliminate this carcinogen from colas, there's no excuse for Coca-Cola and other companies not to do so worldwide, and not just in California." CSPI obtained the Coca-Cola from consumer advocates or others in the countries represented in this study. Some of those people are releasing the test results today to media in their counties and bringing the carcinogen to the attention of their respective health ministers. In February 2011 CSPI first <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/experts-letter-caramel-coloring.pdf" target="blank">urged the FDA</a> to prohibit ammoniated caramel coloring and to use a more accurate term for the ingredient. In contrast to the caramel one might make at home by melting sugar in a saucepan, the artificial brown coloring in colas and some other products is made by reacting sugars with ammonia (and often sulfites) under high pressure and temperatures. Chemical reactions between the sugar and the ammonia result in the formation of 4-MI, which caused lung, liver, and thyroid cancer or leukemia in laboratory animals in studies conducted by the United States government’s premier testing laboratory. A major manufacturer (D.D. Williamson) of caramel colorings says that it offers a coloring that is totally free of 4-MI, but it is four times more expensive and beverage companies aren't purchasing it. Five prominent experts on animal carcinogenesis, including several who worked at the National Toxicology Program, joined CSPI then in calling on the FDA to bar the use of caramel colorings made with an ammonia process. "The American public should not be exposed to any cancer risk whatsoever as a result of consuming such chemicals, especially when they serve a non-essential, cosmetic purpose," the scientists wrote. Although the presence of a known chemical carcinogen in such a widely consumed product is troubling, CSPI says that consumers should be more worried about the much greater risk posed by the sugar or high-fructose corn syrup in Coca-Cola and other sugary beverages. Overconsumption of sugary drinks raises one’s risk of weight gain, obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, and other health problems. 2012-06-26 U.S. Mayors Group Declares October 24 Food Day http://cspinet.org/new/201206201.html Activities on October 24 to Mobilize Support for Better Food PoliciesAmerica's mayors have formalized their support for <a href="http://foodday.org/" target="_blank">Food Day</a>— the nationwide celebration and movement for healthy, affordable, and sustainable food. Meeting in Orlando last week, the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a <a href="http://www.usmayors.org/resolutions/80th_conference/AdoptedResolutionsFull.pdf" target="_blank">resolution</a> declaring October 24 as Food Day and urging all mayors to participate. The move comes as Food Day organizers are planning thousands of events from coast to coast ranging from food festivals, film screenings, candidate forums, debates, farm-to-school events, and supermarket tours. "Food Day is an important event that addresses some of the critical problems facing many cities in America—accessibility and affordability of fresh food," said Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. "When healthy, locally grown food is readily available, it can reduce obesity and hunger, improve eating habits among residents, and expand the local economy. I support the national Food Day resolution and the principles of Food Day." "I am very pleased that the U.S. Conference of Mayors stands behind Food Day," said Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, chairman of the organization's food policy task force. "Every day, more of our nation's mayors are joining the food revolution to put more healthy and local food into city neighborhoods and schools." "Mayors are increasingly taking the lead by setting up food policy councils, promoting urban farming and gardening, adopting policies that promote healthy eating, and otherwise improving the food environment in America's cities," said Michael F. Jacobson, Food Day founder and executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "It makes perfect sense that they're among those leading the charge for Food Day." The mayors of Baltimore, Los Angeles, Providence, St. Louis, and University City, MO, joined Menino and Nutter in sponsoring the resolution. Launched by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest and supported by a diverse advisory board, Food Day brings together organizations and individuals who care about food issues as varied as hunger, nutrition, agriculture policy, animal welfare, and farmworker justice. Some <a href="http://foodday.org/files/FoodDay_Report2011.pdf" target="_blank">2011 Food Day</a> events were large in scale, such as a festival in Savannah, GA, with 7,000 attendees, or a Times Square Eat In, attended by filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, chef Mario Batali, and grassroots food activists. Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Christine Lahti <a href="http://youtu.be/m4jehbPknfo" target="_blank">narrated a short video about Food Day</a> which has footage from that event. Others were organized by hundreds of community groups, college campuses, and schools. Students at Rabbit Creek elementary school in South Anchorage, AK, participated in a taste test comparing locally grown carrots to out-of-state carrots. In Austin, TX, this year, organizers are planning a citywide celebration focusing each of five days on a different Food Day priority. The planning committee, led by representatives from The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas and The Wellgro Co., is collaborating with a wide range of local organizations including the Sustainable Food Center, the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, Edible Austin, Capital Area Food Bank, Slow Food Austin, and the University of Texas at Austin. "We are all so grateful to be a part of the second Food Day here, raising awareness for food that is raised and grown in a manner consistent with the principles of treating our local farmers, cooks, and laborers fairly and kindly," said T. Marshall Jones, executive director of The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas. This year, Food Day will take place just 12 days before the 2012 elections, and organizers expect that it will provide an opportunity for citizens to make their voices heard on, and for candidates to discuss, important food policy issues. Food Day's 2012 advisory board includes author Michael Pollan; prominent physicians Caldwell Esselstyn, Michael Roizen, David Kessler, and David Satcher; nutrition authorities Kelly Brownell, Walter Willett, and Marion Nestle; urban agriculture proponent Will Allen; Food Network host Ellie Krieger; environmentalist and author Laurie David; chefs Dan Barber, Barton Seaver, and Alice Waters; World Food Day USA Founder Patricia Young, and a number of members of Congress. Food Day, on October 24, falls eight days after <a href="http://worldfooddayusa.org" target="_blank">World Food Day</a>, the global anti-hunger event sponsored by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, which occurs every October 16. Organizers hope that schools, churches, and other organizations can use all of the days in between to conduct activities focused on hunger, nutrition, sustainable agriculture, and other food issues. 2012-06-20 Nestle Urged Not to Market Girl Scouts Candy Bars to Kids http://cspinet.org/new/201206181.html Health Advocates Say Product Line Violates Nestle’s PledgeNestle claims it doesn't market candy to children but health advocates say a new line of Girl Scout-themed Crunch candy bars violates the company's pledge. The limited-edition candy bars bear the familiar Girl Scouts logo and evoke three popular Girl Scout Cookie flavors. A key difference between the Nestle Girl Scout candy bars and Girl Scout cookies is that the new candy bars have more calories, more saturated fat, and more sugars, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). "A third of the kids in the United States are overweight or obese, yet Nestle is targeting vulnerable young girls with these obesogenic junk foods," said CSPI nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan. "It's not credible for the company to claim these are marketed exclusively to adults, any more than if their labels bore Dora the Explorer instead of the Girl Scouts." Nestle's Thin Mints candy bar has 200 calories, 10 grams of saturated fat, and 16 grams of sugars; a Caramel & Coconut variety has 190 calories, 9 grams of saturated fat, and 17 grams of sugars; a Peanut Butter Crème variety has 190 calories, 6 grams of saturated fat, and 13 grams of sugars. Nestle's pledge not to market any candy to children is made through its membership in the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, the industry’s self-regulatory body. According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, candy is the fourth-largest source of sugars in Americans' diets, after sugary drinks, grain-based desserts, and dairy desserts. Chocolate candy bars are calorically dense and high in saturated fat and sugars. "The Girl Scout tie-in and logo will attract the attention of children, especially young girls," said Lori Dorfman, director of Berkeley Media Studies Group, a project of the Public Health Institute. "After all, for 100 years, the Girl Scouts has worked to keep focused on girls' issues, empowering young girls around the world. Even if the candy bar advertising is targeted towards adults, the Girl Scouts image appeals to children and so constitutes marketing to children." In a letter today to Nestle USA Chairman and CEO Brad Alford, CSPI's Wootan and BMSG's Dorfman urged the company to stop marketing unhealthy foods featuring the Girl Scout's name and logo and refrain from similar marketing approaches in the future. 2012-06-18 Surprising Support for Curbs on Soda Serving Sizes: Poll http://cspinet.org/new/201206071.html 50 Percent Favor Limits Like the One Proposed by Mayor Bloomberg & NYC Health Department; 58% Support in NortheastBy a hair, more Americans support than oppose limiting restaurant soft-drink servings to 16 ounces, according to a new telephone survey commissioned by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. The group, which is hosting a first-of-its-kind National Soda Summit today in Washington, says that the degree of support is surprising given how novel the idea is. By sheer coincidence, the poll was conducted from May 31 to June 3, as news of a New York City proposal to limit serving sizes of soda and other sugary drinks was making headlines. "People are starting to figure out that if we want to make a dent in obesity rates, we need to drive down consumption of sugar-based drinks," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "Not only are people drinking less soda, but there is more support for public policies that nudge people in the right direction, and that make the healthy choice the default choice." Fifty percent of those surveyed either strongly support or support limiting soft drink serving sizes to 16 ounces, while 48 percent either oppose or strongly oppose the idea. Support for the idea is particularly high in the Northeast, where 58 percent of those surveyed expressed support, and among African-Americans, 63 percent of whom expressed support for limits, though that sample size was small. The National Soda Summit happening today and tomorrow is bringing together public health officials, consumer groups, and nutrition authorities, and is designed to stimulate progress on reducing soda consumption, organizers say. Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro, and New York City health commissioner Thomas Farley are among the speakers. Other speakers include some of the most prominent experts on sugar-sweetened beverages, including Barry M. Popkin of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, David S. Ludwig of Children’s Hospital in Boston, and Kelly Brownell of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. CSPI's survey found strong support for two other ideas designed to steer people away from sugar-based drinks. Sixty-eight percent of those surveyed support or strongly support the idea that grocery stores should promote or discount healthier beverages more often than sugary drinks, and 64 percent supported having grocery stores provide information in the soda aisle about the calorie and sugar content of the drinks, and about the health risks of drinking too many of them. CSPI and other supporters of New York City's proposal to limit restaurants' soda serving sizes to 16 ounces say that public support for such measures will only grow as more Americans learn of soda's unique contribution to overweight and obesity. Soda and other sugar-based drinks are the single largest source of calories in the American diet, and are the only food or beverage shown to have a causal relationship with weight gain. And while public support for limits seems stronger than expected, it's not the only factor public health officials have to consider. "Many people around the country are concerned about the obesity epidemic but are unsure what to do,” Dr. Farley said. “In New York City we have an obligation to act to stem this crisis. This proposal is based not on a poll but on our belief that it will help reverse the obesity epidemic and thus save lives." "Bringing down serving sizes from 64- and 32-ounce buckets makes a lot of sense, and just one of a dozen things health officials should do to reduce consumption," Jacobson said. "Sugary soda provides nothing of benefit to the diet and is a leading contributor to obesity, diabetes, and other debilitating and expensive-to-treat diseases. We should also tax it, place warning labels on it, run television campaigns against it, and do everything we can to get people to drink less. It's time to restore soft drinks to what they once were: an occasional treat." CSPI's telephone survey was conducted among 1008 adults by CARAVAN, an omnibus service from ORC International. <center># # #</center> Note: Use the hashtag #NatSodaSummit to follow the conference on Twitter. 2012-06-07 NYC Health Commissioner to Address Soda Summit http://cspinet.org/new/201206061.html At Landmark Conference, Health Officials, Nutrition Authorities to Ratchet Up Efforts to Reduce Soda ConsumptionDr. Thomas Farley, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, will discuss Mayor Michael A. Bloomberg’s proposal to limit soda serving sizes to 16 ounces on Thursday at the first-ever National Soda Summit. Farley will join keynote speaker Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, a yet-to-be named former Coca-Cola executive, and featured speaker U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro at the gathering of public health officials, educators, and nutrition experts at the two-day conference. The plenary sessions, keynote addresses, and luncheon speech at the invitation-only summit are open to the press but smaller working groups are closed to the press. <a href="http://fewersugarydrinks.org/elements/pdf/National-Soda-Summit-Agenda.pdf">Please see the agenda for times of the sessions and names of conference speakers and panelists</a> and for credentialing please contact <a href="mailto:cpolitano@cspinet.org">Clare Politano</a> or <a href="mailto:jcronin@cspinet.org">Jeff Cronin</a>. What: National Soda Summit When: 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 7 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, June 8 Where: Hyatt Regency Hotel 400 New Jersey Ave., NW Washington, DC 20001 Why: Health experts see soda and sugar-based drinks as a major cause of obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, and other problems. Even the official Dietary Guidelines for Americans discourages consumption of sugary drinks, which CSPI calls "liquid candy." The conference is organized by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest with support from the American Heart Association, the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, The California Endowment, and The Kresge Foundation. 2012-06-06 Disney to Cut Junk Food Ads on Kids' Television http://cspinet.org/new/201206051.html CSPI Says Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network Should Follow SuitDisney will no longer accept advertisements for many junk foods on its children's television and radio programming and web site, and will update the nutrition standards it applies when it considers licensing its characters and sponsorships on the Disney Channel. "Disney's announcement is welcome news to parents and health experts concerned about childhood obesity and nutrition," said Center for Science in the Public Interest nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan. "This puts Disney ahead of the pack of media outlets and should be a wake-up call to Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network to do the same. As a nation, all companies should be working toward promoting only healthy food through all forms of child-directed media." Sixteen food and beverage companies have agreed to limit junk food marketing through the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative. That program has led to a modest decrease in unhealthy food marketing to children. <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/company-policies-food-marketing-kids.html">From 2003 to 2009, the percentage of ads aimed at kids that were for unhealthy food decreased from 94 percent to 86 percent.</a> CSPI urges companies to strengthen their nutrition standards, and says more companies, especially media companies and restaurants, should join the industry's self-regulatory program. Companies have lobbied aggressively against the efforts of an Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children, a collaboration among the Federal Trade Commission, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Food and Drug Administration. Those agencies were to finalize voluntary nutrition guidelines and definitions for food marketing to children, but <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201112161.html">Congress delayed</a> the release. The industry self-regulatory program’s marketing standards limit ads for the worst junk foods, but Popsicles, imitation fruit snacks, and sugary cereals such as Cocoa Puffs are <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-f-jacobson/healthy-kids-foods-not-healthy_b_987155.html">considered healthy</a> enough to market to kids. 2012-06-05 Poll: Huge Majorities Support Calorie Labeling in Supermarkets, Vending Machines, Movie Theaters http://cspinet.org/new/201206041.html Administration Should Not Poke Loopholes in Menu Rule, CSPI SaysSeventy percent of Americans favor having <a href="http://youtu.be/QifyoBvGt0k">movie theaters</a> list calories on menu boards and 68 percent favor having chain restaurants list calories for alcoholic beverages, according to a new poll released today by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. The survey comes as the Obama Administration is putting the finishing touches on a regulation requiring calorie counts at chain restaurants and similar retail food establishments. To the dismay of many health groups, a draft of the rule released last year exempted alcoholic beverages, movie theaters, hotels, stadiums, and other venues that sell restaurant-type foods—even though the 2010 law that established calorie labeling included those venues. According to the survey commissioned by CSPI, 77 percent of Americans want calorie labeling for the hot dogs, pizza slices, and burritos available at convenience stores, and 81 percent favor having supermarkets provide calorie information for their prepared restaurant-type foods, such as rotisserie chicken, sandwiches, and soups. "Americans just want to know what they're eating," said CSPI nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan. "Menu labeling at chain restaurants will be enormously helpful. But it doesn't make sense to create loopholes for certain companies, when that's not what Congress intended and it's not what people want." CSPI says—and the restaurant industry by and large agrees—that requiring calorie labeling at supermarkets, convenience stores, and movie theaters promotes a level playing field. "We believe the Proposed Rule arbitrarily and unjustifiably excludes establishments that are not only similar to, but actually function as, restaurants, and that have publicly announced their intention to offer restaurant-type food," the National Restaurant Association wrote in its comments to the Food and Drug Administration. "If McDonald's is providing calorie counts for its sodas, why shouldn't 7-11 or Regal Cinemas?" Wootan asks. "If Cracker Barrel has to list calories for its salad bar items, why shouldn’t Whole Foods or Safeway?" Fifty-five percent favor calories listed directly on vending machines, and only 34 percent would prefer that information on a poster located near a vending machine. The Administration’s draft rule would allow the latter option, where the information likely would be hard to see while consumers make their choices. The law explicitly states that the calorie listings should be on the selection button or next to the foods. Earlier this month, 21 officials from some of the nation’s leading health organizations, including the chief executive officers of the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association, called on the Obama Administration to revise the proposed menu labeling regulations "to bring them in line with the requirements set forth by Congress and to best serve the needs of the American people." Meanwhile, another segment of the food industry is planning on asking for congressional help getting around the new menu labeling law. Under the rubric of The American Pizza Community, Domino's, Papa John's, Little Caesar, and other pizza chains are seeking meetings with Members of Congress later in June, according to Nation's Restaurant News. "First the pizza lobby convinced Congress to legislate that pizza is a vegetable under the school lunch program. Now they want an exemption from the calorie labeling rule," Wootan said. "All of these chains have been providing calorie counts in New York City, Philadelphia, and Seattle, where it's been required by local law. One can imagine why these chains aren't bragging about having 2,500 or 3,000 calories per pizza, but that's no reason to conceal it from the public." A 16-inch Spicy Italian Pizza from Papa John's has 4,000 calories, according to its website. CSPI's telephone survey was conducted among 1012 adults from May 24 to May 27 by CARAVAN ® an omnibus service from ORC International. 2012-06-04 New York City Move on Soda Sizes Praised http://cspinet.org/new/201205311.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonMayor Michael Bloomberg's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/31/nyregion/bloomberg-plans-a-ban-on-large-sugared-drinks.html">pioneering proposal</a> to limit serving sizes of sugary drinks is the boldest effort yet to prevent obesity, which is not only painful for millions of Americans but is costing our nation upwards of $150 billion in higher health costs annually. New York City's health department deserves tremendous credit for recognizing the harm that sugary soft drinks cause in the form of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease—and for doing something about it. We hope other city and state public health officials adopt similar curbs on serving sizes and reducing Americans' exposure to these nutritionally worthless products. # # # Note: On June 7 and 8 CSPI is convening the first-ever <a href="http://fewersugarydrinks.org/elements/pdf/summit_registration.pdf">National Soda Summit</a> aimed at improving public health by reducing consumption of soda and other sugary drinks. 2012-05-31 National Soda Summit to Convene Next Week (June 7-8) http://cspinet.org/new/201205291.html Conference Will Focus on Strategies to Reduce Soda ConsumptionA former Coca-Cola executive will tell the truth about Big Soda’s marketing strategies at the first-ever National Soda Summit—a conference aimed at improving public health by reducing consumption of soda and other sugar-based drinks. U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter will deliver keynote addresses at the summit, which will bring together some of the country’s most prominent nutrition authorities, educators, and public health officials. The plenary sessions, keynote addresses, and luncheon speech at the invitation-only summit are open to the press but smaller working groups are closed to the press. Since space is limited advance registration is recommended. <a href="http://fewersugarydrinks.org/elements/pdf/National-Soda-Summit-Agenda.pdf" target="cspi">Please see the agenda for times of the sessions and names of conference speakers and panelists.</a> What: National Soda Summit When: 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 7 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, June 8 Where: Hyatt Regency Hotel 400 New Jersey Ave., NW Washington, DC 20001 Why: Health experts see soda and sugar-based drinks as a major cause of obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, and other problems. Even the official Dietary Guidelines for Americans discourages consumption of sugary drinks, which CSPI call "liquid candy." The conference is organized by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest with support from the American Heart Association, the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, The California Endowment, and The Kresge Foundation. For press credentialing or to arrange interviews with any of the conference participants please contact <a href="mailto:cpolitano@cspinet.org">Clare Politano</a> or <a href="mailto:jcronin@cspinet.org">Jeff Cronin</a>. 2012-05-29 Food Safety on Two Continents: Emerging Pathogens and Policies http://cspinet.org/new/201205281.html Upcoming Conference Will Address Food Safety in the United States and European UnionOn June 6, government leaders and consumer representatives from the United States and the European Union will gather to discuss food safety challenges presented by emerging pathogens. Conferees will discuss approaches to controlling hazards, such as antibiotic-resistant Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, and implications for consumers. The conference is organized by <a href="http://www.tacd.org/">Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue</a>, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and "Which?" (a U.K. consumer organization). The TACD is a forum of consumer organizations that develops joint consumer policy recommendations and submits them to the U.S. government and European Union. "Food safety is a global issue," says CSPI food safety director Caroline Smith DeWaal. "Consumer organizations in the U.S. and E.U. are looking for innovative approaches that could help prevent the next major food safety scare." Attendees will address last year’s produce outbreaks in both the United States and the European Union. Contaminated sprouts in Germany claimed over 50 lives, while an outbreak linked to cantaloupes in the United States claimed 30 lives. Other topics include industrial meat production, transparency of corporate practices, and traceability. The conference will be convened by the co-chairs of the TACD Food Committee—Caroline Smith DeWaal of CSPI and Sue Davis, the chief policy officer at "Which?" Speakers at the conference will feature high-level government officials, including Under Secretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Elisabeth Hagen, executive director of the European Food Safety Authority Catherine Geslain-Lanéele, Food and Drug Administration Deputy Commissioner for Foods Mike Taylor, and Michael Scannell, director of the Food & Veterinary Office with the E.U.’s Directorate General for Health and Consumer Affairs. Additional speakers will include Erik Olsen of Pew Charitable Trusts, former chair of the Codex Alimentarius Commission Karen Hulebak, Ruth Veale of the European Consumers’ Organization, Jean Halloran from Consumers Union, and Carol Tucker Foreman with the Consumer Federation of America. For a full list of participants, <a href="http://cspinet.org/foodsafety/PDFs/TACD-Conf-Invitation.pdf">please see the conference agenda</a>. "Food Safety on Two Continents" takes place on June 6 in Washington, D.C. at the Pew Charitable Trusts Conference Center. The conference is free and open to the public, and those interested in attending can <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHdYZ1RfY0hmOVV2RDc2SzY4VnVIbmc6MA#gid=0">register with TACD</a>. 2012-05-28 Health Groups Urge Obamas: Don't Water Down Calorie Labeling Rules http://cspinet.org/new/201205161.html Law Requires Calories at Chain Restaurants and All Similar Food RetailersThe <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/ml-letter.pdf">nation's leading health and consumer organizations</a> are calling on the Obama Administration to <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/is-menu-labeling-working-factsheet.pdf">provide calorie labeling</a> at chain movie theaters, supermarkets, and for alcoholic beverages, and to provide clear labeling for vending machines. If those are exempted, consumers would have no clue about the often-surprising calorie counts in buckets of movie theater popcorn, alcoholic drinks, and ready-to-eat food sold at supermarkets and convenience stores. The 2010 health care reform law requires calorie labeling at all chain restaurants and "similar retail food establishments." In April 2011, the Food and Drug Administration proposed rules designed to implement that provision. However, those rules excluded chain movie theaters, hotels, stadiums, cafes in superstores, and other venues, even though they sell restaurant-type food. The proposed rules also would allow vending machine operators to provide calorie listings on hard-to-find, difficult-to-read posters rather than directly on vending machines near the item or its selection button as the law requires. And according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, those types of establishments are serving up lots of calories. <a href="http://youtu.be/QifyoBvGt0k">Theater-goers have no idea</a> that, for instance, a medium tub of popcorn (without buttery topping) at Regal Cinemas has 1,200 calories, and a large soda from that chain has 500 calories. A large bag of Reese's Pieces candy has 1,160 calories. Theater chains Regal and AMC were CSPI's "nominees for Best Supporting Actor in the Obesity Epidemic," when in 2009 the group released laboratory analyses of movie theater food. <img src="/regal-popcorn.jpg">A medium popcorn and large soda from Regal Cinemas "Calorie labeling at chain restaurants and other food retailers will help Americans identify foods with fewer calories and reduce their risk of overweight and obesity," said CSPI nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan. "It would be a real setback if Americans were denied this important nutrition information at chain movie theaters, bars, and superstores. We hope the Administration changes course and includes those retailers as Congress intended." Alcoholic beverages are the fifth-largest source of calories in adults' diets, and the government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans specifically urges people to monitor their calorie intake from alcohol. A 5-ounce glass of wine has about 125 calories and a 12-ounce serving of beer has about 150 calories. But some of the concoctions served at chain restaurants have several times the calories of wine or beer. Romano's Macaroni Grill serves a Margarita Prima with 440 calories. An Ultimate Mudslide at T.G.I. Friday’s has 730 calories. <img src="/tgif-drinks.jpg">T.G.I. Friday's Berri Acai Sour (left, 170 cal) and the Triple Berri Passion (330 cal) "Who would think that a single alcoholic drink at T.G.I. Friday’s would have more calories than its rib-eye with lobster dinner?" Wootan asks. "Or that its Triple Berry Passion cocktail (330 calories) has almost twice as many calories as the Berri Acai Sour (170 cal)?" <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/ml_map.pdf">Restaurants that operate</a> in New York City and Philadelphia are already required to list calories for alcoholic drinks; local laws also require movie theaters to list calories in New York City and California. In a letter to the President and First Lady, officials from more than 20 of the nation's leading health and consumer groups also expressed concern about the Administration's interpretation of the law's requirement for vending machines. The law specifically requires vendors to "provide a sign in close proximity to each article of food or the selection button." But the FDA's draft rules would allow posters next to or even above banks of vending machines, where the information would be largely invisible and useless to consumers. While they are included in the proposed regulations, supermarkets and convenience stores are lobbying to get out of having to post calories for their restaurant-style, ready-to-eat foods. Although bakeries, salad bars, and hot-food bars at restaurants like Panera, Golden Corral, or Pizza Hut would be required to list calories, supermarkets are trying to avoid labeling their nearly identical bakeries and food bars. According to Wootan that exemption is not warranted considering that many supermarket chains offer seating and operate much like restaurants. In fact, 80 percent of the top 50 supermarkets that sell prepared foods have nutrition information for some of their prepared foods. They just need to provide it in their stores, where people can use it, and provide it for all their prepared items, says CSPI. "The Administration should not back down just because some powerful food retailers and the alcohol industry may find the new calorie-labeling law embarrassing," Wootan said. Besides CSPI, the letter to President and Mrs. Obama was signed by the heads of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association), the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network, the American Public Health Association, the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, the Consumer Federation of America, the Environmental Working Group, the Prevention Institute, Trust for America’s Health, and many others. 2012-05-16 CSPI Urges Implementation of Recommendations in Institute of Medicine Obesity Report http://cspinet.org/new/201205081.html Campaign Could Be Funded with Sugary Drink Tax, Group SaysA new report from the Institute of Medicine is calling for dramatic action on the part of governments, the food and health care industries, and schools to help curb obesity. The IOM report recommends reducing the consumption of sugary drinks, something long urged by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. "The IOM report provides an excellent blueprint for solving America’s costly obesity problem. But policy makers will have to invest both money and political capital to convert the advice into reality," said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "Congress should fund a multi-billion-dollar, multi-year anti-obesity program that includes national and local community and social-marketing campaigns. That program could be funded with a significant tax on sugary beverages. The SNAP (food stamp) program should be improved by testing the effectiveness of excluding purchases of sugary beverages and providing a bonus for fruits and vegetables." "This country has shown that it can solve almost any problem when we come together and make it a priority—as we have to cut smoking rates in half," said CSPI nutrition policy director Margo Wootan. "With two-thirds of Americans affected by pre-obesity and obesity, this is clearly a societal problem that requires action by individuals, families, schools, health officials and professionals, governments, and industry." CSPI called on the Obama administration to finalize strong menu-labeling rules which cover all foods at chains, including alcoholic beverages, prepared foods in supermarkets, and snacks at movie <a href="http://youtu.be/QifyoBvGt0k">theaters</a>. Food and entertainment companies should abide by meaningful nutrition <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/FederalAgenciesProposed_MarketingGuidelines.html">guidelines</a> for food marketing to children, according to CSPI. Restaurants should cut portion sizes and calories, make vegetables and fruits the default side dishes in place of French fries, and remove sugary drinks from kids’ <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/fact_sheet_defaults.pdf">menus</a>. And all levels of government should provide healthier foods through their cafeterias and vending machines, stop selling sugary drinks, and price foods to support healthier <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/procurementfactsheet.pdf">choices</a>, the group says. "The country has begun to address obesity, but we are still doing far too little given the tremendous burden it places on our health and health-care costs," said Wootan. "It's unconscionable that we are still doing so little to help the two-thirds of Americans who are at risk of costly and debilitating obesity-related problems like heart attack, stroke, amputations, blindness, and cancer." 2012-05-08 New Beef Traceback Policies Could Reduce Public Health Toll from E. Coli O157 http://cspinet.org/new/201205021.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalUSDA’s announcement of <a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/NR_050212_01/index.asp">new policies</a> allowing for traceback of beef products when preliminary results are positive for E. coli O157:H7 could help reduce the toll of deaths and illnesses during outbreaks. Rapid traceback is essential for reducing the impact of E. coli outbreaks, and protects both consumers and the meat industry. When it comes to testing for E. coli, it makes sense to start traceback procedures upon a presumptively positive test result, and not lose valuable time waiting for a confirmation. USDA should do the same for antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella in meat products, which just last year hospitalized nearly 50 people and sickened 167. In addition, requiring companies to report instances when they have released unsafe product to USDA right away will give the agency much better information with which to protect consumers. USDA appears to be focusing intensely on E.coli, which is good news for consumers as grilling season approaches. But more action is needed. The agency should require retail beef grinders, including supermarkets, to keep records of everything they grind. As we saw last year in the outbreak linked to ground beef from Hannaford grocery stores, when supermarket chains grind beef from multiple sources, it makes it much harder for investigators to track down the source of an outbreak. 2012-05-02 Case of Mad Cow Disease Identified in California http://cspinet.org/new/201204242.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Attorney Sarah KleinA case of <a href="http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2012/04/0132.xml&contentidonly=true">a single cow</a> with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy is not a reason for significant concern on the part of consumers, and there is no reason to believe the beef or milk supply is unsafe. If the cow were exposed to the typical strain of BSE via animal feed—and the government says that’s not the case here—that would have represented a significant failure. The government’s ability to track down other cattle that may have been exposed via feed would have been hampered without an effective animal I.D. program. The United States has first-world resources and technology but a third-world animal identification system. In fact, some third-world countries do a better job of tracking livestock than America does. Botswana, for one, uses RFID microchips to track its animals up and down the supply chain. If American cattlemen suffer economic losses at the news of this discovery of BSE, they should blame only themselves and other opponents of a mandatory animal identification system. 2012-04-24 FDA Urged to Implement Mandatory Sodium Reductions http://cspinet.org/new/201204241.html CSPI Criticizes FDA for Ignoring 2-Year-Old Institute of Medicine AdviceTwo years ago the Institute of Medicine concluded that the food industry had not heeded calls over the preceding 40 years to voluntarily reduce sodium levels in its products and therefore called for mandatory limits. But even as <a href="http://cspinet.org/salt/">diets too high in sodium</a> contribute to tens of thousands of premature deaths each year and billions in medical costs, the Food and Drug Administration has not taken any action to curb the salt in packaged or restaurant foods. <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/cspi_letter_to_commissioner_hamburg.pdf">In a letter today</a>, Center for Science in the Public Interest executive director Michael F. Jacobson told FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg that upwards of 100,000 lives could be saved annually if sodium levels in packaged and restaurant foods were halved. High levels of sodium consumption promote costly health problems, such as high-blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. According to CSPI, direct medical costs would be cut by about $18 billion per year if sodium consumption were reduced from 3,400 milligrams per day to 2,300 mg per day; $28 billion could be saved if consumption were further reduced to 1,500 mg per day. "There is virtually nothing else the FDA could do to improve America’s food supply that would provide a greater benefit to public health than to reduce sodium levels," Jacobson wrote. "We urge the FDA to issue strong rules that will protect Americans’ health." In April 2010, <a href="http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/Strategies-to-Reduce-Sodium-Intake-in-the-United-States.aspx">the IOM recommended</a> setting gradually decreasing limits on sodium in the coming years, giving American palates time to adjust to safer levels. Companies could lower sodium in a variety of ways depending on the food, according to CSPI. Besides simply using less salt, companies could replace some of the sodium chloride with potassium chloride, use salt crystals of different sizes and shapes, add herbs and spices, or salting just the outside or one surface of foods. A study published earlier this month in the <a href="http://www.cmaj.ca/content/early/2012/04/16/cmaj.111895">Canadian Medical Association Journal</a> shows that American fast-food companies have plenty of room to bring sodium levels down at least to the levels seen in other countries. In the United Kingdom, where food regulators had made salt reduction a priority, several categories of fast food had about 15 percent less sodium than in the United States. "Every year of delay on the part of the Food and Drug Administration means hundreds of thousands of additional strokes, heart attacks, and deaths that could have been prevented," said Stephen Havas, M.D., adjunct professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "I't's really astonishing that the agency has not seized the opportunity presented by the Institute of Medicine's landmark report and begun to use its regulatory authority to fix this huge problem with our food supply. How many more deaths will it take before they act?" 2012-04-24 FDA Voluntary Guidance on Antibiotics Tragically Flawed http://cspinet.org/new/201204112.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalThe Food and Drug Administration's <a href="http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm299802.htm">new policies</a> intended to reduce the overuse of important antibiotics in animal production are tragically flawed. They rely too heavily on the drug industry and animal producers to act voluntarily in the best interest of consumers. Protecting public health is an authority and a responsibility that rests squarely with the FDA. The announcement at least indicates that the agency recognizes a "public health imperative" to tackle this problem. <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/abrupdate.pdf">Decades of misuse have led to some common pathogens, like Salmonella, becoming more virulent and less treatable</a>. The FDA knows it can no longer afford to ignore antibiotic resistance. In March, the agency took a step in the right direction by banning certain extra-label uses of cephalosporin in certain food-producing animals. And last month, a federal court held that the agency must proceed with withdrawal actions on antibiotics. Many of these issues are addressed in the Preservation of Antibiotics in Medical Treatment Act, which the Administration should support. PAMTA would require the FDA to conduct regular reevaluation of drugs used in animal production. The problem of antimicrobial resistance, and the contribution of animal agriculture to that problem, is urgent and global. The United States needs to take a leadership role in bringing comprehensive, effective action, in both the agricultural and medical spheres, to bear. The time for half-measures and voluntary steps has passed. 2012-04-11 Preparations Underway for Second Annual Food Day http://cspinet.org/new/201204101.html October 24, 2012 to Galvanize Support for Better Food PoliciesFood movement leaders are gearing up for the second annual <a href="http://www.foodday.org">Food Day</a>, the nationwide celebration of healthy, affordable, and sustainably produced food. More than 2,300 events in all 50 states took place on the <a href="http://youtu.be/0WmyV55gy4c">first Food Day</a>, and organizers intend for Food Day 2012 to represent an even bigger grassroots campaign for improved food policies. Food Day is October 24 every year. Food Day brings together organizations and individuals working on food issues as varied as hunger, nutrition, agriculture policy, animal welfare, and farmworker justice. Some <a href="http://foodday.org/files/FoodDay_Report2011.pdf">2011 Food Day events</a> were large in scale, such as a big festival in Savannah, GA, and a Times Square Eat In, attended by celebrities, chefs, and prominent food activists. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0WmyV55gy4c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Next year, Food Day will take place just 12 days before the 2012 elections, and organizers expect that it will provide an opportunity for citizens and candidates alike to discuss important food policy issues. (Food Day, like the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>, the nonprofit group that is spearheading the event, does not take sides in campaigns or otherwise engage in electioneering.) Last year, elected officials used Food Day to launch new food policies, highlight locally grown produce, or issue proclamations. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHJNXtieXKs">promoted gleaning on farms</a> with the state’s Agriculture Department, while Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston used Food Day to deliver a <a href="http://dailyfreepress.com/2011/10/24/menino-looks-toward-a-healthier-boston-in-kicking-off-food-day/">"State of the Food Union" address</a>. In Maine, Rep. Chellie Pingree <a href="http://wholesomewave.org/maines-congresswoman-chellie-pingree-celebrates-food-day-unveils-local-food-bill/">announced a new bill</a> to assist small and mid-sized farms, while in Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's Food Policy Council coordinated healthy cooking demonstrations, film screenings and other events. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg <a href="http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/10/24/bloomberg-hands-out-apples-in-queens-to-celebrate-food-day/">handed out apples to commuters</a> and appeared on ABC's The Chew on Food Day. "Food should be healthy, affordable, and produced with care for the environment, animals, and the women and men who grow, harvest, and serve it," said Food Day founder and CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "But too often, our policies fall short of that ideal. Food Day aspires to celebrate our food system when it works, and fix it when it's broken." Food Day's <a href="http://foodday.org/about-food-day/food-day-advisory-board.php">2012 food advisory board</a> includes author Michael Pollan; prominent physicians Caldwell Esselstyn, Michael Roizen, and David Satcher; nutrition authorities Walter Willett, Kelly Brownell, and Marion Nestle; actor Jane Fonda; filmmaker Morgan Spurlock; Rodale, Inc. CEO Maria Rodale and Bolthouse Farms CEO Jeff Dunn; chefs such as Dan Barber, Nora Pouillon, and Alice Waters; and cookbook author and Food Network host Ellie Krieger. The Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association), American Public Health Association, Community Food Security Coalition, Earth Day Network, Farmers Market Coalition, Humane Society of the United States, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Prevention Institute, and Slow Food USA <a href="http://foodday.org/about-food-day/partner-organizations.php">all participate</a> in Food Day, as do many city, county, and state health or agriculture departments. "Food Day helped us to create a roadmap towards better policies and health interventions and the foundation we established was very powerful," said Alexa Delwiche, coordinator of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council. "I am very excited about the future. We saw what can happen with a small amount of planning and momentum." "With Food Day, Arizona's public health system was able to build momentum with the initiatives we have been promoting for a long time,” said Adrienne Udarbe, community programs manager for the Arizona Department of Health Services. "The food choices we make can have unintentional consequences that influence poor health leading to things such as chronic disease and environmental degradation. Food Day is a great opportunity for Americans to enjoy real, whole foods as opposed to packaged and heavily processed foods. Americans are craving change in our homes, our schools, on our farms, and in our communities." Food Day will reach millions of Americans through events on college campuses, schools, houses of worship, and even restaurants. But Food Day can also be celebrated by simple, solitary acts of personal responsibility, such as stopping drinking soda or other sugar-based drinks, or forgoing fast-food in favor of a healthy, brown-bag lunch. Organizers welcome restaurants, manufacturers, growers, and other food companies to consider using Food Day to announce changes that benefit the health of consumers, employees, farm animals, or the environment. 2012-04-10 CSPI Reacts to Dismissal of McDonald's Happy Meal Lawsuit http://cspinet.org/new/201204041.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonMcDonald’s must stop <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201012151.html">exploiting children</a> at some point. Using toys, of all things, to lure young children to fast-food meals is not responsible corporate behavior. It’s a predatory practice that undermines parents, causes rifts in families, and harms kids’ health. In time, the practice of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YQOZoPtCO0&feature=player_embedded">using toys to market junk food</a> will seem as inappropriate and anachronistic as lead paint, child labor, and asbestos. Resolving this question will not hinge on whether the plaintiff in this lawsuit suffered a monetary loss in this case, though we maintain she did. We're studying the judge's decision and will discuss with the plaintiff whether to appeal. We will continue to urge all branches of government, including the courts, to stand up for parents and protect children from <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201006221.html">unscrupulous marketing techniques</a>. 2012-04-04 Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria Sickened 167, Hospitalized 47 in 2011 http://cspinet.org/new/201203081.html CSPI White Paper Tracks Outbreaks Linked to Resistant PathogensRampant use of antibiotics in animal agriculture means foodborne illnesses are likely to become longer, more serious, and harder to treat, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. In three major outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant foodborne illness in 2011, 167 Americans became sick, 47 were hospitalized, and one died, according to a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/abrupdate.pdf">white paper released by the group today</a>. Two of those outbreaks were connected to ground turkey, one contaminated with Salmonella Hadar and one with Salmonella Heidelberg, and one outbreak was connected to ground beef contaminated with Salmonella Typhimurium. All of those bacteria were resistant to treatment from several antibiotics that are critically important to human medicine, including drugs in the penicillin, cephalosporin, and tetracycline families. "Antibiotics are the crown jewels of modern medicine, and they are critical to treating diseases in both humans and farm animals," said CSPI food safety director Caroline Smith DeWaal. "We must not continue to jeopardize the effectiveness of these drugs by using them recklessly for non-therapeutic uses on farms and in animal factories. Otherwise, consumers may face longer illnesses, more hospitalizations, and more fatalities when exposed to resistant strains of common foodborne pathogens." Antibiotic resistance is an inevitable consequence of antibiotic use, according to the CSPI report. The more antibiotics are used, the more bacteria will develop resistance—often to more than one drug at a time. Pigs, chickens, and cattle are often administered antibiotics in their feed or water, to promote growth or to prevent diseases caused by overcrowding and unsanitary conditions, according to CSPI. Exacerbating the problem is that farmers in the U.S. can obtain and administer antibiotics without prescriptions or veterinary oversight. The drug industry produced more than 29 million pounds of antimicrobial drugs approved for use in food animals, according to the Food and Drug Administration. CSPI says that food animals consume 80 percent of all antibiotics used in the United States and that 65 percent of those antibiotics are similar or identical to those used in human medicine. CSPI’s review of antibiotic-resistant foodborne illness outbreaks shows that outbreaks were most common in dairy products, with 12 such outbreaks since 1973, and ground beef, with 10 outbreaks. Four outbreaks were linked to poultry, with ground turkey appearing for the first time as a source of antibiotic-resistant bacteria with the two 2011 outbreaks linked to Jennie-O and Cargill products. CSPI presented its findings at a series of briefings for House and Senate staff in Washington along with several leading infectious-disease physicians and health experts, including Drs. Jim R. Johnson of the University of the Minnesota School of Medicine, Stuart Levy of Tufts University School of Medicine and the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, Lance Price of the TGen Center for Food Microbiology and Environmental Health, and Tara Smith of the University of Iowa College of Public Health. 2012-03-08 Lab Tests Find Carcinogen in Regular and Diet Coke and Pepsi http://cspinet.org/new/201203051.html Ammoniated "Caramel Coloring" Contaminated with 4-methylimidazoleNew chemical analyses have found that Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Diet Coke, and Diet Pepsi contain high levels of 4-methylimidazole (4-MI), a known animal carcinogen. The carcinogen forms when ammonia or ammonia and sulfites are used to manufacture the “caramel coloring” that gives those sodas their distinctive brown colors, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the nonprofit watchdog group that commissioned the tests. CSPI first petitioned the FDA to ban ammonia-sulfite caramel coloring in <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201102161.html" target="cspi">February 2011</a>. CSPI <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/4-mi-letter-to-fda-march-5-2012.pdf">today reiterated</a> its call to the Food and Drug Administration to revoke its authorization for caramel colorings that contain 4-MI, and in the interim to change the name of the additive to “ammonia-sulfite process caramel coloring” or “chemically modified caramel coloring” for labeling purposes. “Coke and Pepsi, with the acquiescence of the FDA, are needlessly exposing millions of Americans to a chemical that causes cancer,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “The coloring is completely cosmetic, adding nothing to the flavor of the product. If companies can make brown food coloring that is carcinogen-free, the industry should use that. And industry seems to be moving in that direction. Otherwise, the FDA needs to protect consumers from this risk by banning the coloring.” CSPI collected samples of Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, Dr Pepper, Diet Dr Pepper, and Whole Foods 365 Cola from Washington, D.C.-area stores. Pepsi’s products had 145 to 153 micrograms (mcg) of 4-MI in two 12-ounce cans. Regular Coca-Cola had 142 mcg per 12 ounces in one sample and 146 mcg in another. Diet Coke had 103 mcg per 12 ounces in one sample and 113 mcg in another. To put those levels into context, the state of California has a 29-microgram benchmark for 4-MI. Levels above that in a serving of food or beverage may be required to bear a warning notice. Based on California’s risk model, CSPI estimates that the 4-MI in the Coke and Pepsi products tested is causing about 15,000 cancers in the U.S. population. While federal law bans food additives that cause any number of cancers, the FDA has an exception for contaminants of food additives, for which it tolerates a lifetime risk of one cancer in one million people. Three of four samples of Dr Pepper or Diet Dr Pepper that CSPI tested had low levels of 4-MI, with about 10 mcg per 12 ounces. But even those levels pose a cancer risk of seven in one million—seven times greater than what FDA allows. The lower levels in those three samples indicate that it is possible to lower, if not eliminate, the amount of 4-MI. Pepsi told CSPI that it has switched to a coloring in California that contains much less 4-MI and plans to do the same in the rest of the country. “When most people see ‘caramel coloring’ on food labels, they likely interpret that quite literally and assume the ingredient is similar to what you might get by gently melting sugar in a saucepan,” Jacobson said. “The reality is quite different. Colorings made with the ammonia or ammonia-sulfite process contain carcinogens and don’t belong in the food supply. In any event, they shouldn’t be obscured by such an innocuous-sounding name as ‘caramel coloring.’” As troubling as the new test results are, CSPI says soda drinkers should be much more concerned about the high-fructose corn syrup or other sugars used in soft drinks. Soda drinkers are much more likely than non-soda drinkers to develop weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. 2012-03-05 Amway Makes Illegal Deceptive Claims for its Nutrilite Twist Tubes http://cspinet.org/new/201202281.html CSPI Intends Litigation Unless Company Drops Deception<a href="http://www.amway.com/EN" target="cspi">Amway</a>, the controversial multi-level marketing company, is facing the prospect of a class action lawsuit over its Nutrilite line of liquid dietary supplements. Labels for Nutrilite’s “fruits & vegetables 2GO Twist Tubes” claim in big print that the product represents two servings of fruits and vegetables. The fine print clarifies that a dose “contains the antioxidant equivalent of 2 servings.” Either way, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest says that the company’s 10-milliliter tubes do not come close to conveying the same health benefits as real fruit or vegetables. Similarly, Amway claims that Nutrilite’s Immunity Twist Tubes are an “immune system booster” that will “protect your cells.” (The Strawberry Kiwi flavor has neither strawberry nor kiwi, despite the attractive pictures of those fruits on the box.) The immunity claim is unlawful, according to CSPI, because it implies the product will prevent disease. It won’t, says the group. The watchdog group will sue the Ada, Michigan-based company unless it stops advertising unsubstantiated nutrition and health benefits in connection with “fruits and vegetables 2GO” and “Immunity” Twist Tubes. Also, both product lines contain the artificial sweetener sucralose, despite a print advertisement for “fruits & vegetables 2GO” that claims the product has no artificial ingredients. Twist Tubes are meant to be diluted in 16 ounces of water before consuming. “Amway is sending a horrible health message to American consumers when it holds out its Twist Tubes as a short cut to getting the health benefits of real food,” said CSPI staff litigator Seema Rattan. “People who want the health benefits of two servings of fruits and vegetables are far better off eating two servings of fruits and vegetables. And no one should be deceived into thinking that these pricey little tubes will prevent them from getting sick.” A 20-dose pack of Nutrilite “<a href="http://www.amway.com/Shop/Product/Product.aspx/NUTRILITE--Fruits---Vegetables-2GO-Twist-Tubes?itemno=110538" target="cspi">fruits & vegetables 2GO Twist Tubes</a>” costs $19.99 plus $7.95 shipping and handling if purchased at amway.com; <a href="http://www.amway.com/Shop/Product/Product.aspx/NUTRILITE-Twist-Tubes-Strawberry-Kiwi-flavor-for-Immunity?itemno=105483&dsNav=N:4294966646-4294965506" target="cspi">Immunity Twist Tubes</a> cost $12.35 plus $7.95 shipping and handling. Otherwise, the products are not available in stores but are sold by Amway distributors. “Fruits & vegetables 2GO” has “the antioxidant equivalent of two of the 9–13 daily servings of fruits and vegetables your body needs,” according to Amway. But there’s far more to fruits and vegetables than just antioxidants, according to CSPI. Neither “fruits & vegetables 2GO” nor Immunity Twist Tubes has any fiber, for instance. Real fruits and vegetables have up to 8,000 phytochemicals that may provide health benefits—something that supplements simply cannot mimic, according to CSPI. Vitamins, like the A, B, and C vitamins in Twist Tubes, account for only a small fraction of the antioxidant activity in whole fruits and vegetables. While the Immunity Twist Tube contains 1,000 mg of vitamin C, human tissues are generally saturated with vitamin C at 400 mg per day, and any excess is typically excreted. In a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/amway-nutrilite-demand-letter.pdf" target="cspi">letter</a> to Amway Chairman Steve Van Andel, CSPI says that Amway’s labeling and advertising for Nutrilite products violates federal regulations and consumer protection laws in the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Texas, New Jersey, and California. CSPI’s litigation unit has successfully prompted several major food companies, including Quaker, Frito-Lay, Procter & Gamble, Tropicana, and Pinnacle Foods, to halt a variety of misleading labeling or marketing practices. In 2008, CSPI joined litigation that returned approximately $12 million in refunds to consumers who purchased the dietary supplement <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200808142.html" target="cspi">Airborne</a>; labels and ads falsely claimed the product would cure and prevent colds. 2012-02-28 Food Safety Experts Defend FDA Official Taylor from Internet Smears http://cspinet.org/new/201202171.html Petition on SignOn.org Called Conspiracy Mongering, Character AssassinationA <a href="http://signon.org/sign/tell-obama-to-cease-fda.fb1?source=s.fb&r_by=2105328" target="cspi">petition</a> attacking Michael Taylor, deputy commissioner for foods at the Food and Drug Administration, “represents the baldest sort of character assassination” and is full of factual misstatements, according to an <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/open-letter-re-michael-taylor.pdf" target="cspi">open letter</a> written by food safety experts to MoveOn.org, whose SignOn.org site hosts the petition. The food safety experts, and the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, are calling on MoveOn to send an email to its members correcting the petition’s errors and offering instructions to people who may want to remove their names from the petition. The petition, created by an Atlanta financial advisor, Frederick Ravid, criticizes Taylor for having worked at the controversial biotechnology company Monsanto. The signatories to the open letter to MoveOn.org write that they have a “diversity of views” on genetically engineered foods but are “unanimous in our belief that Taylor is a valued deputy commissioner, and we regret that a factually untrue Internet smear campaign has attracted so much support.” “All of us have known Michael Taylor for many years, including when he occupied previous high-level positions in the federal government, taught at George Washington University School of Public Health, and even when he worked at Monsanto,” the food safety experts write. “We acknowledge that Monsanto symbolizes a lot of things that many people (including some of us) don’t like about modern, industrial agriculture. But Mr. Taylor’s résumé is not reducible to his work at that company.” The letter goes on to praise Taylor’s work in the Clinton Administration fighting for pathogen controls for meat and poultry producers, and for his current work in the Obama Administration reforming the FDA. The letter to MoveOn also says that some of Mr. Ravid’s statements in the petition about genetically engineered foods are without basis in fact. The petition blames skyrocketing diagnoses of chronic disease on genetically engineered foods, and says that the biotech industry’s products “may also be contributors to colon, breast, lymphatic, and prostate cancers.” Despite the controversy over genetically engineered crops, no evidence supports those claims, according to CSPI. “Reasonable people can disagree about Monsanto’s corporate policies (often bad), or the quality of government oversight of GE foods (inadequate), or the appropriateness of genetically engineering food crops in the first place,” the open letter reads. “But all of us agree that there is no foundation for the outlandish statements made in the petition.” The open letter notes that far from being a food safety authority, the petition’s author, Mr. Ravid, <a href="http://www.reallyfree.org/aboutreallyfree.html" target="cspi">believes</a> himself to be “the 21st generation descendent from father-to-son of the famous 12th century Kaballistic [sic] Master Rabbi Abraham ben David, of Posquierres, known as the RaVaD.” Ravid’s <a href="http://www.reallyfree.org/archives.html" target="cspi">web site</a> indicates that he believes President Obama is the reincarnation of a Civil-War-era Senator, Lyman Trumbull, and that various world events, such as the earthquake in Haiti or the founding of the League of Nations, are related to solar eclipses. “We mean no disrespect for Mr. Ravid’s religious beliefs but we do question his respect for science,” the food safety experts wrote to MoveOn.org. Besides CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson, other signatories to the letter include Carol Tucker-Foreman, a former Assistant Secretary for Food Safety affiliated with Consumer Federation of America, food safety lawyer William D. Marler, STOP Foodborne Illness chief executive officer Deirdre Schlunegger, J. Glenn Morris of the University of Florida’s Emerging Pathogens Institute, Michael Rodemeyer of the University of Virginia and the former executive director of the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology, National Center for Food Protection and Defense director Shaun Kennedy, and Donald W. Schaffner, director of the Center for Advanced Food Technology at Rutgers. 2012-02-17 CSPI, Health Advocates Announce Sugary Drinks Summit http://cspinet.org/new/201202151.html Diverse Groups to Strategize on Reducing Consumption of Soda and Other Sugary DrinksPhiladelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter will deliver the keynote address at a <a href="http://fewersugarydrinks.org/elements/pdf/summit_registration.pdf">national advocacy conference</a> to motivate and strengthen national, state, and local initiatives aimed at reducing consumption of soda and other sugary drinks. The Sugary Drinks Summit of 2012, the first conference of its kind, was announced today by the nonprofit <a href="http://www.cspinet.org">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>, which is organizing the summit in collaboration with leading nutritionists, health officials, and organizations. Consumption of sugary drinks increases the risks of overweight and obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, tooth decay, and many other costly health problems. Mayor Nutter has taken steps in Philadelphia to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, including limiting soda sales in city vending machines, and he also proposed new taxes on soda. Other speakers include Kelly D. Brownell, director, Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Yale University; Barry Popkin, W.R. Kenan distinguished professor, University of North Carolina; Shiriki Kumaniyika, senior advisor, Center for Public Health Initiatives, University of Pennsylvania School of Public Health; Michael F. Jacobson, executive director, CSPI; health professionals; a former high-level soft-drink industry executive; and thought leaders and activists on sugary-drink issues from health departments around the country. <a href="http://fewersugarydrinks.org/elements/pdf/agenda_info.pdf">Sessions</a> will explore lobbying and marketing efforts by the soda industry, actions and policies to reduce sugary-drink consumption, and tactics to counter industry’s marketing of sugary drinks to young people and minorities. Other sessions will discuss strategies for reducing rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems. The conference will be of special interest to state and local health officials, nonprofit health organizations, nutritionists, and researchers. In August 2011, CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201108311.html">launched</a> the Life’s Sweeter with Fewer Sugary Drinks campaign, which seeks to reduce consumption of soda and other sugary drinks by more than half to a maximum of 3 per person per week by 2020, a healthy target proposed by the American Heart Association. The campaign currently has some 170 partner organizations working to reduce sugary-drink consumption in homes, workplaces, and communities through the removal of sugary-drink vending machines, hard-hitting ad campaigns connecting soda to weight gain, and public education among other things. Some of the major public health departments that have signed on include Boston, Columbus, Cook County, Los Angeles County, Philadelphia, and Seattle/King County. Individuals and families are also encouraged to join the challenge. Where: Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. When: June 7-8, 2012 Registration: The early bird rate of $195 lasts until March 15, 2012. The rate will then increase to $250. Students are encouraged to attend at a discounted rate of $150. Attendees can register for the conference <a href="http://www.natalieshear.com/sugarydrinksummit/">here</a>. Press: Registration fee is waived but space is limited. Press R.S.V.P. to <a href="mailto:amorris@cspinet.org">Angela Morris</a>, 202-777-8316. 2012-02-15 FDA Urged to Make Oysters Safe http://cspinet.org/new/201202091.html CSPI Says Agency Should Use New Food Safety Law to Protect Consumers From Deadly Vibrio BacteriaMark your calendar: Between April and November, about 30 Americans will get seriously sick and approximately 15 will die after eating raw oysters or other shellfish contaminated with deadly Vibrio vulnificus bacteria. These contaminated oysters are mainly harvested from the Gulf Coast region, especially during the warmer summer months. Today the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest is <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/VvCitizenPetition-2012.pdf" target="cspi">urging</a> the Food and Drug Administration to set a performance standard for the shellfish industry that would reduce this threat to consumers. CSPI says FDA should act now, before the increase in Gulf Coast water temperatures creates a more hospitable environment for the naturally occurring but deadly contaminant. Raw or undercooked oysters are the primary Vibrio culprits. Symptoms include the classic signs of foodborne illness but for some consumers, the illness can progress to ulcerous skin lesions and septicemia. Almost half of those reporting these more serious infections die and those that survive can suffer lifetime infirmities. Those most at risk include consumers with diabetes, hemochromatosis, compromised immune systems or liver disease. While the shellfish industry resisted a 2009 FDA attempt to require mandatory post-harvest processing of contaminated oysters, the new food safety law signed by President Obama in January 2011 requires the FDA to set performance standards for significant foodborne contaminants like Vibrio vulnificus. “If we knew a serial killer were going to kill a dozen people like clockwork each year, the police would spring into action to stop it,” said CSPI senior food safety attorney David W. Plunkett. “We know Vibrio vulnificus strikes like clockwork. FDA should use its authority to keep seafood lovers safe from this hazard.” In 2002, the FDA <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/FDA-Response-1998-CSPI-Petition.pdf" target="cspi">denied</a> a CSPI regulatory petition calling for a performance standard for Vibrio, citing a voluntary plan to reduce the rate of illnesses coordinated by an Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC). The regulatory petition CSPI filed today cites the new authority given to the agency by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, and the fact that the ISSC’s voluntary plan to reduce illnesses failed to achieve its goals. California, meanwhile, adopted the approach advocated by CSPI in its earlier petition and illnesses and deaths in that state were virtually eliminated. “Consumers have waited long enough,” CSPI wrote in a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/CoverLetter-VvPetition-2012.pdf" target="cspi">letter to FDA</a> Commissioner Margaret Hamburg that accompanied the petition. “In the nine years since FDA denied our original petition, 262 people have suffered serious illnesses including 121 people who died—all of which could have been averted.” The shellfish industry has a number of commercially viable methods of eliminating Vibrio, including four validated methods for pasteurizing oysters, or it could simply divert contaminated oysters to be cooked. Some restaurateurs and retailers, such as Legal Sea Food and Costco, only sell treated Gulf Coast oysters or oysters harvested from colder waters. 2012-02-09 Trans Fat Drop Huge Public Health Progress, Says CSPI http://cspinet.org/new/201202081.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonThe <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2012/02/08/as-trans-fats-left-food-supply-levels-in-the-body-dropped/" target="cspi">news</a> that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found a 58 percent decline in trans fat in blood between 2000 and 2009 is great news for American hearts and arteries. Trans fat raises bad cholesterol, lowers good cholesterol, and promotes heart disease, so the less of it the better. That dramatic drop represents enormous public health progress and is almost certainly preventing thousands of heart attacks and premature deaths each year. Credit for the reductions in trans fat is shared by many parties. New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, California, Montgomery County, Md., and other jurisdictions banned most artificial trans fat from restaurant food. (Some <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200409241.html" target="cspi">bad</a> <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200602061.html" target="cspi">publicity</a> and <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/05/12/OREO.TMP" target="cspi">various</a> <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200610301.html" target="cspi">lawsuits</a> also helped spur progress.) Many food manufacturers and restaurants voluntarily switched oils. The FDA helped greatly by requiring that trans fat be listed on Nutrition Facts labels. And oil processors, seed developers, and farmers worked hard to produce and market healthier oils for restaurants and food manufacturers to use. Still, products ranging from Long John Silver’s fried foods to Pop Secret Popcorn to Pillsbury’s Buttermilk Buscuits <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/201201101.html" target="cspi">are loaded with trans fat</a>. It’s high time the Food and Drug Administration banned partially hydrogenated oil, the source of artificial trans fat, as CSPI petitioned the agency to do almost <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200405181.html" target="cspi">eight years ago</a>. 2012-02-08 Walmart Announces "Great For You" Labeling Program http://cspinet.org/new/201202072.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonWalmart's Great For You labeling program is an interesting way to identify many healthier foods. The symbol should help many shoppers choose healthier foods and should encourage some companies, starting with Walmart, to improve their products. Great For You joins NuVal, Guiding Stars, Facts Up Front, Heart Check, and other approaches that seek to steer consumers toward healthier diets. That proliferation of sometimes-inconsistent nutrition symbols on store shelves and packages indicates the need for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to develop one excellent system that would replace all the voluntary approaches. Walmart’s program does an excellent job of highlighting healthful foods in many food categories, but it is not fool-proof. Some distinctly not-great-for-you foods qualify for the symbol: cholesterol-rich eggs, salty canned vegetables and salt-water-injected fresh meat and poultry, nutrient-poor apple and grape juice, and grain foods that contain much more refined white flour than whole grain. 2012-02-07 Administration Misses Major Deadlines for Food Safety Reform http://cspinet.org/new/201202071.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalSaturday marked the "one-year-and-one-month" anniversary of the day that President Obama signed the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Rules that would make our food supply significantly safer are apparently stalled at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The administration is now over 30 days late on meeting several deadlines mandated by Congress. FSMA was enacted to improve the safety of many fresh foods, including eggs, dairy products, seafood, fruits and vegetables, and many processed and imported foods. But until FDA develops rules to describe the details of those improvements, the law is a hollow victory for consumers who want safer food. Congress passed FSMA in late 2010, following a steady drumbeat of major outbreaks involving a wide variety of foods regulated by FDA. Numerous Congressional investigations and hearings covered the nationwide outbreaks and recalls in 2006 (spinach); 2007 (contaminated pet food and imported seafood); 2008 (peanut butter); 2009 (produce); and 2010 (eggs). The President signed FSMA into law January 4, 2011, which started the clock for a number of statutory deadlines. In November and early December, FDA delivered proposed rules detailing food safety control programs for food manufacturers and importers, and new standards for the safe production of fresh fruits and vegetables to OMB for preliminary review. Proposals addressing produce and imports each carry a statutory deadline of 12 months; the other proposals are essential to implementing the law, and have July 4 deadlines for implementation. Given the urgency of food safety problems, Congress specifically mandated these deadlines for FDA to meet, to ensure that the safeguards included in FSMA did not fall victim to bureaucratic delays. But perhaps OMB didn’t get that message. Here it is again: Listeria in cantaloupe killed 30 people last fall. In the past few months raw alfalfa sprouts, pine nuts, and romaine lettuce have each caused major outbreaks. All are FDA-regulated products that might be safer after FSMA regulations take effect, but without them, consumers remain vulnerable. The Obama administration should fulfill the promise of FSMA and move rapidly to release these proposed rules. 2012-02-07 Juice Gone Wild! http://cspinet.org/new/201202011.html Nutrition Action Healthletter Unpacks “Confusion in Aisle 10”Minute Maid Help Nourish Your Brain 100% Fruit Juice Blend fairly typifies the new-fangled products in the juice aisle. It’s mostly apple and grape juice—two of the cheapest, least nutritious juices—though its label uses big print to highlight smaller amounts of pomegranate and blueberry juice. Its labels also bear highly misleading non-sequiturs related to brain health, including “Vitamin C is highly concentrated in brain nerve endings.” But according to a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nah/articles/juice-gone-wild.html" target="cspi">review of juices</a> in the current issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter, people worried about memory or brain development needn’t waste their money on this Coca-Cola product. Nutritionists agree that juice is better than soda. But juice is not good for the waistline, according to Nutrition Action. In 2006, an <a href="http://www.cpc.unc.edu/projects/beverage/panel_recommendations" target="cspi">expert panel</a> comprised of leading scientists recommended limiting daily juice intake to no more than eight ounces per day. Liquid calories aren’t as filling as solid foods, one of several reasons why it’s better to eat fruit than to drink juice. Plus, drinking juice may raise the risk of diabetes. “Juice makers, including Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, realize that consumers are concerned about losing weight and reducing their risk of diet-related diseases,” said Nutrition Action senior nutritionist Jayne Hurley, co-author of the review. “But no juice is going to perform miracles for eyes, skin, hearts, colons, or any other part of the body. That goes for just plain juice, and it certainly goes for a juice dressed up with some combination of water, artificial sweeteners, food dyes, or fake fibers.” Some orange juice labels, like those of Tropicana’s Healthy Heart with Omega-3, imply heart health. But that juice has only 50 milligrams of EPA plus DHA from fish oil, a tiny fraction of what one would get from a serving of heart-healthy salmon. Minute Maid Heart Wise orange juice, on the other hand, contains a hefty one gram of beneficial plant sterols. Two grams of plant sterols per day can lower LDL, or “bad” cholesterol by roughly ten percent over a period of 8 weeks. “Minute Maid wins,” says Nutrition Action. If you’re watching your waistline, a different Tropicana product, Trop50 Orange has 50 percent less sugar and calories than regular orange juice. Of course, it’s 60 percent added water and only 40 percent juice and is sweetened with the safe high-potency plant-based sweetener Reb A (Pure Via). Trop50 is a smart choice if you like the sweeter taste, says Nutrition Action. (Some Trop50 products play the usual tricks, though. Its Pomegranate Blueberry variety has more apple juice than pomegranate juice and more grape juice than blueberry juice.) Other examples of juice aisle trickery exposed in Nutrition Action include: <ul> <li>Ocean Spray Cran-Energy Raspberry. To its credit, it only has 35 calories per serving. Its “energy” presumably comes from its green tea extract’s 55 milligrams of caffeine and not added B vitamins. Otherwise, the drink is basically water, juice (again, more cheap grape than the touted, but more expensive, cranberry or raspberry), added vitamins, safe artificial sweeteners, and, to its discredit, Red 40 dye.</li> <li>IZZE. Most carbonated juice drinks like IZZE have no fewer calories than ordinary juice or cola, according to Nutrition Action. Once more, apple and white grape juice are the primary juices, even in IZZE’s more exotic flavors, such as Sparkling Blackberry, Blueberry, Clementine, Grapefruit, Lime, Peach, and Pomegranate. The IZZE Esque line has 50 calories per 12 ounce bottle because it’s 25 percent juice. Nutrition Action suggests adding seltzer to nutrient-rich orange juice to make a lower-calorie “sparkling” juice.</li> <li>Vita Coco Coconut Water has “more than 15 times the electrolytes found in sports drinks,” according to the company, which goes on to advise that “Life is hectic enough, and you should be hydrated when you do it.” Any beverage hydrates you, according to Nutrition Action. And the only time one would need electrolytes in a drink is after hours of vigorous exercise. That said, coconut water has roughly just 40 fat-free calories per cup and is a decent source of beneficial potassium</li> <li>Welch’s 100% Grape Juice with Fiber gives the impression that its fiber might come from “the whole Concord grape—skins and seeds included.” Rather, the fiber comes from the additive maltodextrin, a starch-like carbohydrate that resists digestion. Nutrition Action says there’s no good evidence that maltodextrin, or the dextrin added to V8 High Fiber or Sunsweet PlumSmart and Prune Juice Light, confers the kind of benefits as the fiber found in naturally in foods.</li> </ul> Nutrition Action also calculated scores for various juices based on the levels of 12 vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids, plus fiber. Carrot juice led the pack thanks to its high vitamin A and potassium content. Orange juice ranked second, followed by tomato juice (low sodium variety), grapefruit, prune, pineapple, unsweetened cranberry, coconut water, and perhaps surprisingly, considering all the hype generated by POM, pomegranate. Apple and grape juice came in last. Nutrition Action is published 10 times a year by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, the nonprofit watchdog group that advocates for improved nutrition, food labeling, and food safety policies. <a href="https://orders.cspinet.org/subscriptions/" target="cspi">Introductory subscriptions</a> are $10. Nutrition Action is advertising-free and, like CSPI, accepts no corporate donations or government grants. 2012-02-01 FDA Urged to Require Sodium Reduction in Food Supply http://cspinet.org/new/201201301.html 71 Percent of Americans Believe Industry Should Lower SaltVoluntary efforts by industry to reduce sodium levels in the food supply have failed, according to <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/fda-comments-sodium-reduction2012.pdf" target="cspi">comments</a> filed with the Food and Drug Administration last week by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. On Friday CSPI urged the agency to create strong, but realistic, mandatory regulations to reduce sodium levels in restaurant and packaged foods. According to a recent survey commissioned by CSPI, the public sees the need to lower sodium. 71 percent of Americans indicated that the food industry had a responsibility to reduce the sodium content of their foods, and 58 percent support a government requirement to reduce the sodium in processed and restaurant foods. “Overconsumption of sodium is one of the single greatest causes of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, and restaurant and packaged foods—not salt shakers—are far and away the largest contributors of sodium in the American diet,” said CSPI deputy director of health promotion policy Julie Greenstein. “Unfortunately, the food industry has failed to significantly bring down sodium levels despite 40 years of governmental admonitions. It’s time for the FDA to step in and require reasonable reductions.” The U.S. government’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that people with hypertension, those who are middle-aged or older, and African Americans should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. According to the Center for Disease Control, about 70 percent of adults fall into those categories, yet current average daily consumption is actually closer to 4,000 mg. Recently, the American Public Health Association passed a resolution that calls on FDA to begin regulating sodium in the food supply within one year and to establish a timetable for gradually reducing sodium in the food supply by 75 percent over 10 years. CSPI’s filing notes that reducing sodium consumption would save billions of dollars in medical costs, and upwards of 150,000 lives annually. Overwhelming evidence indicates that excess sodium levels pose significant health risks, but consumer education efforts are poorly funded and ineffective, according to CSPI, making efforts to reform dietary habits of Americans difficult. A recent survey indicates that 59 percent of Americans are “not concerned” about their sodium intake. As a result, an Institute of Medicine committee recommended mandatory regulations limiting sodium levels to improve public health and decrease healthcare costs. Many frozen dinners and canned foods contain high amounts of sodium. Boston Market frozen Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy has 1,460 mg of sodium per serving (about one day’s worth). Marie Callender’s frozen Creamy Chicken and Shrimp Parmesan has 1,200 mg of sodium (almost a day’s worth). One of the worst restaurant offenders is Applebee’s Provolone-Stuffed Meatballs with Fettuccine, which has 3,700 mg of sodium (more than two days’ worth). Denny’s Spicy Buffalo Chicken Melt has 3,760 mg of sodium (two and a half days’ worth). CSPI first petitioned the FDA in 1978 to reduce salt in processed foods. Besides urging the FDA to set mandatory limits on sodium content in the food supply, CSPI asked the agency to lower the Daily Value for sodium from 2,400 mg to 1,500 mg. 2012-01-30 New USDA School Meal Nutrition Standards Praised http://cspinet.org/new/201201251.html “One of the Most Important Advancements in Nutrition in Decades” says CSPIAmerica’s school-aged children will have twice the amounts of fruits and vegetables on their school lunch trays, as well as more whole grains, and less sodium and trans fat, under the new <a href="http://www.ofr.gov/(X(1)S(dzdqxpogowgusgdpzmckyi0r))/OFRUpload/OFRData/2012-01010_PI.pdf" target="cspi">nutrition standards</a> for school meals unveiled today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Despite heavy lobbying by the food industry and Congressional interference, the new standards are the best ever, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. “The new school meal standards are one of the most important advances in nutrition in decades,” said CSPI nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan. “They’re much needed, given high childhood obesity rates and the poor state of our children’s diets.” Approximately 32 million children eat school lunches and breakfasts, providing half of many children’s daily calories, according to USDA. The standards released today were mandated by Congress in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, signed into law by President Obama in late 2010. In the next month or two, USDA will propose regulations setting nutrition standards for the rest of the foods sold in schools, including through vending machines, school stores, and the a la carte foods sold in the cafeteria alongside the USDA-reimbursed meal. Although health groups praise the new standards, food industry lobbyists got <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201111151.html" target="cspi">Congress to prevent USDA</a> from limiting French fries and ensure that pizza counts as a serving of vegetables due to its tomato paste. “USDA, states, school officials, food manufacturers, food service workers, and parents need to work together to help all schools meet the new standards,” Wootan said. The rules set calorie maximums for the first time and lower calorie minimums to better ensure that school meals address obesity, as well as hunger. All milk sold in schools will have to be low-fat or fat-free. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act will provide schools with additional funding, training, model menus and recipes, healthy product specifications for commodities, and more frequent reviews to ensure that school systems comply with the new standards. 2012-01-25 USDA's Poultry Proposal: Proceed, but Cautiously http://cspinet.org/new/201201201.html CSPI says changes must lead to lower rates of Salmonella and CampylobacterStatement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s <a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/Proposed_Rules/index.asp" target="cspi">proposal</a> for revamping poultry inspection would be the first major overhaul in over 50 years. Part of the proposal would have all poultry facilities monitor for pathogens both before and after chilling the poultry, which would give companies a real-time view of conditions in their facilities. In some plants, company inspectors would check for quality defects, likes bruises and sores, enabling USDA to reduce the number of its inspectors checking every carcass. Visual inspection cannot detect food borne pathogens. USDA should modify its inspection program carefully to ensure that the program reduces the unacceptably high levels of Salmonella and Campylobacter in chicken and turkey. One can’t escape the fact that the government is shrinking, and that historic programs like this one need to demonstrate their value. The proof will be in reduced contamination rates, leading to fewer deaths and illnesses. 2012-01-20 Artificial Trans Fat Still in Supermarkets Despite Heart Risks http://cspinet.org/new/201201101.html Sara Lee, Pepperidge Farm, and General Mills Among HoldoutsMarie Callender’s pies, Pop Secret’s microwave popcorns, and Long John Silver’s Breaded Clam Strips all share a little secret: they are among many products that still contain high levels of artificial trans fat. Because trans fat is a potent cause of heart disease, the federal government and the <a href="http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/FatsAndOils/Fats101/Trans-Fats_UCM_301120_Article.jsp#.TwW_P_nNkqM" target="cspi">American Heart Association</a> have urged consumers to avoid foods that contain it. After the Food and Drug Administration required trans fat to be listed on food labels, most large manufacturers removed partially hydrogenated oil, the source of artificial trans fat, from their products. And in response to <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200610301.html" target="cspi">lawsuits</a>, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200409241.html" target="cspi">bad publicity</a>, and <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200612052.html" target="cspi">local-</a> and <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200807251.html" target="cspi">state-</a>level restrictions, most large restaurant chains similarly stopped using the discredited ingredient. Thus, while many consumers might consider the problem solved, several large companies continue to market products containing unhealthy, and unnecessary amounts of trans fat. Marie Callender’s Lattice Apple Pie (ConAgra Foods) contains 5 grams of trans fat per serving. Varieties of Pop Secret microwave popcorn (Diamond Foods) contain 4 or 5 grams of trans fat per serving. An order of Long John Silver’s Breaded Clam Strips contains 7 grams of trans fat. While White Castle recently eliminated trans fat from most of its products, some regionally marketed pastries contain large amounts. White Castle’s doughnuts contain a whopping 8 or 9 grams of trans fat per serving. The American Heart Association recommends that people limit their trans fat intake to no more than two grams per day. Since small amounts of trans fat occur naturally in beef and dairy products, that leaves very little, if any, room for artificial trans fat from partially hydrogenated oil. A <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/trans-fat-product-list.pdf" target="cspi">sampling of foods</a> containing three or more grams per serving includes Pillsbury’s Buttermilk Biscuits (General Mills), Pepperidge Farm’s Luscious 3-Layer Lemon Flavor Cake (Campbell Soup Co.), Utz’s Cheese Flavored Puff’n Corn, Jimmy Dean’s Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissant Sandwich (Sara Lee Corp.), Celeste’s Original Pizza (Pinnacle Foods Group), and dozens more. Mrs. Budd’s Original Recipe Chicken Pot Pie, a regional brand, has more partially hydrogenated oil than carrots or peas, but consumers would have no way of knowing how many of its 17 grams of fat per serving are from trans fat: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regulates food with meat or poultry, hasn’t adopted the FDA’s trans fat labeling rule. (The company told CSPI that the pot pie contains 5 grams of trans fat.) In 2004, the Center for Science in the Public Interest filed a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/trans_fat_petition_may_18.pdf" target="cspi">regulatory petition</a> urging the FDA to ban the use of partially hydrogenated oil in food altogether. “Considering the virtual unanimity among scientists that trans is the most harmful fat in the food supply, it is totally irresponsible for companies like Sara Lee, Pepperidge Farm, General Mills, and Long John Silver’s, along with many smaller ones, to continue marketing foods with artificial trans fat,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “The FDA could readily ban the use of partially hydrogenated oil or set a strict limit on the amount of trans fat in a product. Unfortunately, the FDA has let CSPI’s petition collect dust.” CSPI estimates that companies have <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/transfat/" target="cspi">eliminated</a> well over half of the partially hydrogenated oil in the food supply. But the remaining trans fat continues to promote heart disease, likely causing thousands of unnecessary premature deaths annually. 2012-01-10 FDA Prohibition on Cephalosporin Small Step Forward http://cspinet.org/new/201201041.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalFDA's action is a small step forward on the path to preventing foodborne outbreaks from antibiotic-resistant pathogens. The order prohibiting certain uses of cephalosporin in many food-producing animals is clearly warranted, though it may be too little, and it is definitely too late. CSPI has identified at least <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/foodborne-outbreaks-ceftiofur-reistant-salmonella.pdf" target="cspi">five foodborne outbreaks</a> since 2001 linked to cephalosporin-resistant Salmonella, which resulted in at least 200 illnesses and one death. Extralabel use of cephalosporin is only a part of the problem. FDA should act soon to <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2011/whd_20110406/en/index.html " target="cspi">restrict or eliminate</a> all unnecessary uses of antibiotics critically important to human medicine, so they can be preserved for future generations. <a href="http://www.who.int/world-health-day/2011/presskit/whd2011_fs4d_subanimal.pdf " target="cspi">According to Dr. Margaret Chan</a>, Director-General of the World Health Organization, without urgent corrective action, "the world is on the brink of losing these miracle cures." Recently, FDA rejected a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/ar/petition_3_99.html" target="cspi">petition</a> by CSPI and other organizations to ban subtherapeutic uses of antibiotics in animals. The use of antibiotics in livestock increases the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, which leads to infections in humans that are difficult or impossible to treat. This partial step should be followed with more definitive action to protect consumers from the illnesses caused by excessive use of antibiotics in food-producing animals. 2012-01-04 Food Safety Working Group's Report Praised http://cspinet.org/new/201112211.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalThe litany of new acronyms for the task forces and interagency consultations that are described in the Obama Administration's new Progress Report on Food Safety is worthy of a good spy novel: from SIP to CORE; from ICAT to CalciNet. It shows both the high level of attention that the Administration has paid to addressing food safety and the challenge when numerous federal and state agencies must work together during outbreaks and other critical food events. The report documents important improvements that have been made in the food safety system, especially with the adoption and implementation of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. However, with so many agencies involved, lapses can easily occur in the absence of strong leadership. It is promising to see the continuation of the <a href="http://www.foodsafetyworkinggroup.gov/">Food Safety Working Group</a>, which was established by President Obama early in his administration. Future progress will require additional commitments in several key areas: First, funding of the food safety programs at FSIS, FDA and CDC must be protected from across-the-board cuts. This funding is vital to further reduce the impact that major food safety problems pose for consumers and industry alike. Second, effective communication can save lives during outbreaks and other food crises. The administration should set timelines for better integrating IT systems to ensure that agencies can share information effectively. Finally, last summer's major food outbreak in Europe from a new E. coli strain and several recent U.S. outbreaks posed by <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/201112201.html">antibiotic-resistant strains</a> of Salmonella in ground meat, underscore the problem that such emerging pathogens pose. The agencies should develop a unified system for identifying and addressing emerging pathogens in the food supply. 2011-12-21 Newest ABR Salmonella Outbreak Highlights Public Health Urgency http://cspinet.org/new/201112201.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Staff Attorney Sarah KleinAt least 14 consumers are sick—including 7 who have been hospitalized—from another outbreak of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella in ground beef. The outbreak strain, Typhimurium, has shown resistance to multiple commonly prescribed antibiotics, making the illnesses harder to treat. Salmonella Typhimurium has previously been implicated in two meat-related outbreaks, and is one of four ABR Salmonella strains that CSPI urged USDA to <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/201105251.html" target="cspi">declare as adulterants</a> earlier this year. That declaration would trigger enhanced testing for these dangerous pathogens, and could minimize their entry into commerce. FSIS says it is developing regulations to require better recordkeeping by retailers who grind beef—but that process can take years and consumers cannot afford to wait. Retailers must be responsible for keeping track of where beef is coming from so that they can assist FSIS and consumers with timely traceback during an outbreak investigation. The retailer, Hannaford, has recalled all of its house-label ground beef with sell by dates prior to December 17. Consumers who believe they may have purchased this or any contaminated product should dispose of it or return it. 2011-12-20 Congress Again Puts Food Industry Ahead of Children http://cspinet.org/new/201112161.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanFirst Congress declares pizza a vegetable; now it defends companies’ ability to market Froot Loops as healthy for children. This Congress has quite the nutrition track record. Too bad kids don’t have their own PAC, or $37 million in <a href="http://reporting.sunlightfoundation.com/2011/Food_and_media_companies_lobby/" target="cspi">lobbying clout</a>. The <a href="http://rules.house.gov/Media/file/PDF_112_1/legislativetext/HR3671-IH-P3.pdf" target="cspi">Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012, HR 3671</a>, includes a provision that would require the Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of its final recommendations for food marketing to children (it already has put the recommendations out for public comment). This delaying tactic puts kids’ health at risk. Doing a cost-benefit analysis makes sense for regulations that require companies to actually do something. But there is no cost associated with something that is totally voluntary. Clearly the industry could use some advice about food marketing. Under industry's own marketing standards, Popsicles and Cocoa Puffs are <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-f-jacobson/healthy-kids-foods-not-healthy_b_987155.html" target="cspi">considered healthy</a> to market to kids and <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/pledgereport.pdf" target="cspi">80 percent</a> of the foods companies market to children is still of poor nutritional value, despite self-regulatory efforts. Unfortunately both the House and the Senate have fallen for industry's <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/letter-to-president-including_sign-ons.pdf" target="cspi">faulty claims</a> that marketing is not effective, that voluntary suggestions <a href="http://www.phlpnet.org/phlp/news/IWG-proposal-doesnt-violate-1st-amendment" target="cspi">violate the First Amendment</a>, or that they would <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/epi-jobs-analysis.pdf" target="cspi">reduce jobs</a>. Even when television ads for cigarettes were banned, media companies’ ad revenues continued to grow. Mars, Coca-Cola, and Hershey have voluntarily given up advertising to kids and seem to be doing just fine. 2011-12-16 Victims of Quorn Poisoning Appeal to FDA Commissioner http://cspinet.org/new/201112131.html "I broke out in hives and could feel my throat swelling and breathing was getting hard," wrote one woman.A spokesperson for the Food and Drug Administration recently told the <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=wall%20street%20journal%20quorn&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052970204517204577046370191497672.html&ei=rI7XTt62L4jW0QHLsqA7&usg=AFQjCNHJKb9APe-S1jgatEXiXxS0j0V1LA" target="cspi">Wall Street Journal</a> that the agency had heard from just seven consumers who had adverse reactions to Quorn, the line of meat substitutes made from vat-grown soil mold. That small number was puzzling to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, since the food safety watchdog group had <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200603281.html" target="cspi">forwarded hundreds</a> of such adverse reaction reports to the FDA over the years—reports that <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/quorn/victims.html" target="cspi">typically included</a> some combination of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hives, or difficulty breathing. To make sure that the FDA realizes the scope of the problem with Quorn, CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson asked consumers who became ill after eating the fungus-based faux meat to write directly to Margaret Hamburg, the commissioner of the FDA. The accounts provided by the consumers are harrowing—and include blackouts, ruined clothing, burst blood vessels, explosive diarrhea, and missed days of work. Many expressed their disappointment that the FDA hasn’t removed Quorn from the market or required prominent warning notices. “Gut wrenching,” is how 60-year-old Pacific Grove, Calif., resident Andrea Carter described her illness after she and her partner ate Quorn cutlets. “I had the most severe vomiting I had ever experienced.” Carter was so sick she had to miss work on the very day her employer was holding a retirement party for her. “I’ve always been called the person with the iron stomach, because nothing ever bothers me,” wrote Tayba Tahir, a university administrator in Akron, Ohio. Tahir became ill twice before realizing it was the Quorn that was causing her illness. “The first time, I experienced such violent bouts of vomiting that I threw up and the blood vessels in my eyes burst.” The next time, she was found unconscious on the bathroom floor by a family member. Some Quorn eaters described symptoms more characteristic of anaphylactic shock, including hives and difficulty breathing. “About half an hour after my meal, my throat started to itch, and then my skin,” Zarina Khan wrote to Hamburg. “I broke out in hives and could feel my throat swelling shut and breathing was getting hard.” Khan, who had eaten Quorn Chik’n Tenders induced vomiting and took antihistamines to make those symptoms stop. Port Saint Lucie, FL, computer professional David Popovich complained both to Quorn and to retailer Whole Foods after falling ill after eating Quorn Turk’y Roast for Christmas dinner in 2007. “The most frightening response was the tightness in my chest—I felt like I could not breathe.” Quorn conceded in an email to Popovich that “It would appear that you may have experienced a cross-reaction to the mycoprotein present in Quorn products.” Karen Koijane of Las Vegas, Nev., wrote that within an hour or two of eating a Quorn burger, “I was vomiting and lying on the floor of my bathroom trembling.” She related to Dr. Hamburg how she takes the time to warn people in the grocery store when she sees them eyeing Quorn products, and urged the commissioner to “Please use your position and influence to at the very least warn them as well.” Jacobson says the FDA erred in 2001 by allowing Quorn to be sold in the U.S. even after the agency had seen company studies showing that the meat substitute made some people ill. CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/quornpr_050102.html" target="cspi">first called</a> on the FDA to take Quorn off the market in 2002. “Quorn was a brand new food, never eaten by humans until fairly recently, so it was striking that the FDA was not more cautious about it at time,” said Jacobson. “Now we know that Quorn causes great inconvenience and misery—and life-threatening reactions—to those people who are allergic to this particular fungus.” Quorn executive David Wilson told The Wall Street Journal that one person in between 100,000 and 200,000 might have a “sensitivity” to Quorn. But a CSPI-commissioned <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200309231.html" target="cspi">telephone survey</a> found that nearly 5 percent of consumers in Great Britain, where Quorn has longer been available, reported being allergic to the fungus-based meat. “I remain angry and mystified that it is still for sale,” retired nurse Sue Zerangue of Astoria, OR, wrote in an email to the FDA. “I fully support efforts to remove this dangerous product from the food supply.” 2011-12-13 Foods with Color Additives Deceive Consumers, Says CSPI http://cspinet.org/new/201112081.html Group Urges FDA to Require Front-Label Disclosure of Artificial Colorings<a href="http://www.tropicana.com/#/trop_products/productsLanding.swf?Twister/111" target="cspi">Tropicana Twister Cherry Berry Blast</a> has no cherry juice. Nor does it have any berry juice. Despite the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/images2/tropicana.JPG" target="cspi">pictures</a> of cherries and berries on the label, this drink gets much of its dark red color from the controversial dye, Red 40. The Center for Science in the Public Interest says that’s deceptive. And today, the nonprofit nutrition and food safety watchdog group is urging the Food and Drug Administration to require food companies to disclose on the front of food labels whether a product is artificially colored. It's not just a problem with soft drinks. Salad dressing, bread, breakfast cereals, candy, baked goods, and even mayonnaise and pickles may get their colors from additives. Color additives are an inexpensive way to simulate absent fruit or vegetable ingredients, make white bread look more like whole wheat, or make sugary cereals more appealing to young children, according to CSPI. <a href="http://www.generalmills.com/home/brands/baking_products/betty_crocker/brand%20product%20list%20page.aspx#{28D3E942-EB49-421C-886C-84AA7E9D48F8}" target="cspi">Betty Crocker Carrot Cake Mix</a> has no carrots, as such. Instead, it has “carrot flavored pieces” made with corn syrup, flour, corn cereal, partially hydrogenated cottonseed and/or soybean oil, a small amount of “carrot powder,” unspecified artificial color, and Yellow 6 and Red 40. Most varieties of Mt. Olive and Vlassic pickles appear greener and fresher thanks to Yellow 5. Kraft Light Catalina Salad Dressing contains Red 40. And caramel coloring and cocoa darken Pepperidge Farm Pumpernickel Bread. “Betty Crocker is certainly free to make virtually carrotless carrot cake, and Tropicana is free to make berryless and cherryless juice,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “But consumers shouldn’t have to turn the package over and scrutinize the fine print to know that the color in what are mostly junk foods comes from cheap added colorings.” Food colorings—be they synthetic dyes or obtained from nature—deceptively enhance the visual attractiveness of products and imply greater product quality, according to a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/food-color-petition.pdf" target="cspi">regulatory petition</a> CSPI filed with the FDA. CSPI says the agency should require that the label of a food containing color additives state ‘Artificially Colored’ on the package next to the product name—something the agency already requires of many artificially colored products. There are also health reasons to be concerned about artificial colorings. The FDA has acknowledged that artificial food dyes, such as Red 40 and Yellow 5, trigger hyperactivity and behavioral problems in some children. CSPI has also highlighted the cancer risks associated with certain caramel colorings, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, which are contaminated with carcinogens. In addition, some consumers are allergic to natural or synthetic color additives. “Companies substitute color additives for real food ingredients to lower their costs at the expense of consumers’ health and pocketbooks,” said CSPI litigation director Stephen Gardner. “We hope that the FDA requires companies to label artificially colored foods honestly.” Currently, FDA requires manufacturers to list synthetic color additives, such as Blue 2 or Yellow 6, by name in ingredient lists. Companies must also declare by name two allergenic colorings, carmine and cochineal extract, which are made from insects. But other colorings may be listed as “Artificial Color,” “Color Added,” or similar terms. Three-quarters of Americans favor the mandatory disclosure on front labels when foods have been artificially colored, according to a national public opinion survey commissioned by CSPI in 2010. 2011-12-08 Quorn's "Mycoprotein" Not Safe, CSPI Tells FDA, Again http://cspinet.org/new/201112011.html Fake Fungal "Chik'n" Causes Anaphylaxis, Severe Vomiting, HivesThe vat-grown mold used to make the Quorn line of meat substitutes causes gastrointestinal distress and in some cases, life-threatening anaphylactic reactions, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. The nutrition and food safety watchdog group has again <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/quorn-letter-to-fda-nov-15-2011.pdf" target="cspi">urged</a> the Food and Drug Administration to <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=wall%20street%20journal%20quorn&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052970204517204577046370191497672.html&ei=rI7XTt62L4jW0QHLsqA7&usg=AFQjCNHJKb9APe-S1jgatEXiXxS0j0V1LA" target="cspi">revoke</a> its “Generally Recognized as Safe,” or GRAS, designation for the controversial fermented fungus. If the agency does intend to allow Quorn’s “mycoprotein” to remain on store shelves, it should at least require a prominent warning label, the group says. Quorn is a meat substitute that typically takes the shape of artificial chicken patties or nuggets, imitation ground beef, cylindrical “roasts,” as well as other meatless incarnations, such as “Cranberry & Goat Cheese Chik’n Cutlets.” The principal ingredient is a microscopic fungus, Fusarium venenatum, which the company feeds with oxygenated water, glucose, and other nutrients in giant fermentation tanks. Once harvested from the tanks, the material is heat-treated in order to remove its excess RNA, and then dewatered in a centrifuge. Combined with egg albumen and other ingredients, it is then “texturized” into various meat-like shapes. CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/quornpr_050102.html" target="cspi">first urged</a> the Food and Drug Administration to take Quorn off the market in 2002, and has been collecting <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/cgi-bin/quorn/quorn.cgi" target="cspi">adverse reaction reports</a> from consumers ever since at QuornComplaints.com. CSPI has collected about 500 such reports from Americans and 1,200 more from European and Australian consumers. The vast majority of those reactions involved vomiting and diarrhea; others reported fainting or blood appearing in stool, vomit, or eyes. A smaller percentage of complaints involved hives or potentially fatal anaphylactic reactions. About 17 percent of complainants required medical treatment, sometimes hospitalization. According to a telephone survey of consumers in the United Kingdom (where the product is marketed more widely than in the United States), nearly 5 percent of consumers reported being sensitive to Quorn. CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson relayed 10 consumers’ complaints in a recent letter to FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods Michael Taylor. One 20-year-old man from Waco, TX, told CSPI that two hours after eating Quorn Chik’n Nuggets, he began to feel nauseous, and, too far from a bathroom, tried to open a window in order to vomit. He blacked out and hit his head on a trash can. And, according to a report filed by her daughter, a 75-year-old woman from Towson, MD, vomited and passed out in the theater during a production of Les Miserables four hours after eating half of a Quorn Chik’n patty. She spent the night in the emergency room and required anti-nausea medicine to stop her vomiting. "We believe, and we suspect that any reasonable person would believe, that any novel food ingredient that causes hives, anaphylactic reactions, or vomiting so violent that blood vessels burst, cannot, indeed must not, be considered by the FDA to be ‘generally recognized as safe,’" Jacobson wrote. CSPI urged that Quorn products be removed from the marketplace. If the FDA declines to do that, CSPI suggested that the following notice be required on the fronts of Quorn packages: “Warning: This product might cause severe diarrhea or vomiting, or a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction; an allergy might develop only after consuming the product several times.” The group’s letter acknowledges that it is skeptical the FDA would require such a notice. “There are plenty of nutritious, safe, and environmentally-friendly meat substitutes, made with soybeans, mushrooms, legumes, rice, and other real food ingredients,” said Jacobson. “It’s crazy to knowingly allow a potent new allergen into the food supply yet that’s exactly what the FDA has done.” 2011-12-01 McDonald's Seeks to Circumvent San Francisco Law on Fast-Food Toys http://cspinet.org/new/201111302.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanMcDonald’s <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/29/MNUR1M5NCE.DTL" target="cspi">decision</a> to start charging 10 cents to have toys added to Happy Meals in San Francisco is a brazen and cynical attempt to circumvent the city’s law to encourage healthier children’s meals. It’s duplicitous for McDonald’s to claim that the toy was ever free—the cost of the toy has always been built into the cost of the meal. It would have been far better for McDonald’s to reduce calories, saturated fat, salt and sugary drinks in children’s meals, and to otherwise improve their nutrition by adding more fruits, non-fried vegetables, and whole grains. Other cities and state legislatures will need to prevent this workaround and protect children from toy-based junk-food marketing when they craft similar laws in the future. 2011-11-30 NAS Recognition of the Consumer "Right to Know" is a Victory for Food Safety http://cspinet.org/new/201111301.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal<a href="http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=13304">Today's announcement</a> by the National Academy of Science that USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service should dramatically increase the amount of testing and sampling data available for consumers on the Internet is a major step forward in the quest for a truly transparent food system. CSPI has used FSIS data in the past to give consumers advice on which plants produced turkeys with the lowest rates of Salmonella but in subsequent years found it impossible to access usable data from FSIS to update its recommendations. Now, the NAS has concluded decisively that access to this data could lead to valuable public health benefits, and should be shared without undue delay. Importantly, the committee formally recognized the consumers' fundamental "right to know" as an important reason that information should be publicly accessible. Additionally, access to plant specific information provides opportunities for companies to understand how their food safety programs stack up compared to others in the industry, providing incentives for improvements that would favorably affect public health. CSPI has long advocated the release of food safety data for both these reasons, and urges FSIS to move rapidly to implement the NAS' recommendations. 2011-11-30 Congress Protects Pizza as a Vegetable in School Lunches http://cspinet.org/new/201111151.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanIt's a shame that Congress seems more interested in protecting industry than protecting children's health. At a time when child nutrition and childhood obesity are national health concerns, Congress should be supporting USDA and school efforts to serve healthier school meals, not undermining them. Together, the school lunch <a href="http://www.rules.house.gov/Legislation/legislationDetails.aspx?NewsID=601" target="cspi">riders</a> in the agriculture spending bill would protect industry's ability to keep pizza and French fries on school lunch trays every day of the week to the detriment of children's health. If finalized, this legislation may go down in nutritional history as a bigger blunder than when the Reagan Administration tried (but failed) to credit <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Ketchup-as-a-vegetable/119350988111157" target="cspi">ketchup as a vegetable</a> in the school lunch program. Pizza should be served with a vegetable, not count as one. 2011-11-15 Warning Label Urged for St. John's Wort http://cspinet.org/new/201111101.html Supplement Taken for Depression May Counteract Antidepressants, Contraceptives, and Other DrugsDietary supplements containing St. John’s wort may interfere with birth control, antidepressants, blood thinners, and other prescription and over-the-counter drugs. For that reason, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest has <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/st-john_s-wort-petition-11.10.11.pdf" target="cspi">called on</a> the Food and Drug Administration to require a warning label on those products. St. John’s wort is a flowering plant often promoted for its supposed antidepressant properties. But CSPI said that individuals who take it with prescription antidepressants may unwittingly be counteracting the very treatment they are seeking. Similarly, women taking St. John’s wort and oral contraceptives may have unplanned pregnancies. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health, St. John’s wort may also interact with other potentially life-saving treatments, including heart medications, drugs used to control HIV infection, drugs used to treat cancer, and seizure-control drugs. Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, former FDA Commissioner Jane E. Henney warned that St. John’s wort “interacts with many drugs that are used to treat heart disease, depression, seizures, certain cancers, as well as drugs that prevent transplant rejection and pregnancy.” “Consumers take St. John’s wort and other herbal supplements based on their belief that they will benefit in some way, and perhaps some will,” said CSPI senior nutritionist David Schardt. “But all consumers need to know that St. John’s wort and many commonly prescribed drugs simply don’t mix.” The petition suggests the following warning label: “CAUTION: St. John’s wort interacts with some commonly used prescription and over-the-counter drugs. DO NOT USE this supplement if you are taking contraceptives, antidepressants, immunosuppressants (such as cyclosporine), anticoagulants, Digoxin, HIV medicine, blood thinners, seizure-control medicine, cancer medicine, or any other medications.” The petition also asks that this warning appear in a prominent black box on the package label. "Companies have taken a minimalist approach designed to protect themselves from litigation, rather than actually protecting consumers' health," said CSPI litigation director Stephen Gardner. "FDA should mandate a standard warning label for St. John’s wort to protect consumers based on the research outlined in this petition." According to CSPI, the current advice on labels is inconsistent and fails to adequately warn consumers of the risks associated with St. John’s wort. Bluebonnet Herbals St. John’s Wort Extract does not have a warning label. Labels for Nature’s Plus Herbal Active St. John’s Wort Extended Release say “If you are pregnant or nursing, consult your healthcare physician before using any herbal product.” Vitamin Shoppe’s labels plainly state that “St John’s wort should not be used with antidepressants,” but does not address other drugs. Solaray labels merely advise consumers to “consult your physician.” “From the information we have gathered, it appears that many manufacturers simply wish to protect themselves from product liability suits by placing boilerplate warnings on the label rather than actually alerting consumers to the known, material risks of drug interactions associated with the product,” CSPI says in its filing. 2011-11-10 FDA Turns Down Petitions to Withdraw Medically Important Antibiotics from Animal Agriculture http://cspinet.org/new/201111091.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonWe are disappointed that, after 12 long years, the FDA <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/citizen-petition-1999-denial.pdf" target="cspi">rejected</a> our <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/ar/petition_3_99.html" target="cspi">petition</a> and a more recent <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/denial-of-2005-petition.pdf" target="cspi">petition</a> to ban non-medical uses of antibiotics in animals. The industry's irresponsible use of antibiotics in livestock increases the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, and those germs can cause infections in humans that are difficult or impossible to treat. The industry has long failed to cooperate voluntarily, and the FDA should take binding action. Consumers cannot afford another decade of delay. 2011-11-09 Mayors' Group Urged to Ditch Deal with Soda Industry http://cspinet.org/new/201111031.html CSPI Says Beverage Lobby Wants to Undermine Mayors' Efforts to Reduce Soda ConsumptionThe United States Conference of Mayors should withdraw from a $3 million deal it forged with the soft drink industry’s lobbying arm, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The nonprofit health watchdog group says the American Beverage Association is more interested in undermining many mayors’ efforts to reduce soda consumption than in reducing childhood obesity, the ostensible purpose of the program. In a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/mayors-letter.pdf" target="cspi">CSPI</a> letter to USCM executive director Tom Cochran, CSPI said that the soda industry has a long history of using similar grant programs to curry favor with key influencers or to silence potential critics, and that it was unseemly for the mayors’ group to encourage cities to apply for such tainted pots of money. While CSPI says that it would be hard to argue with the stated purpose of the program, “to encourage healthy weight through balanced diet choices and regular physical activity,” the group said the soda industry spends far more heavily to discourage healthy, balanced diets. “Coke, Pepsi, and their lobbyists at the American Beverage Association are pouring millions of dollars into blocking or reversing much of the good work being done by courageous mayors who are trying to reduce soda consumption in order to fight obesity and reduce health-care costs,” said George Hacker, senior policy advisor for health promotion at CSPI. “This narrowly tailored grant program is specifically designed to exclude meaningful programs to reduce sugary-drink consumption in favor of highlighting unspecified ‘better solutions.’ Cities would be better off taxing soda and using that money to fund effective anti-obesity efforts.” A <a href="http://www.usmayors.org/79thAnnualMeeting/documents/USCMABApressrelease_062011.pdf" target="cspi">press release</a> on the USCM web site states that an independent panel will choose award recipients, but also says the “ABA will work with the conference to develop selection criteria.” Cities that take payments from the program would also be obligated to participate in a promotional press event alongside the ABA, according to the program’s materials. According to CSPI, the sugary-drink industry often emphasizes “physical activity” in order to deflect attention from the calories in its products. But a new <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/home/home.shtml" target="cspi">ad campaign</a> from New York City’s health department dramatically shows how much physical activity is required to balance the calories in soda: One would have to walk three miles, or from Union Square to Brooklyn, in the ad’s words, to burn off the calories in one 20-ounce soda. CSPI says that’s the kind of municipal effort that other cities should replicate. Health departments in <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/la-county-launches-sugar-loaded-drinks-campaign-2011-10-05" target="cspi">Los Angeles</a> and <a href="http://www.cityofboston.gov/news/default.aspx?id=5284" target="cspi">Boston</a>, with the support of Mayors Antonio Villaraigosa and Thomas Menino, respectively, are also running campaigns to reduce sugary drink consumption in those cities. Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has proposed imposing taxes on sugary drinks, a move bitterly opposed and ultimately defeated by the industry. Nutter also drew praise from health advocates for turning away a $10 million <a href="http://articles.philly.com/2011-09-13/news/30149740_1_antiobesity-program-funding-million-grant" target="cspi">anti-obesity grant</a> that originated from the American Beverage Association. Over the years, CSPI has documented how the sugary-drink industry has used ostensible philanthropic programs to burnish its image in the eyes of health officials and the public. In 2009, Coca-Cola made a six-figure payment to the <a href="http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/media/releases/newsreleases-statements-2009/consumeralliance-cocacola.html" target="cspi">American Academy of Family Physicians</a> to underwrite “consumer education content related to beverages and sweeteners.” In 2003, the <a href="http://www.aapd.org/hottopics/news.asp?NEWS_ID=212" target="cspi">American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry</a> took a $1 million payment from Coca-Cola. “We would not trust the American Foxes Association to administer a grant program aimed at securing the nation’s henhouses; nor should we trust the American Beverage Association to fund efforts aimed at improving the health of the nation’s children,” said Hacker. Sugary drinks are the single largest source of calories in the American diet and account for half of all added sugars consumed. Sugary drinks have been shown to have a causal role in promoting obesity: Each additional sugary drink consumed per day increases the likelihood that a child will become obese by about 60 percent, according to one study. The American Heart Association <a href="http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Frequently-Asked-Questions-About-Sugar_UCM_306725_Article.jsp" target="cspi">recommends</a> that people limit their intake of sugary drinks to about 450 calories per week, or about three 12-ounce cans. Average consumption is now more than twice that. CSPI and a number of cities and local and national health groups are partnering in a campaign called Life’s Sweeter with Fewer Sugary Drinks, which aims to reduce soda consumption by more than half by 2020. 2011-11-03 Public Health Group Calls for Reducing Sodium in Food Supply by 75 Percent http://cspinet.org/new/201111011.html APHA Cites Deaths Due to Heart Disease and StrokeThe largest organization of public health professionals in the world is calling on the Food and Drug Administration to begin regulating the amounts of salt and other sodium-containing ingredients used in processed foods with an eye toward reducing sodium in the food supply by 75 percent. In a resolution passed unanimously today at the American Public Health Association’s 139th annual meeting, the group called on the FDA to “remove or modify” salt’s official status as a Generally Recognized as Safe (or GRAS) food ingredient—a status that allows unlimited amounts of sodium in foods. The resolution calls on the FDA to begin regulating sodium in the food supply within one year and to establish a timetable for gradually reducing sodium in the food supply by 75 percent within ten years. The resolution also recommends that all Americans consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium daily. The evidence that high sodium intake raises blood pressure is clear and convincing, according to the resolution. The relationship between blood pressure levels and the risk of developing cardiovascular disease is “strong, continuous, graded, consistent, independent, and etiologically significant,” the group says, and that “reducing the amount of sodium added in the manufacturing and commercial preparation of food is a prudent and safe public health intervention, and the single most effective means of reducing the sodium intake of Americans.” The APHA resolution was praised by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which has been calling on the FDA to regulate and limit sodium in packaged foods since 1978. “Salt, in the amounts presently used in processed foods, is the single deadliest ingredient in the food supply, contributing to the premature deaths of tens of thousands of Americans each year,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “This has been widely acknowledged in the medical community for many years, but has been mostly ignored by food manufacturers and regulators. I hope that the American Public Health Association’s powerful recommendation spurs the Food and Drug Administration to act—at last.” In 2010, the American Heart Association and the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee made 1,500 mg per day their recommended sodium limit for all Americans. The APHA resolution now also makes the same recommendation. The Institute of Medicine has recommended that the FDA regulate sodium in the food supply to help Americans limit their consumption of sodium. According to the government’s dietary advice, only people with hypertension, people who are middle-aged and older, and African Americans should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium daily. People in those groups represent about 70 percent of adults. The rest should consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, about a teaspoon of salt. However, Americans are consuming close to 4,000 mg of sodium per day—an amount that “far exceeds current recommendations and physiologic need,” according to the APHA resolution. And that excess sodium doesn’t occur naturally and isn’t coming from the salt shaker: between 75 and 80 percent comes from salt added to processed and restaurant foods. “In the United States, more than 400 people die prematurely every day and many more are becoming disabled due to the excessive sodium in our food supply,” said Stephen Havas, MD, author of the APHA resolution and adjunct professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine. “Their failure to prevent this toll of death and disability is inexcusable. We must do better.” CSPI first petitioned the FDA in 1978 to reduce salt in processed foods. Since then, it has filed a lawsuit against the agency for failing to take action, and in 2005 filed a new <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200511081.html" target="cspi">regulatory petition</a> asking the FDA to revoke the GRAS status of salt and set limits on sodium. The FDA held a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/salt/FDA-salt-hearing-Oral-testimony-11-27-07.pdf" target="cspi">public hearing</a> on CSPI’s petition in 2007, but since then, the industry has only made minimal progress in reducing sodium, and sodium consumption remains at harmful levels. The FDA is holding a public meeting on sodium on November 10. “The Institute of Medicine concluded last year that industry’s voluntary efforts over the past 40 years to reduce sodium levels have utterly failed and that the FDA needed to set limits,” Jacobson said. "Presumably to fend off binding regulations, several large companies have said they would lower sodium modestly over the next several years. But even partial industry efforts are bound to falter without the level playing field provided by government regulations. It’s high time that the FDA acted.” Jacobson, CSPI’s director, will receive the APHA’s prestigious David P. Rall Award for Advocacy in Public Health at a ceremony tonight. 2011-11-01 Food Day Message Reaches Millions! http://cspinet.org/new/201110261.html Mayors, Governors Use Occasion to Accelerate Progress for Healthier Diets and Smarter Food PoliciesFrom <a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/20111024/midtown/mario-batali-morgan-spurlock-kick-off-food-day-times-square" target="cspi">Times Square</a> to <a href="http://www.santacruzheritage.org/FoodDay" target="cspi">Tucson</a>, Food Day events across the country brought hundreds of thousands of Americans together at more than 2,300 events in all 50 states—representing the largest grassroots mobilization for improved food policies in history. Mayors, governors, legislators, and health officials observed Food Day by issuing proclamations, announcing new food policies, attending gleaning events on farms, and distributing free apples to commuters. Food Day inspired new <a href="http://www.ewg.org/release/californians-urge-healthy-food-and-jobs-focus-fast-tracked-farm-bill" target="cspi">partnerships</a> among diverse organizations involved in hunger, nutrition, sustainability, and farm worker justice. And countless individuals simply celebrated with especially healthful home-cooked meals or potlucks with friends. Already, organizers are planning to make <a href="http://foodday.org" target="cspi">Food Day</a> an even bigger success in 2012. Started by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, Food Day is backed by dozens of local and national nonprofit <a href="http://foodday.org/about-food-day/partner-organizations.php" target="cspi">organizations</a> and an <a href="http://foodday.org/about-food-day/food-day-advisory-board.php" target="cspi">advisory committee</a> comprised of leading voices for improved food policies. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) serve as honorary co-chairs of that committee. Food Day will be observed every October 24. At a marquee event held in <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/foodday/sets/72157627977883810/" target="cspi">Times Square</a>, New York City Health Commissioner Tom Farley announced a new phase in the city’s <a href="http://home2.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cdp/cdp_pan_pop.shtml" target="cspi">campaign</a> to reduce consumption of soda and other sugary beverages, while attendees, including restaurateur Mario Batali, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, nutritionist Marion Nestle, and several dozen area food activists enjoyed a healthy, affordable and sustainable meal prepared by Food Network host Ellie Krieger. During the meal half a dozen giant electronic screens carried Food Day <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/foodday/6277988725/in/set-72157627977883810" target="cspi">messages</a> and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/foodday/6277414632/in/set-72157627977883810" target="cspi">pictures</a>. Earlier in the day, Mayor Bloomberg <a href="http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/politics/149522/officials-encourage-new-yorkers-to-eat-healthy" target="cspi">handed out apples</a> to commuters in Queens and talked about Food Day on ABC’s <a href="http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/episodes/October-24-2011" target="cspi">The Chew</a>. In Los Angeles, LA County Health Director Jonathan Fielding and Let’s Move to School Chef Giovanni Delrosario used the occasion to promote <a href="http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/national-food-day-la-county-promotes-healthy-food-access-in-schools-1576837.htm" target="cspi">healthier school breakfasts</a>. And Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s Food Policy Council coordinated healthy cooking demonstrations, film screenings, and other <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2011/10/food-day-la.html" target="cspi">events throughout the city</a>. “Many Angelenos are successfully working to make a meaningful difference in our local food system, particularly in ways that assist those residents most in need of healthy nutrition,” Villaraigosa said. “This is especially important for Angelenos who live in neighborhoods where healthy foods are harder to find, which puts them at greater risk for obesity and diabetes.” In Massachusetts, Governor Deval Patrick <a href="http://thefoodproject.org/blog/2011/11/24/governor-proclaims-food-day" target="cspi">harvested food</a> for hunger relief efforts and helped launch a Massachusetts Gleaning Project, while Mayor Thomas Menino gave a “<a href="http://dailyfreepress.com/2011/10/24/menino-looks-toward-a-healthier-boston-in-kicking-off-food-day/" target="cspi">State of the Food Union</a>” address at Tufts University. And in Maine, Rep. Chellie Pingree <a href="http://wholesomewave.org/maines-congresswoman-chellie-pingree-celebrates-food-day-unveils-local-food-bill/" target="cspi">announced a new bill</a> to assist small and mid-sized farms. “It’s just wrong that we would bail out the commercial banks and the investment banks and cut the food banks,” Menino said. “The Greater Boston Food Bank is one bank that should never fail.” With thousands of food festivals, assemblies, <a href="http://cce.wsu.edu/default.asp?PageID=781" target="cspi">debates</a> on college campuses, and hundreds of restaurants offering <a href="http://articles.boston.com/2011-10-19/yourtown/30298500_1_food-day-nutrition-healthy-options" target="cspi">special menus</a> showcasing local ingredients, Food Day wasn’t just about government programs, but embraced celebration and education. In Alaska, students at Rabbit Creek Elementary School in South Anchorage participated in a <a href="http://www.ktuu.com/news/food-day-education-alaska-ktuu-20111024,0,1944321.story" target="cspi">blind taste test</a> comparing locally grown carrots to out-of-state carrots. (The students judged the Alaskan carrots to be superior by a two-to-one margin.) In Potsdam, NY, 250 students from 30 school districts participated in a <a href="http://northcountrynow.com/news/30-schools-230-team-members-converge-potsdam-food-day-youth-summit-oct-24-040540" target="cspi">youth summit</a> to talk about such food issues as marketing and advertising, farming, and school gardens. In Omaha, Nebraska, 2,000 <a href="http://livewellomaha.org/news/what-we-are-eating/omaha-celebrates-national-food-day/" target="cspi">healthy breakfasts</a> were delivered to local children, and on the campus of the University of California Berkeley, a <a href="http://www.dailycal.org/2011/10/24/picnic-marks-first-food-day-at-uc-berkeley/" target="cspi">whole-grain-themed picnic</a> was typical of the several hundred campus-based events across the country. In Seattle, an <a href="http://www.eatlocalnow.org/2011-eat-local-now-dinner" target="cspi">Eat Local Now dinner</a> attracted hundreds to share local food and hear from Chef Greg Atkinson about how cooking, food, community, and justice can improve communities and the lives of individuals. Savannah, GA, a massive <a href="http://www.wellfedsavannah.com/foodday.html" target="cspi">festival</a> sponsored by Well FED Savannah magazine, the Savannah Chatham Food Policy Council, and other groups featured cooking demonstrations and other activities for children and families. In Springfield, MO, they held a <a href="http://www.fooddaycelebration.com/" target="cspi">fundraiser</a> for the Ozarks Food Harvest food bank and had 1500 people participate, with about 750 pounds of food donated. “Food Day captured the imagination of so many Americans—inspiring them to improve their diets and push for a food system that is just, fair, sustainable, and nourishing,” said Michael F. Jacobson, Food Day’s founder and the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “As an annual event, Food Day will make the food movement more formidable, more united, and better positioned to fix the problems that plague our food system.” Food Day, like CSPI, is people-powered and accepts no funding from corporations or government grants, though businesses such as <a href="http://www.dole.com/NutritionInstituteLanding/NI_Articles/NI_NutritionNewsDesk/NI_NutritionNewsDesk_Details/tabid/990/Default.aspx?contentid=13052&nid=121" target="cspi">Dole Foods</a>, <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bolthouse-farms-announces-support-of-national-food-day-130187528.html" target="cspi">Bolthouse Farms</a>, <a href="http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2011/10/throw-party-food-day/" target="cspi">Whole Foods Market</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mUSeiJ8KAQ" target="cspi">Cooking Channel</a>, <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/entertaining/partiesevents/food-day" target="cspi">Epicurious</a>, <a href="http://disney.go.com/magic-of-healthy-living/global/pdf/TRYIt_HealthyHalloween.pdf" target="cspi">Disney</a>, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npSCW416uyc&list=UU9eAi3qM8UXZTjdbCIXgg9w&index=16" target="cspi">Veria Living</a> all participated. 2011-10-26 America Celebrates Food Day with More than 2,000 Events in 50 States http://cspinet.org/new/201110241.html Observations Include an “Eat In” in Times Square; a Festival in Savannah, GA; an Open House at the National Archives; and Events in Schools, Churches, Campuses, and HomesToday a diverse range of organizations, public officials, and Americans from all walks of life are celebrating Food Day—a nationwide grassroots mobilization that encourages Americans to eat healthy, delicious food grown in a sustainable and humane way and to advocate for smarter food policies. Spearheaded by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, <a href="http://foodday.org" target="cspi">Food Day</a> is being observed in all 50 states with more than 2,000 events from coast to coast. In the heart of Times Square, 50 notables from the food movement, including restaurateur Mario Batali, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, Food Network host Ellie Krieger, nutritionist Marion Nestle, and several dozen area food activists staged an Eat Real “Eat In.” The group came together at a communal table, shared a healthy and sustainable meal (with most ingredients from the farmers market and <a href="http://foodday.org/files/FD-TimesSq-Program.pdf" target="cspi">recipes</a> from Krieger’s latest cookbook, Comfort Food Fix), and engaged in spirited conversation about the critical food policy issues facing the city and the nation. During the Eat In, the <a href="http://www.timessquare2.com/webcams.html " target="cspi">Reuters/Nasdaq</a> signs in Times Square will carry Food Day messages. “The typical American diet is promoting major health problems, causing serious environmental pollution, and unintentionally creating poor working conditions for those who harvest, process, and prepare our food,” said Michael F. Jacobson, CSPI’s executive director. “It’s time to urge Americans to change their own diets for the better and to mobilize for desperately needed changes in food and farm policy.” In just a few months, the campaign gained tremendous significant momentum, including the active participation of numerous grassroots-oriented partners, like <a href="hthttp://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/slow_food/blog_post/the_path_to_legislative_impact_heats_up_with_food_day/" target="cspi">Slow Food USA</a>, the labor group <a href="http://www.unitehere.org/detail.php?ID=3468" target="cspi">Unite Here</a>, and the campus-based <a href="http://realfoodchallenge.org/foodday" target="cspi">Real Food Challenge</a>. <a href="http://www.Change.org" target="cspi">Change.org</a> is devoting its homepage to food issues addressed on Food Day. Dole Food Company and Bolthouse Farms have placed millions of Food Day stickers on bananas and bags of carrots, respectively. Media partners including <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mUSeiJ8KAQ&feature=autoplay&list=UU9eAi3qM8UXZTjdbCIXgg9w&lf=autoplay&playnext=5" target="cspi">Cooking Channel</a> and the wellness-oriented cable channel <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npSCW416uyc&list=UU9eAi3qM8UXZTjdbCIXgg9w&index=1" target="cspi">Veria Living</a> have promoted Food Day. Condé-Nast’s award-winning Epicurious.com teamed up with Whole Foods Market to encourage <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/entertaining/partiesevents/food-day" target="cspi">dinner parties</a> aimed at raising money for local food charities. More than 30 governors and mayors have proclaimed October 24 as Food Day, including those in Colorado, Ohio, Oregon, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, and Washington, DC. Special Food Day menus will be served in all Detroit public schools. Schools across the nation are hosting Food Day events as part of the ongoing <a href="http://www.farmtoschoolmonth.org/" target="cspi">National Farm to School Month</a> celebration. In Washington, the <a href="http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/events/" target="cspi">National Archives</a> is hosting a Food Day Open House in conjunction with its “What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam?” exhibit. In New York City, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg will hand out New York State-grown apples to commuters in Queens to observe Food Day, and will appear on ABC’s new daytime show, The Chew. The city’s health commissioner, Dr. Thomas Farley, is coming to Times Square to announce about the city’s expanded campaign to reduce consumption of soda and other sugary drinks. Also on Food Day, the city will be launching a new food policy web site, <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/nycfood" target="cspi">www.nyc.gov/nycfood</a>. The University of California-San Francisco and the Hastings School of Law are hosting a conference on food deserts and the food served in prisons. In Savannah, GA, organizers have planned a huge outdoor festival expected to draw around 15,000 attendees. Five days of lessons about food are planned in schools in Bentonville, AR. In California, groups including the Prevention Institute, the Strategic Alliance, the Environmental Working Group, and Roots of Change announced a <a href="https://secure2.convio.net/cspi/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1271 " target="cspi">statewide petition drive</a> aimed at improving the next federal Farm Bill. “Food Day is an important way to focus on the critical need to have well-funded public health agencies that work on preventing diet-related and other diseases,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, who is serving as the Joan H. Tisch Distinguished Fellow in Public Health at Roosevelt House, Hunter College. Besides events in public places, countless individuals will be celebrating Food Day at home with especially healthy meals and conversation about food. For inspiration, FoodDay.org has a free <a href="http://foodday.org/files/FoodDay_recipes_1006_final.pdf" target="cspi">recipe booklet</a> featuring recipes from Batali, Rick Bayless, Emeril Lagasse, Nina Simonds, and other top chefs and cooking authorities. Food Day’s <a href="http://foodday.org/about-food-day/food-day-advisory-board.php" target="cspi">advisory board</a>, chaired by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), includes many of the most prominent voices for change in the food policy world, including urban farming proponent Will Allen, author Michael Pollan, scientists Walter Willett and Kelly Brownell, Seattle Mayor Michael McGinn, former Surgeons General Richard Carmona and David Satcher, chefs Dan Barber, Nora Pouillon, Barton Seaver, and Alice Waters, and other advocates for better health, sustainable agriculture, ending hunger, and improved labor practices. “The many activities and events spurred by Food Day will help foster a robust dialogue on how to promote better nutrition and health, lessen hunger and increase access to food, enhance opportunities for farm families and rural communities, and conserve natural resources,” said Senator Harkin. “There are differing ideas and perspectives on these issues and surely we all benefit from discussions about the connections among food, farms, and health.” “Food Day is about bringing people together, celebrating the incredible progress we have made in ensuring that Americans have access to safe, healthy foods—but also to recognize that there is still work to be done,” said Congresswoman DeLauro. “A shocking one in five children in this country are termed ‘food insecure,’ which means simply that they likely do not have enough to eat each day. And we have seen in recent weeks a food safety recall of cantaloupes that have resulted in the deaths of 25 people. So on this very first Food Day, let us not only recognize the great strides we have made, but also keep moving forward and making progress towards a better, healthier America.” Food Day, like CSPI, is people-powered and accepts no funding from corporations or government grants. 2011-10-24 Institute of Medicine Proposes Consumer-Friendly, Front-of-Package Nutrition Labeling http://cspinet.org/new/201110201.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonThe Institute of Medicine’s <a href="http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2011/Front-of-Package-Nutrition-Rating-Systems-and-Symbols-Promoting-Healthier-Choices.aspx" target="cspi">proposal</a> is eminently sensible—and will probably be roundly condemned by food manufacturers. A simple icon with 3, 2, 1, or zero check marks would give shoppers at-a-glance information about nutritional booby traps lurking inside packaged foods. The IOM’s proposal is far preferable to the voluntary “Facts Up Front” labeling program that the grocery industry is rushing to market. The industry hopes to preempt more consumer-friendly requirements by the FDA. The industry’s complex scheme requires consumers to consider the amounts of calories and four to six nutrients, without any numerical score or useful symbols to convey a food’s nutritional value. It is worth noting that the IOM’s approach, like all of the systems yet developed, still has holes that the FDA would have to address. For instance, it gives no consideration to foods’ vitamin, mineral, fiber, or protein content. Also, white bread, whole wheat bread, broccoli, artificially sweetened soft drinks, and artificially colored and flavored diet Jell-O would all have top scores of 3. Still, the FDA should promptly assign a task force to develop a mandatory front-of-package labeling regulation based on the IOM’s advice. # # # Note: In 2006, CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200611301.html" target="cspi">petitioned</a> the FDA to devise a front-of-package labeling system to supplant the proliferating systems being used by manufacturers and supermarkets. Subsequently, CSPI encouraged Congress to fund an Institute of Medicine study on front-of-package labeling, with today’s report being the second of two on the topic. 2011-10-20 General Mills Facing Class Action Lawsuit Over "Fruit Snacks" Full of Sugars, Partially Hydrogenated Oil, & Dyes http://cspinet.org/new/201110141.html Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit by the Foot, and Fruit Gushers Make Misleading Claims of Healthfulness, Says CSPISomething is mostly missing from Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit by the Foot, and Fruit Gushers, according to a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/fruit_roll-ups_complaint.pdf" target="cspi">complaint</a> filed today in federal court in California: fruit. Labels state those General Mills snacks are “fruit flavored,” “naturally flavored,” a “good source of vitamin C,” and low in calories, fat, and gluten, according to the complaint filed on behalf of a California mother by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest and the consumer protection law firm Reese Richman LLP. But obscured on labels is the fact that the so-called fruit snacks are mostly sugars (some from fruit concentrate and some from corn syrup), artificial additives, and potentially harmful artificial dyes. <a href="http://www.generalmills.com/ColorBoxImage.aspx?ImageId=%7b70F95A88-FAE9-4853-BB95-E7F43C5D7640%7d&Width=730&Height=545" target="cspi">Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups</a> are made from pears from concentrate, corn syrup, dried corn syrup, sugar, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, citric acid, acetylated monoglycerides, fruit pectin, dextrose, malic acid, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), unspecified “natural flavor,” and Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Blue 1. Even with the pear ingredient, the product provides little of the beneficial fiber or nutrients associated with real strawberries. While labels tout the naturalness of the added flavorings, CSPI says that many of the ingredients are artificial by anyone’s definition, including the partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil and the acetylated monoglycerides. The side panels on some General Mills "fruit" candies read "Made With Real Fruit." At least one variety of Fruit Roll-Ups has pictures of strawberries and oranges on the box. But despite the names of the products, there are no strawberries in Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups, nor watermelon in Fruit Gushers Watermelon Blast. The bright colors of those products come from synthetic, petroleum-based dyes that can <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/fooddyes/" target="cspi">impair</a> some children’s behavior. “General Mills is basically dressing up a very cheap candy as if it were fruit and charging a premium for it,” said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. “General Mills is giving consumers the false impression that these products are somehow more wholesome, and charging more. It’s an elaborate hoax on parents who are trying to do right by their kids.” According to the complaint, filed in United States District Court in the Northern District of California, the presence of partially hydrogenated oil in “fruit” snacks marketed as healthy and wholesome is deceptive. The artificial trans fat in partially hydrogenated oil lowers HDL, or “good” cholesterol, raises LDL, or “bad” cholesterol. CSPI states that the amounts of trans fat are small, but that they have no place in a product marketed as if it were healthful and a source of fruit. “Defendant is conveying an overall message of a healthful snack product to parents when, in fact, the Products contain dangerous, non-nutritious, unhealthy partially hydrogenated oil, large amounts of sugar, and potentially harmful artificial dyes,” the complaint states. The complaint contends that the labeling of fruit-flavored snacks violates various state laws, including Minnesota’s Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and several California laws governing misleading and deceptive advertising and fraudulent business practices. General Mills is based in Golden Valley, Minnesota. General Mills has a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200905121.html" target="cspi">habit</a> of skirting the truth with its marketing and advertising, according to CSPI. In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration took enforcement action against the company for making misleading cholesterol-lowering and cancer-prevention claims on Cheerios packages. Before resorting to litigation, CSPI had privately urged General Mills to change its “fruit” snacks labels, but without success. 2011-10-14 Coca-Cola, Froot Loops, Ethanol Subsidies Among "Terrible Ten" Things Impairing Americans' Diets, Health, and Environment http://cspinet.org/new/201110131.html "Terrific 10" and "Terrible 10" Lists Symbolize Hopes and Concerns of Food DayOrganizers of Food Day have named the <a href="http://foodday.org/files/FoodDay_TerrificTerrible.pdf" target="cspi">“Terrible Ten”</a> factors impairing Americans’ diets, health, and environment and that exemplify much of what the grassroots movement is trying to address when it culminates on October 24. In no special order, some of the Terrible 10 include: • Coca-Cola, the most aggressively promoted and widely consumed brand of sugar-loaded “liquid candy” in the world, has contributed mightily to the obesity epidemic. Each can of Coke contains 9 teaspoons of sugar. • Froot Loops, a fruit-less sugary cereal gussied up with synthetic dyes, is one of a host of junk foods marketed heavily to kids. Kellogg is one of many companies seeking to kill federal voluntary nutrition standards intended to promote children’s health. • Subsidies to companies that blend corn ethanol into gasoline, coupled with a mandate to market billions of gallons of that gasoline annually, cost taxpayers $6 billion a year. Using corn for fuel leads to higher prices for corn and foods with corn ingredients—all for a program without significant environmental benefit. • White flour—used in bread, pizza crusts, pasta, doughnuts, cakes, burritos, cookies, and dozens of other foods—has spurred the obesity epidemic by adding evermore vitamin-depleted, fiber-poor calories the diet. “This collection of terribles symbolizes some of the things that Food Day is trying to change,” said Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the nonprofit organization that is coordinating Food Day. “It’s time to encourage Americans to ‘eat real,’ which means ‘out’ with the Froot Loops and ‘in’ with real fruit. It means more food from farmers markets—and much less food, if any, from fast-food drive- throughs and vending machines.” Food Day is a celebration of healthy, affordable, and sustainably grown food. More than 1,500 events are planned from coast-to-coast in homes, schools, universities, parks, and even in Times Square. So Food Day organizers have paired their Terrible Ten list with a Terrific Ten list of things that are worth celebrating, including (again, in no particular order): • Water—humankind’s standard beverage for millennia—from the tap or filtered, carbonated or not, is a far better choice than soda and other sugary drinks. • Traditional Mediterranean and Asian diets that are heavy on vegetables and fruit and light on meat and cheese are delicious and reduce the risk of heart disease and other maladies. Plant-based foods are also easier on the environment than animal products. • Sustainable and organically grown foods build healthy soil and minimize harm to farmers, the environment, and consumers from dangerous pesticides, excess fertilizer, antibiotics in animal feed, and unsafe synthetic food additives. • The Coalition of Immokalee Workers has challenged—and improved—the inhumane working conditions endured by many Florida farmworkers, showing that persistent, aggressive action can stop injustices. Food Day is led by honorary co-chairs Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), and an <a href="http://foodday.org/about-food-day/food-day-advisory-board.php" target="cspi">advisory board</a> that includes author Michael Pollan; prominent physicians Caldwell Esselstyn and Michael Roizen; former Surgeon General David Satcher; nutrition authorities Walter Willett, Kelly Brownell, and Marion Nestle; filmmaker Morgan Spurlock; and Rodale, Inc. CEO Maria Rodale. The Terrible Ten and Terrific Ten lists do not necessarily reflect the views of members of the Food Day advisory board or local food Day coordinators and participants. <a href="http://foodday.org/about-food-day/partner-organizations.php" target="cspi">National organizations participating in Food Day</a> include the American Dietetic Association, American Public Health Association, Community Food Security Coalition, Earth Day Network, Farmers Market Coalition, Humane Society of the United States, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Prevention Institute, and Slow Food USA, along with many city- and state-level organizations. 2011-10-13 Congress Needn't Rescue Junk-Food Marketers from Voluntary Government Nutrition Guidelines http://cspinet.org/new/201110121.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanWhat an unseemly spectacle it is to see panicked junk-food advertisers running to Congress for help fending off the innocuous, voluntary guidelines for food marketed to children proposed by the Interagency Working Group. I could understand how the industry might play the “national nanny” card if the government were proposing mandatory nutrition standards. But, in fact, the Administration is merely proposing non-binding, totally voluntary guidelines that, if adopted, would help make the industry’s own self-regulatory program more effective. It is to the great discredit of the food, entertainment, and advertising industries that they have resorted to a misleading campaign of fear-mongering and phony facts to kill these voluntary nutrition standards. But I suppose if you’re in the business of convincing young children to want to eat Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisps, Kool-Aid, and fake “fruit” snacks, it makes perfect sense that you’d try to change the conversation away from nutrition and health. I hope the House joins the Senate in support of the Interagency Working Group for Food Marketed to Children, made up of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s not junk food marketers who deserve special Congressional protection—it’s children and parents who do. 2011-10-12 "Eat Real" Recipes Available for Food Day Events http://cspinet.org/new/201110041.html Batali, Bayless, Krieger and Other Chefs Give Ideas for Healthy, Sustainable, and Delicious MealsFood Day, taking place on October 24, is a grassroots mobilization for improved food policy—perhaps the largest ever. Although Food Day is an occasion to raise consciousness about health, sustainability, and farm worker justice, its also a day to enjoy delicious, healthy meals with family and friends. To that end, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest is offering a <a href="http://foodday.org/files/FoodDay_recipes1004.pdf" target="cspi">free Food Day recipe booklet</a> featuring recipes from Mario Batali, Rick Bayless, Ellie Krieger, Nina Simonds, and other top chefs and cooking authorities. A Food Day dinner might start with a Fennel and Apple Soup from Blue Hill chef Dan Barber, or the Squash and Mushroom Salad offered by Mario Batali. The James Beard Award-winning chef Emeril Lagasse offers up a Gumbo with Smoked Turkey and Wild Rice—a hearty but healthy main dish. Asian-cooking authority Nina Simonds suggests a gingery Hot and Sour Salmon with Greens. Some of the sustainable yet savory side dishes in the booklet are Chicago-based chef Rick Bayless’ Sweet Potato with Caramelized Onions & Guajillo Chili Dressing, and a Rosemary-Orange Cauliflower Purée created by Lynne Rossetto Kasper, host of public radio’s splendid The Splendid Table. And it’s hard to see how Food Day or any other autumn day couldn’t be improved by the delicious whole grain Apple Crisp offered by Food Network and Cooking Channel’s Krieger. “Part of the point of Food Day is to inspire Americans to return to their stoves and get cooking again for themselves and their loved ones,” said Simonds, author of the award-winning Asian cookbook A Spoonful of Ginger and the forthcoming Simple Asian Meals. “I hope this collection of easy recipes entices people and encourages them to try healthy and delicious new dishes. Food Day is a great time to start.” The Cooking Channel, the sister network to the Food Network, will also encourage Americans to cook by incorporating filmmaker Morgan Spurlock into its ‘Food People’ campaign. Morgan talks about his own formative food experiences and encouraging viewers to visit FoodDay.org. Dole Food is publicizing Food Day by putting Food Day stickers on 100 million bananas, and Bolthouse Farms is putting Food Day logos on 11 million bags of carrots between now and Food Day. Epicurious.com, in partnership with Whole Foods Market, will be encouraging foodies to host house parties to raise money for local food pantries, with regional menu ideas from their award-winning recipe database, as well as a Facebook contest starting October 6. Besides recipes, other resources for Food Day organizers include brochures, posters, conversation cards, postcard petitions, pumpkin carving stencils, and a film screening guide. Already, more than 1,000 events around the country are on an interactive map at FoodDay.org, including small house parties, conferences at colleges and universities, policy announcements, events at farmers markets, food festivals, and more. And Food Day’s <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/foodday" target="cspi">online store</a> offers everything from logo-emblazoned t-shirts to mugs. 2011-10-04 Deadly Outbreak is a Reminder That Produce Standards are Urgently Needed http://cspinet.org/new/201109272.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalThe tragic deaths from Listeria monocytogenes that are linked to tainted Colorado-grown cantaloupes is an urgent reminder that consumers are waiting for the Food and Drug Administration to release guidelines and regulations to help keep pathogens out of produce. Since 1990, melons have caused at least 36 outbreaks, although this one is the first attributed to Listeria. This pathogen is super-virulent for older or immune-compromised consumers, with a hospitalization rate of over 90 percent. It has a high mortality rate of 16 percent and can also cause miscarriages when pregnant women are exposed. The cantaloupes have been recalled, but they may have left behind the deadly pathogen in consumers' homes and refrigerators, where it may live on for months. CSPI is urging all consumers who know or suspect that they had a recalled cantaloupe in their homes to dispose of the cantaloupes in plastic bags and <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/safekitchen.pdf" target="cspi">take additional precautions</a>. These precautions include washing and sanitizing all surfaces touched by the cantaloupe to eliminate Listeria, such as counters, vegetable bins and shelves, sponges, and dishcloths. In addition, all food that might have touched the cantaloupe or a potentially contaminated surface should be discarded. FDA should also move rapidly to release its guidelines and regulations for the production of safe produce, currently due for release in January 2012 and January 2013, respectively. Congress should fully fund FDA to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act, to ensure that outbreaks like this stop breaking records. 2011-09-27 President Urged Not to Retreat on Kids' Food Marketing http://cspinet.org/new/201109271.html Scientists Support Work of Administration’s Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to ChildrenThe Obama Administration should resist the food and advertising industries’ pressure to torpedo <a href="http://www.phlpnet.org/phlp/news/IWG-proposal-doesnt-violate-1st-amendment" target="cspi">voluntary nutrition guidelines</a> for foods marketed to kids, according to academic experts. In a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/letter-to-president-including-sign-ons.pdf" target="cspi">letter</a> today to President Barack Obama, 75 physicians, psychologists, nutritionists, and marketing experts from universities around the country urged the President to ensure that the Interagency Working Group (IWG) on Food Marketed to Children completes its work and finalizes the congressionally requested marketing guidelines. Comprised of officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the IWG released draft nutrition guidelines and marketing definitions in April. Nutrition and health advocates <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/Margo-Wootan-Testimony-IWG-Forum.pdf" target="cspi">praised</a> the guidelines, which recommended reasonable ceilings on the amounts of sodium, added sugars, and unhealthy fats and proposed minimum amounts of fruit-, vegetable-, or whole-grain-based ingredients in foods marketed to kids. But even though those guidelines are totally voluntary, junk-food advertisers are waging a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201107081.html" target="cspi">campaign of disinformation</a> aimed at getting the government to withdraw them. “You and the First Lady have helped Americans understand that child nutrition and obesity are national health concerns, with one in three children either overweight or obese,” the scientists wrote. “While numerous factors contribute to obesity and children’s poor diets, food marketing plays a key role.” Junk-food advertisers, in the guise of the Sensible Food Policy Coalition, have attacked the voluntary guidelines as an assault on the First Amendment, a point debunked <a href="http://www.phlpnet.org/sites/phlpnet.org/files/First_Amendment_Letter_IWG.pdf" target="cspi">by top Constitutional experts</a>, and claimed that adopting the voluntary guidelines would result in job losses, based on a flimsy industry “study.” Providing media relations work for the coalition is former White House communications director <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201107081.html" target="cspi">Anita Dunn</a>. Industry lobbyists have prevailed upon House appropriators to add language blocking the IWG, though the Senate Appropriations Committee has reaffirmed its support for the IWG. In a gambit to fend off the government’s proposed voluntary standards, the industry’s self-regulatory program, the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, recently released its own proposed nutrition standards. That proposal is an important concession for an industry that earlier refused to develop a uniform set of marketing standards for the program. Nevertheless, the industry’s proposed standards are weak and allow for the continued marketing to young children of Reese’s Puffs and Cookie Crisp cereals, some Kool-Aid drink mixes, sugary “fruit” snacks like Fruit Roll-Ups, and other overly sugary or salty junk foods. The letter points out that “while the CFBAI has prompted modest reductions in unhealthy food marketing to children and product reformulation, studies show that the vast majority of marketed products remain high in calories, saturated fat, sodium, or added sugars and/or are low in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. In 2009, with the industry’s self-regulatory program in effect, 86% of food ads seen by children featured products high in saturated fat, sugar, or sodium, down from 94% in 2003 (before self-regulation).” “It would be a real setback for children’s health if the Administration backed down on strong guidelines for food marketing to children, especially given the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/facts-and-myths-about-iwg-proposed-voluntary-standards.pdf" target="cspi">transparently specious arguments</a> of junk-food advertisers,” said Margo G. Wootan, nutrition policy director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the nonprofit consumer watchdog group that organized the scientists’ letter. “Denying the science on food marketing and childhood obesity is like denying the science on global warming or evolution, and the Administration should not retreat in the face of the baseless arguments of food-industry lobbyists,” Wootan said. "If food marketing to children isn’t effective, why does the industry spend $2 billion a year on it?" Signers on the letter include Emory University professor and former CDC director , Jeffrey Koplan; Harvard Medical School professors George Blackburn, JoAnn Manson, and Carlos Camargo; University of Arizona children’s media authority Dale Kunkel; University of Minnesota professors Henry Blackburn and Mary Story; George Bray of Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Louisiana State University; Richard J. Deckelbaum of Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons; Steven Gortmaker of Harvard School of Public Health; New York University nutrition professor Marion Nestle; Victor Strasburger of University of New Mexico School of Medicine; and Harvard Medical School psychiatrist Alvin Poussaint. Curbing the amount of junk food advertising aimed at young children is also a major tenet of <a href="http://foodday.org" target="cspi">Food Day</a>, a grassroots mobilization for improved food policy culminating in thousands of events around the country on October 24. 2011-09-27 Olive Garden, Red Lobster to Cut Calories, Sodium http://cspinet.org/new/201109151.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanOther restaurants should follow Darden's lead and clean up their menus to make it easier for adults and children to choose healthy options. What's on the menu is important because both adults and children get a third of their calories from eating out. Eating out is linked to obesity due to excessive portion sizes and the dominance of high-calorie, fatty, salty options on the menu. Unfortunately, kids' food has become synonymous with unhealthy food. It should be just the opposite. Restaurants and food manufacturers should be marketing healthy options to kids to support their health and cultivate healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime. A study of the nation's top 25 chain restaurants found that 93 percent of children's meal combinations are too high in calories, 45 percent are too high in saturated fat, and 86 percent are too high in sodium. Darden, corporate parent of Olive Garden, Red Lobster, and several other restaurants, is helping to change that and make it easier for parents to order healthy meals for their children by making fruits and vegetables the default side dishes and milk the default beverage in place of the usual soda. 2011-09-15 Momentum for Food Day Builds as October 24 Nears http://cspinet.org/new/201109132.html Thousands of Events Will Celebrate Healthy, Affordable, Sustainable FoodFood Day, the nationwide grassroots mobilization for healthier diets and improved food policies, is gaining momentum as organizers plan thousands of events big and small on October 24. As the project moves into the home stretch, it has picked up some important national partners, including the Cooking Channel, Epicurious.com, and Change.org, all of which will be publicizing Food Day in the coming weeks and participating in events on the day itself. Fruit and vegetable marketer Dole will be supporting Food Day by putting Food Day stickers on 100 million bananas, and one of the nation’s largest carrot growers, Bolthouse Farms, will be including Food Day messages on 11 million bags of carrots. The National Archives in Washington, D.C., will host a Food Day open house in conjunction with its What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam? exhibit, which examines the government’s role in food policy. Most importantly, a wide variety of grassroots events around the country will focus on issues ranging from improving diets to supporting justice for food and farm workers to developing state and local food policies to celebrating sustainably grown local produce. The events are occurring at all types of venues from churches and college campuses to farms and restaurants to elementary schools, private homes, city halls, and municipal parks. “One of the best things you can do for your health is to cook and enjoy family meals made with fresh, colorful seasonal ingredients,” said chef and author Ellie Krieger, host of Healthy Appetite on the Food Network and a member of the Food Day advisory board. “Food Day is a chance to celebrate the power good food has to nourish us and bring us together.” Some of the Food Day events being planned around the country include: • A celebration in Union Square in New York City, in conjunction with Grow NYC’s Greenmarket; • A large <a href="http://www.wellfedsavannah.com/foodday.html" target="cspi">festival</a> in Savannah, GA, on October 22, where organizers expect to draw 15,000 attendees to enjoy healthful regional food; • The award-winning web site <a href="http://www.epicurious.com="cspi">Epicurious</a> will be providing specific regional menu ideas for those interested in hosting their own Food Day parties, and will award prizes for people who raise the most money in honor of the big day via Facebook; • In downtown Chicago, the advocacy group <a href="http://www.stopfoodborneillness.org/sites/default/files/foodday%20pressrelease.pdf" target="cspi">STOP Foodborne Illness</a> is inviting Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, former Mayor Richard Daley, celebrity chefs, and the public to spin a Food Safety Trivia Wheel; • Statewide Food Day activities in California are being led by the Strategic Alliance, the Prevention Institute, California Convergence, and Roots of Change. They are mounting a statewide petition campaign for smarter federal food and farm policies; • Following in the footsteps of Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, Oregon Governor John A. Kitzhaber, M.D., Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan, and Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, Mayors and Governors are issuing proclamations declaring October 24 as Food Day; • In Seattle, Eat Local Now! is organizing a <a href="http://www.eatlocalnow.org/2011-eat-local-now-dinner" target="cspi">Food Day dinner</a> for 350 people featuring locally grown food; • The University of California Hastings School of Law and the UCSF/UC Hastings Consortium on Law, Science, and Health Policy are organizing a <a href="http://www.ucsf-hastingsconsortium.org/event/consortium-sponsored-conference-food-deserts-legal-social-and-public-health-challenges" target="cspi">conference</a> on food deserts and food served at prisons; • The Denver Botanical Gardens will host a one-day Food Day conference with film screenings and food trucks on October 24, organized by the Colorado Public Health Department, Denver Urban Gardens, Sustainable Food Policy Council, and Live Well Colorado; • Organizers in Tucson are planning a <a href="http://www.santacruzheritage.org/FoodDay" target="cspi">Progressive Dinner</a> and bike tour along the Santa Cruz River, where Food Day’s six primary goals will be highlighted at the various stopping points; • The Omaha Farmers Market and the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition will have a large-scale Food Day celebration on October 23, and will give away healthy breakfasts to about 2,000 children; and • Health departments in Rhode Island, Colorado, Los Angeles, Seattle, Philadelphia, and elsewhere are spearheading efforts in their communities. “Food Day is about eating real—which I believe means eating more food that comes from farms, and less food that comes from factories,” said Morgan Spurlock, a Food Day advisory board member who documented the effect of eating at McDonald’s for 30 days straight in his award-winning 2004 film Super Size Me. Besides events in public places, Food Day organizers are encouraging families to have healthful potluck dinners with friends, and to use these gatherings as opportunities to talk informally about food and our nation’s food system. For inspiration, FoodDay.org will post a number of delicious recipes from well-known chefs and cookbook writers. "Americans are craving change—they are improving their diets and they want to steer food and farm policies in a more just and sustainable direction,” said Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which is providing national coordination for Food Day. “Food Day is a perfect opportunity for groups and advocates to advance their goals, for companies to announce more healthful or sustainably produced foods, and for health departments to launch new nutrition campaigns.” Food Day’s advisory board, chaired by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), includes many of the most prominent voices for change in the food policy world, including urban farming proponent Will Allen, author Michael Pollan, scientists Walter Willett and Kelly Brownell, Seattle Mayor Michael McGinn, former Surgeons General Richard Carmona and David Satcher, executive directors of the American Public Health Association and American Dietetic Association, chefs Dan Barber, Nora Pouillon, Barton Seaver, and Alice Waters, cookbook author Nina Simonds, and others. “All Americans will benefit from greater understanding and appreciation of food, agriculture and nutrition—spanning the food chain from farm families to family tables,” said Senator Harkin. “Participants in Food Day activities and events will be helping to promote better nutrition and health, lessen hunger and increase access to food, conserve and protect our land and water, and enhance the lives of consumers, farm families, and rural communities.” Neither CSPI nor Food Day accepts industry or government funding; CSPI’s Nutrition Action Healthletter does not accept any advertising. Food Day will also be funded in part by sales of merchandise from the <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/foodday" target="cspi">Food Day online store</a>. 2011-09-13 CSPI Urges Testing for Antibiotic Resistant Salmonella as Well as New E. Coli Strains http://cspinet.org/new/201109131.html Statement by CSPI Staff Attorney Sarah KleinToday’s announcement by USDA that it will expand its E. coli testing program for beef beyond O157:H7 to search for six other potentially deadly strains of E. coli is welcome news for consumers who expect and deserve to eat food without risk of illness. The six new adulterant strains—E. coli O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145—have been linked to at least 10 outbreaks and nearly 700 illnesses since 1998, according to data gathered by CSPI. The new testing program will help prevent future outbreaks, as products testing positive for these strains will be diverted to further processing and not placed into commerce. The costs of the program are reasonable, particularly when stacked against the risk to consumers: approximately half a million dollars for USDA, and under $5 million for the entire $155-billion U.S. meat industry. Now USDA should turn its attention to another class of potentially deadly pathogens, antibiotic-resistant Salmonella. Earlier this year, CSPI petitioned the agency to declare four of these pathogens as adulterants under the law, which would trigger the same testing protocols now being undertaken for deadly E. coli strains. Since the petition was filed, consumers have already seen a huge recall of ground turkey contaminated with ABR Salmonella Heidelberg, and the same company, Cargill, implicated in that recall has just announced another recall of ground turkey contaminated with the exact same strain. Today, the agency has shown its willingness to exercise authority to declare non-O157 E. coli strains as adulterants; consumers deserve the same level of protection from antibiotic-resistant Salmonella as well. 2011-09-13 Del Monte Should Fight Contamination, Not FDA, Says CSPI http://cspinet.org/new/201108312.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalMost responsible food companies would be horrified to learn that customers who purchased their products became sickened with Salmonella. But after 20 people in 10 states fell ill after purchasing Del Monte cantaloupes traced back to one particular farm in Guatemala, Del Monte is instead lashing out against the Food and Drug Administration and food safety officials in Oregon. Rather than redoubling its efforts to prevent contamination, Del Monte filed a lawsuit to prevent the FDA from exercising its responsibility to protect the public’s health. Though the law sensibly allows FDA to take action to prevent the importation of food when the food “appears from the examination of such samples or otherwise” to be adulterated or misbranded, Del Monte’s suit seeks to defend its right to sell potentially contaminated food unless FDA has a "smoking gun" test result. Proving that a specific food carries the pathogen strain involved in an outbreak often can’t be done. Backtracking to find the exact food consumed weeks earlier is challenging, and even when products are located, they are often not uniformly contaminated so even a negative test result won’t clear a suspect product. And the law is clear that such a finding is not required. While no one wants FDA to act precipitously, it is vital that FDA and states act on the basis of epidemiologic links to foods purchased and consumed by the affected consumers. After all, contaminated food can be a life or death matter. FDA and Oregon used state-of-the-art techniques to identify the food item, and a lawsuit like Del Monte’s could have a dangerous chilling effect on the willingness of public health officials to recall foods or ban unsafe imports for fear of retaliation in court. Consumers should be outraged that Del Monte is using the courts to fight for its right to sell food that might be tainted. Worse yet, if Del Monte is successful, it could delay needed recalls and expose consumers to even more tainted imported products. 2011-08-31 Cities, CSPI, & Health Groups Announce Major New Campaign to Reduce Soda Consumption http://cspinet.org/new/201108311.html "Life's Sweeter with Fewer Sugary Drinks," Say Health OfficialsReducing the consumption of soda and other sugary drinks will be the focus of a new campaign to reduce diet-related disease announced today by health departments in several major cities as well as the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, and other groups. The campaign, <a href="http://www.fewersugarydrinks.org/" target="cspi">Life’s Sweeter with Fewer Sugary Drinks</a>, will seek to decrease average consumption of sugary drinks to roughly 3 cans per person per week by 2020. Health officials in Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Antonio, and Seattle say that reducing soda consumption is one of their top strategies for reducing rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems. All of those cities, plus 110 local and national health organizations, have embraced the Life’s Sweeter campaign. Sugary drinks are the single largest source of calories in the American diet and account for half of all added sugars consumed. And unlike any other food or beverage, only sugary drinks have been shown to have a causal role in promoting obesity: Each additional sugary drink consumed per day, according to one study, increases the likelihood that a child will become obese by about 60 percent. A reason that sugary drinks are conducive to obesity is that the calories in beverages aren’t as satiating as solid foods. The American Heart Association <a href="http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Frequently-Asked-Questions-About-Sugar_UCM_306725_Article.jsp" target="cspi">recommends</a> that people limit their intake of sugary drinks to about 450 calories per week, or about three 12-ounce cans. Average consumption is now more than twice that. “Life’s Sweeter’s goal is to broaden the battle against sugary drinks from health experts to civic organizations, youth groups, civil rights groups, and others,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D. “The enormous health and economic benefits that would result from drinking less ‘liquid candy’ will be supported by a broad cross-section of America. Not since the anti-tobacco campaigns has there been a product so worthy of a national health campaign.” The campaign’s web site, <a href="http://www.fewersugarydrinks.org" target="cspi">fewersugarydrinks.org</a>, invites individuals and families to take the Life’s Sweeter challenge to drink fewer or no sugary drinks. In addition, the campaign is encouraging employers, hospitals, and government agencies to adopt policies that would reduce soda consumption. Besides carbonated soda, the campaign targets fruit-flavored beverages with little or no juice, sweetened iced teas, lemonades, energy drinks, and so-called sports drinks such as Gatorade. “Campaigns like Life’s Sweeter with Fewer Sugary Drinks and our own local efforts will help raise awareness of the harmful consequences of consuming too many sugary drinks, which add empty calories to our diets, inches to our waistlines, and risks to our health,” said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, Director of Public Health and Health Officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Many big cities are already campaigning to reduce soda consumption. In New York City, for instance, officials have run hard-hitting ad campaigns connecting soda to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F4t8zL6F0c" target="cspi">weight gain</a>, and highlighting the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62JMfv0tf3Q" target="cspi">sugar content</a> of soft drinks. Similar ads have been run in Seattle and Philadelphia. In Boston, Mayor Thomas Menino barred sugar-sweetened beverages from vending machines and concession stands on city property. Officials in San Antonio and San Francisco have similarly rid vending machines of high-calorie drinks. “Soda, sports drinks, and other sugar-sweetened beverages account for up to 10 percent of all calories consumed in the U.S. diet, and are known to be major contributors to obesity. Reducing our intake of these drinks can help reduce the incidence of preventable diseases like type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, arthritis, heart attacks, and stroke,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission. “Here in Boston, we are creating an environment that makes the healthier choice the easier choice, whether it’s in schools, worksites, or other places in the community.” “With new scientific evidence suggesting that drinking more than one sugar-sweetened beverage per day raises the risk of high blood pressure, it’s imperative that we do more to help communities kick the soda habit,” said Rachel Johnson, Ph.D., vice chair of the American Heart Association’s nutrition committee and the Bickford Green and Gold Professor of Nutrition at the University of Vermont. “We are proud to support the Life’s Sweeter with Fewer Sugary Drinks campaign to help Americans make smarter beverage choices to reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease and improve overall health.” The beverage industry produces the equivalent of more than nine cans of sugary drinks per person per week, though some of that is wasted. Meanwhile, people who participate in food consumption surveys, such as that used in a study released today by the Centers for Disease Control, acknowledge consuming just over six cans per week. Because people typically understate consumption, especially of unhealthy foods, actual consumption is somewhere between six and nine. Those averages include the 50 percent of people that do not drink any sugary drinks on a given day. Research, branding, creative development, and messaging for the Life’s Sweeter campaign were conducted by the advocacy marketing firm Interlex, a national agency with extensive experience in public health and behavior change initiatives. “We believe that research-based campaigns are more effective at driving behavior change,” said Rudy Ruiz, CEO of Interlex. “This is the only campaign of this kind that has been tested nationally with general and multicultural audiences.” The Center for Science in the Public Interest is urging cities, states, and health groups to consider using <a href="http://www.foodday.org/" target="cspi">Food Day</a> on October 24 to introduce other policies aimed at reducing junk food consumption in favor of healthy, sustainable food. 2011-08-31 New Food Day Curriculum Aims to Help Youth "Eat Real" http://cspinet.org/new/201108251.html Teachers Invited to Observe Food Day with Healthy LessonsOrganizers of Food Day today published a <a href="http://foodday.org/files/Food-Day-Lessons.pdf" target="cspi">curriculum</a> for teachers to use on and around <a href="http://foodday.org/" target="cspi">Food Day</a>, a nationwide grassroots campaign on October 24 to encourage Americans to “eat real” and support healthy, affordable food grown in a sustainable, humane way. The Food Day curriculum offers five lessons designed to teach children the importance of eating real, fresh food; cutting back on processed foods; and advocating for a healthier community. It was developed by Pamela Koch and Isobel Contento, professors at Teachers College, Columbia University, and adapted from the Linking Food and the Environment Curriculum Series. “Teachers should consider using this curriculum not just on Food Day, but throughout the school year,” said Contento. “Each lesson has many ideas for projects that students can do, along with numerous resource for teachers. It’s important that we teach health and nutrition in the classroom along with science, math and other subjects.” The first lesson plan in the series covers how to “eat real.” Students will learn that real foods come relatively straight from a plant or animal and have the nutrients people need to stay healthy at every age. The lesson encourages students to become smart consumers who can choose a balanced, healthy diet. Other lessons teach students to eat mostly plants and not to eat too much, sensible practices inspired by Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food. Additional inspiration for these lesson plans came from Food: Where Nutrition, Politics & Culture Meet by Deborah Katz and Mary Goodwin, as well as work by Teachers College professor Joan Gussow. The curriculum complements a few of Food Day’s six goals: 1. Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods 2. Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness 3. Expand access to food and alleviate hunger 4. Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms 5. Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids 6. Support fair conditions for food and farm workers The lesson plans are crafted for middle school students, but can easily be adapted for elementary and high school students. “Educating young people about food and nutrition is critical if we are to prevent obesity and other diet-related diseases,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “The lessons in this curriculum will help kids distinguish between real foods that promote health from junk foods that promote disease.” Schools are invited to celebrate Food Day in a variety of ways. Schools in Seattle, WA, are planning a special lunch menu that will highlight whole, fresh foods. Boulder, CO, schools will be observing a Meatless Monday and serving especially healthy items. School districts in Los Angeles, Tulsa, Chicago, Detroit, and elsewhere also will participate. Other schools could observe Food Day by organizing vegetable tastings in kindergartens, scheduling field trips to local farms, or by planning or planting vegetable gardens. Outside of schools, Food Day is being celebrated in diverse ways by health departments, colleges, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">restaurants</a>, and others. In Little Rock, AR, the mayor’s office is teaming up with the Clinton Foundation, Heifer International, and others to build and distribute raised-bed gardens for schools and individuals living in food deserts (communities with poor access to fresh, healthful foods). The University of California Hastings Law School and UCSF Consortium on Law, Science, and Health Policy are organizing a conference on food deserts, including at prisons. Food Day organizers in Savannah, GA are expecting 15,000 people at an event on the Saturday before Food Day in Mother Matilda Beasley Park. Hundreds of other Food Day events can be found on an interactive map at <a href="http://foodday.org/" target="cspi">FoodDay.org</a>. 2011-08-25 Restaurants Invited to Celebrate Food Day with Positive Steps http://cspinet.org/new/201108091.html Buying Local, Adding Whole Grains Among the PossibilitiesProminent chefs, nutritionists, and food activists are inviting the nation’s restaurants to celebrate Food Day on October 24 by announcing improvements to menus and sourcing policies that advance health and the environment. Organizers say that restaurants could observe <a href="http://foodday.org/" target="cspi">Food Day</a> in a wide variety of ways, including by buying more produce, meat, and eggs from local farms; by adding more whole grains to breads and pastas; or by collecting money for food banks, farmers markets, or other local organizations. Chefs already participating in Food Day include Alice Waters, of famed Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., Dan Barber of Blue Hill in Manhattan and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Michel Nischan of the Dressing Room in Westport, Conn., early organics pioneer Nora Pouillon of Washington, D.C.’s Restaurant Nora, and sustainable seafood expert Barton Seaver. Food Day is also partnering with groups like Chefs Collaborative, American Culinary Federation, and the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, and is encouraging local restaurants to seek out partnerships with area hunger and sustainable-agriculture groups. “Food Day is a great opportunity for restaurants to show their commitment to locally produced artisan foods, to showcase a variety of whole grains, and to reach out to an audience hungry for more sustainable ways to consume that are more in keeping with the health of our bodies and our environment,” said Ellen Gray, co-owner, along with her husband Todd Gray, of Equinox Restaurant, Watershed, and Todd Gray’s Muse at the Corcoran, all in Washington, D.C. Restaurants could invite farmers to meet diners, plan special menus or events, or publicize Food Day via email and social media. Some examples already in the works include: • A chain of vegan restaurants, Native Foods, will organize cooking demonstrations and tastings in its seven locations in California; • In Manhattan, the massive Italian market Eataly has started handing out Food Day materials, and will bring in 20 farmers to talk to customers; • Food Day organizers in New Haven, Conn., are planning a Real Food Restaurant Week during which restaurants will offer special meals featuring local produce and healthier options; and • Uncommon Ground restaurant in Chicago will observe Food Day by offering a three-course Farm-to-Table prix fixe menu from October 16 to October 24. Organized by the non-profit <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>, Food Day will encourage people around the country to sponsor or participate in activities that encourage Americans to “eat real” and support healthy, affordable food grown in a sustainable, humane way. Modeled on Earth Day, organizers hope Food Day will inspire Americans to hold thousands of events in schools, college campuses, houses of worship, restaurants, and even in private homes aimed at fixing America’s diet and food system. A Food Day event could be as small as a parent organizing a vegetable identification contest at a kindergarten class—or as massive as a rally in a city park, with entertainment and healthy food. Health departments, city councils, and other policymakers could use Food Day to launch campaigns, hold hearings, or otherwise address communities’ food problems. “I’m excited that many restaurants are seizing the opportunity presented by Food Day and becoming part of a movement aimed at getting people to celebrate honest-to-goodness real food that comes from farms and not factories,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. Food Day is led by honorary co-chairs Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), and an advisory board that includes author Michael Pollan; prominent physicians Caldwell Esselstyn, Michael Roizen, and David Satcher; nutrition authorities Walter Willett, Kelly Brownell, and Marion Nestle; actor Jane Fonda; filmmaker Morgan Spurlock; and Rodale, Inc. CEO Maria Rodale. Besides restaurants, many national organizations, such as the American Dietetic Association, American Public Health Association, Community Food Security Coalition, Earth Day Network, Farmers Market Coalition, Humane Society of the United States, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Prevention Institute, and Slow Food USA, along with many city- and state-level organizations, are planning on organizing or participating in Food Day events. 2011-08-09 CSPI Urges Review into Government's Handling of Salmonella Outbreak http://cspinet.org/new/201108042.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalThe Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak shows a troubling lapse in coordination between federal agencies that are duty bound to protect the public. Today during a conference call with the Centers for Disease Control and the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, government officials presented a confusing timeline indicating that they might have had preliminary evidence by late May linking the outbreak strain to test results from turkey products coming out of a Cargill plant in Arkansas. Given the severity of the outbreak, involving over 20 hospitalizations and one death, prompt consumer warnings and notification of the company are essential to stem the outbreak. The failure to issue a public alert earlier or to even notify the company shows a troubling lack of coordination that potentially contributed to the size and severity of the outbreak. The government’s failure to either alert the public or the company of the problem should be fully reviewed. 2011-08-04 Death Results from Outbreak of Antibiotic-Resistant Salmonella http://cspinet.org/new/201108041.html Statement of CSPI Staff Attorney Sarah KleinNearly 80 consumers are sick and one has died from a dangerous strain of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella Heidelberg linked to ground turkey products. These strains of Salmonella increase the risk that consumers will face life-threatening illnesses. Infected individuals face longer illnesses, hospitalizations, and more severe consequences. The Center for Science in the Public Interest <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/cspi_petition_to_usda_on_abr_salmonella.pdf" target="cspi">petitioned</a> the U.S. Department of Agriculture in May to declare <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201105251.html" target="cspi">this and three other strains</a> that have caused outbreaks and recalls as “adulterants” under the law. That would trigger new testing for those strains and make it less likely that contaminated products reach consumers. USDA has a responsibility to move proactively to prevent outbreaks, rather than just responding to them once they occur. Both a USDA declaration of adulteration and government and industry testing for Salmonella should be utilized to address this problem. Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration could help by stopping the use of antibiotics in healthy farm animals. That would reduce the growth of bacteria resistant to antibiotics used in human medicine. 2011-08-04 Unrealistic Serving Sizes Understate Calories, Sodium, Saturated Fat, Says CSPI http://cspinet.org/new/201108021.html Labels for Soup & Ice Cream Among Worst OffendersLabels for canned soup, ice cream, coffee creamer, and aerosol non-stick cooking sprays understate the calories, sodium, and saturated fat consumers are likely to get from those products, since the declared serving sizes are much smaller than actual serving sizes, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/serving-size-comment-062811.pdf" target="cspi">recent letter</a> to Food and Drug Administration chief Margaret Hamburg, the nonprofit consumer group again urged the agency to revise its serving-size regulations. Canned soup presents a dramatic example of how unrealistic the stated serving sizes are, according to CSPI. Labels for Campbell’s Chunky Classic Chicken Noodle soup indicate a serving is 1 cup (a little less than half a can) and has 790 milligrams of sodium—a hefty amount by any standard and about half the sodium most adults should consume in a whole day. But according to a national telephone survey commissioned by CSPI, 64 percent of consumers would eat the whole can at one time and would consume 1,840 mg of sodium—more than a day’s worth for most adults. Only 10 percent of consumers said they eat 1 cup portions. Similarly, CSPI’s survey found that 62 percent of consumers eat the contents of the entire can of a (reconstituted) condensed soup like Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup. An entire can holds 2,390 mg of sodium—far more than the 890 mg listed for one serving. That amount of sodium only applies if one can is divided into 2½ portions. Another 27 percent eat half a can at a sitting, so they get 1,195 mg. “Given the prevalence of hypertension, heart disease, and stroke in America, we need accurate food labels that would ensure that consumers really know what they’re likely to consume,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “The FDA should define serving sizes to reflect what consumers actually eat, as the law requires, not what the soup industry pretends that they eat.” The serving size for ice cream is a dainty half-cup, and Nutrition Facts labels for Häagen-Dazs Vanilla ice cream dutifully list 10 grams of saturated fat per serving. So someone eating a whole cup of that ice cream would actually be eating a full day’s worth of saturated fat (20 g). A ridiculously tiny serving size of a third, a quarter, or even a fifth of a second spray helps PAM and other aerosol cooking sprays boast zero calories and zero fat, even though the products are mostly fat. A six second spray would have 50 calories and 6 grams of fat. Another example is powdered coffee creamer. The serving size on the label of Fat Free Original Coffee-mate is one teaspoon, even though many or most consumers use several times as much. The small serving size leads people to think that they’re getting only 10 calories and no fat or saturated fat per serving. In fact, a two-tablespoon serving of Fat Free Original Coffee-mate would have 50 calories and 1.6 grams of saturated fat, according to a 2008 memo from Nestlé. (That’s not much different than the 40 calories and 2 grams of saturated fat in two tablespoons of ordinary half and half.) FDA regulations specify standard serving sizes for various foods to enable consumers to compare different brands. However, those serving sizes were based on data collected in the late 1970s, and even so were sometimes flawed. The FDA is now reviewing serving sizes in a broader revision of food labels. 2011-08-02 McDonald's Move on Happy Meals an Important Step in the Right Direction http://cspinet.org/new/201107261.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonThe improvements that McDonald’s has announced for its Happy Meals are an important step in the right direction. It’s good news that those meals will all have apple slices, smaller servings of fries, and fewer calories. While we wish that Happy Meals would include a bigger serving of fresh fruit or vegetable, including even a small serving—and without a sugary sauce—as a standard component is a real advance. McDonald’s clearly has a lot more to do, for both kids and adults. But this move is a sign that the company recognizes that parents don’t want burgers, fries, and soda to be the default fast-food experience. And, surely, McDonald’s recognizes that policy makers are becoming increasingly interested in ensuring that healthier foods are marketed to children. # # # The Center for Science in the Public Interest has pressed McDonald's and other companies to stop using trans fat, reduce sodium levels, and provide more-healthful options. In a lawsuit filed last year, CSPI represents a parent concerned about McDonald's use of toys to attract children to its Happy Meals. 2011-07-26 Saltwater "Enhanced" Meat and Poultry to Get Better Labels http://cspinet.org/new/201107211.html "Enhancing" Pumps Up Sodium Content and Prices, According to CSPIThe U.S. Department of Agriculture is poised to require better labeling of a controversial practice that lets processors increase the weight, and thus the price, of meat and poultry by injecting them with salt water. The <a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/NR_072111_01/index.asp" target="cspi">proposed rule</a>, expected to be published early next week, would require processors to prominently disclose the percentage of the product that is added solution, and the solution’s ingredients. The agency will rule separately whether such products can be labeled “natural,” as many saltwater-injected meat and poultry products are. “Who wants to pay $4.99 a pound for the added water and salt?” asks Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. “Besides cheating customers financially, ‘enhancing’ meat and poultry delivers a stealth hit of sodium. Better labeling would help consumers concerned about high blood pressure, stroke, or heart disease avoid products that contribute to those diseases.” Chicken breasts, pork tenderloins, or other foods enhanced with a salt-water solution can have more than five times as much sodium as occurs naturally in those foods, according to CSPI. A whole chicken enhanced with a solution of water, salt, sodium phosphate, chicken broth, and other ingredients might have 550 milligrams of sodium per four-ounce serving, while a similar serving of unprocessed chicken has just 75 mg of sodium. According to USDA, 30 percent of poultry, 15 percent of beef, and 90 percent of pork contain added solutions. In 2007, CSPI filed a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200701031.html" target="cspi">regulatory petition</a> with USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service urging the agency to go beyond labeling and actually set ceilings on the amount of sodium that would be allowed in all processed meat and poultry, including deli meats, bacon, sausage, chicken pot pies, and frozen dinners. CSPI had <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200511081.html" target="cspi">previously petitioned</a> the Food and Drug Administration to revoke salt’s status as a Generally Recognized as Safe, or GRAS, ingredient and instead regulate it as a food additive, subject to reasonable limits or special labeling requirements. “We applaud the USDA for acting to protect consumers’ health and pocketbooks with this sensible proposal,” Jacobson said. 2011-07-21 Eating is Xtreme as Ever at America's Chains http://cspinet.org/new/201107191.html "Stacked, Stuffed, and Topped" is the Trend at Applebee's and ElsewhereIf this year’s winners of the <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/xtreme_eating_awards_2011.pdf" target="cspi">Xtreme Eating Awards</a> are any indication, the overfeeding of America seems likely to continue unabated at the nation’s chain restaurants. The dishonorees, unveiled in the current edition of the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nah/index.htm" target="cspi">Nutrition Action Healthletter</a>, include burgers topped with pork belly and fried eggs, meatballs stuffed with provolone, and grilled cheese sandwiches stuffed with deep-fried mozzarella sticks. “If Americans are feeling a little more full when lumbering out of The Cheesecake Factory, Applebee’s, Denny’s, and other chains, it’s not in their heads,” said CSPI nutrition director Bonnie Liebman. “It’s as if the restaurants were targeting the remaining one out of three Americans who are still normal weight in order to boost their risk of obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, and cancer.” One chain, Applebee’s, is openly bragging about its new “stacked, stuffed, and topped” menu. But that’s hardly the only chain stacking, stuffing, or topping already high-calorie menu items with high-cal add-ons. To put the following numbers into context, consider that a typical eater should limit themselves to about 2,000 calories, 20 grams of saturated fat, and 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. Roll out the red carpet: Five of the eight 2011 Xtreme Eating Awards include: • Denny’s Fried Cheese Melt: In the chain’s own words, it is “four fried mozzarella sticks and melted American cheese grilled between two slices of sourdough bread.” And in the chain’s own numbers, this cheesy collision, with its side of French fries and marinara sauce, has 1,260 calories and 21 grams of saturated fat (a full day’s worth), and 3,010 mg of sodium (two days’ worth). “The possibilities are wide open,” says Denny’s. “They’re wide, all right,” says Nutrition Action. Eating this meal is like eating two Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizzas. • The Cheesecake Factory Farmhouse Cheeseburger: This burger is “topped with grilled smoked pork belly cheddar cheese, onions, lettuce, tomato, mayo and a fried egg.” Red Robin, Denny’s and IHOP have similarly embraced the idea of topping burgers with eggs. But to take the spotlight, this Factory-farmed burger boasts 1,530 calories and 36 grams of saturated fat topped with 3,210 milligrams of sodium. That’s assuming you just eat the burger: French fries bring an additional 460 calories and 1,460 mg of sodium. Eating this would be the equivalent of eating three McDonald’s Quarter Pounders with cheese. Add another Quarter Pounder with cheese if you eat the side order of fries. • Cold Stone Creamery PB&C Shake: Even people accustomed to 1,500-calorie burgers wouldn’t expect 2,000-calorie shakes. A 24-oz. “Gotta Have It” size shake of peanut butter, chocolate ice cream, and milk has a day’s calories (2,010) and three and a half days’ worth of saturated fat (68 grams). Cold Stone’s Web site says, without a whiff of irony, “Your Health – Just as Important as Taste.” One large Cold Stone Creamery PB&C Shake is like drinking two 16-oz. T-bone steaks plus a buttered baked potato. • Applebee’s Provolone-Stuffed Meatballs With Fettuccine: Spaghetti with meatballs was never diet food. But Applebee’s stuffs provolone cheese into these meatballs and simultaneously tops the underlying fettuccine with a marinara sauce and a Parmesan cream sauce. With a piece of garlic bread, the four cups of pasta, two sauces, and cheese-injected meatballs deliver 1,520 calories, 43 grams of saturated fat (two days’ worth), and 3,700 mg of sodium (more than two days’ worth). It’s like eating two of Applebee’s 12-oz. Ribeye Steaks plus a side of Garlic Mashed Potatoes. • The Cheesecake Factory Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake: Why stop at a slice of red velvet cake when you can top it with a layer of cheesecake, top that with another layer of red velvet cake, and top that with another layer of cheesecake? And then top that with cream cheese frosting, chocolate shavings, and a small silo of whipped cream? Weighing in at three-quarters of a pound, this dessert packs 1,540 calories and 59 grams of saturated fat (three days’ worth). Eating one slice of the Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake is like eating one Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizza plus two Quarter Pounders with cheese except the cake has an additional days’ worth of saturated fat. Happily, this is likely to be the last year that these calorie counts aren’t right on the menu for all to see, according to CSPI. The Food and Drug Administration is finalizing a set of rules implementing a calorie-labeling provision included in the health care reform legislation signed into law by President Obama in March. “Perhaps calorie labeling will usher in a new era of common sense at America’s chain restaurants, and chains will compete with each other to come up with new, healthy menu items with more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains,” said Michael F. Jacobson. “I hope at some point chains will stop stuffing, stacking, and topping with cheese and meat and white flour. Instead of setting aside a few menu items called something like ‘Lean & Fit,’ why can’t menus have a small section called ‘Fatten Up!’ and keep the rest of the menu healthy?” Nutrition Action Healthletter is the publication that previously blew the whistle on the staggering calorie and fat content of movie theater popcorn, Chinese food, steakhouses, and other restaurant fare. Subscriptions to the 850,000-circulation Healthletter, the largest of its kind in North America, are $10 for first-time subscribers. 2011-07-19 Analysis: Government's Proposed Standards for Food Marketing Aimed at Kids Are Far Superior to Industry's Own http://cspinet.org/new/201107141.html Industry Hopes to Continue Marketing Cocoa Puffs, Kool-Aid, and Other Junk Foods to KidsThe food industry is up in arms over a voluntary set of <a href="http://ftc.gov/os/2011/04/110428foodmarketproposedguide.pdf" target="cspi">proposed nutrition standards</a> for marketing to children that food companies could either adopt or ignore. The industry’s latest salvo is a <a href="http://www.bbb.org/us/article/Council-of-Better-Business-Bureaus-Announces-Groundbreaking-Agreement-on-Ch-28325" target="cspi">competing set of voluntary nutrition standards</a> that it says companies participating in self-regulation will implement. But according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, today’s announcement is a transparent attempt to undermine the stronger standards proposed by the government’s Interagency Working Group. And, if the industry adopts its own proposed standards, young children would continue to be bombarded with ads for such junk foods as Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisps, Reese’s Puffs, and Corn Pops cereals, Kool-Aid, many Lunchables, and sugary Popsicles. “It’s great news that, at long last, the industry realizes that the current patchwork of inconsistent company pledges is not working, and that industry-wide nutrition guidelines are needed,” said CSPI nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan. “We, along with many national health and medical organizations, call on the food and media industries to voluntarily adopt the sensible nutrition standards developed by the government agencies.” CSPI’s <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/iwg-report.pdf" target="cspi">analysis</a> of foods that are currently being marketed to children finds that the industry is close to meeting the proposed voluntary ceilings for saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and sugars for many foods. Where most food products fall short is on making positive contributions to kids’ diets; few include enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The industry standards released today indicate that marketers intend to allow artificial fortification to make foods of poor nutritional value meet their new standards. As instructed by Congress, an Interagency Working Group, comprised of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, Federal Trade Commission, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, developed the voluntary guidelines with an eye toward reducing childhood obesity and other nutrition-related health problems. The proposed guidelines are based on government-backed, mainstream nutrition recommendations. Released in March, those guidelines recommend that foods marketed to kids not exceed certain limits on saturated and trans fats, sodium, and sugars, and contain meaningful amounts of ingredients that contribute to healthy diets, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, or low-fat dairy. In 2006, the food industry formed the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, a self-regulatory program administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus. Up to now, participating companies have agreed to adopt their own, individually tailored policies setting nutrition criteria for foods marketed to children. Although the program has spurred some improvements, the vast majority of foods marketed to children, <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/pledgereport.pdf" target="cspi">according to CSPI</a>, still are of poor nutritional quality. Though industry has charged that whole wheat bread, peanut butter, and most yogurts don’t meet the IWG’s standards, they actually do, according to CSPI. “The food industry lost major credibility claiming that the Administration was trying to ban advertising of whole wheat bread, peanut butter, or other healthy foods to kids,” Wootan said. “The industry lost even more credibility when it fabricated a bogus study falsely claiming that the sensible, science-based standards backed by the government would result in job losses. Really, what the industry is trying to do is preserve its ability to spend $2 billion a year advertising things like Popsicle’s SpongeBob SquarePants Pop-Ups to impressionable young children.” Also today, CSPI, the American Heart Association, American Public Health Association, National PTA, and about 80 other groups and academic <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/iwg-sign-on-letter-signatories.pdf " target="cspi">experts wrote to the IWG</a> in strong support of the draft nutrition guidelines and marketing definitions. CSPI also filed detailed comments on both the <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/fmw-comments-nutrition.pdf" target="cspi">proposed nutrition principles</a> and the <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/fmw-comment-marketing-definitions.pdf" target="cspi">marketing definitions</a> urging that the agencies apply the nutrition guidelines to all marketing aimed at children under 12 years old, as well as marketing in preschools, elementary, middle, and high schools. 2011-07-14 New Campbell Soup CEO to Give Consumers Less Choice on Salt http://cspinet.org/new/201107132.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonWhen, in 2006, Campbell Soup Co. announced that it had reformulated many of its soups to contain less sodium, then-president of Campbell’s USA Denise Morrison told the Associated Press: “We look at it as the enabler to talk about the other health benefits of soup.” Unfortunately for millions of hypertensive Americans who have the occasional can of Campbell soup, it’s going to be a lot harder for the company to talk about the health benefits of soup. And how patronizing for Morrison, now the new chief executive, to claim that adding more salt to Campbell’s soups gives consumers more choice. Consumers are always free to add salt, but it’s impossible for them to get rid of the new salt Campbell has added. Why not trust consumers to add as much or as little as they want? If Campbell has reason to believe consumers don’t like the taste of their products, why resort to salt? Why not improve their soups with more and better-quality vegetables and chicken, or with herbs and spices? I suppose that’s a question that answers itself, and the answer is money. Campbell enjoys a huge profit margin selling what are often basically overpriced disease-promoting cans of salt and water. 2011-07-13 One Healthy Choice Not Enough for Kids' Meals http://cspinet.org/new/201107131.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanThere's less to the National Restaurant Association's new <a href="http://www.restaurant.org/pressroom/pressrelease/?ID=2136" target="cspi">program</a> for children’s meals than meets the eye. Most restaurants already offer one or two healthy choices—but they are present amidst a minefield of high-calorie, salty, high-fat options. The great majority of choices on children’s menus should be healthy, given that kids are getting one-third of their calories outside the home, and eating out is linked to obesity. Kids' food and meals at restaurants have become almost synonymous with junk. A 2008 <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/kidsmeals-report.pdf" target="cspi">CSPI study</a> found that at the top 25 chain restaurants, 93 percent of the kids’ meals were too high in calories, 45 percent too high in saturated fat, and 86 percent too high in salt. Restaurants-especially McDonald’s, which is not part of the new initiative-should follow Burger King’s lead and not just shove fries and soft drinks into kids’ meals, but ask parents if they want a fruit or vegetable side dish and milk, juice, or water instead. Our study of McDonald’s found that even though it shows healthier options in its advertising, it usually sticks fries in the box without even asking parents what they want. 2011-07-13 Dem Consulting Firm "Should Be Ashamed" for Undermining Obama Administration Efforts on Protecting Kids from Junk Food Marketing http://cspinet.org/new/201107081.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanThis is why Americans are fed up with Washington: It’s a city where people might spend a year or two serving a new Presidential Administration … until it’s time to leave that Administration and actively undermine it in exchange for big bucks. Former White House communications director Anita Dunn and her firm should be ashamed of themselves for leading the food industry’s panicky efforts to quash the Obama administration’s reasonable and voluntary nutrition guidelines proposed for foods marketed to children. I hope the revolving door didn’t hit her on the way out. Far from banning the Easter bunny, as the industry’s fear-mongering goes, the Interagency Working Group—at the instruction of Congress—simply proposed a voluntary set of nutrition standards that food companies could (or could not) adopt as part of their existing self-regulatory program. These standards are voluntary, and lest anyone forget, Congress had in 1980 specifically stripped the Federal Trade Commission of its rulemaking authority to police junk food ads aimed at kids. We’ve come to expect tantrums from the food industry when laws or binding regulations might impact the way it does business. But it’s a shame the industry is using such overheated rhetoric to fight reasonable, voluntary nutrition guidelines aimed at reducing kids’ risk of obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related diseases. Perhaps it’s a sign that the food industry’s self-regulatory program is not all that they have made it out to be. 2011-07-08 Advocates Call on Obama Administration to Strengthen Menu Labeling Rules http://cspinet.org/new/201107051.html Proposal Undercuts Congressional IntentToday over 80 national, state, and local health organizations and experts, including the American Heart Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, Center for Science in the Public Interest, American Public Health Association, and the National PTA, called on the Obama Administration to strengthen the final rules for calorie labeling on chain restaurant menus and vending machines. They charged that the Administration's proposed regulations do not comply with the labeling law that was passed as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in March 2010 and was championed by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). The groups voiced strong support for calorie labeling on menus at chain restaurants and on vending machines. Their <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/ml_sign-on_letter.pdf" target="cspi">letter</a> points out that with American adults and children consuming about one-third of their calories from eating out, menu and vending labeling will provide important tools to enable people to make informed food choices and spur industry to cut calorie levels in their offerings. (CSPI also filed more detailed comments on both <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/comments_ml_regs_cspi.pdf" target="cspi">menu</a> and <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/comments_vending_labeling.pdf" target="cspi">vending</a> labeling.) However, the advocates had three major objections and vigorously urged the Administration: • to adhere to the definition of restaurants and similar retail food establishments in the draft menu labeling guidance that the FDA issued last summer and not exempt labeling for foods sold in movie theaters, casinos, bowling alleys, stadiums, hotels, airlines, and cafes and delis in superstores. • not to exempt alcoholic beverages from labeling. Congress required calorie labeling for all items on the menu and did not exclude those beverages. Alcoholic drinks are the fifth-largest source of calories in American adults' diets, and the calorie content of alcoholic beverages can vary widely. Without labeling, a person would not know that at TGI Fridays the Fresh Mango Lemonade Shaker (410 calories) has twice the calories of the Lemon Twist Martini (200 calories). • not to allow companies to post the calories for vending machine items on a sign next to the machine. The Affordable Care Act requires that companies "provide a sign listing the calories in close proximity to each article of food or the selection button" (emphasis added). The Administration also ignored congressional intent in proposing to exempt bulk vending machines, which usually dispense candy or other junk food and make up 20 percent of vending machines. "It's disappointing that the Administration would weaken the labeling proposals from what <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/harkin-delauro_ml_letter.pdf" target="cspi">Congress required</a> ," charged Margo G. Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "You'd think, given the Administration's strong commitment to addressing childhood obesity, that it would try to provide nutrition information for as many foods in as many venues as Congress required. "Many of the foods sold in the venues that the Administration has proposed exempting are similar to foods that will be labeled in restaurants," said Wootan. "In addition to restaurants, Congress required menu labeling at ‘similar retail food establishments,’ which sell the same types of prepared foods as restaurants. The proposed rule is unfair to traditional restaurants and would significantly reduce the number of venues providing calorie labeling to their customers." The Administration has pledged to finalize the menu and vending labeling rules by the end of the year. The menu labeling rules are expected to go into effect in mid-2012 and the vending rules by the end of 2012. 2011-07-05 Broad-based Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue Proposes Tighter Controls of Antimicrobial Use on the Farm http://cspinet.org/new/201106291.html Last week in Brussels, Belgium, consumer organizations representing both American and European consumers approved a resolution calling on governments to reduce their use of antimicrobials in farm animals to ensure the continued effectiveness of those drugs for treating human illnesses. The resolution urged governments to ban the use of antimicrobials for non-therapeutic purposes in food-producing animals and to adopt policies requiring veterinarians to determine when the use of the drugs is needed. The <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/tacd_amr_resolution_-_final.pdf" target="cspi">resolution</a> states that a number of factors contribute to the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, including the use of antibiotics in human medicine and its excessive use in animal husbandry. It states, “With regard to animal farming, antimicrobials are not just used to cure infections, but also routinely added to livestock feed and/or water to prevent infections in healthy animals and as growth promoters.” The Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD) is a forum for consumer organizations in the United States and Europe to develop consumer policy recommendations on important food and trade issues. The 12th Annual Meeting of the organization was held in Brussels on June 21, 2011. Ensuring the safety of food was a priority area discussed at the meeting. Caroline Smith DeWaal, the Director of Food Safety for the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and the Co-Chair of the TACD Food Policy Committee, discussed the resolution at a plenary session with Commissioner John Dalli, the European Commissioner of Health and Consumer Affairs. “The recent outbreak of foodborne illnesses in Germany illustrated the enormous challenge of food safety. That tragedy is a reminder that the biological world does not stand still or wait for sensible new policies to be adopted.” DeWaal said. “It is constantly moving, and governments must develop policies that anticipate problems before they erupt into major outbreaks.” The resolution on the use of antimicrobials adopted by TACD follows the recommendations issued during World Health Day 2011 by the World Health Organization (WHO), which called for governments to reduce the need for antimicrobial use on the farm through better policies and animal husbandry practices. The TACD resolution urged that the use in animals of drugs that are critically important to human medicine be significantly reduced or eliminated, along with a total ban on the non-therapeutic use of antimicrobials in animal and food production. In addition, the resolution calls on governments to create and fund systems to monitor the use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals. National surveillance systems should operate farm-to-table and integrate the findings of public health, veterinary, and food safety laboratories. Also discussing food policy challenges related to food safety was Sue Davies, the Chief Policy Adviser for Which? (a consumer advocacy organization based in the United Kingdom) and the EU Co-Chair of the TACD Food Policy Committee. Davies remarked, “[it is] a critical time for food policy as many issues are coming together and need to be tackled effectively to ensure that consumers can make healthy and safe food choices – whether that’s expectations of quality, origin, or the ability to act on ethical or other concerns.” She also mentioned the significance of the recent E. coli outbreak in Germany in highlighting how food safety must be addressed. She stated that governments need to be alert to new and emerging risks, especially in the face of an increasingly complex and globalized food supply chain. 2011-06-29 Fast-Food Chain Drops Toys from Kids' Meals http://cspinet.org/new/201106211.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanWe hope that McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Taco Bell are paying attention to Jack in the Box, which has decided to stop using toys to market fast-food meals to children. Using toys to market unhealthy restaurant meals to kids exploits children, annoys parents, and is frowned upon by nutritionists, behavioral scientists, and a growing number of public health officials around the country. It’s too bad that McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Taco Bell think they can’t compete on the basis of quality, value, taste, or nutrition, but instead must resort to such a discredited marketing tactic to lure families to their businesses. We congratulate Jack in the Box for stopping toy-based food marketing, regardless of its motivation, and hope local and state policymakers consider cracking down on the practice further. # # # Note: CSPI’s litigation department is currently in court as co-counsel to a California woman who is suing McDonald’s over their use of toys to market directly to children. More on that suit <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201012151.html" target="cspi">here</a>. 2011-06-21 CSPI Applauds USDA's New Healthy Eating Plate http://cspinet.org/new/201106021.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanUSDA's new healthy eating graphic is a huge improvement over the inscrutable food pyramid. While no one graphic can communicate every nuance of healthy eating, this easy-to-understand illustration will help people remember what their own plate should look like. It likely will shock most people into recognizing that they need to eat a heck of a lot more vegetables and fruits. Most people are eating about a quarter of a plate of fruits or vegetables, not a half a plate as recommended. Wisely, USDA is investing in a comprehensive campaign to get the new food plate and key healthy eating messages out to the public. USDA's <a href="http://http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2010/PolicyDoc/SelectedMessages.pdf" target="cspi">simple messages</a>, such as “switch to low-fat milk” and “drink water instead of sugary drinks,” prioritize the 95-page Dietary Guidelines for Americans into key dietary actions that can help people avoid heart disease, diabetes, and other nutrition-related health problems. 2011-06-02 Food Day 2011 is Getting Cooking! http://cspinet.org/new/201105311.html Thousands of Events on October 24 Will Encourage Americans to ‘Eat Real’Communities around the country are gearing up for <a href="http://www.foodday.org" target="cspi">Food Day</a> —a grassroots mobilization aimed at improving America’s food policies. Set for Monday, October 24, 2011, Food Day will see thousands of forums and celebrations from coast to coast aimed at promoting healthy diets and solving local communities’ food problems. “Our food system is delivering up epidemic-levels of obesity and cardiovascular disease,” said Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which, along with a prestigious <a href="http://foodday.org/about-food-day/food-day-advisory-board.php" target="cspi">advisory board</a>, is spearheading Food Day. “And we’re paying billions of dollars in subsidies to farmers who don’t need them and little to those that do. We’re maximizing crop yields—and polluting our air and water with fertilizer, pesticides, and antibiotics—yet we haven’t ended hunger. Food Day will shine a light on solutions to these seemingly intractable problems.” The broad outlines of Food Day are beginning to take shape: • Events are being planned at the University of Vermont, University of Pennsylvania, University of Minnesota, New York University, Stanford, Yale, Harvard School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, and other campuses; • The American Medical Student Association is organizing Food Day activities around food deserts, hunger, and healthier diets; • Syracuse, NY, is organizing a festival to celebrate local food and their rich cultural and ethnic diversity; • The New Haven, Conn., Food Policy Council and community partners are organizing a city-wide cook-in and harvest festival; • Philadelphia is planning a city-wide event focused on ending hunger and food deserts; • Sioux City, IA, is planning for nearly 1,000 people to participate in activities at three cultural institutions; the highlight will be a major conference on how small and mid-size farmers can get their produce to market; • The America the Beautiful Fund will provide plant and flower seeds in September for all Food Day coordinators to plant community gardens; • California organizations are building a state-wide Food Day partnership to promote new food policies; and • At <a href="http://www.foodday.org" target="cspi">FoodDay.org</a>, Americans can now find Food Day events near them, or announce their own. Food Day organizers at the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s Washington office hope that the campaign will inspire Americans to organize events in schools, college campuses, houses of worship, hospitals, and even in private homes aimed at fixing America’s food system. A Food Day event could be as small as a parent organizing a vegetable identification contest at a kindergarten class—or as massive as a rally in a city park, with entertainment and healthy food. Health departments, city councils, and other policymakers could use Food Day to launch campaigns, hold hearings, or otherwise address communities’ food problems. “Americans want a better and healthier food system,” said Marion Nestle, the Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University and a member of Food Day's advisory board. “Food Day can inspire Americans to make healthier food choices, but even better, Food Day will help promote changes in food and farm policies that will benefit health, the environment, and the people who grow, harvest, prepare, and serve America’s food.” In Seattle, 100 public schools will observe Food Day with a special, healthy menu item. In that city Food Day enjoys the support of the mayor, the city council president, and other local officials. And, the University of Washington public health department will run an interdisciplinary symposium on the food system. “Food Day is a great way to increase public awareness about the importance of good food to health, economic prosperity, and regional and national security,” said Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin who has spearheaded the Seattle Local Food Action Initiative. Besides Jacobson, Food Day is led by honorary co-chairs Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), and an advisory board that includes author Michael Pollan; former Surgeon General David Satcher; nutrition authorities Walter Willett, Kelly Brownell, and Nestle; public health expert Georges Benjamin; and chefs Dan Barber, Nora Pouillon, and Alice Waters. <a href="http://foodday.org/about-food-day/partner-organizations.php" target="cspi">National organizations</a> such as the American Dietetic Association, American Public Health Association, Community Food Security Coalition, Earth Day Network, Farmers Market Coalition, Humane Society of the United States, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Prevention Institute, and Slow Food USA, along with many city- and state-level organizations, are publicizing Food Day or organizing events. 2011-05-31 USDA Urged to Prohibit Antibiotic-Resistant Salmonella in Ground Meat and Poultry http://cspinet.org/new/201105251.html Dangerous Strains Make Foodborne Illnesses Harder to Treat, Says CSPIGround meat and poultry found to contain antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella should be recalled from the marketplace or withheld from commerce, according to a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/cspi_petition_to_usda_on_abr_salmonella.pdf" target="cspi">regulatory petition</a> filed today by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The nonprofit food safety watchdog group wants the U.S. Department of Agriculture to declare four such Salmonella strains as “adulterants” under federal law, making products that contain them illegal to sell. CSPI is also urging testing for antibiotic-resistant Salmonella in ground meat and poultry, citing a number of major outbreaks of foodborne illnesses linked to the four strains. Those illnesses are harder for physicians to treat, resulting in longer hospitalizations and increased mortality, according to the group. “The only thing worse than getting sick from food is being told that no drugs exist to treat your illness,” said CSPI food safety staff attorney Sarah Klein. “And that’s what more consumers will hear if these drug-resistant pathogens keep getting into our meat.” USDA already recalls products contaminated with antibiotic-resistant Salmonella—but only after those products have made people sick, according to CSPI. The group’s petition asks the agency to establish a testing regime for these pathogens in ground meat and poultry in the same way that it has for E. coli O157:H7. USDA declared that particularly dangerous strain of E. coli an adulterant in 1994. “USDA should take action before people get sick, and require controls and testing for these pathogens before they reach consumers,” said CSPI food safety director Caroline Smith DeWaal. “The <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/abrfoodbornepathogenswhitepaper.pdf" target="cspi">research shows</a> that antibiotic-resistant Salmonella in ground meat and poultry is a hazard and its time to move to a more preventive system of controlling the risks at the plant and on the farm.” The four Salmonella strains covered by the petition, Salmonella Heidelberg, Salmonella Newport, Salmonella Hadar, and Salmonella Typhimurium, have all been linked to outbreaks. In 2009, an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella Newport linked to Cargill beef resulted in at least 40 illnesses in four states. And this year, the USDA oversaw a recall of frozen turkey burgers contaminated with antibiotic-resistant Salmonella Hadar. That outbreak sickened at least 12. But because foodborne illness is dramatically underreported the true number of illnesses is likely much higher. “Physicians and patients are now facing pathogens that are virtually untreatable,” said Dr. Stephen A. Lerner, a professor of medicine specializing in infectious disease at Wayne State University School of Medicine. “This petition would reduce human exposure to some dangerous drug-resistant Salmonella, which is crucial because our critically-important antibiotics are losing effectiveness and they aren’t being replaced by new ones. We must do all that we can to reduce antibiotic-resistant infections from food.” The danger of antibiotic-resistant pathogens in the food supply is well-documented and has been recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and by USDA itself. Those agencies are working together to address the issue and recently produced a document stating that “drug resistant pathogens are a growing menace to all people,” and that “drug resistance threatens to reverse the medical advances of the last half century.” Antibiotic resistance is an inevitable consequence of antibiotic overuse, according to CSPI. Most antibiotics used on animal farms are not used to treat disease, but to promote growth or to prevent diseases caused by overcrowding, poor hygiene, and other problems. CSPI has long urged the FDA to stop the non-therapeutic use of antibiotics. In fact, CSPI is a co-plaintiff in a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/nrdc_complaint.pdf" target="cspi">lawsuit</a> filed today by the Natural Resources Defense Council aimed at compelling the FDA to withdraw its approval for most non-therapeutic uses of two important antibiotics, penicillin and tetracyclines, in animal feed. Improving conditions on factory farms, thereby reducing both the need for antibiotic use and the resulting resistance, is a primary tenet of <a href="http://foodday.org/" target="cspi">Food Day</a>—a new grassroots mobilization CSPI is planning for October 24. Reducing overcrowding in hen houses and concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, could lead to more judicious use of antibiotics and would be beneficial for animal and human health, according to the group. 2011-05-25 Is Your Milk on Drugs? http://cspinet.org/new/201105041.html National Conference on Milk Policy Votes to Limit FDA’s Use of Important Test Showing Drug Residues in Veal CalvesConsumers’ risk of being exposed to dangerous drugs or antibiotic-resistant bacteria in milk and milk products could increase if the dairy industry succeeds in limiting FDA’s consideration of test results showing drug misuse on dairy farms, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The nonprofit watchdog group is urging the Food and Drug Administration to resist a recommendation from the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS), a little-known policy making body that includes state regulators and dairy industry representatives, which would omit veal from the testing protocol that FDA uses to detect potential problems with drug residues in milk. The issue is whether the presence of illegal or improperly administered drugs found in tests on veal calves at slaughter can be used as a basis for further investigating drug residue problems in milk coming from the farms where they originate. Bob veal calves—calves up to three weeks old that are used for meat—spend most of their lives on dairy farms. When regulators find illegal drug residues in veal tissues, it is an important indication that drugs may be improperly administered elsewhere on the same dairy farms, according to CSPI. “The industry wants the FDA to turn a blind eye to evidence of misuse of drugs on dairy farms,” said CSPI food safety director Caroline Smith DeWaal. “It’s like banning the police from using forensic evidence to narrow down a list of suspects. The dairy industry should be ashamed of this effort to bar FDA from considering useful scientific evidence of drug misuse on specific farms to identify those that may have problems controlling drug residues in the milk supply.” CSPI analyzed residue violation reports from the USDA’s Residue Violator Alert List from January 2010 to December 2010, which documented 17 different drugs in 735 positive tissue samples from bob veal calves, including the antibiotic gentamicin. Gentamicin—which is banned for use is cattle—was found in ten percent of the bob veal samples. It was also found in six percent of dairy cattle tested at slaughter during 2010. This antibiotic can accumulate in the kidney and has the potential to cause toxic effects in humans. The NCIMS is made up of dairy regulators from state agencies and also has members from Land o’Lakes, Dean Foods, the National Milk Producers Federation, and the International Dairy Foods Association. It has no consumer representatives. In a Baltimore hotel on Tuesday, the NCIMS passed Proposal 209, originally proposed by the National Milk Producers Federation, which simply strikes the words “and veal” from a list of methods that FDA may use to detect potential problems with drug residues in the milk supply. In a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/commissioner_hamburg_letter_05.02.11.pdf" target="cspi">letter to FDA Commissioner</a> Margaret Hamburg on Monday, DeWaal and CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson wrote: “CSPI respectfully requests that FDA exercise its rights to not concur with Proposal 209 should it pass in the NCIMS general session later this week, and ensure the agency has fully preserved its ability to use all available evidence to identify dairy farms with inadequate controls on the use of animal drugs.” In 2010, FDA announced a new program to test the milk from farms that repeatedly failed U.S. Department of Agriculture’s drug residue tests when their cattle were sent to slaughter plants. That milk testing program hasn’t started yet. The FDA also has authority under the Grade “A” Pasteurized Milk Ordinance to require states to test milk when there is evidence that problems exist with animal drug residues or other contaminants in the milk supply. 2011-05-04 Proposed Federal Standards for Foods Marketed to Children Praised http://cspinet.org/new/201104281.html The Center for Science in the Public Interest praised as “strong and sensible” the <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/os/2011/04/110428foodmarketproposedguide.pdf" target="cspi">nutrition and marketing standards</a> proposed today by the Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children and urged food and entertainment companies to adopt the standards. The Interagency Working Group, comprised of officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Federal Trade Commission, Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was tasked by Congress to develop a set of voluntary standards for food marketing to children under 17. The Working Group was required by a law championed by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and CSPI. “A key weakness of the current self-regulatory approach to food marketing to children is that each company has its own strategically tailored standards,” said Margo G. Wootan, director of nutrition policy at CSPI. “While overall the standards look fairly similar, many have loopholes, like weak or no sodium standards for fast-food companies and weak sugar standards for cereal marketers.” In the past few years, a number of food and entertainment companies have announced policies on food marketing to children independently or through the Council of Better Business Bureaus’ Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative. However, several studies show that those self-regulatory efforts are not having the desired impact. For instance, according to CSPI research, from before the self-regulatory program was in place, in 2005, to after, in 2009, ads for foods of poor nutritional quality <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/pledgereport.pdf" target="cspi">decreased only slightly</a> on Nickelodeon, the most popular children’s television station—from 88 percent to 79 percent of food ads. “Companies’ policies aren’t making enough of a difference,” said Wootan. “If companies are serious about addressing marketing to children, they‘ll agree to follow the proposed national marketing standards.” Three decades ago, when the Federal Trade Commission first considered protecting children’s health by restricting junk-food ads on children’s television, Congress stepped in to restrict the agency’s authority. That proved to be a mistake, according to CSPI, because the advertising continued unabated and children today are now three times more likely to be overweight or obese as they were then. Food companies <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/07/foodmkting.shtm" target="cspi">spend</a> approximately $2 billion a year on marketing foods and beverages to children, mostly for foods high in calories, fats, sugars, and sodium, and low in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and key nutrients. Curbing food marketing aimed at children is one of five major goals of <a href="http://foodday.org/" target="cspi">Food Day</a>, a new grassroots mobilization launched by CSPI. Led by honorary co-chairs Senator Harkin and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Food Day will be October 24. 2011-04-28 CSPI Releases Food Additives Mobile App http://cspinet.org/new/201104111.html "Chemical Cuisine" Database Now on Sale in iTunes App Store, Android MarketFor years, the Chemical Cuisine glossary of food additives has been one of the most heavily trafficked pages on the Center for Science in the Public Interest's web site. Today the group is launching a mobile application that will bring CSPI's food additive safety ratings directly to iPhones, iPads, the iPod Touch, and Android-equipped mobile devices. <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/itunes"> http://www.cspinet.org/itunes</a> <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/android"> http://www.cspinet.org/android</a> <img style="float:right; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px;" src="/images/buttons/iphone.jpg" alt="Chemical Cuisine App" width="93" height="195" />"Shopping for groceries was a lot easier when more food came from farms, and not factories," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "And the tens of thousands of packaged foods on supermarket shelves have a bewildering array of chemical food additives, designed to variously enhance the taste, texture, color, or shelf life of the product. We decided to make life a little easier for those who want to satisfy your curiosity about some of the most commonly used food additivesâ€”from the convenience of your mobile device." Happily, most food additives are relatively safe in the amounts they are used, according to CSPI. But the group's scientists have flagged those additives that everybody should avoid, as well as a number of additives most people would do well to cut back on. The app features a randomly selected additive each time it loadsâ€”and lets users search for specific additives or browse among categories. Some of the entries may surprise people, including: <img style="margin-bottom:-6px; padding-right:5px;" src="/images/buttons/checkmark.gif" alt="POLYGLYCEROL POLYRICINOLEATE" width="24" height="24" />POLYGLYCEROL POLYRICINOLEATE. It certainly sounds scary! It's used in some chocolate candies and margarines. But it's perfectly safe. One would be better off worrying about the saturated and trans fat in foods that contain it. <img style="margin-bottom:-6px; padding-right:5px;" src="/images/buttons/checktriangle.gif" alt="QUORN/MYCOPROTEIN" width="24" height="24" />QUORN/MYCOPROTEIN. This is a strange oneâ€”and it is more of a food itself (loosely defined) than an additive. A British food company found a tiny fungus growing in a dirt sample, and eventually figured out how to grow it in giant vats and process it until it resembles chicken or other meats. But in some consumers, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/quorn/">Quorn products</a> cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and, less often, hives and potentially fatal anaphylactic reactions. <img style="margin-bottom:-6px; padding-right:5px;" src="/images/buttons/checkx.gif" alt="CARAMEL COLORING" width="24" height="24" />CARAMEL COLORING. Finally! A natural ingredient! But not so fast: Much of what goes by this innocent-sounding name is made with ammonia, or sulfites, or both. And the ammonia-sulfite-process caramel colorings used in Coke, Pepsi, and other soft drinks contains two carcinogens, 2- and 4-methylimidazole. CSPI recommends that everyone avoid it. Chemical Cuisine was researched by CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson, who authored "Eater's Digest: The Consumer Factbook on Food Additives" and holds a Ph.D. from MIT in microbiology. CSPI led efforts to restrict or ban the use of such additives as sodium nitrite, sulfites, olestra, Violet dye 1, and others. A CSPI petition calling on the FDA to ban food dyes spurred the Food and Drug Administration to hold a recent advisory committee meeting on the impact of dyes on children's behavior. <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/itunes"> http://www.cspinet.org/itunes</a> <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/android"> http://www.cspinet.org/android</a> The app, built by the Washington, D.C., technology firm <a href="http://www.echoditto.com/">EchoDitto</a>, goes on sale today in the iTunes app store and the Android market for $0.99. 2011-04-11 Food Day Campaign is Launched! http://cspinet.org/new/201104041.html Thousands of Events on October 24 Will Encourage Americans to "Eat Real"Many of the most <a href="http://foodday.org/about-food-day/food-day-advisory-board.php">prominent voices for change</a> in the food movement and a growing number of health, hunger, and sustainable agriculture <a href="http://foodday.org/about-food-day/partner-organizations.php">groups</a> today announced plans for <a href="http://www.foodday.org">Food Day</a>—a nationwide campaign to change the way Americans eat and think about food. Organized by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Food Day will encourage people around the country to sponsor or participate in activities that encourage Americans to "eat real" and support healthy, affordable food grown in a sustainable, humane way. Food Day will be observed on and about Monday, October 24, 2011, and will likely include a series of marquee events in Washington, New York City, San Francisco, and other major cities, and thousands of smaller events around the country. "Food Day is designed to further knowledge, understanding, and dialogue about critical topics in food, agriculture, and nutrition—spanning the food chain from farm families to family tables," said Senator Tom Harkin, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and an honorary co-chair of <a href="http://www.foodday.org">Food Day</a>. "The many activities and events spurred by Food Day will help foster a robust dialogue on how to promote better nutrition and health, lessen hunger and increase access to food, enhance opportunities for farm families and rural communities, and conserve natural resources. There are differing ideas and perspectives on these issues and surely we all benefit from discussions about the connections among food, farms, and health." Modeled on Earth Day, organizers hope Food Day will inspire Americans to hold thousands of events in schools, college campuses, houses of worship, and even in private homes aimed at fixing America’s food system. A Food Day event could be as small as a parent organizing a vegetable identification contest at a kindergarten class—or as massive as a rally in a city park, with entertainment and healthy food. Health departments, city councils, and other policymakers could use Food Day to launch campaigns, hold hearings, or otherwise address communities’ food problems. The campaign will advocate progress toward five central goals: • Reducing diet-related disease by promoting healthy foods. The American diet is too low in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and too high in fatty meat, soft drinks, and salty packaged and restaurant foods—contributing to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year due to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer. • Supporting sustainable farms and stopping subsidies to agribusiness. Billions of federal dollars a year would be better spent helping environmentally conscious family farmers than huge agribusiness operations. • Expanding access to food and alleviating hunger. Far too many Americans don't know where their next meal is coming from, or have access to fresh produce in their neighborhood. • Reforming factory farms to protect animals and the environment. Farming of animals can and should be done without cruelty, and without degrading the quality of life in rural America. • Curbing junk-food marketing to kids. Food companies should not be targeting children with foods that promote tooth decay, obesity, and other health problems. "Food Day will bring together a lot of people with common interests in food issues, but who otherwise haven't worked all that closely together," said Michael F. Jacobson, who founded CSPI 40 years ago. "So whether your primary concern is human health, farm policy, or the quality of life in rural America, Food Day can be an opportunity to start solving local and national food problems from the ground up." Besides Jacobson, Food Day is led by honorary co-chairs Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), and an advisory board that includes author Michael Pollan; prominent physicians Caldwell Esselstyn, Michael Roizen, and David Satcher; nutrition authorities Walter Willett, Kelly Brownell, and Marion Nestle; public health expert Georges Benjamin; and chefs Dan Barber, Nora Pouillon, and Alice Waters. National organizations, such as the American Dietetic Association, American Public Health Association, Community Food Security Coalition, Earth Day Network, Farmers Market Coalition, Humane Society of the United States, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Prevention Institute, and Slow Food USA, along with many city- and state-level organizations, are planning on organizing or participating in Food Day events. "Why Food Day? It is time to make real food the number-one priority in our country," said Alice Waters, proprietor of the acclaimed Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, Calif. "The choices we make about food affect our health, the health of the planet—and the way we live our lives." "Food Day is an opportunity to celebrate real food and the movement rising to reform the American food system," the author Michael Pollan said. Soon, <a href="http://www.foodday.org">FoodDay.org</a> will let people type in their ZIP codes to find Food Day events near them—or to invite people to create their own Food Day events. 2011-04-04 CSPI Hails Proposed Menu Labeling Regulations http://cspinet.org/new/201104011.html Ten years after starting a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/menulabeling/">movement</a> to put calories on chain restaurant menus and menu boards, the Center for Science in the Public Interest strongly supports the proposed menu labeling regulations released by the Food and Drug Administration. The <a href="http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm249471.htm">new regulations</a> are required by the health care reform law enacted last March, which requires chain restaurants with 20 or more outlets to post calories on menus and menu boards, and to provide additional nutrition information in writing upon request. The proposed rules released today are expected to be finalized by the end of the year. "A number of things contribute to obesity, but <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/lit_rev-eating_out_and_obesity.pdf">studies show</a> that eating out is linked to higher calorie intakes and higher body weights," said CSPI nutrition policy director Margo Wootan. "Without nutrition information, how are people supposed to know that some salads have more calories than some burgers? Or that some ‘appetizers’ pack a thousand or more calories?" Studies show that providing nutrition information for packaged foods and restaurant foods has a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/lit_review-nutrition_info_studies.pdf">positive influence</a> on food-purchase decisions. While a few recent studies have found no effect, small studies lack enough statistical power to measure the public health effect that can be expected from menu labeling. One of the best studies was conducted by researchers at Stanford University. They found that menu labeling in New York City resulted in a 6 percent decrease in calories on average per transaction (for people buying more calories, the effect was bigger, a 26 percent decrease) at Starbucks. The researchers estimated that if people made similar changes at other chain restaurants, that would result in a 30-calorie per person per day decrease population-wide. "That is an important finding given that the obesity epidemic is probably fueled by about an extra 100 calories per person per day." Wootan said. Menu labeling laws have been passed in 18 states, cities, and counties and are in effect in Vermont, California, New York City, Philadelphia, and King County, Wash. As a result of the laws that have been implemented, many restaurants, including Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Taco Bell, Uno Chicago Grill, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, and others have reformulated menu items or added new lower-calorie choices. CSPI is disappointed that the proposed regulations excluded movie theaters and alcohol from the proposed menu labeling regulations, but will press the FDA to include them in the final regulation. "If a movie theater is going to serve up thousand-calorie tubs of popcorn, 400-calorie drinks, and 400-calorie boxes of candy, the least they could do is tell you about it," Wootan said. "Also, it will be confusing to customers if soft drinks are labeled on menus, but alcoholic drinks like beer and wine aren’t." 2011-04-01 Strong FDA Action on Food Dyes Urged http://cspinet.org/new/201103301.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonI’m glad that after many years of denial, the Food and Drug Administration is <a href="http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/FoodAdvisoryCommittee/UCM248102.pdf">reviewing</a> the evidence linking synthetic food dyes to behavioral problems in children. Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and other dyes have no useful nutritional or preservative value; their only function is cosmetic. And by "cosmetic," I mean that dyes are often used to make junk food more attractive to young children, or to simulate the presence of a healthful fruit or other natural ingredient. Surprisingly, even foods that aren’t particularly colorful—such as instant mashed potatoes or pickles—are dyed. The <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/dyesreschbk.pdf">evidence</a> that these petrochemicals worsen some children's behavior is convincing, and I hope that the FDA’s advisory committee will advise the agency to both require warning notices and encourage companies voluntarily to switch to safer natural colorings. (The FDA isn't asking the committee about a ban.) Having brightly colored Froot Loops, Skittles, Mountain Dews, or pickles or anything else just isn't worth putting any children at risk. In <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/201007201.html">Europe</a>, a law requires most dyed foods (there are few) to bear a warning notice, which is a powerful incentive for food manufacturers not to use artificial dyes. Last I heard, Europe is surviving quite well. It is to the great shame of many U.S.-based food companies that they are marketing safer, naturally colored products in Europe but not in the United States. 2011-03-30 FDA Urged to Prohibit Carcinogenic "Caramel Coloring" http://cspinet.org/new/201102161.html CSPI Says Artificial Caramel Coloring is Quite Different from Real CaramelWASHINGTON—The “caramel coloring” used in Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and other foods is contaminated with two cancer-causing chemicals and should be banned, according to a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/caramel_coloring_petition.pdf" target="cspi">regulatory petition filed today </a> by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In contrast to the caramel one might make at home by melting sugar in a saucepan, the artificial brown coloring in colas and some other products is made by reacting sugars with ammonia and sulfites under high pressure and temperatures. Chemical reactions result in the formation of 2-methylimidazole and 4 methylimidazole, which in government-conducted studies caused lung, liver, or thyroid cancer or leukemia in laboratory mice or rats. <img src="/images/ToxiColaCSPI.jpg">Photo Credit: Jorge Bach, CSPI The National Toxicology Program, the division of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences that conducted the animal studies, said that there is “clear evidence” that both 2-MI and 4-MI are animal carcinogens. Chemicals that cause cancer in animals are considered to pose cancer threats to humans. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, found significant levels of 4-MI in five brands of cola. “Carcinogenic colorings have no place in the food supply, especially considering that their only function is a cosmetic one,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “The FDA should act quickly to revoke its approval of caramel colorings made with ammonia.” Federal regulations distinguish among four types of <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm#caramel" target="cspi">caramel coloring</a>, two of which are produced with ammonia and two without it. CSPI wants the Food and Drug Administration to prohibit the two made with ammonia. The type used in colas and other dark soft drinks is known as Caramel IV, or ammonia sulfite process caramel. Caramel III, which is produced with ammonia but not sulfites, is sometimes used in beer, soy sauce, and other foods. <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/experts-letter-caramel-coloring.pdf" target="cspi">Five prominent experts </a> on animal carcinogenesis, including several who have worked at the National Toxicology Program, joined CSPI in calling on the FDA to bar the use of caramel colorings made with an ammonia process. “The American public should not be exposed to any cancer risk whatsoever as a result of consuming such chemicals, especially when they serve a non-essential, cosmetic purpose,” the scientists wrote in a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg. CSPI also says the phrase “caramel coloring” is misleading when used to describe colorings made with ammonia or sulfite. The terms “ammonia process caramel” or “ammonia sulfite process caramel” would be more accurate, and companies should not be allowed to label any products that contain such colorings as “natural,” according to the group. “Most people would interpret ‘caramel coloring’ to mean ‘colored with caramel,’ but this particular ingredient has little in common with ordinary caramel or caramel candy,” Jacobson said. “It’s a concentrated dark brown mixture of chemicals that simply does not occur in nature. Regular caramel isn’t healthful, but at least it is not tainted with carcinogens.” In a little-noticed regulatory proceeding in California, state health officials have added 4 MI to the state’s list of “chemicals known to the state to cause cancer.” Under that state’s Proposition 65, foods or other products containing more than certain levels of cancer-causing chemicals must carry warning labels. For 4-MI, that level is 16 micrograms per person per day from an individual product. Popular brands of cola contain about 200 micrograms of 4-MI per 20-ounce bottle—and many people, especially teenaged boys, consume more than that each day. If California’s regulation is finalized, Coke, Pepsi, and other soft drinks would be required to bear a cancer warning label. To put the risk from caramel coloring in context, CSPI says the ten teaspoons of obesity-causing sugars in a non-diet can of soda presents a greater health risk than the ammonia sulfite process caramel. But the levels of 4-MI in the tested colas still may be causing thousands of cancers in the U.S. population. Separate from the risk due to caramel coloring, CSPI has been <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200806022.html" target="cspi">urging the FDA</a> to ban synthetic <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/fooddyes" target="cspi">food colorings</a>, such as Yellow 5 and Red 40. Those dyes cause hyperactivity and other behavioral problems in children, and Red 3 and Yellows 5 and 6 pose cancer risks, according to CSPI. The FDA is holding a Food Advisory Committee review of that issue on March 30–31. Over the years, CSPI's efforts have resulted in reductions in the use of, labeling requirements, or limits on Violet No. 1, sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate, sulfites, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/transfat" target="cspi">partially hydrogenated vegetable oils</a>, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/salt" target="cspi">salt</a>, and olestra. 2011-02-16 CSPI Turns 40 in February! http://cspinet.org/new/201102031.html Menu Labeling, FDA Reform, and School Foods Victories Cap Year 39 for the Group Sometimes Known as the "Food Police"WASHINGTON—It was 40 years ago this month that three young scientists who met in Washington decided to create an organization run by people with scientific training to improve public policies and to encourage other Ph.D. scientists to use their training for the public good. And so, in humble, borrowed office space in 1971 the Center for Science in the Public Interest was born. Working at first on trailblazing issues such as asbestos and lead, CSPI soon came to focus on the nutrition, food safety, and health work for which it is known today. CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson recalls the early days of the organization in <a href="http://cspinet.org/nah/memo/cspi40.html" target="cspi">his column </a> in CSPI’s flagship publication, Nutrition Action Healthletter. “If we had considered the matter carefully, we might have realized that we had no experience running an organization, no money, no connections, and almost no chance of success,” Jacobson wrote. “From that inauspicious beginning, CSPI has grown into an organization that is greatly respected (even by the government officials and politicians we sometimes criticize and by the executives at companies we sometimes sue), widely quoted in the media, and impressively effective.” Besides Jacobson, CSPI’s cofounders included chemist Albert Fritsch and James Sullivan, an oceanographer who remains on CSPI’s board of directors. CSPI is perhaps best known for its headline-grabbing exposés of the nutritional quality of restaurant meals—it famously called Fettuccini Alfredo a “heart attack on a plate” in 1994—and for spearheading support for the law requiring Nutrition Facts labels on packaged foods. It also waged successful efforts to define organic standards for foods; require allergens to be disclosed on all food labels; and reduce the amounts of partially hydrogenated oil, olestra, sulfites, nitrites, and <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/salt" target="cspi">salt</a> used in the food supply. In CSPI’s 39th year, the organization played a major role in three major legislative achievements. The <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201012021.html" target="cspi">Child Nutrition Reauthorization</a> signed by President Obama in December requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to set nutrition standards for the foods sold in vending machines, a la carte lines, and elsewhere in schools. That’s a historic development that will get junk food out of school hallways once and for all—something CSPI has advocated for decades. Similarly, in the culmination of a decade-long fight to prevent foodborne illnesses, CSPI campaigned for the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201101032.html" target="cspi">FDA Food Safety Modernization Act</a>. That law requires food manufacturers to have hazard control plans and requires the FDA to inspect food processing facilities more frequently. And an important health-promotion measure in the new health reform law requires chain restaurants to disclose the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201003211.html" target="cspi">calorie content</a> of every item on menus and menu boards. Though he’s thrilled with those public health victories, Jacobson sees much more to be done. Next month, for instance, CSPI plans to launch a major, nationwide initiative to engage Americans in transforming the food environment for the better. “Still, hundreds of thousands of Americans die each year due to a diet that promotes obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers,” Jacobson said. “There’s a pressing need to expand the grassroots movement for healthy, affordable food produced in a humane, sustainable way.” Elsewhere in the current issue of Nutrition Action, longtime CSPI nutrition director Bonnie Liebman looks back at some of the <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/cover_-_unexpected_findings_from_last_40_years.pdf" target="cspi">surprising nutritional findings</a> of the last 40 years. (For instance, not only does coffee not contribute to pancreatic cancer, as once feared, it now seems likely that drinking coffee reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes—though too much caffeine can cause other problems.) And, CSPI senior scientist David Schardt looks at other <a href="http://cspinet.org/nah/articles/40yearsago.html" target="cspi">major changes in the food environment </a> in the last 40 years—from microwave ovens to the rise of organic foods to the fall of artificial <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/transfat" target="cspi">trans fat</a>. “Back in the ’70s, foods like tofu, whole wheat bread, and brown rice were hard to come by,” Schardt writes. “We cooked more and snacked less. We ate less and weighed less.” <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nah" target="cspi">Nutrition Action Healthletter</a>, first published in 1974, has 850,000 subscribers, including 100,000 subscribers to a separate Canadian edition. Besides publishing CSPI’s famous restaurant studies, Nutrition Action highlights on its popular back page various supermarket foods as either <a href="http://cspinet.org/nah/foodporn/janfeb2011.html" target="cspi">Right Stuffs or Food Porns</a>. Oprah Winfrey called Nutrition Action “the mastermind critic that sounded the food alarms.” Nutrition Action is, as always, advertising-free and CSPI does not accept any corporate donations or government grants—so consumers can have confidence that the group’s advice is based on sound science and not on special interests. 2011-02-03 Safeway Sued for Failure to Notify Consumers of Recalled Food http://cspinet.org/new/201102022.html Supermarket Could Have Used Bonus Card Data to Contact Individuals Who Purchased Tainted Eggs & Peanut Products, But Didn’tWASHINGTON—Safeway should have known that Dee Hensley-Maclean purchased peanut butter crackers and Nutter Butter sandwich cookies that were part of a nationwide recall of products tainted with Salmonella. That’s because Hensley-Maclean used her Safeway Club card when she purchased those products. Safeway’s computers should have had her Ravalli County, MT, mailing address, phone number, and email address. And even though those cookies and crackers could have put Dee or one of her two teenage kids in the hospital with a life-threatening case of salmonellosis, Safeway made no attempt to warn her. Today, along with a San Francisco woman who bought contaminated eggs at her local Safeway, and with the backing of the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, Hensley-Maclean <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/safeway_complaint.pdf" target="cspi">filed a lawsuit</a> against the California-based grocery giant. In a complaint filed today in California Superior Court, the women ask that they and others who bought recalled food be refunded the price of those purchases, and that Safeway commit to using its Club card data to contact consumers in the event of future recalls. “As a concerned parent I take care with my purchases and I assume that the foods we bring home from Safeway will be safe to eat,” said Hensley-Maclean, a 53-year-old civic volunteer. “If Safeway knows that there is a problem, and they know how to get in touch with me, quite frankly I’m astonished that they wouldn’t try to spare me or my children from a preventable foodborne illness.” Hensley-Maclean also purchased some similar snack foods made with peanuts at Costco. But unlike Safeway, Costco uses its membership data to contact consumers who purchased recalled food, and Hensley-Maclean received a letter from that company advising her not to eat the food and instructing her how to get a refund. Jennifer Rosen, a 40-year-old drama and Improv teacher, learned from a neighborhood listserv that the eggs she purchased from Safeway might have been contaminated with Salmonella. She and her family had already consumed several of them—some when they nibbled on raw cookie dough—though none of the Rosens became ill. Rosen was stunned that Safeway didn’t contact her and warn her not to eat the contaminated eggs, even though she, like Hensley-Maclean, used her Safeway Club card when she made her purchase. “My kids are little so I worried that if they got sick, they could get really sick,” Rosen said. “When I had my husband check the numbers on the carton, I couldn’t believe we had contaminated eggs. Safeway sends me emails all the time with paperless coupons. I can’t believe they wouldn’t text or email me with news of a recall.” Safeway is one of the biggest grocery chains that does not have a system that uses loyalty card data to notify consumers who purchased recalled foods. Ralphs, Kroger, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Costco, Giant Food, Harris Teeter, Wegmans, and ShopRite all routinely issue food safety alerts using a variety of methods, including emails and automated phone calls, according to CSPI. Examples of Costco’s alerts from the 2009 peanut-product recall are <a href="http://cspinet.org/audio/CliffBarRecall.mp3" target="cspi">here</a> and <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/costcoletter.pdf" target="cspi">here</a>. “Safeway aggressively uses its Club card data to churn out coupons, analyze its customers’ shopping habits, and otherwise boost sales,” said CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/litigation" target="cspi">litigation</a> director Steve Gardner. “Yet when it knows it has sold products that may be contaminated with E. coli, Salmonella, or other hazards, it does not use its robust marketing database to prevent illnesses or deaths. That is hardly the “safe way” and just shows Safeway’s reckless disregard for the health and safety of its shoppers.” CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201005061.html" target="cspi">notified Safeway</a> in May that it might seek a court order directing the company to notify customers who bought food subject to Class 1 recalls if the company did not agree to do so on its own. In a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/safewayletter.pdf" target="cspi">letter to Safeway</a>, CSPI said that selling food with deadly contaminants makes those foods “misbranded” and “adulterated” under federal law and California’s Health and Safety Code. Refusing to notify consumers of the fact that they are at risk is a violation of California’s Business and Professions Code. Besides CSPI’s litigation unit, the plaintiffs are represented by Craig Briskin and Steven A. Skalet of the Washington, D.C. law firm of Mehri & Skalet, PLLC, and Daniel T. LeBel of the San Francisco-based Consumer Law Practice. Skalet’s firm earlier worked with CSPI to obtain a historic agreement with <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200706141.html" target="cspi">Kellogg</a> that set nutrition standards for the foods that company markets to young children. In February of 2009, CSPI publicly called on the supermarket industry and other retailers that use bonus or <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200902031.html" target="cspi">loyalty card</a> programs to contact customers who bought recalled food. In addition, for customers who used a credit card to pay for the food, companies could use their bonus card data to automatically refund the purchase price of the recalled items, according to CSPI. 2011-02-02 CSPI Welcomes New Dietary Guidelines for Americans http://cspinet.org/new/201101311.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanFor 30 years, the Dietary Guidelines has offered basically the same, sensible advice: eat fewer calories; less saturated fat, sodium, and sugar; and more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Only about 10 percent of Americans have followed that advice. The new <a href="http://usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2011/01/0040.xml" target="cspi">Dietary Guidelines</a> acknowledges that most people find healthy eating like swimming upstream, given the aggressive marketing and ubiquity of foods laden with calories, saturated fat, salt, white flour, and added sugars. This time around, the messages are clearer than in the past. Rather than simply saying "increase fruits and vegetables," the news Guidelines recommend people fill half their plate with fruits and vegetables. Rather than just giving the vague advice to lower sugar intake, they now recommend drinking water in place of <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/liquidcandy" target="cspi">soda</a> and other sugary drinks, which are by far the largest source of sugar in Americans' diets. Importantly, the Guidelines call for "an immediate, deliberate reduction in the sodium content of foods" and for "effective policies to limit food and beverage marketing to children." Another major difference is that Obama administration officials have done more than just publish a pamphlet, cross their fingers, and hope that Americans eat better. They're enacting stronger policies and programs-like improving <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201012021.html" target="cspi">school foods</a>, requiring menu labeling in chain restaurants, and funding communities to promote healthy eating and physical activity-and urging food companies to improve their products and practices. But without even more serious governmental efforts-such as banning artificial <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/transfat" target="cspi">trans fat</a> and limiting <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/salt/hspackaged.html" target="cspi">sodium in packaged foods</a>-the Dietary Guidelines will not be sufficient to fend off the costly and debilitating diet-related illnesses that afflict millions of Americans. 2011-01-31 Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Has Emerged as a Foodborne Hazard, Says CSPI http://cspinet.org/new/201101251.html WASHINGTON—Foodborne illnesses due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been occurring since the 1970s, according to a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/abrfoodbornepathogenswhitepaper.pdf" target="cspi">recent study</a> by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which signals that antibiotics used on the farm may be causing more serious pathogens in the nation’s food supply. CSPI’s analysis shows a steady increase of such outbreaks in every decade since the 1970s, though that may be due to increased testing and reporting, the group said. In its study of 35 documented outbreaks, raw milk, raw milk cheeses and ground beef appeared to carry the resistant pathogens most frequently. “Outbreaks from antibiotic resistant strains of Salmonella, though rare, can not be ignored by our food safety regulators. The problem has clearly emerged with respect to some high risk foods,” said CSPI <a href="http://cspinet.org/foodsafety" target="cspi">food safety</a> director Caroline Smith DeWaal. “Both humans and animals rely on antibiotics to stay healthy. But overuse in some sectors may squander their effectiveness and leave consumer vulnerable to hard-to-treat foodborne infections.” Multi-drug resistance was found in 10 out of 14 outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant foodborne illness reported between 2000 and 2009, according to the study. CSPI says the problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria needs much greater scrutiny by federal government if antibiotics are to remain effective in treating human and veterinary illnesses. Cataloging outbreaks of foodborne illness and then testing the pathogens for antibiotic resistance is a critical step if policymakers are to document the link between antibiotic use on farms animals and human illness from antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the group says. Antibiotic resistance is an inevitable consequence of antibiotic use, according to the CSPI report. The more antibiotics are used, the more bacteria will develop resistance. Patients who develop an infection from antibiotic-resistant bacteria are more likely to have longer and more expensive hospitalizations and increased mortality. And, the antibiotics that finally do provide successful treatment to resistant bacteria can be more toxic to humans, with more serious side effects than common antibiotics. CSPI presented its findings at a one-day conference it cosponsored with the Pew Charitable Trusts, Managing the Risk of Foodborne Hazards: STECs and Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogens. Besides DeWaal, other presenters at the conference included the USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety Elisabeth Hagen, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods Michael Taylor, Patricia Griffin from the CDC, and Danilo Lo Fo Wong from the World Health Organization. 2011-01-25 Strike Two for Front-of-Package Food Labeling http://cspinet.org/new/201101241.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonIn 2009, the food industry’s fatally flawed <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200910202.html" target="cspi">Smart Choices</a> labeling program became a national laughingstock for putting its logo on junk foods like Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes. Today, the industry is striking out again with its new front-of-package <a href="http://www.gmaonline.org/issues-policy/health-nutrition/providing-innovative-and-healthy-choices/nutrition-keys-front-of-pack-labeling-initiative/" target="cspi">Nutrition Keys</a>. It’s a scheme consisting of confusing icons that will be largely ignored by consumers. It’s unfortunate the industry wouldn’t adopt a more effective system or simply wait until the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/01/23/can-wal-mart-make-us-healthier/the-fda-should-be-bolder-than-wal-mart" target="cspi">Food and Drug Administration</a> developed a system that would be as useful to consumers as possible. The whole point of front-label nutrition information or symbols should be to convey quickly and simply how healthful a food is. A system with green, yellow, and red dots to indicate whether a food has a good, middling, or poor nutritional quality would probably be a lot more effective than industry’s system. Alternatively, numerical ratings from -100 to +100 or 0 to 10 would allow people to easily compare one brand of food to another. In contrast, Nutrition Keys system appears to be designed to distract consumers’ attention from, not highlight, the high content of sodium, added sugars, or saturated fat in all too many processed foods. 2011-01-24 Walmart to Require Elimination of Artificial Trans, Reduction of Sodium & Added Sugars http://cspinet.org/new/201101201.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonI applaud Walmart for using its marketplace muscle to move the food industry in a healthier direction. This <a href="http://walmartstores.com/pressroom/news/10514.aspx" target="cspi">announcement</a> will virtually eliminate artificial <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/transfat" target="cspi">trans fat</a> in packaged foods and help spur food manufacturers to cut the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/salt" target="cspi">sodium</a> in their products over the next several years. Those two moves by Walmart ultimately should save thousands of lives each year that might otherwise be lost to heart disease or stroke. I hope this move emboldens the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture, which should immediately pull the plug on partially hydrogenated oil and set reasonable limits on sodium levels in different categories of packaged foods. 2011-01-20 Report Card Grades States on Reporting Outbreaks of Foodborne Illness http://cspinet.org/new/201101191.html 7 States Earn ‘A’s … and 14 States Get ‘F’s from CSPIWASHINGTON—A <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/alloverthemap.pdf" target="cspi">nationwide report card</a> grading the 50 states and the District of Columbia on how well they detect, investigate, and report outbreaks of foodborne illness finds great variability—indicating that many states are only reporting a small fraction of the number of outbreaks as states with better detection and reporting systems. Using 10 years of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/outbreak/pathogen.php" target="cspi">Outbreak Alert!</a> database, CSPI assigned a letter grade and created an outbreak profile for each state. CSPI used two states that are widely recognized for having strong investigating and reporting systems as benchmarks. Those states, Oregon and Minnesota, have excellent laboratory facilities and public health departments that are quick to interview individuals who are suspected to have been <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/outbreak_report.html" target="cspi">outbreak</a> “cases.” They report nine and eight outbreaks per million people per year, respectively. Those two states, and five states that reported equally high reporting rates for outbreaks, received ‘A’s: Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Washington, and Wyoming. In contrast, 14 states reported only one outbreak of foodborne illness per million people: Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia. “States that aggressively investigate outbreaks and report them to CDC can help nail down the foods that are responsible for making people sick,” said CSPI food safety director Caroline Smith DeWaal. “But when states aren’t detecting outbreaks, interviewing victims, identifying suspect food sources, or connecting with federal officials, outbreaks can grow larger and more frequent, putting more people at risk.” In its report, <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/alloverthemap.pdf" target="cspi">All Over the Map</a>, CSPI acknowledges that it may seem counter-intuitive to give higher grades to states with more outbreaks. But, in fact, those states are the most likely to have robust detection and reporting systems, according to the group. The report card suggests that states that received ‘D’s or ‘F’s may lack adequate funding for public health services, leading to health departments that are understaffed and overburdened. CSPI also identified a troubling trend. The percentage of solved outbreaks—those with both an identified food and an identified pathogen—has declined over the 10-year period, from 1998 through 2007. The peak reporting year was 2001 when 44 percent of outbreaks reported to CDC were solved; the lowest year, when only 34 percent were reported, was 2007. But CSPI says that the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201101032.html" target="cspi">signed into law </a> by President Obama earlier this month, requires the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC to <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/50_state_fsma_fact_sheet.pdf" target="cspi">enhance coordination between federal, state, and local surveillance systems </a> and improve epidemiological tools available to the states. And within a year, the law directs the federal government to name five state health departments as regional Centers of Excellence to serve as resources for public health officials in response to outbreaks. “Hopefully, this report will stimulate discussions among public health officials, food safety policy makers, legislators and the public about the value of surveillance,” said Craig Hedberg, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. “Ensuring that all states benefit from effective foodborne disease surveillance is a long range goal. A network of Regional Centers of Excellence can develop and demonstrate the best practices that have helped Minnesota and Oregon maintain their excellent records of foodborne disease surveillance and outbreak investigation.” CSPI recommends that consumers and doctors do their parts, too. Consumers should notify their local health department when they suspect they have suffered a foodborne illness, and should seek medical treatment when needed, the group says. Physicians should likewise report suspected cases to health departments, and be more assertive about pursuing laboratory testing to detect and confirm foodborne illnesses. Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, and Vermont received ‘B’s, with each state reporting 6 or 7 outbreaks per million people. Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Wisconsin received ‘C’s, with each state reporting 4 or 5 outbreaks per million people. Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia received ‘D’s. Those states and D.C. each only reported 2 or 3 outbreaks per million people. In developing this report, CSPI used CDC data from OutbreakNet Foodborne Outbreak Online Database which became available on September 17, 2009. According to CDC, data available via the OutbreakNet Online Database originate from a dynamic outbreak surveillance database. Reporting agencies (state, local, territorial, and tribal health departments, and CDC) can modify their NORS reports at any time, even months or years after an outbreak. Therefore, specific results from Foodborne Outbreak Online Database are subject to change. 2011-01-19 FDA Needs Authority To See Evidence on Structure/Function Claims, Says GAO http://cspinet.org/new/201101141.html WASHINGTON—A report today from the <a href="http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-102" target="cspi">Government Accountability Office</a> says the FDA needs more authority from Congress to help police potentially misleading claims on <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodlabeling/" target="cspi">food labels</a>. Specifically, GAO says FDA should be able to see food companies’ evidence for so-called structure/function claims—the increasingly familiar claims that a given product affects the structure or function of the body. Those claims typically take the form that a food with calcium, say, “builds strong bones.” But according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, structure/function claims are often unsubstantiated, or worse, illegally imply the food will prevent or treat a disease. “If a company wants to claim a food will ‘maintain healthy joints’ or ‘support healthy eyes,’ the FDA should at least be able to see the company’s evidence for that, and if there is weak evidence the claim should not be allowed,” said CSPI senior regulatory counsel Ilene Ringel Heller. “Claims that a sugary drink, a yogurt, or a cereal provides ‘immunity’ to some unspecified disease would not and should not survive that kind of scrutiny.” The GAO also called on the FDA to issue guidance to industry spelling out the type and strength of the scientific evidence needed to prevent false or misleading structure/function claims. CSPI says that for conventional foods, Congress should also give the FDA authority to disallow structure/function claims that are not backed by significant scientific agreement. 2011-01-14 CSPI Supports American Heart Association's Call for Lower Sodium Recommendation http://cspinet.org/new/201101132.html New "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" Due Later This MonthWASHINGTON—The Center for Science in the Public Interest says that Americans should aim to consume no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day—far less than either the 2,300 mg recommended by the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, or the 4,000 mg of sodium that the average adult currently consumes. CSPI is supporting a <a href="http://www.newsroom.heart.org/index.php?s=43&item=1237" target="cspi">new advisory</a> from the American Heart Association, published in the <a href="http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/CIR.0b013e31820d0793v1?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&andorexacttitle=and&andorexacttitleabs=and&fulltext=sodium&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&fdate=1/1/2011&resourcetype=HWCIT" target="cspi">journal Circulation</a>, which calls on the “public, health professionals, the food industry, and the government to intensify efforts to reduce the amount of sodium (salt) Americans consume daily.” “Without question, the amounts of salt used in <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/salt/hspackaged.html" target="cspi">packaged</a> and <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/salt/hsrestaurant.html" target="cspi">restaurant</a> foods make it the deadliest ingredient in the food supply, causing high blood pressure, stroke, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200905111.html" target="cspi">heart disease</a>, and kidney problems,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “We hope that the soon-to-be-released revision of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans reflects the scientific consensus that Americans are consuming too much <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/salt" target="cspi">salt</a>. Even though reducing consumption to 2,300 milligrams—the target in the current Guidelines—would represent great progress, we urge the new Guidelines to provide the more desirable 1,500-mg target.” As part of the AHA’s goal to reduce deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20 percent, the organization is recommending a population-wide reduction of sodium intake to less than 1,500 mg daily. In 2005, CSPI filed a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200511081.html" target="cspi">regulatory petition</a> with the Food and Drug Administration calling on the agency to regulate salt as a food additive, and set reasonable limits on the amounts that can be used in different categories of processed food. The next version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, produced jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, is expected to be released later this month. 2011-01-13 USDA Releases New & Improved School Meal Nutrition Criteria http://cspinet.org/new/201101131.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanI applaud <a href="http://usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2011/01/0010.xml" target="cspi">USDA</a> for proposing to bring school meal standards into the 21st century. The new standards represent an enormous improvement over the status quo. Capping calories, limiting French fries, and reducing salt will all help America’s school children avoid unnecessary weight gain and diet-related diseases. And requiring <a href="http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2009/School-Meals-Building-Blocks-for-Healthy-Children.aspx" target="cspi">school lunches</a> to provide more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables will teach kids healthy eating habits that may last a lifetime. In addition, the recently passed <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201012021.html" target="cspi">child nutrition </a> reauthorization law will provide schools with more advice, model menus, healthy recipes, and funding to implement these rules once they’re finalized and adopted. 2011-01-13 President to Sign Historic Food Safety Bill, Reforming FDA http://cspinet.org/new/201101032.html Food Safety Plans & Inspections Will Reduce Recalls & Outbreaks, Says CSPIWASHINGTON—Legislation that will dramatically upgrade the food safety functions of the Food and Drug Administration will be signed into law tomorrow by President Barack Obama, giving the agency a broad new mandate to prevent food from becoming contaminated. The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, a long-time proponent of modernizing FDA’s food safety framework, says that implementation of the law will give Americans greater confidence in the safety and security of the food supply and will reduce the number of outbreaks of foodborne illness. “This is a historic victory for consumers, who can now look forward to a future of safer food,” said CSPI food safety director Caroline Smith DeWaal, who has been advocating for FDA reform for more than 10 years “For far too long, the FDA has been in reactive mode, chasing down contaminated food after people are already sick with E. coli, Salmonella, or other dangerous pathogens. Now, by incorporating modern scientific and legal tools, the FDA will put the horse before the cart, requiring food manufacturers and farmers to implement plans aimed at preventing contaminated products. This is the most important food safety advance in 70 years.” In recent years, the bill enjoyed the support of a broad coalition of consumer and industry groups. Besides CSPI, the coalition included the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, the Pew Charitable Trusts, and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, as well as the Grocery Manufacturers Association. Survivors of foodborne illness and relatives of deceased victims also played an important role lobbying for passage of the bill. “Soon parents should be able to shop without worrying that the spinach, tomatoes, peanut butter, or eggs in their cart are going to cause illness and misery,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “Once implemented, the law will give consumers greater confidence that the food they purchase comes from farms and facilities that follow good food safety practices, and that FDA inspectors can help verify that companies are adhering to those practices.” Besides requiring companies to develop food safety plans and increasing the frequency of federal inspections, the bill gives the FDA authority to recall potentially contaminated food from the marketplace—a power the agency now lacks. The bill also improves surveillance of outbreaks of foodborne illness and sets higher standards for the safety of imported foods. “This bill reflects years of work by a number of Members of Congress, especially Representatives John Dingell, Rosa DeLauro, Frank Pallone, and Henry Waxman, and Senators Dick Durbin and Tom Harkin,” said DeWaal. “President Obama deserves credit for making food safety an early priority of his Administration. But FDA’s job of implementing the bill will require Congressional oversight and new appropriations to ensure that the agency can effectively use the tools it has been given.” Tomorrow’s bill-signing caps the most significant legislative year ever for food policy advocates and the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Besides passing the food safety bill, Congress set the stage for eliminating junk food from schools, when it passed landmark <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201012021.html" target="cspi">child nutrition legislation</a>. And in March, another of CSPI’s longstanding legislative priorities became law when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed. Besides providing unprecedented amounts of funding for state and local campaigns to promote healthier diets, the health reform law requires chain restaurants to list calories on menus and menu boards. 2011-01-03 Health Warnings Urged for Soda & Other Sugary Drinks http://cspinet.org/new/201101031.html Health Groups, Local Agencies, and Nutrition Experts Support CSPI’s CallWASHINGTON—The federal government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that people drink less soda and other sugary drinks. To help implement that advice, today a number of health groups, state and municipal agencies, and prominent nutrition experts are calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to require health notices where they will most help consumers—right on the bottle or can. In a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/soda_letter_to_fda.pdf" target="cspi">letter to FDA </a> Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, the health advocates said that the agency should use its authority to require a rotating series of messages on labels of sugar-sweetened drinks, warning about the risks of weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. “In light of the overwhelming evidence linking soft drinks to serious diseases, consumers deserve to know—and soft drink labels should disclose—those health risks,” the organizations and experts wrote. The Center for Science in the Public Interest formally <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200507131.html" target="cspi">petitioned the FDA </a> in 2005 to require health messages on soda labels. While the petition has languished, CSPI hopes that the Obama Administration, which has placed a high priority on reducing childhood obesity, will look more favorably on the petition than the Bush-era FDA did. <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/liquidcandy" target="cspi">Soda pop </a> and other sugary drinks are now the single largest contributor of calories to the diet, providing as much as 10 to 15 percent of teens’ caloric intake, according to one study cited in today’s letter. “Our leading source of calories is a nutritionally worthless beverage that promotes obesity, diabetes, and other debilitating and expensive conditions,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “A warning label would not solve the obesity problem, but it would be a simple, inexpensive way to remind consumers of key facts when they are considering buying a major cause of the problem. A comprehensive effort to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks would be one of the single most important things that government could do to reduce obesity in children and adults.” Signers of today’s letter include the American Public Health Association, the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, Shape Up America!, and the Trust for America’s Health. Notably, a number of health departments also signed on to the letter, including the New York State Department of Health, the Boston Public Health Commission, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, and the El Paso, TX, Department of Public Health. Some of the health messages proposed in the letter include: <ul> <li>The U.S. Government recommends that you drink fewer sugary drinks to prevent weight gain, tooth decay, heart disease, and diabetes.</li> <li>Drinking too many sugary drinks can promote diabetes and heart disease.</li> <li>For better health, the U.S. Government recommends that you limit your consumption of sugary drinks.</li> <li>This drink contains 250 calories. Consider switching to water.</li> </ul> Even toddlers are drinking fruit drinks and soda pop, according to CSPI. The group estimates that one- and two-year-olds are drinking an average of seven ounces per day. Older boys drink even more. CSPI says that the average 12- to 19-year-old male drinks about 28.5 ounces—or 350 calories’ worth—each day. Individual cosigners on the letter include Henry Blackburn of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health; George Bray of the Pennington Biological Research Center at Louisiana State University; Carlos Camargo, JoAnn Manson, and Eric Rimm from Harvard Medical School; Barry Popkin from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Walter C. Willett of the Harvard School of Public Health. 2011-01-03 New Nutrition Labeling Rules for Meat a Missed Opportunity, Says CSPI http://cspinet.org/new/201012291.html The U.S. Department of Agriculture today released <a href="http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-32485.pdf">final rules</a> for the labeling of meat and poultry--rules that have been stalled at the agency for 10 years. Unfortunately, the rules provide no new consumer benefit, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Under the rules, packages of ground beef, a major source of saturated fat, and ground poultry must bear Nutrition Facts labels by January 2012. However, the Center for Science in the Public Interest said that most ground beef already has such labeling. The group <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/meatlabel.pdf">had urged USDA</a> to prohibit "percent lean" statements on labels of ground meat. CSPI says that its research shows that the term "lean" misleads consumers into thinking that, say, "80 percent lean" ground beef is lower in fat than it really is. The term "low fat," as defined by the Food and Drug Administration, could not be used on products that contain more than 3 grams of fat per serving, a level that no ground beef meets. When consumer and health organizations opposed "percent lean" claims in the 1990s, USDA shelved its proposed rule. Now the agency is allowing the claims because, it says, consumers are used to seeing them. "Use of the word 'lean' in the context of ground beef is designed to deceive," says CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "The meat industry has insisted on labeling ground meat that way to make ground beef appear leaner. Consumers assume that they are following advice to eat lean meat when they purchase ground beef that is 80 percent lean, yet it is one of the fattiest meats on the market. Nutrition Facts labels don't correct that deception." For steaks, chops, roasts, and other cuts of meat, USDA is requiring nutrition information either on labels or on signs in supermarkets. To date, supermarkets have always chosen to post signs rather than use labels. CSPI says that the signs are hard to find, difficult to decipher, and show nutrition information for relatively puny 4-ounce servings, thereby understating the calorie and fat content of typical servings of steaks. <a href="http://cspinet.org/nah/articles/kindestcut.html">Many Americans actually consume steaks that weigh two, three, or four times the official USDA serving size</a>. "It's too bad that USDA missed an opportunity to give consumers easy-to-use, on-package information about how many calories and how much saturated fat is in steaks, roasts, and other cuts of meat," Jacobson said. CSPI had urged the agency to require that single-serving packages of meat—one steak, say—bear nutrition information for the whole cut as sold. Alternatively, said CSPI, labels could have stated "Nutrition Facts are based on a 4-oz. serving. This package contains multiple servings." "USDA should err on the side of protecting consumers' health," Jacobson said. "But I fear that when the food industry wants one thing and consumers another, consumers get the short end of the stick." 2010-12-29 Class Action Lawsuit Targets McDonald's Use of Toys to Market to Children http://cspinet.org/new/201012151.html Practice Illegally Exploits Children, Says CSPIWASHINGTON—A mother of two from Sacramento, Calif., says that McDonald’s uses toys as bait to induce her kids to clamor to go to McDonald’s and to develop a preference for nutritionally poor Happy Meals. With the help of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, today the mom, Monet Parham, is filing a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/mcdonald_scomplaint.pdf" target="cspi">class action lawsuit</a> aimed at stopping McDonald’s use of toys to market directly to young children. The suit will be filed in California Superior Court in San Francisco shortly after the court opens for business Wednesday morning. According to Parham, the main reason her six-year-old daughter, Maya, asks to go to McDonald’s is to get toys based on Barbie, i-Carly, Shrek, or Strawberry Shortcake. The food seems almost beside the point to the kids, says Parham, because the toy monopolizes the attention of Maya and her two-year-old sister Lauryn. <object width="325" height="250"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5YQOZoPtCO0"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5YQOZoPtCO0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="325" height="250"></embed> </object> “I am concerned about the health of my children and feel that McDonald’s should be a very limited part of their diet and their childhood experience,” Parham said. “But as other busy, working moms and dads know, we have to say ‘no’ to our young children so many times, and McDonald’s makes that so much harder to do. I object to the fact that McDonald’s is getting into my kids’ heads without my permission and actually changing what my kids want to eat.” Documents cited by CSPI in the lawsuit show that the Parham family’s experience isn’t accidental. It is entirely by design. “Go after kids,” is how Roy Bergold, who headed McDonald’s advertising for 29 years as chief creative officer, described the company’s strategy in an article in QSR magazine. “Ray Kroc said that if you had $1 to spend on marketing, spend it on kids. Why? Because they can’t get to your restaurant by themselves and they eat a lot.” Bergold also acknowledged in a separate QSR column that “companies have found that kids are a lot more tempted by the toys than the food.” McDonald’s “gets into the parents’ wallets via the kids’ minds,” according to an online presentation by Martin Lindstrom, who advises McDonald’s on branding and “neuromarketing.” And Joe Johnston, who was on the advertising-agency team that developed the McDonald’s Fun Meal, which pre-dated the Happy Meal, bluntly explained the centrality of the toy to the meal’s marketing: “Yes, even then, we knew that we needed the toy to make it work.” Fast-food companies—with McDonald’s by far in the lead—spent over $520 million in 2006 on advertising and toys to market children’s meals. Toy premiums made up almost three-quarters of those expenses, totaling over $350 million. According to the Institute of Medicine and the American Psychological Association, kids as young as Maya do not have the cognitive maturity to understand the persuasive intent of advertising. Advertising that is not understood to be advertising is inherently deceptive—an idea that CSPI’s lawsuit points out is well established in law. “Every time McDonald’s markets a Happy Meal directly to a young child, it exploits a child’s developmental vulnerability and violates several states’ consumer protection laws, including the California Unfair Competition Law,” said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. Even though Happy Meals <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YQOZoPtCO0" target="cspi">television advertising</a> shows brief glimpses of healthier products, such as Apple Dippers and low-fat milk, the default options put into Happy Meal by McDonald's employees are usually French fries and sugary sodas. In a CSPI study of 44 McDonald’s outlets, French fries were automatically included in Happy Meals 93 percent of the time. Soft drinks were the first choice offered to customers 78 percent of the time. According to CSPI, a reasonable lunch for a typical sedentary four- to eight-year-old should not exceed a third of a day’s worth, or about 430 calories. Of the Happy Meal combinations that are possible, only a handful fall under that threshold—and even those have more than one-third of day’s worth of sodium. But none of the Happy Meals that are served with fries or a soda are healthy for children aged four to eight, according to CSPI. A meal of a cheeseburger, fries, and a Sprite has 640 calories, 7 grams of artery-clogging saturated fat, and 35 grams—or 9 teaspoons—of sugar. “McDonald’s congratulates itself for meals that are hypothetically possible, though it knows very well that it’s mostly selling burgers or chicken nuggets, fries, and sodas to very young children,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “In other words, McDonald’s offerings consist mostly of fatty meat, fatty cheese, French fries, white flour, and sugar—a narrow combination of foods that promotes weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease—and may lead to a lifetime of poor diets.” “What kids see as a fun toy, I now realize is a sophisticated, high-tech marketing scheme that’s designed to put McDonald’s between me and my daughters,” Parham said. “For the sake of other parents and their children, I want McDonald’s to stop interfering with my family.” In June, CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201006221.html" target="cspi">first notified</a> McDonald’s it might be the target of a lawsuit. Repeatedly, CSPI offered to meet with McDonald’s to try to reach an agreement that would avoid litigation, but McDonald’s refused. In anticipation of filing its suit, CSPI <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/retention_letter_mcdonald_s_121410.pdf" target="cspi">served McDonald’s with a letter </a> on Tuesday instructing the company to preserve any documents in its possession related to the use of toys to market Happy Meals to children. Lawyers for Parham will seek to examine those documents in discovery as the case proceeds. In addition to CSPI's Litigation Unit, Parham is also represented by private attorney Richard Baker of Baker Law, P.C. in Birmingham, Alabama. CSPI’s <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/litigation" target="cspi">litigation unit</a> has taken on food marketing to children before. In 2006, CSPI notified Kellogg that it would be sued for marketing sugary cereals and other junk food directly to children. After negotiating for more than a year, CSPI and Kellogg reached a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200706141.html" target="cspi">historic settlement agreement</a> that set nutrition standards for the foods the company may advertise on media with young audiences. Since then, Kellogg only advertises to young audiences if a serving of the food meets certain nutrition criteria. Subsequently, numerous other companies announced voluntary nutrition standards for their advertising. In previous fast-food litigation, CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200606121.html" target="cspi">sued KFC</a> for using partially hydrogenated oil, which made KFC’s chicken high in trans fat. CSPI dropped that lawsuit when the company agreed to <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200610301.html" target="cspi">phase out </a> partially hydrogenated oils. KFC chicken is now trans-fat free. McDonald’s use of toys to market to children is also beginning to come under scrutiny by local officials. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors recently <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201011091.html" target="cspi">passed an ordinance</a> setting nutrition standards for children’s meals sold with toys, and CSPI is urging other jurisdictions to consider similar legislation. See what experts are saying about Parham v. McDonald’s <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/what_they_re_saying.pdf" target="cspi">here</a>. 2010-12-15 Nestle Urged Not To Buy Chicken-Flavored Fungus Company Quorn http://cspinet.org/new/201012132.html CSPI Cites Dangerous Allergic ReactionsWASHINGTON—A nonprofit nutrition and food safety watchdog group is urging Nestlé not to purchase Quorn, a line of fungus-based fake meats that causes severe allergic reactions—including vomiting, diarrhea, and anaphylactic reactions—in some people. In a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/quornnestleletter.pdf" target="cspi">letter to Nestlé</a>, the Center for Science in the Public Interest says that it will continue to press government agencies to withdraw <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/quorn" target="cspi">Quorn</a> from the market or at least require that it bear labels warning consumers of the risks of eating it. Scientists first discovered Quorn’s fungus, Fusarium venenatum, in 1967 in a soil sample from the British town of Marlow. Grown in giant fermentation vats and continuously fed a supply of oxygen, glucose, and nutrients, Quorn’s fungus spawns a protein-rich paste. That paste is further processed into vaguely meaty chunks or strips. And in 1985, Marlow Foods introduced a “savoury pie” composed of what it now calls “mycoprotein.” Today, Quorn typically takes the shape of patties or nuggets designed to simulate chicken, as well as a one-pound cylindrical “Turk’y Roast” and ethnic dishes such as the “Tikka pieces” and “Fillets in Tomato and Olive Sauce” it sells in the U.K. The scientists who found Quorn’s fungus might have had an inkling about their discovery when they chose the Latin venenatum—or “filled with venom”—for its name. Sure enough, an early study by Quorn’s manufacturer found that 10 percent of 200 human subjects fed Quorn developed nausea or a stomachache. Other scientists found that Quorn caused allergic reactions in some patients. And in 2003, CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson published a letter in the journal Allergy characterizing the <a href="http://cspinet.org/quorn/medical_research.html" target="cspi">adverse reactions</a> of 284 Quorn consumers (CSPI has a Web site to collect such <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/cgi-bin/quorn/quorn.cgi" target="cspi">reports</a>). A subsequent article in the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200309231.html" target="cspi">American Journal of Medicine</a> reported that, according to a CSPI-commissioned telephone survey in Britain, a higher percentage of people believe they are sensitive to Quorn than to shellfish, milk, peanuts, wheat or other common allergens. Though no deaths have yet been linked to Quorn, anaphylaxis can be life-threatening. “It was clearly a mistake for <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200304231.html" target="cspi">food safety</a> regulators in Europe, the United States, and <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201009231.html" target="cspi">Australia</a> to approve Quorn for human consumption in the first place,” Jacobson said. “It would be a real tragedy for a major food company like Nestle to start marketing foods made with this harmful ingredient on a bigger scale. There’s so much concern about allergic reactions to conventional foods, so it’s especially inappropriate to broaden the marketing of an unnecessary and novel powerful allergen.” Quorn is presently owned by U.K.-based Premier Foods. It has been previously owned by private equity firms and the drug company AstraZeneca. CSPI has been urging the <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/quorn_mcclellan_letter_4-23.pdf" target="cspi">Food and Drug Administration</a> to revoke its “generally recognized as safe” designation for Quorn mycoprotein, and CSPI’s litigation unit has <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200909171.html" target="cspi">filed suit </a> on behalf of an Pennsylvania woman who had a severe reaction from eating Quorn. Those efforts have not yet succeeded in getting Quorn off the market or requiring warning labels on the product, though previously CSPI got the company to at least acknowledge on the label that mycoprotein comes from a fungus. “I was curled in a ball on the bathroom floor for almost three hours continually throwing up,” said Marisa Santanna, a behavioral health case manager from Harrisburg, PA, who ate Quorn nuggets and cutlets. “It got so bad that I started to throw up blood. The next morning I felt fine, and I made the connection that the last time this happened I ate Quorn, too. I read the ingredients on the box and decided to look up mycoprotein and was shocked at what I found online. There isn’t even a warning on the box.” Quorn’s manufacturer used to claim that its signature ingredient was “mushroom based,” but the company still describes Fusarium venenatum as “an edible fungi [sic] like mushrooms, morels, or truffles.” But Fusarium venenatum is quite unlike mushrooms, and is actually a form of mold—some of which are edible and some not. Other members of the Fusarium genus produce dangerous mycotoxins and have been studied for potential use as biological weapons or herbicides. “We have so many safe, sustainable, and wholesome fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to enjoy on their own and from which to make meat substitutes,” Jacobson said. “Why resort to vat-grown, allergenic mold? To me, Quorn seems better suited to dystopian science fiction than health food stores.” 2010-12-13 New Law to Give America's Schools a Nutritional Makeover http://cspinet.org/new/201012131.html Statement of CSPI Director of Nutrition Policy Margo G. WootanGetting junk food out of schools has been ten years in the making. This bill is a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201012021.html" target="cspi">historic step</a> toward reducing childhood obesity and helping parents feed their children better. It’s the result of the hard work of many, but would not have passed without this Administration’s leadership. The President's and First Lady's tireless advocacy brought the child nutrition bill back to life several times as it made its way through Congress. 2010-12-13 Landmark Child Nutrition Improvements to Become Law http://cspinet.org/new/201012021.html Bill Tackles Hunger and Childhood Obesity by Improving School Meals and Eliminating Junk FoodWASHINGTON—The U.S. House of Representatives passed landmark child nutrition legislation today, providing the biggest increase in funding for the school lunch program in decades. The bill makes it easier for qualified children to receive free school meals, extends after-school meals to more at-risk children, and provides additional technical assistance to local school food service providers. And, when signed into law by President Obama, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act sets the stage for the elimination of soda and other junk foods from schools nationwide. The bill’s passage is the second big victory won by food policy advocates in the lame-duck session of Congress this week. The Senate passed historic <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201011301.html" target="cspi">food safety legislation</a> Tuesday. “Simultaneously tackling childhood obesity and hunger, this bipartisan bill gets a lot of junk food out of schools and a lot of healthier food into schools,” said Margo G. Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The bill requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to update its nutrition standards for foods that can be sold through vending machines, a la carte lines, and elsewhere on school grounds. Current standards are 30 years out of date and apply only to the cafeteria during mealtimes. In addition to providing higher reimbursement rates for school lunches, the bill includes several no-cost provisions to strengthen school food finances, increasing the funds available for healthy school food. The bill sets schools on a path to gradually increase the price of paid school meals to make them comparable to the reimbursements USDA provides for free meals; it provides guidance to schools about which indirect costs are allowable; and ensures that money meant for healthy school meals is not diverted to subsidizing junk food sold through a la carte lines in the cafeteria. “More American children depend on the school lunch and breakfast programs than ever before, and this act will ensure that those meals are more nutritious than ever,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “CSPI has been trying to get junk food out of schools for three decades.” Besides CSPI, some 1,350 health, education, and anti-hunger groups supported passage of the bill, which even gained the support of many major food companies. The bill enjoyed the vocal support of the Administration, particularly First Lady Michelle Obama, whose Let’s Move initiative is focused on reducing childhood obesity. “I’m glad the House of Representatives rejected the know-nothing nincompoopism of Sarah Palin, who apparently thinks junk food in schools is good for families,” Wootan said. “Most parents want the lunch money they send off with their kids to be spent on healthy meals and snacks, not on sugary drinks and candy bar. It's disappointing that the Republican leadership decided to play politics with the bill—and children's health. The last-minute Republican amendment, concerning background checks for child-care workers, was a transparent attempt to kill the bill, which would have left children less healthy and more hungry.” 2010-12-02 FDA to Hold Hearing on Food Dyes, Children's Behavior http://cspinet.org/new/201012011.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonThe news that the Food and Drug Administration, in response to CSPI’s <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200806022.html" target="cspi">2008 petition</a>, will convene an advisory committee <a href="http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-30187.pdf" target="cspi">meeting</a> to discuss the link between food dyes and children’s behavior is welcome and overdue. Yellow 5, Red 40, and other commonly used food dyes have long been shown in numerous clinical studies to impair children’s behavior. But for years, FDA—which actually commissioned one of the first controlled studies—dismissed the mounting evidence against the dyes. The continued use of synthetic food dyes is hardly <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201006291.html" target="cspi">worth the risk</a>. What’s the benefit? Junk food that’s even more appealing to children than it already is? Why, when we’re medicating so many children for hyperactivity, would we let food manufacturers worsen some children’s problems? Behavioral problems aside, animal studies indicating that dyes pose a cancer risk provide another reason for banning those chemicals. <img src="/images/nutri-grain.JPG"> Photo Credit: CSPI Nutri-Grain bars sold in Britain contain natural colorings, like beetroot red, but the same product sold in the United States uses Red 40 and other synthetic dyes. Fortunately, a few companies are adopting smarter policies even in the absence of government action. Starbucks does not permit dyes in any of its beverages or pastries, NECCO has switched to safer natural colorings for its famous Wafers, and Frito-Lay is testing dye-free snack foods. Food safety officials in Europe have moved much more quickly to protect children from <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/fooddyes" target="cspi">artificial dyes</a>. The British government has urged companies to stop using most dyes, and the European Union requires a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201007201.html" target="cspi">warning notice</a> on most dyed foods. As a consequence, Kellogg, Kraft, McDonald’s, and other American companies that do business in Europe use safe, natural colorings there—but harmful, synthetic <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200810221.html" target="cspi">petrochemicals</a> here. I hope that the FDA’s March meeting portends the end of artificially dyed foods in the United States. 2010-12-01 Historic Food Safety Bill Clears Senate http://cspinet.org/new/201011301.html One More Stop in House Required Before Presidential SignatureWASHINGTON—Historic food safety reform legislation passed the Senate today on a bipartisan 73 to 25 vote. The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act requires every food processing facility to implement a food safety plan and requires the Food and Drug Administration to conduct more frequent inspections of the farms and factories that produce America’s food. The bill, which is the first major overhaul of food safety law for the Food and Drug Administration in 70 years, represents the culmination of over 10 years of research and advocacy by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Its passage was supported by a broad coalition of consumer and industry organizations, including many survivors of foodborne illness. The House of Representatives must pass the Senate version before it heads to President Obama’s desk for his signature. In July, the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200907301.html" target="cspi">House</a> passed an even stronger food safety bill with 283 votes. “Everyone who eats will benefit from this historic legislation,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “FDA will have new tools to help ensure that America’s food supply is safer, causing fewer illnesses and deaths. Preventing contamination in the first place is paramount to reducing the health care and economic costs that are caused when unsafe food makes people sick.” Every year, foodborne illness sends several hundred thousand Americans to the hospital and kills five thousand, according to CDC estimates. Under current law, many peanut butter factories, spinach fields, and egg farms can go five or 10 years without a visit from an FDA inspector. The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act requires high-risk producers to be inspected much more frequently. And importantly, it gives the FDA mandatory recall authority. Currently, the FDA can only ask companies to recall contaminated foods on a voluntary basis. The bill also sets responsible standards for produce safety and for the safety of imported food. “And after every outbreak, we learn how infrequently some of America’s food processing facilities are inspected by authorities,” said CSPI food safety director Caroline Smith DeWaal. “This legislation will give Americans the confidence that the fruits, vegetables, seafood, eggs and packaged foods we serve our families are safe to eat.” The bill has been <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201009081.html" target="cspi">stalled in the Senate </a> for over a year and its passage was only possible after Senate leaders agreed to several weakening compromises, including exemptions for many smaller facilities and reductions in the frequency of inspections. CSPI hopes that all those shortcomings will be corrected in future years. CSPI would like to thank Senators Durbin and Harkin for their long standing efforts on food safety culminating in the passage of this law. 2010-11-30 FDA Declares Formulation of Four Loko, Others, as 'Unsafe' http://cspinet.org/new/201011171.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonI applaud the <a href="http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm234109.htm" target="cspi">FDA</a> for tackling youth-oriented caffeinated alcoholic drinks and effectively getting them reformulated. Four Loko and Joose might no longer have caffeine, but they still contain three to four beers’ worth of alcohol in 23-ounce, single-serving cans. That’s a bad idea that deserves further scrutiny from regulators at the federal, state, and local levels. That these drinks are made with kid-friendly flavors like watermelon, blue raspberry, and lemonade says all one needs to know about their target audience. Government regulators would save a lot of young people from preventable traffic crashes, sexual assaults, and alcohol poisonings by regulating these drinks’ serving-sizes and alcohol content with greater care. 2010-11-17 San Francisco Moves Closer to Fast-Food Toy Marketing Curbs http://cspinet.org/new/201011091.html McDonald’s, Other Chains Exploit Children by Using Toys to Market Junk Food, According to CSPIWASHINGTON—The controversial practice of using toys to market unhealthy fast-food meals to children was dealt another blow today by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. By a vote of 8 to 3, the board gave final approval to a <a href="http://www.sfbos.org/index.aspx?page=11214" target="cspi">measure </a> sponsored by Supervisor Eric Mar that requires meals sold with toys not to exceed ceilings for calories, fat, sugar, and sodium, and to contain a half a cup of fruit and at least three-quarters of a cup of vegetables. “That’s good news for San Francisco’s parents and children,” said Center for Science in the Public Interest executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “It’s time for fast-food companies to stop exploiting children in order to sell more junk food, and this measure would at least set basic nutrition standards for meals sold with toys. Fatty meat, French fries, white flour, and sugary drinks are the last foods we should encourage kids to eat.” The measure now heads to the desk of Mayor Gavin Newsom, now the Lieutenant Governor-elect. Newsom has indicated he may veto it, but it seems the board has enough votes to override a veto. The Santa Clara, Calif., Board of Supervisors passed a <a href="http://www.sccgov.org/portal/site/scc/aspecial?path=%252Fv7%252FSCC%2520Public%2520Portal&contentId=662e022125068210VgnVCM10000048dc4a92____" target="cspi">similar measure </a> in April. “I hope that other health-conscious legislators around the country adopt their own laws to discourage the marketing of unhealthy foods to young children who, after all, do not yet have the cognitive ability to understand the persuasive intent of marketing,” Jacobson said. “That would deliver a strong message to McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s that those companies should not use toys to market foods or to limit the inclusion of toys to only healthier meals.” Separately, CSPI will soon send its own message to McDonald’s about toy-based marketing. It is planning on <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201006221.html" target="cspi">filing a lawsuit</a> aimed at stopping the practice of using toys to lure children to Happy Meals—a practice that CSPI says is unfair and deceptive. 2010-11-09 New School Beverage Study Shows Need for Child Nutrition Bill http://cspinet.org/new/201011011.html Statement of CSPI Director of Nutrition Policy Margo G. WootanA new study shows that unhealthy beverages were still in reach for almost half of all elementary students in the 2008-2009 school year. While the volume of sugar drinks sold in elementary schools is much lower than in high schools, unhealthy beverages—and foods—don't belong in any schools. <img src="/images/takomaparkelementarysodamachine.JPG">Photo Credit: Jane Welna, CSPI These vending machines in Takoma Park Elementary School in Maryland offer students sugary soft drinks and junk food. Congress needs to pass the child nutrition bill soon to get vending machines like these out of schools. Congress has the chance to change this by passing the <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/201007152.html" target="cspi">Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act</a> when it returns for the lame duck session. That bipartisan bill passed the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201008051.html" target="cspi">Senate</a> unanimously in August and includes a provision to get junk food and soda out of schools. Unlike a decade ago, improving school foods is no longer controversial. The child nutrition bill has the support of not only public health organizations, but also school groups and food and beverage companies, including Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. Given the sky-high rates of childhood obesity, Congress needs to support parents and protect kids by passing the child nutrition bill to finally get sugary drinks and junk food out of all schools. 2010-11-01 Is Soda Higher in Fructose Than Previously Thought? http://cspinet.org/new/201010272.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonIf the findings of <a href="http://goranlab.com/pdf/Ventura%20Obesity%202010-sugary%20beverages.pdf" target="cspi">new laboratory analysis</a> of popular soft drinks can be replicated, the soda industry will have a lot of explaining to do. The study, fittingly published in the journal Obesity, claims that up to 65 percent of the sugars in Coca-Cola and Pepsi are fructose. That’s surprising, because the soda industry has always claimed that the high-fructose corn syrup used in soda is only 55 percent fructose—a percentage much closer to that of table sugar, or sucrose, which is 50 percent fructose. Because the new analyses seem so improbable, confirmatory studies using the best analytical method need to be done before the alarm bells ring too loudly. Most scientists haven’t been willing to say that high-fructose corn syrup is some kind of nutritional boogeyman that is much worse than ordinary sugar because both are roughly half fructose and half glucose. If Coke and Pepsi actually contained much higher levels of fructose, that would make those and other HFCS-sweetened drinks even more harmful than previously thought since fructose appears to be especially conducive to weight gain. But no one should think that they’d be doing themselves a huge favor by switching to <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/liquidcandy" target="cspi">soft drinks</a> made with sugar. Regardless of the percentage of fructose to glucose, the main problem with sugars is that they are an empty source of calories. Even worse, consumed in liquid form, those calories don’t provide the same kind of satiety solid foods do. As a result, all sugary soft drinks promote weight gain, obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, and other serious health problems. 2010-10-27 Bayer Caves In to State AGs on One A Day Cancer Claims http://cspinet.org/new/201010271.html Drug Company Must Pay $3.3 Million to States and Support Future Claims with Competent Scientific EvidenceWASHINGTON—Bayer will be barred from claiming that its One A Day multivitamins may cure, treat, or prevent any disease, including cancer, unless the company can back up such claims with competent and reliable scientific evidence. As part of a settlement agreement reached yesterday with Attorneys General from Oregon, California, and Illinois, Bayer must also make a $3.3 million payment to those states. A complaint, filed by Oregon Attorney General John Kroger, accused Bayer of “deceptively leveraging fear of prostate cancer” in order to market One A Day multivitamins for men. Bayer claimed that “emerging research” suggested that the mineral selenium in One A Day might reduce the risk of prostate cancer. But according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, “emerging research” did no such thing. In fact, a seven-year, $118-million <a href="http://cme.nci.nih.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/SELECTJAMAresults2008" target="cspi">study funded by the National Institutes of Health </a> found that selenium does not prevent prostate cancer in healthy men. That massive trial, which involved 35,000 men, was abruptly halted when it became clear to researchers that selenium was not protecting the men from prostate cancer and may have been causing unexplained cases of diabetes. Yet Bayer continued to claim a protective benefit from selenium. In October of 2009, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200910011.html" target="cspi">CSPI sued Bayer</a> in federal court in California over the selenium claims on One A Day, which a judge dismissed on technical grounds. CSPI was planning on filing suit on behalf of a California consumer in another court. But in the wake of the settlement agreement reached with the Attorneys General, CSPI is announcing that it will not move forward with the second suit. “We are very glad that the Attorneys General have obtained a binding settlement prohibiting Bayer from exploiting men’s fear of prostate cancer in order to sell more vitamin pills,” said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. “And we’re also pleased that Bayer seems to have had a change of heart, since after CSPI publicly questioned the company’s unsupportable claims on One A Day, its response then was to threaten us with a libel lawsuit.” Bayer has since backed off that threat, Gardner said. The agreement reached yesterday is the latest in a long rap sheet of settlement agreements, fines, guilty pleas, and other enforcement actions involving the German pharmaceutical giant. In 2001, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/24/us/bayer-to-pay-14-million-to-settle-charges-of-causing-inflated-medicaid-claims.html" target="cspi">Bayer paid $14 million to U.S. and state governments </a> to settle allegations that the company’s actions helped health care providers submit inflated Medicaid claims for drugs. In 2003, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/17/business/bayer-agrees-to-pay-us-257-million-in-drug-fraud.html" target="cspi">Bayer pleaded guilty to a criminal charge and paid $257 million</a> in fines and penalties after a whistleblower exposed a scheme by the company to overcharge for the antibiotic Cipro. In 2004, <a href="http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/press_releases/2004/204602.htm" target="cspi">Bayer pleaded guilty to a criminal charge and paid a $66 million</a> fine after a Justice Department investigation into Bayer’s role in a price-fixing conspiracy involving a chemical used to make rubber products. And in 2007, Bayer paid $8 million to resolve allegations by <a href="http://www.atg.wa.gov/pressrelease.aspx?&id=11916" target="cspi">state</a> attorneys <a href="http://www.ksag.org/page/attorney-general-morrison-announces-30-state-settlement-with-bayer-corporation" target="cspi">general</a> that the company failed to warn physicians and consumers about safety issues surrounding its now-withdrawn cholesterol-lowering drug Baycol. Prior marketing for One A Day has also posed legal problems for Bayer. In 2007, it paid a $3.2 million civil fine as part of a <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/01/weightloss.shtm" target="cspi">consent decree</a> reached with the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice. The case centered on weight-loss claims that the FTC said violated an earlier order requiring that all health claims for One A Day be supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence. And in 2009, Bayer was required to run a $20-million corrective advertising campaign about its birth control pill Yaz and to submit its ads for FDA approval, as part of a legal settlement secured by a number of <a href="http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/pressroom/2009_02/20090209.html" target="cspi">state</a> attorneys <a href="http://www.oag.state.md.us/Press/2009/020909.htm" target="cspi">general</a> and the FDA. 2010-10-27 CSPI Announces Resignation of Long-time Legal Affairs Director Bruce A. Silverglade http://cspinet.org/new/201010132.html WASHINGTON—The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest is announcing with regret the resignation of Bruce A. Silverglade, who has served as CSPI’s director of legal affairs for more than 25 years. Mr. Silverglade will be joining the Washington, D.C., law firm of Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Bode Matz PC as a principal on November 1, 2010. “I greatly enjoyed working at CSPI, and it is difficult to say goodbye to long-time friends and colleagues, but it is now time to turn my career in a new direction,” Silverglade said. <p.Silverglade started at CSPI in 1981. He led the bipartisan campaign for the enactment of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990—requiring the adoption of easy-to-read Nutrition Facts labels on packaged foods. He worked to change U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration policy on labeling and additives, brought precedent-setting advertising complaints before the Federal Trade Commission, and worked with government officials from around the world to set safety and labeling standards for the global food trade. Silverglade recently helped negotiate voluntary agreements with international beverage companies that limited the sale of soft drinks in schools world-wide. “Bruce has demonstrated extraordinary persistence in fighting to protect consumers from inadequate and deceptive food labeling and advertising,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “And he has become a recognized expert on cross-border regulatory and trade issues affecting the food industry. Speaking on behalf of everyone at CSPI, I wish Bruce well in this new phase of his career.” Silverglade added, “I think that my experience finding solutions to complex public policy problems by working with government officials, industry leaders, and consumer groups fits well with Olsson Frank Weeda’s approach to proactively engaging government officials and using both conventional and creative approaches to advance the public policy process.” 2010-10-13 Institute of Medicine Pushes Front-of-Package Food Labels http://cspinet.org/new/201010131.html CSPI Says System Should Also Include Added SugarsWASHINGTON—A <a href="http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/Examination-of-Front-of-Package-Nutrition-Rating-Systems-and-Symbols-Phase-1-Report.aspx" target="cspi">report from the Institute of Medicine</a> concluded that simplified front-of-package food labeling could help improve Americans’ diets and health. That report, which the Center for Science in the Public Interest urged Congress to request, highlighted the importance of listing calories and three problem nutrients—saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium. <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodlabeling" target="cspi">CSPI</a> today said that added sugars should also be included on front-of-package labels for at least some foods. “Unfortunately, without disclosing the amount of added sugars, a soft drink with that labeling would look pretty good because it has no fat and virtually no sodium,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “One solution would be to disclose calories and just one or two other nutrients, depending on the type of food. Soups, for instance, might focus on calories and sodium. Soda labels should highlight just calories and sugar.” And rather than highlighting trans fat on package fronts, the Food and Drug Administration should just ban the artificial variety of trans fat, which comes from partially hydrogenated oil, according to CSPI. “The biggest challenge is to figure out how best to display the information so as to encourage companies to produce and shoppers to choose the most healthful foods,” Jacobson said. “While the British government found that red-yellow-green color coding, or words like high, medium, and low, are most consumer-friendly, the food industry will fight tooth and nail to prevent the government from requiring such clear, understandable symbols. Companies don’t want their less healthful products clearly labeled as such, but that’s the kind of system that would most benefit consumers.” CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200611301.html" target="cspi">first urged</a> the FDA to consider a front-of-package labeling system in 2006. A year ago, the agency asked the food industry to halt its front-of-package labeling system, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200910202.html" target="cspi">Smart Choices</a>. That program’s nutrition criteria allowed sugary cereals, such as Froot Loops and some white breads with no whole grains, to bear a Smart Choice icon. 2010-10-13 New York City Request to Exclude Soda from SNAP Deserves Support, Says CSPI http://cspinet.org/new/201010071.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonThe USDA should approve New York City’s sensible request to test excluding soda and other sugary beverages from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The empty calories in soft drinks pose a major public health problem by promoting tooth decay, obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. It’s also the case that those diseases have a disproportionate impact on low-income Americans. However, the extent to which SNAP recipients’ purchases of soft drinks is contributing to poor diets and obesity is unclear and controversial. I applaud New York City for seeking to get some real data to inform the debate. As it is, industry is enjoying about a $4-billion-a-year subsidy thanks to people spending SNAP benefits on soft drinks. 2010-10-07 Dr. Michael Jacobson Receives CDC Foundation Hero Award http://cspinet.org/new/201010051.html Jacobson Honored for Championing Science-based Nutrition and Food Safety Initiatives<img src="/images/CDCFoundationlogo.jpg"> ATLANTA – Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D., received the 2010 CDC Foundation Hero Award at an event at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC Foundation is honoring Jacobson for his instrumental role in improving public health by championing science-based nutrition and food safety initiatives, empowering consumers to make healthful choices and encouraging scientists to engage in public interest activities. Jacobson is co-founder and executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a nonprofit health advocacy organization focused on nutrition and food safety. CSPI is a key player in the ongoing battle to prevent diet-related chronic diseases and food-borne illnesses in America. CSPI both educates consumers and encourages government and corporations to take steps to protect the public’s health. Since 1971, Jacobson and CSPI have used education, legislation and litigation to win important reforms, including laws requiring nutrition information on most food labels and warning notices on alcoholic beverage labels. CSPI's studies on the nutritional quality of restaurant meals generated worldwide interest and spurred major chains to add more healthful items to their menus. Jacobson and CSPI continue to address junk-food marketing aimed at kids, the nutritional quality of school meals, microbial contamination of foods, and the safety of food additives. "As our nation’s health care costs continue to rise due in significant part to the growth of preventable, diet-related problems in our population, Dr. Jacobson’s seminal work will continue to play a critical role in our nation’s public health for many years to come," says New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who nominated Jacobson to receive the CDC Foundation Hero Award. Jacobson holds a Ph.D. in microbiology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is the author or co-author of numerous publications, including: Six Arguments for a Greener Diet (2006, CSPI); Restaurant Confidential (2002, Workman Publishing); Marketing Madness (1995, Westview Press); What Are We Feeding Our Kids? (1994, Workman); The Fast-Food Guide (1986, 1991 Workman); The Complete Eater’s Digest and Nutrition Scoreboard (1986; Doubleday & Co.); Salt: The Brand Name Guide to Sodium (1983, Workman); Eater’s Digest: The Consumer’s Factbook of Food Additives (1972, 1976, Doubleday & Co.). He is the recipient of the Food and Drug Administration’s Commissioner’s Special Citation and Harvey W. Wiley Medal and the Food Marketing Institute’s Esther Peterson Consumer Service Award. “Obesity is an epidemic in this country," says Charles Stokes, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. “CDC and other public health scientists conduct research to identify the causes of obesity and to determine the best strategies to fight obesity at the community and national levels. Dr. Jacobson and CSPI have mobilized thousands of individuals, organizations and policymakers to help put that science into action." First presented in 2005, the CDC Foundation Hero Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to improving the public’s health through exemplary work in advancing CDC’s mission of promoting health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury and disability. Previous recipients include: <ul><li>William Foege, M.D., M.P.H., senior fellow of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and former CDC director</li> <li>Paul Farmer, M.D., Ph.D., founding director of Partners In Health</li> <li>Sir Michael Marmot, M.B.B.S., M.P.H., Ph.D., F.R.C.P., F.F.P.H.M., FMedSci, director of the University College London International Institute for Society and Health and MRC Research Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health</li> <li>Raymond J. Baxter, Ph.D., senior vice president for community benefit for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals</li> <li>The Honorable Rudy Giuliani, 107th Mayor of New York City</li> </ul> Established by Congress, the CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do more, faster by forging effective partnerships between CDC and individuals, corporations and foundations to fight threats to health and safety. The CDC Foundation manages approximately 200 public health programs in the U.S. and in countries around the world. Each program involves a talented team of CDC experts and at least one outside funding partner. To learn more, please visit <a href="http://www.cdcfoundation.org" target="cspi">www.cdcfoundation.org</a>. *Press release from CDC Foundation 2010-10-05 Killer App: Olive Garden's Deep-Fried Lasagna Fritta is "Food Porn" http://cspinet.org/new/201009301.html WASHINGTON—How do you gussy up a dated restaurant menu item like lasagna? If you’re the culinary brain trust at Olive Garden, the answer is obvious: Throw it in the deep-fryer. Eating it, however, is throwing caution to the wind. Described by the company as “Parmesan-breaded lasagna pieces, fried and served over Alfredo sauce, topped with Parmesan cheese and marinara sauce,” the Lasagna Fritta appetizer has half a day’s calories (1,030) and a day’s worth of saturated fat (21 grams) and sodium (1,590 milligrams). But to the health watchdogs at Nutrition Action Healthletter, Lasagna Fritta is "<a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nah/foodporn/october2010.html" target="cspi">food porn</a>.” Olive Garden already offered fried zucchini, fried mozzarella, and fried calamari appetizers. And other chains are innovating by deep-frying everything from balls of macaroni and cheese (The Cheesecake Factory) to pickles (Hooters). “Lasagna’s not exactly health food to begin with, but bread it with cheese, deep-fry it, and plate it with cream sauce and still more cheese, and you have a killer app,” said Jayne Hurley, senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the nonprofit publisher of Nutrition Action. “Shared with four or five people it wouldn’t be the end of the world. But odds are these 1,000-calorie appetizers are split with just one, amidst all-you-can-eat breadsticks, and in advance of a 1,000-calorie entrée. Lasagna Fritta is just garden variety food porn.” Food Porn is featured on the back page of every issue of Nutrition Action. Previous food porns include <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nah/foodporn/julyaug2010.html" target="cspi">Denny’s Grand Slamwich</a>, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nah/foodporn/may2010.html" target="cspi">Land O’Lakes Margarine</a>, and <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nah/foodporn/september09.html" target="cspi">Domino’s Bread-Bowl Pastas</a>. The same page also highlights a Right Stuff healthier food. This month, Nutrition Action recommends Organic Bistro Whole Life Meals—low-sodium frozen dinners that include a lemony Chicken Citron with spinach, quinoa and edamame. 2010-09-30 Ben & Jerry's to Drop "All Natural" Claims http://cspinet.org/new/201009271.html WASHINGTON—Ben & Jerry’s <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/ben_jerry_ceo_letter.pdf" target="cspi">has agreed</a> to phase out its use of “All Natural” claims on labels on ice creams and frozen yogurts that contain alkalized cocoa, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, or other ingredients that aren’t natural. The move amicably resolves a dispute arising from a letter that the Center for Science in the Public Interest <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201008121.html" target="cspi">sent last month</a> to Ben & Jerry’s parent company, Unilever. The letter said that at least 48 products were improperly labeled. “Ben & Jerry’s is doing the right thing by taking the phrase ‘all natural’ off its labels if the products have factory-made ingredients,” said <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">CSPI</a> executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “The Food and Drug Administration could do consumers and food manufacturers a great service by actually defining when the word ‘natural’ can and cannot be used to characterize a given ingredient.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regulates meat and poultry, lets products be labeled “natural” if they do not include artificial colors or ingredients, or are not more than “minimally processed,” by which the agency means a process that doesn’t fundamentally alter the raw ingredient. But the FDA, which regulates all other foods, has no such definition. It told CSPI several years ago that defining the term was “not among our enforcement priorities.” When it criticized Ben & Jerry’s misleading use of the word “natural,” CSPI said that none of the questionable ingredients the company used was unsafe (even the tiny amount of partially hydrogenated oil used in the Chubby Hubby flavor is harmless). CSPI also noted, though, that plenty of ingredients that really are “natural” are still bad for your health, such as the artery-clogging cream that is the main ingredient in Ben & Jerry’s ice creams. 2010-09-27 Consumer Group Warns Australian Food Safety Officials About Quorn Fungus Foods http://cspinet.org/new/201009231.html “Mycoprotein” Meat Substitute Linked to Vomiting, Diarrhea, and WorseWASHINGTON—An American nonprofit food-safety watchdog group is <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/australia_fsanz_quorn.pdf" target="cspi">calling on Australian officials</a> to prohibit the sale of <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200909171.html" target="cspi">Quorn</a> brand meat substitutes. Quorn foods are made from a fungus grown in giant vats, from whence a protein-rich paste is harvested. The paste is then processed into strips or chunks designed to resemble chicken, ground beef, or other foods. But a significant percentage of consumers suffer allergic <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/quorn/victims.html" target="cspi">reactions</a> after eating the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/quorn/" target="cspi">fake meats</a>, with the most common symptoms being nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Some consumers experience potentially life-threatening anaphylactic reactions, including swelling of the throat and difficulty breathing. A CSPI survey in the United Kingdom found that a higher percentage of people are sensitive to Quorn foods than are allergic to peanuts, milk, or shellfish, several common allergens. On sale for several years in the United States and longer in Europe, Quorn’s fungus is now being sold Down Under for the first time. “I urge you to protect Australians from powerfully allergenic Quorn foods—that are marketed as if they were health foods—by barring their sale,” wrote CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson in a letter to Food Standards Australia & New Zealand. “At the very least, a prominent notice on the fronts of packages should advise consumers that the products can cause serious and potentially fatal allergic reactions.” Australian Joanne Roberts, of Frankston North, Victoria, first purchased Quorn Lasagna at Woolworth’s. Almost immediately, the 41-year-old homemaker realized something was not quite right. First came a gnawing pain in her upper abdomen, and then burping. Then, a tingling feeling in her limbs. Over the next six hours, she suffered severe and sometimes sudden vomiting. Following that, equally severe diarrhea—watery at first, then bloody. After various medications eased those symptoms, cramping and fatigue lingered in Roberts for a week. “It’s such a shame that an alternative for vegetarians is so harmful to my health,” Roberts said. “This product should have been checked more before being released upon the public.” Donna-marie Bradtke, a 47-year-old weight-loss consultant from Perth, had similar experiences after eating Quorn Southern Style Burgers, which she purchased from the retailer Coles. “I had such violent vomiting that my throat seemed to close and I really thought I was going to choke. I am very worried that someone old or very young may eat this product and have the same adverse reaction,” Bradtke said. Quorn’s fungus is a strain of mold found in the 1960s in a British dirt sample. Scientists found that the fungus could be cultivated in fermentation vats and turned into an inexpensive source of protein. The name of the fungus, Fusarium venenatum, might have tipped off scientists and food safety officials: venenatum is Latin for “filled with venom.” But early Quorn marketing materials sought to convey a relationship with more desirable fungi, such as mushrooms and morels. But that relationship turned out to be more distant than consumers were led to believe. One mycologist—a fungus expert—said that calling Quorn a mushroom was like “calling a rat a chicken because both are animals.” Another expert in fungal taxonomy told CSPI that “mushrooms are as distantly related to Quorn’s fungus as humans are to jellyfish.” “We were disappointed that food safety authorities in the U.S. and the U.K. would so quickly and incuriously welcome a brand new and powerful allergen into the human food supply, when the limited amount of testing that had been done raised so many red flags,” Jacobson said. “Unfortunately, notwithstanding all the evidence that Quorn foods are harmful, the Australian government has done the same thing.” Quorn comes in <a href="http://www.quorn.us/Products/" target="cspi">many forms</a>, including artificial chicken patties and nuggets, turkey-like cylindrical “Roasts,” and meat-free analogues of several British delicacies like “Cornish Pasties” and “Toad in the Hole.” Quorn’s Web site says that dishes such as “Quorn Schnitzels Cheese and Spinach” are now available at Woolworth’s, Coles, and other Australian grocers. CSPI has been trying to get Quorn off of American and British <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200312091.html" target="cspi">supermarket</a> shelves <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/quornpr_050102.html" target="cspi">since 2002</a>. Lawyers for the nonprofit group are presently representing an American woman who became violently ill after eating Quorn “Chik’n Patties.” Her <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200909171.html" target="cspi">lawsuit</a> seeks to compel the company to place notices on Quorn labels warning consumers about the adverse reactions. CSPI has also been collecting adverse reaction reports online (more than 1,500 to date), and recently began receiving reports from worried Australian consumers. Debra Connell of Melbourne was home with her three-and-a-half year-old twins when she became ill with vomiting, diarrhea, and a red rash after eating Quorn Lasagna. She says she’s a careful label reader, but had no idea what to expect from eating “mycoprotein.” “It took two days for my constricted chest, coughing, and burning sensation in my chest to subside,” Connell said, adding that “I’m beginning to wonder if there are going to be life-long side effects from eating Quorn.” As of now, the web site for Food Standards Australia & New Zealand blandly claims that “Reported cases of adverse events (gastrointestinal disturbance and allergy) are very rare. No safety concerns identified.” 2010-09-23 Proposed Name Change For High-Fructose Corn Syrup Still Misleading http://cspinet.org/new/201009151.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonThe term “high-fructose corn syrup” has misled many people into thinking that the sweetener is composed largely of fructose. But it is not. Sugar and <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm#hfcs" target="cspi">high-fructose corn syrup</a> are nutritionally the same. So soft drinks and other products sweetened with sugar are every bit as conducive to weight gain as products sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. The bottom line is that people should consume less of all added sugars. I don’t know if “corn sugar” is the best term to replace “high-fructose corn syrup” because it sounds like the sugars come right out of the corn. Canada calls the ingredient glucose–fructose syrup; another option might be “chemically modified corn sweetener.” 2010-09-15 Tons of Foods Recalled and Thousands Sickened as Senate Stalls on Food Safety http://cspinet.org/new/201009081.html Consumer Groups, Survivors of Foodborne Illness, Call on Senate to Pass FDA Reform Legislation This MonthWASHINGTON—As the nation reels from the impact of a massive egg recall that has sickened well over 1,500 people, survivors of foodborne illness and consumer advocates say that antiquated laws and poor enforcement are to blame. According to a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/recipefordisaster-recalls.pdf" target="cspi">new report</a>, the massive <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201008191.html" target="cspi">egg recall</a> is only the latest—but largest—of 85 recalls that companies made while food safety reform legislation has been pending in the Senate, and since similar legislation passed the House in July of 2009. All told, at least 1,850 people have been sickened from foods subject to a recall, according to a report issued today by three consumer groups. And since foodborne illness is dramatically underreported, the actual toll of illness is almost certainly in the tens of thousands. “Recalls and outbreaks are the most public consequence of our ‘horse and buggy’ food safety system,” said Caroline Smith DeWaal, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety" target="cspi">food safety</a> director at the nonprofit <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>. “Consumers are sometimes sickened and everyone up and down the chain has to check for, remove, and destroy the contaminated products. Only Congress can fix the underlying problems by passing legislation that has been languishing in the Senate for over a year.” In the 13-month period since the House passed H.R. 2749, the Food Safety Enhancement Act, researchers from CSPI, Consumer Federation of America, and U.S. Public Interest Research Group identified 85 separate recalls linked to at least 1,850 illnesses. 36 of those recalls were due to Salmonella contamination of lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, green onions, and ground pepper. Hydrolyzed vegetable protein contaminated with Salmonella spurred the recall of a wide variety of soup and dip mixes, dressings, and seasonings. 32 recalls, mostly from contaminated cheeses, were due to dangerous Listeria bacteria. E. coli bacteria on shredded romaine lettuce sickened at least 26 people in 23 states and the District of Columbia. At a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/carolinesmithdewaalstatement.pdf" target="cspi">press conference</a> in Washington, representatives from the consumer groups said that the Senate needs to take up food safety legislation immediately after it reconvenes. A conference committee will then have to craft a final bill before it can be sent to the President. For survivors of foodborne illness and their families, the wait has been too long. “I want to know that the food on my plate is safe,” said 13-year-old <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/bio_-_rylee_gustafson.pdf" target="cspi">Rylee Gustafson</a>, of Henderson, Nev. In 2006, Rylee spent two-weeks on life support and was hospitalized for a month after eating spinach contaminated with E. coli. Since her illness, Rylee has been active with Safe Tables Our Priority (S.T.O.P.), which assists victims of foodborne illness and advocates for reform. “I hope that the Senate can finish work on the food safety bill, and that other kids won’t have to suffer from a foodborne illness like I did.” Both the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200907301.html" target="cspi">House-passed bill</a> and the bill <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200911181.html" target="cspi">pending in the Senate</a> require food manufacturers to develop written food safety plans and to implement preventive measures. Both bills give the FDA a mandate to conduct inspections of food processing facilities, and to conduct microbial testing. Under current law, many facilities go for five or 10 years without an inspection. The Senate bill would require high-risk producers to be inspected more frequently. Both bills give the agency the authority to order companies to recall potentially tainted foods. “Most Americans probably assume that FDA inspects farms and food processing plants are inspected regularly and that when problems arise, FDA can quickly order tainted eggs or spinach off the market,” said Chris Waldrop, director of the Consumer Federation of America’s Food Policy Institute. “In fact, neither of those assumptions is true. The Senate food safety bill would give the FDA the authority it needs to do its job.” “Unfortunately, the FDA is often in reactive mode, chasing down the source of an outbreak long after much of the food in question has been sold,” said Elizabeth Hitchcock, public health advocate for U.S. PIRG, which is activating its nationwide grassroots network to push for a vote on S. 510. “We need this food safety reform legislation so that the FDA can focus on preventing contamination in the first place—before the food ends up in Americans’ cupboards and refrigerators.” In 2009, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid assured young Rylee, the survivor of the 2006 spinach outbreak, that food safety was a priority. “We’re going to do everything we can to get this legislation done,” Reid said. A month later, the bipartisan food safety bill was unanimously reported out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. But more than a year—and 59 recalls—later, no vote has been scheduled. “My Salmonella infection from eggs was the most devastating thing I have ever been through,” said Sarah Lewis, a mother of two from Freedom, Calif. “I would hate for anyone else to have to go through anything like it, especially if they have small children who need care. The fact that this egg outbreak could happen on such a large scale makes it clear to me that food regulation needs to be improved.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 76 million people suffer from foodborne illness each year. 325,000 will be hospitalized. And approximately 5,000 Americans will die. Children and the elderly are most likely to experience severe cases of illness and death from foodborne pathogens. 2010-09-08 CSPI Says FDA Findings at Egg Farm are "Stomach Churning" http://cspinet.org/new/201008302.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalWhile it is really helpful that <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/MajorProductRecalls/ucm223522.htm" target="cspi">FDA</a> is disclosing the results of their recent inspections of two facilities linked to a major illness outbreak from <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201008191.html" target="cspi">contaminated eggs</a>, FDA's findings are truly stomach churning. FDA found rodents and wild birds in the facilities, and five of the Wright County Egg facilities had giant manure piles inside their buildings. These violations are reminiscent of similar findings in another major outbreak linked to peanut butter. Equally troubling is that the inspections occurred the month following the date that the new <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/eggtimeline.pdf" target="cspi">egg-safety regulation</a> went into effect. Both companies involved had been on notice that they needed to meet requirements of the new egg-safety rule for over a year. Instead of finding companies that were ready to meet those requirements, FDA's inspections document companies with long-standing violations and apparently little intention to comply. The decrepit conditions in these hen houses reflect the fact that companies know that FDA inspections are so rare—even following the adoption of a new safety regulation—that there is no urgency to fix their buildings and their operations to assure compliance with FDA statutes and regulations. 2010-08-30 Super Sizing Alive and Well at Nation's Chain Restaurants http://cspinet.org/new/201008301.html Nutrition Action Healthletter Illustrates How One ‘Serving’ Is Really More Like Two, Three, or FourWASHINGTON—A typical burrito weighs about 5 ounces, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Yet a Chicken Burrito at Chipotle weighs four times as much, delivering 970 calories—including 300 calories from the white-flour tortilla alone. As Nutrition Action Healthletter illustrates in its <a href="http://cspinet.org/nah/articles/supersized.html" target="cspi">September issue</a>, Chipotle and other chain restaurants are reprogramming Americans’ expectations of what a “serving” of a food is. Fortunately, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201003211.html" target="cspi">calorie counts</a> are soon coming to chain restaurant menu boards, thanks to the federal health care reform law now being implemented. And, from the article, here are 4 other examples of how far an actual serving exceeds the official serving size: <img src="/images/blueberrymuffin.jpg"> <img src="/images/panerasandwich.jpg"> <img src="/images/steak.jpg"> <img src="/images/starbuckscookie.jpg"> “Chain restaurants have helped dissolve any sense of perspective when it comes to what a reasonable serving of food is,” said Bonnie Liebman, nutrition director at the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, Nutrition Action’s publisher. “When 300-calorie bagels and 1,000-calorie burritos became the norm, it’s easy to understand why two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese.” <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nah" target="cspi">Nutrition Action Healthletter</a> is the largest-circulation health newsletter in North America, with 850,000 subscribers. Introductory subscriptions are $10 in the U.S. and $15 in Canada. 2010-08-30 Largest Egg Recall in History Exposes Cracks in Egg Oversight http://cspinet.org/new/201008191.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalIt is truly ironic that the largest <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/outbreak_report.html" target="cspi">egg recall</a> in history has unfolded just the month after long-awaited egg regulations went into effect. This outbreak will likely grow over the coming weeks, as at least 10 states are investigating outbreak clusters. Jurisdiction over <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/eggtimeline.pdf" target="cspi">eggs</a> has been scrambled between numerous government agencies for the last 20 years, resulting in enormous delays in addressing the hazard posed by Salmonella enteriditis, a pathogen that infects the ovaries of chickens, causing their eggs to be internally contaminated. Today, FDA claimed that it did not have jurisdiction to inspection this facility until last month when the egg regulation finally took effect. This outbreak demonstrates the need for a food safety cop-on-the-beat. FDA needs a strong inspection force with the tools to mandate recalls, impose civil and criminal penalties, and require testing at farms and production facilities. The agency should be able to impose fines for violations when they find them, detain and recall food, and impose enhanced criminal penalties when companies intentionally violate the law, resulting in harm to the public. The Senate should move immediately to pass <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201005062.html" target="cspi">S. 510</a> and Congress should move a bill that incorporates the strongest enforcement provision of each bill promptly to the President's desk for signature. 2010-08-19 CSPI to Drop Litigation Over Coke's Faded "Enviga" http://cspinet.org/new/201008171.html Sales Reportedly Plummeted After State Attorneys General Won Labeling ConcessionsWASHINGTON—The Center for Science in the Public Interest will not appeal a federal appeals <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/envigadecision.pdf" target="cspi">court decision</a> blocking a New Jersey woman’s lawsuit over false weight-loss claims made by Coca-Cola for Enviga. Enviga is a line of artificially sweetened green tea-based soft drinks whose labeling and advertising claims that the drink “burns calories.” Launched with considerable fanfare in 2006, Enviga has since faded into obscurity. Under a February 2009 settlement agreement reached with 27 states and the District of Columbia, Coca-Cola agreed to pay $650,000 and to stop making overt weight-loss claims for Enviga. Coke (and partner Nestlé) agreed to add language to labels and marketing materials stating that the product will not promote weight loss without diet and exercise. Three months later, the trade publication New Nutrition Business reported an Enviga “sales collapse.” The Court of Appeals decision this week hinged on whether the plaintiff had documented her weight loss or gain, and not on the merits of CSPI’s allegations about Enviga’s deceptive claims. “We believe that the Court of Appeals erred in not letting a consumer pursue her claim about the demonstrably false advertising and labeling on these expensive and fraudulent drinks,” said CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/litigation" target="cspi">litigation</a> director Steve Gardner. “But since the attorneys general cracked down and have since won modest labeling concessions, we won’t appeal. Consumers seem to have gotten the message that Coca-Cola does not have the science to back up its laughable ‘calorie burning’ claims for Enviga.” The taste of Enviga might also be partly to blame for its decline. Tasters at Bevnet.com, an online site that covers the beverage industry, were generally unkind. The Wild Berry flavored Enviga “tastes pretty artificial and saccharine.” The Peach flavor, now discontinued, “is a bit too acidic, and allows some of the chemical sweeteners to intervene, creating something of an unpleasantly fuzzy mouthfeel.” The Green Tea flavor fared better but Bevnet wondered whether its “strong, tangy flavor” is “going to be too much” for dieting consumers. CSPI’s <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200702011.html" target="cspi">lawsuit</a> sought an injunction barring Enviga from making deceptive claims. “It’s ironic that Coke, a company that has been a major promoter of weight gain, is now pretending that it is coming to the rescue of overweight people,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson when the lawsuit was filed in 2006. “They should have called this drink ‘Fleece,’ since that’s what they’re trying to do to consumers. Plain old tap water has zero calories, five calories fewer than Enviga, but unlike Enviga, tap water doesn’t cost 15 bucks a gallon.” Besides maintaining the Enviga doesn’t contain “negative calories,” CSPI is concerned about the caffeine levels in Enviga. The marketing materials urged consumers to drink three cans a day to achieve a maximum calorie burning effect. At 100 milligrams per can, three cans of Enviga would have the caffeine of nine cans of Coke. And that is at the upper limit of what experts consider safe for pregnant women or women who may become pregnant. “If you want to lose weight, drink less Coke, not more Enviga,” said Jacobson. Enviga aside, CSPI is moving full-speed ahead with a class action lawsuit against Coca-Cola over deceptive claims associated with its <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201007231.html" target="cspi">Vitaminwater</a> line of drinks. The company makes a wide range of dramatic—and according to CSPI, false—claims, including that its drinks variously reduce the risk of chronic disease, reduce the risk of eye disease, promote healthy joints, and support optimal immune function. Vitaminwater has 33 grams of sugar per bottle, but no juice from any of the fruits mentioned on the labels of its several flavors. The names of the drinks, along with other statements on the label, “have the potential to reinforce a consumer’s mistaken belief that the product is comprised of only vitamins and water,” wrote U.S. District Court Judge John Gleeson, denying Coca-Cola’s motion to dismiss. 2010-08-17 CSPI Warns of More Recalls Linked to Beef, Lettuce http://cspinet.org/new/201008161.html Statement of CSPI Staff Attorney Sarah A. KleinAs August grilling season marches on and consumers top their burgers with lettuce, the unfortunate parade of outbreaks and recalls linked to contaminated food continues. USDA and FDA have each recently announced <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/outbreak_report.html" target="cspi">significant recalls</a> of ground beef contaminated with E. coli and bagged lettuce contaminated with Listeria. Valley Meat Company is recalling approximately one million pounds of frozen ground beef patties and bulk ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. At least seven consumers have already been sickened. E.coli 0157:H7 can cause severe illness with lifelong medical repercussions, or death. Consumers should check their freezers for meat labeled with any of the product names or codes listed here: <a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_048_2010_Release/index.asp" target="cspi">http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_048_2010_Release/index.asp</a>. In addition, consumers should always cook ground beef to at least 160 degrees, using a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the patty to determine this. Consumers should also be careful when thawing and handling ground beef to avoid cross-contamination on cutting boards, utensils, and kitchen surfaces. Fresh Express has recalled nearly 3,000 cases of Veggie Lovers salad because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, and can cause miscarriage, still-birth, or severe birth defects. Consumers are advised to check their refrigerators for this product, labeled with a Product Code of I208 and Use-by Date of August 10, 2010. Unfortunately, re-washing bagged lettuce does not remove pathogens and may spread contamination around the kitchen. Consumers who suspect they may have contracted a foodborne illness should seek medical care and contact their local health department. 2010-08-16 Most "All Natural" Ben & Jerry's Flavors Have Unnatural Ingredients http://cspinet.org/new/201008121.html Alkalized Cocoa, Hydrogenated Oil, Fake Vanilla Among Them, Says CSPIWASHINGTON—At least 48 out of 53 flavors of Ben & Jerry’s “All Natural” ice cream and frozen yogurt contain alkalized cocoa, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, or other ingredients that either don’t exist in nature or that have been chemically modified. Calling products with unnatural ingredients “natural” is a false and misleading use of the term, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Today, CSPI <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/benandjerrysunileverletter.pdf" target="cspi">urged Ben and Jerry’s</a> to drop the claim or else the nonprofit watchdog group will take its concerns to the Food and Drug Administration and state attorneys general. Founded in 1978 by Vermonters Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, Ben & Jerry’s is now a unit of the Anglo-Dutch consumer product conglomerate Unilever, which besides owning familiar food brands such as Hellman’s and Lipton, also makes Vaseline, Dove soap, and Axe deodorant. Thanks to the ice cream company’s concerns about the environment, the company has garnered consumer trust and a reputation for social responsibility—but that image risks being sullied by the allegations of misleading labeling. <img src="/images/ChubbyHubby.JPG">The label claims the ice cream is all natural, but it contains cocoa processed with alkali, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, and corn syrup. In 2002, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200207301.html" target="cspi">CSPI alerted the FDA</a> and the company to Ben & Jerry’s deceptive use of the “All Natural” claim, but neither took action, and the problem seems to have only gotten worse, according to CSPI. The consumer group says that the deceptive labeling is as unfair to competitors as it is to consumers. For instance, “All Natural” Chubby Hubby ice cream contains three non-natural ingredients: alkalized cocoa, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, and corn syrup. Dublin Mudslide contains alkalized cocoa and anhydrous dextrose. A list of all the improperly labeled flavors and their ingredients is included in <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/benandjerrysunileverletter.pdf" target="cspi">CSPI’s letter</a>. “These ingredients are safe—only a small amount of partially hydrogenated oil is used—but it’s a stretch to call any of them ‘natural,’” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “Ben & Jerry’s sylvan labels notwithstanding, these ingredients come from the factory, not the farm. And slapping an ‘all natural’ label on the products certainly implies that the products are top quality and deserve to fetch a higher price.” Cocoa processed with alkali is the most frequently used unnatural ingredient as it used in 36 Ben & Jerry’s flavors. Treating cocoa with an alkalizing agent changes the chemical structure, taste, and appearance of cocoa and reduces its acidity and flavonol content. Flavonols are antioxidants with possible health benefits. Indeed, Unilever itself recently sponsored research to investigate an association between flavonol intake and the <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dietary-flavonol-intake-may-lower-stroke-risk-98227739.html" target="cspi">incidence of stroke</a>. In addition, the Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition (part of the candy company) <a href="http://www.hersheys.com/nutrition-professionals/cocoa-powder/composition/natural-alkalized.aspx" target="cspi">specifically distinguishes </a> alkalized cocoa powder from natural cocoa powder. Corn syrup and corn syrup solids are created by chemically or enzymatically converting cornstarch into sugar and short chains of sugar molecules. They occur in 28 flavors. Other artificial ingredients in Ben & Jerry’s frozen desserts include dextrose and maltodextrin (both are chemically or enzymatically converted from cornstarch) and vanillin (a synthetic vanilla flavor). Although the FDA does not have a formal definition of the word natural, the agency’s acting director of regulatory guidance explained in a letter that the agency has “consistently discouraged the use” of the term “because its meaning is ambiguous and may unjustifiably imply to consumers that foods labeled as ‘natural’ are inherently superior to other foods…” Later, the agency wrote that the term natural means “that nothing artificial or synthetic … has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected in the food.” In any event, emphasized CSPI, the biggest problem with Ben & Jerry’s ice creams is saturated fat—a major promoter of heart disease. A one-scoop (half-cup) serving of a typical flavor has about half-a-day’s worth of saturated fat. 2010-08-12 Senate Adopts Historic Improvements for School Foods http://cspinet.org/new/201008051.html Junk Foods Out, Good Foods In, as Child Nutrition Reauthorization Passes in SenateThe United States Senate achieved a rare, bipartisan consensus this afternoon as it passed by unanimous consent child nutrition legislation in advance of the food programs' September 30 expiration date. The legislation, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, increases reimbursements to school systems for lunches, provides more training to help schools serve healthier meals, and strengthens school wellness policies on nutrition and physical activity. Passage of the bill also signals an eventual removal of junk foods from school vending machines, hallways, and elsewhere on the school grounds as it requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to set science-based nutrition standards for foods that may be sold. "The Senate bill changes the school food landscape in ways that are all positive," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "Put simply, it will get junk food out of, and put more healthy food into, America's schools. It preserves the free and reduced-cost meals that many families depend on in an economic downturn. And it supports farmers by improving farm-to-school programs. Chairman Blanche Lincoln and Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss deserve credit for forging a bipartisan agreement on the bill and for fighting to secure a vote despite a crowded Senate schedule." According to CSPI, First Lady Michelle Obama made an important, last-minute push for the bill with a <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/01/AR2010080103291.html">widely noticed op-ed</a> in the Washington Post on Monday, reflecting on her work with children in the White House garden and the Let’s Move campaign to reduce childhood obesity. "The last thing parents need or want is to see the progress they're making at home lost during the school day," Mrs. Obama wrote. "Right now, our country has a major opportunity to make our schools and our children healthier. It's an opportunity we haven't seen in years, and one that is too important to let pass by." CSPI and other members of a broad coalition of health groups are urging the House to pass <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/201007152.html">its version of the legislation</a>, and then to have the two bills conferenced, before the programs expire on September 30. 2010-08-05 CSPI Urges Congress to Address Child Nutrition Before August Recess http://cspinet.org/new/201007291.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanCongress has a lot on its plate this legislative session, but it needs to address what's on kids' plates: now! Renewal of the Child Nutrition programs has been delayed for a year. Our children can't wait any longer. The <a href="http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:s3307pcs.txt.pdf" target="cspi">Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act</a> (S. 3307) is a much needed step to address child nutrition and obesity. It would remove junk food from school vending machines, increase school lunch reimbursements, and provide more training to help schools serve healthier meals. Unlike the many controversial issues in Washington, this bill is bipartisan, won't add to the deficit, and is popular with voters. It should take no more than a day of the Senate's time. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell need to bring the child nutrition bill to the Senate floor for a vote before they go home for summer recess, and kids go back to school. A day is not much to ask for our kids' health and well being. 2010-07-29 Lawsuit Over Deceptive Vitaminwater Claims to Proceed http://cspinet.org/new/201007231.html Court Finds Coke in Violation of Various FDA Regs and Denies Its Motion to Dismiss the LawsuitWASHINGTON—A federal judge has <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/order_on_m-dismiss_doc_44.pdf" target="cspi">denied Coca-Cola’s motion</a> to dismiss a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200901151.html" target="cspi">lawsuit</a> over what the Center for Science in the Public Interest says are deceptive and unsubstantiated claims on the company’s “vitaminwater” line of soft drinks. The company claims that vitaminwater variously reduces the risk of chronic disease, reduces the risk of eye disease, promotes healthy joints, and supports optimal immune function, and uses health buzz words such as “defense,” “rescue,” “energy,” and “endurance” on labels. <img src="/images/vitaminwater2.JPG">Photo Credit: Jeff Cronin Vitaminwater is hardly a health drink with 33 grams of sugar in each 20-ounce bottle. Besides denying Coca-Cola’s motion to dismiss, the ruling contains other bad omens for the company. Judge John Gleeson of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York found that the company’s use of the word “healthy” violates the Food and Drug Administration’s regulations on vitamin-fortified foods. The FDA’s so-called “Jelly Bean” rule prohibits companies from making health claims on junk foods that only meet various nutrient thresholds via fortification. The judge also found that vitaminwater’s claim on the “focus” flavor of vitaminwater that it “may reduce the risk of age-related eye disease” runs afoul of FDA regulations. The judge also took note of the fact that the FDA frowns upon names of products that mention some ingredients to the exclusion of more prominent ingredients such as, in the case of vitaminwater, added sugar. The names of the drinks, along with other statements on the label, “have the potential to reinforce a consumer’s mistaken belief that the product is comprised of only vitamins and water,” Gleeson wrote. “In sum, plaintiffs’ allegations sufficiently state a claim that defendants have violated FDA regulations by making health claims about vitaminwater even though it does not meet required minimum nutritional thresholds, by using the word ‘healthy’ in implied nutrient content claims even though vitaminwater’s fortification does not comply with FDA policy, and by using a product name that references only two of vitaminwater’s ingredients, omitting the fact that there is a key, unnamed ingredient [sugar] in the product,” Gleeson continued. “For too long, Coca-Cola has been exploiting Americans’ desire to eat and drink more healthfully by deceiving them into thinking that vitaminwater can actually prevent disease,” said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. “In fact, vitaminwater is no more than non-carbonated soda, providing unnecessary added sugar and contributing to weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and other diseases. We look forward to representing all Americans whom Coke has deceived.” The judge also rejected Coke’s argument that disclosing sugar content on Nutrition Facts labels eliminates the possibility that consumers may be misled into thinking the product has only water and vitamins, and little or no sugar. Gleeson cited a similar case involving deceptive fruit imagery on packages for <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200901021.html" target="cspi">Gerber’s Fruit Juice Snacks</a>, which are mostly corn syrup and sugar. That court held that “reasonable consumers should [not] be expected to look beyond misleading representations on the front of the box to discover the truth from the ingredient list in small print on the side of the box.” Vitaminwater has 33 grams of sugar in each 20-ounce bottle. The judge excluded one group of New Jersey-based plaintiffs from the case but otherwise rejected Coke’s arguments to dismiss on jurisdictional grounds, paving the way for the plaintiffs’ lawyers to ask to take depositions of Coca-Cola executives, to ask for discovery of key vitaminwater marketing documents, and to seek certification as a class action. Besides CSPI’s litigation unit, Reese Richman LLP and Whatley Drake & Kallas, LLC are representing the plaintiffs. Michael Reese of Reese Richman and CSPI’s Gardner argued in court for the plaintiffs. CSPI is also on the verge of suing <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201006221.html" target="cspi">McDonald’s</a> over its use of toys to market unhealthful foods directly to young children. In previous cases, CSPI has won a major pre-lawsuit settlement agreement improving the nutritional quality of the foods <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200706141.html" target="cspi">Kellogg</a> markets to children, and a settlement refunding millions of dollars to consumers who were deceived by the marketing of <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200808142.html" target="cspi">Airborne</a>, a dietary supplement. CSPI is also in court in another case against Coca-Cola over deceptive claims by the company that its <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200702011.html" target="cspi">Enviga</a> green-tea-flavored soft drink has “negative calories,” thus promoting weight loss. 2010-07-23 In Europe, Dyed Foods Get Warning Label http://cspinet.org/new/201007201.html Products with Yellow 5, Red 40, Other Dyes “May Have an Adverse Effect on Activity and Attention in Children”WASHINGTON—Starting today in the European Union, most foods that contain artificial food dyes must bear <a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?language=EN&type=IM-PRESS&reference=20080707IPR33563" target="cspi">warning labels</a> stating that the food “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.” As a practical matter, it’s unclear exactly how many foods will have to use that language on labels, since dyes were never as widely used in Europe as in the United States. Also, the British government asked companies to remove most dyes by last December 31st. The <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a> says it hopes the European labeling rule gets the attention of officials at the Food and Drug Administration, which to date has not shown interest in protecting American consumers from the controversial dyes, as well as American companies—including those that are not using dyes in Europe. <img src="/images/chinesecoloring.jpg"> Photo Credit: Michael Jacobson Companies should replace Red 40, Yellow 5 and other synthetic dyes with natural colorings like these. British consumers enjoy food products free of most food dyes, but the same can't be said for Americans. Synthetic food dyes have been suspected of triggering behavior problems in children since the 1970s, when <a href="http://www.feingold.org/" target="cspi">Dr. Ben Feingold</a>, a San Francisco allergist, reported that his patients improved when their diets were changed. Numerous controlled studies conducted over the next three decades proved that some children’s behavior is worsened by artificial dyes. A 2004 meta-analysis concluded that artificial dyes affect children’s behavior, and two recent studies funded by the British government found that mixtures of dyes (as well as the preservative sodium benzoate) adversely affect kids’ behavior. In 2008, CSPI filed a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/petition-food-dyes.pdf" target="cspi">regulatory petition</a> that called on the FDA to ban dyes because of the problems documented in children. “At this point, American food manufacturers and regulators alike should be embarrassed that we’re feeding kids foods with chemicals that have such a powerfully disruptive impact on children’s behavior,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “European officials are taking the issue much more seriously, and are moving toward a safer food supply as a result.” Because the FDA hasn’t encouraged food manufacturers to switch to safer natural colorings, many American food companies use the chemicals in the United States products but not in the U.K. equivalents. For example, the topping for a McDonald’s Strawberry Sundae sold in the United States contains Red 40. In the U.K., the topping’s color comes from strawberries. Representative Louise Slaughter, Chairman of the House Rules Committee and the only microbiologist serving in Congress, has written the FDA twice expressing concern about the widespread use of artificial dyes in food. “This is a sensible policy and a smart move to help protect the health and well being of children in Europe,” Slaughter said. “For too long, studies have raised questions about the impact food dyes are having on the development of children and the possible link between dyes and behavior. I have been troubled by the lack of solid data on this issue for more than a decade. It’s my hope that the Food and Drug Administration reviews the abundance of science on this issue and considers implementing a similar restriction or outright ban.” Besides being linked to behavior problems in children, food dyes are also inadequately tested and may pose cancer risks as well, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201006291.html" target="cspi">according to a CSPI</a> report—Food Dyes: Rainbow of Risks—published last month. 2010-07-20 House Education and Labor Committee Approves Child Nutrition Reauthorization Bill http://cspinet.org/new/201007152.html Statement of CSPI Director of Nutrition Policy Margo G. WootanThe Center for Science in the Public Interest congratulates Chairman George Miller and strongly supports his <a href="http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h5504ih.txt.pdf" target="cspi">Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act</a> (H.R. 5504), which passed out of the House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee today. This bill includes a landmark provision to get soda and junk food out of school vending machines, which is supported not only by parents, health groups, and the Administration, but also by leading food and beverage companies. The bill also would provide resources and training to improve the nutritional quality of school lunches, expand nutrition education for children, and strengthen school nutrition and physical activity wellness policies. The bill’s passage will hopefully give a nudge to the Senate to pass its child nutrition bill, the <a href="http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:s3307pcs.txt.pdf" target="cspi">Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act</a> (S. 3307). That bill passed unanimously out of the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201003242.html" target="cspi">Senate Agriculture Committee</a> in March, but has yet to be brought to the Senate floor for a vote. To be sure, there’s a lot on the Senate’s plate. But unlike a lot of truly contentious issues, passing of child nutrition bill would only require about a day of Senate floor time, and is bipartisan. The clock is ticking. Congress has less than three weeks left until they go home for summer recess and then, kids go back to school. Both the House of Representatives and Senate need to make our children’s health their next priority and vote on child nutrition as soon as possible. 2010-07-15 Should Taxpayers Subsidize Soda? http://cspinet.org/new/201007151.html Scientists Question Whether Federal Nutrition Assistance Funds Should Be Used to Buy Obesity-Promoting Sugar-Sweetened BeveragesWASHINGTON—The soft drink industry receives a $4 billion subsidy from taxpayers each year, according to an <a href="http://ajph.aphapublications.org/first_look.shtml" target="cspi">editorial published today</a> in the American Journal of Public Health. According to the paper, that’s about how much carbonated soda is purchased with money from the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), the program formerly known as Food Stamps. And that total doesn’t include non-carbonated soft drinks. Considering that the overconsumption of <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/liquidcandy" target="cspi">sugar-sweetened beverages</a> is helping fuel an epidemic of obesity that disproportionately affects low-income people, the authors raise the question of whether it is time to exclude soda or other junk foods from the SNAP program in the same way that alcohol, tobacco, dietary supplement pills, and hot prepared foods are already excluded. To be sure, efforts to limit SNAP purchases to healthier foods would draw intense opposition, writes Jonathan D. Shenkin, clinical assistant professor of the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine and Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. SNAP participants appear to purchase at least 40 percent more carbonated soft drinks than other consumers do. At one major supermarket chain, SNAP participants bought 4.3 percent of carbonated soft drinks even though they only represented 1.8 percent of transactions. At another large chain, carbonated soft drinks accounted for 6.19 percent of the grocery bills of SNAP participants. “The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is intended to help low-income families buy the foods they need to promote good health. It’s time to question whether the program should support the purchase of foods that promote disease,” said Shenkin. If disallowing the use of SNAP funds to buy sugar-sweetened beverages proved to be politically unfeasible, as the authors acknowledge it might, a less controversial option might be to provide SNAP participants with a financial incentive to purchase the healthiest foods. Recipients’ Electronic Benefit Transfer cards could be credited with 30 additional cents for every dollar spent on fruits, vegetables, or whole grains, for example. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, for every 10 percent decrease in the price of fruits or vegetables, SNAP recipients would increase their purchase by 6 or 7 percent. The federal government’s largest nutrition education program is also funded by SNAP. Called SNAP-Ed, the program gives almost $400 million in matching grants to states to encourage low-income consumers to adopt healthier diets. But Shenkin and Jacobson point out that the USDA actually prohibits the use of SNAP-Ed grants for campaigns that steer people away from junk foods. USDA stopped health officials in the city of San Francisco, and the states of Maine, California, and Wyoming from using federal money for programs aimed at reducing soda consumption. CSPI has called on the Obama administration to end what it calls a “gag rule” instituted during the Bush administration. “The federal government should be doing everything it can to reduce the consumption of soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages, which promote tooth decay, weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related diseases,” said Jacobson. “SNAP should be oriented toward increasing the consumption of good, healthy food. None of the $65 billion invested in nutrition assistance in 2010 should end up paying for Coke, Pepsi, or Mountain Dew.” Shenkin and Jacobson also say that Congress should fund an Institute of Medicine review of the goals, successes, and limitations of the SNAP and SNAP-ed programs. Such a report could identify ways that the programs could foster healthier diets and provide an authoritative basis for Congress to make changes. The authors point out that another powerful means of discouraging soft drink consumption is taxation. A federal excise tax of 12 cents per 12 ounces could raise upward of $15 billion a year and decrease consumption by about 10 percent. Taxes on that order have been proposed in New York State, Philadelphia, and nationally, but have been beaten back by well-funded industry lobbying and advertising campaigns. At least 24 states and the city of Chicago have special sales or excise taxes on soda that raise substantial revenues, but aren’t large enough to decrease consumption. Though excluding sugar-sweetened beverages from the SNAP program is controversial, setting nutrition standards for government food programs is hardly new. The school lunch and breakfast programs administered by USDA comply with strict nutrition standards that exclude soda and junk food, as does the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, which is geared to pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children. “Soda is already one of the cheapest things in the supermarket, and it promotes expensive-to-treat diseases and stark health disparities,” Jacobson said. “Short of cigarettes and alcoholic beverages, it’s hard to imagine a product less worthy of a government subsidy than soda. It’s time to put the ‘N’ back in SNAP.” 2010-07-15 Food Frauds on Sale at FDA Headquarters! http://cspinet.org/new/201007071.html CSPI Says Federal Labeling Cops Should Raid Their Own CafeteriaWASHINGTON—On a recent visit to the sprawling new Food and Drug Administration headquarters in the White Oak area of Silver Spring, Md., a lawyer from the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest stopped for a quick, healthy lunch. Hiding in plain sight in the FDA cafeteria—quite literally under the noses of the officials tasked with policing misleading labels—were at least three beverages with illegal claims on their labels. The contraband drinks included: <ul><li>Purity.Organic Functional Drinks Pomegranate Blueberry. Its label claims it has “Ginkgo Biloba to enhance your memory and keep you thinking straight,” but government-funded studies show ginkgo has no effect on memory and does not lower incidence of Alzheimer’s or dementia, either. Ginkgo may have been “grown by monks for millennia” as the web site claims, but it isn’t Generally Recognized as Safe (or GRAS) as a food additive, according to FDA. (Plus, this product has more added sugar than it has pomegranate or blueberry juice.)</li> <img src="/images/drinks.JPG"> Photo Credit: Jeff Cronin These drinks, all with illegal claims on the labels, were found in the FDA cafeteria. <li>Crystal Light Immunity Berry Pomegranate. This bright purple beverage’s label pictures blueberries and a pomegranate, yet the drink has no juice of any kind. Natural flavoring accounts for less than 2 percent of the product, and only an unknown fraction of that comes from the named fruits. The color comes from Red 40 and Blue 1 and the artificial sweetness comes from sucralose and acesulfame potassium. Vitamins A, B, C and E are listed on the ingredients list, but there is no evidence to support the implication that this drink will ward off colds or diseases, which is what is implied by the use of the word “immunity.” CSPI urged the FDA to take enforcement action against this product in 2008. (Plus, the bottle CSPI found in the FDA cafeteria was long past its “Best before 26 December 2007” expiration date.)</li> <li>SoBe Lifewater B-Energy Black Cherry Dragonfruit. Again, this drink has no black cherry or dragonfruit juice, but it does have guarana and ginseng (neither considered GRAS by FDA although the food industry considers them safe) and added vitamins. Using the word “energy” in the name and claiming that its B vitamins “help your body unlock the energy in foods,” implies that the drink will make one feel more energetic. But while B vitamins do help to convert protein, fat, and carbohydrates into energy, they don’t provide an energy boost that can be felt by the body. The “all natural” claim is unjustified because Lifewater contains added citric acid. And those without magnifying glasses might miss the fact that the bottle (described improbably as 2.5 servings) will supply 62.5 milligrams of caffeine, more than what you’d find in a 12-ounce can of Coke. </li> “To be fair, the FDA under the Obama Administration has done more to crack down on deceptive <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodlabeling" target="cspi">food labeling</a> in the last 12 months than the Bush FDA did in eight years,” said CSPI legal affairs director Bruce Silverglade. “But the fact that we were able to find so many labeling problems in the FDA’s own cafeteria neatly illustrates why the agency needs to issue industry-wide rules, not just send warning letters to individual companies.” Last December, CSPI sent the FDA a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/food_labeling_chaos_report.pdf" target="cspi">158-page report</a> documenting more than 50 false or misleading claims, ingredient obfuscations, and other labeling shenanigans that it found in supermarkets. CSPI recommended that FDA establish a systematic regulatory framework to prohibit misleading health-related claims, and require that nutrition information be based on realistic serving sizes—something that the drinks CSPI found in the FDA cafeteria fail to do. “Consumers who want to ensure that they’re getting enough vitamins and minerals should focus on eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables first,” Silverglade said. “No one should believe that the added vitamins, herbs or other ingredients in these flavored waters are going to ward off disease, improve memory, or make one more energetic. The FDA should frog-march these products into the food label penitentiary.” 2010-07-07 High-Risk Consumers First Victims of Florida Budget Cuts http://cspinet.org/new/201007011.html Florida Ends Food Safety Inspections in Day Cares, Hospitals, and Nursing HomesWASHINGTON—State budget cuts have led to yet another fatality—the death of food safety inspections at facilities serving the state’s most vulnerable populations. A sweeping budget bill signed by Governor Charlie Crist last month eliminates food safety inspections at hospitals, day cares, and nursing homes—facilities feeding those people who are already most at-risk from <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety" target="cspi">foodborne illness</a>. Three state agencies are responsible for food inspections, but House Bill 5311 means that none of these agencies will have the authority or the mandate to inspect these facilities from now on. Foodborne illnesses linked to these facilities have sickened hundreds of Florida consumers in at least 15 separate outbreaks since 1995. “Florida politicians were clearly not thinking about their young children or their aging parents when they passed this bill,” says Sarah Klein, a staff attorney at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “These consumers—and anyone who is immuno-compromised—are already at greater risk of being hospitalized from foodborne illness. Ending food safety inspections in the kitchens that feed those populations is like taking seatbelts out of their cars and hoping no one has an accident.” News of the change to Florida’s inspection policy comes on the heels of a recommendation by the Institute of Medicine, urging the Food & Drug Administration to delegate more food facility inspections to the states. Consumer groups have criticized the recommendation, in part because state health departments are already understaffed and underfunded. Florida’s action provides more evidence that at least some states are unequipped to accept any additional inspection duties. “Florida consumers deserve more from their legislature than budget cuts to critical public health services,” says Klein. “A budget savings on the front end, by eliminating inspections, can lead to huge costs later—when people get sick from foodborne illness. And if it’s your child, or parent, or sick loved one…you can bet those savings weren’t worth it.” Inspections at restaurants and prisons will continue. 2010-07-01 CSPI Says Food Dyes Pose Rainbow of Risks http://cspinet.org/new/201006291.html Cancer, Hyperactivity, Allergic ReactionsWASHINGTON—Food dyes—used in everything from M&Ms to Manischewitz Matzo Balls to Kraft salad dressings—pose risks of cancer, hyperactivity in children, and allergies, and should be banned, according to a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/food-dyes-rainbow-of-risks.pdf" target="cspi">new report</a> by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. A top government scientist agrees, and says that food dyes present unnecessary risks to the public. The three most widely used dyes, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, are contaminated with <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/dyes-problem-table.pdf" target="cspi">known carcinogens</a>, says CSPI. Another dye, Red 3, has been acknowledged for years by the Food and Drug Administration to be a carcinogen, yet is still in the food supply. Despite those concerns, each year manufacturers pour about 15 million pounds of eight synthetic <a href="http://www.iatp.org/brainfoodselector/" target="cspi">dyes into our foods</a>. Per capita consumption of dyes has increased five-fold since 1955, thanks in part to the proliferation of brightly colored breakfast cereals, fruit drinks, and candies pitched to children. “These <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/fooddyes/" target="cspi">synthetic chemicals </a> do absolutely nothing to improve the nutritional quality or safety of foods, but trigger behavior problems in children and, possibly, cancer in anybody,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson, co-author of the 58-page report, “Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks.” “The Food and Drug Administration should <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200806022.html" target="cspi">ban dyes</a>, which would force industry to color foods with real food ingredients, not toxic petrochemicals.” Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 have long been known to cause allergic reactions in some people. CSPI says that while those reactions are not common, they can be serious and provide reason enough to ban those dyes. Furthermore, numerous studies have demonstrated that dyes cause <a href="http://cspinet.org/fooddyes/testimony.html" target="cspi">hyperactivity</a> in <a href="http://cspinet.org/cgi-bin/fooddyes/fooddyes.cgi" target="cspi">children</a>. But the biggest concern is cancer. Back in 1985, the acting commissioner of the FDA said that Red 3, one of the lesser-used dyes, “has clearly been shown to induce cancer” and was “of greatest public health concern.” However, Secretary of Agriculture John R. Block pressed the Department of Health and Human Services not to ban the dye, and he apparently prevailed—notwithstanding the Delaney Amendment that forbids the use of in foods of cancer-causing color additives. Each year about 200,000 pounds of Red 3 are poured into such foods as Betty Crocker’s Fruit Roll-Ups and ConAgra’s Kid Cuisine frozen meals. Since 1985 more than five million pounds of the dye have been used. Tests on lab animals of Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 showed signs of causing cancer or suffered from serious flaws, said the consumer group. Yellow 5 also caused mutations, an indication of possible carcinogenicity, in six of 11 tests. In addition, according to the report, FDA tests show that the three most-widely used dyes, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, are tainted with low levels of cancer-causing compounds, including benzidine and 4-aminobiphenyl in Yellow 5. However, the levels actually could be far higher, because in the 1990s the FDA and Health Canada found a hundred times as much benzidine in a bound form that is released in the colon, but not detected in the routine tests of purity conducted by the FDA. “Dyes add no benefits whatsoever to foods, other than making them more ‘eye-catching’ to increase sales,” said James Huff, the associate director for chemical carcinogenesis at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ National Toxicology Program. “CSPI’s scientifically detailed report on possible health effects of food dyes raises many questions about their safety. Some dyes have caused cancers in animals, contain cancer-causing contaminants, or have been inadequately tested for cancer or other problems. Their continued use presents unnecessary risks to humans, especially young children. It’s disappointing that the FDA has not addressed the toxic threat posed by food dyes.” <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">CSPI</a>’s report notes that FDA’s regulations mandate a stricter standard of safety for color additives than other food additives, saying that there must be “convincing evidence that establishes with reasonable certainty that no harm will result from the intended use of the color additive.” The standard of “convincing evidence” does not apply to preservatives, emulsifiers, and other additives. CSPI charges that the FDA is not enforcing the law in several regards: <ul><li>Red 3 and Citrus Red 2 should be banned under the Delaney amendment, because they caused cancer in rats (some uses were banned in 1990), as should Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, which are tainted with cancer-causing contaminants.</li> <li>Evidence suggests, though does not prove, that Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, and Yellow 6 cause cancer in animals. There certainly is not “convincing evidence” of safety.</li> <li>Dyed foods should be considered adulterated under the law, because the dyes make a food “appear better or of greater value than it is”—typically by masking the absence of fruit, vegetable, or other more costly ingredient. </li></ul> In a letter sent today, CSPI urged the FDA to ban all dyes because the scientific studies do not provide convincing evidence of safety, but do provide significant evidence of harm. A ninth dye, Orange B, is approved for coloring sausage casings, but in 1978 the FDA proposed banning it because it was found to be toxic to rats. The industry has not used Orange B in more than a decade. Also, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has labeled Citrus Red 2 a carcinogen, and the FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives said “this color should not be used as a food additive.” However, it poses little risk because it is approved only for coloring the skins of oranges. Because of concerns about dyes’ impairment of children’s behavior, the <a href="http://www.food.gov.uk/safereating/chemsafe/additivesbranch/colours/hyper/" target="cspi">British government</a> asked companies to phase out most dyes by last December 31, and the <a href="http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:354:0016:0033:en:PDF" target="cspi">European Union</a> is requiring, beginning on July 20, a warning notice on most dyed foods. CSPI predicted that the label notice—“may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children”—likely will be the death knell for dyes in all of Europe. The greater government oversight and public concern across the Atlantic results in McDonald’s Strawberry Sundae in Britain being colored with strawberries, but in the United States with Red dye 40. Likewise, the British version of Fanta orange soda gets its bright color from pumpkin and carrot extract, but in the United States the color comes from Red 40 and Yellow 6. Starburst Chews and Skittles, both Mars products, contain synthetic dyes in the United States, but not in Britain. Fortunately, says CSPI, many natural colorings are available to replace dyes. Beet juice, beta-carotene, blueberry juice concentrate, carrot juice, grape skin extract, paprika, purple sweet potato or corn, red cabbage, and turmeric are some of the substances that provide a vivid spectrum of colors. However, CSPI warns that “natural” does not always mean safe. <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200901055.html" target="cspi">Carmine and cochineal</a>—colorings obtained from a bright red insect—can cause rare, but severe, anaphylactic reactions. Annatto, too, can cause allergic reactions. “Food Dyes: Rainbow of Risks” was written by Sarah Kobylewski, a Ph.D. candidate in the Molecular Toxicology Program at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Jacobson is author of Eater’s Digest: The Consumer’s Factbook of Food Additives (Doubleday, 1972). 2010-06-29 Gulf Coast Oysters Unsafe (But Not For the Reason You Think) http://cspinet.org/new/201006241.html Deadly Vibrio Vulnificus Bacteria, Not Oil, Contaminate Gulf Oysters Every SummerWASHINGTON—Gulf Coast politicians are tripping over themselves to assure consumers that seafood from the Gulf is safe to eat. And to be sure, some shrimp and finfish may not be contaminated by the petroleum gushing from the Deepwater Horizon spill. But those statements from officials obscure the real danger presented to some consumers by Gulf Coast oysters—nearly all of which are contaminated with deadly Vibrio vulnificus bacteria during warm summer months, according to the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>. CSPI is calling on federal and state government officials to remind consumers that the normal risks associated with Gulf oysters are still present. “We’ve seen several reassuring statements that seafood from the Gulf on the market is safe,” said David W. Plunkett, a CSPI staff attorney. “While some Gulf oysters may be ‘safe’ from oil contamination, that doesn’t mean they are ‘safe’ to eat,” he explained. At risk populations should not eat raw oysters from the Gulf, Plunkett said. Vibrio vulnificus is a common bacterium that thrives in warm Gulf waters in the spring and summer and contaminates Gulf oysters. While it may cause mild illnesses in healthy individuals, it can kill people who have diabetes, liver disease, hemochromatosis or compromised immune systems. Last year, serious Vibrio vulnificus infections from eating raw oysters claimed 26 victims, 10 of whom died, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In any year, half the people who develop serious symptoms die, and many of those who survive live with the scars from the skin debridement or amputation that may have been necessary to keep them alive. It is especially shocking to see statements on the Food and Drug Administration’s website that shellfish harvested from areas unaffected by the spill are safe to eat, Plunkett said. Only <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200910191.html" target="cspi">last fall</a>, Mike Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods at FDA, called Vibrio vulnificus a significant hazard, saying that “seldom is the evidence on a food safety problem and solution so unambiguous,” and announced plans to require post-harvest processing of Gulf oysters to destroy the bacteria. <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200911091.html" target="cspi">FDA</a> eventually backed down from its plans under pressure from Members of Congress who responded to industry posturing over potential job losses. To date, only California has implemented an effective control plan to protect its consumers, according to CSPI. “While everyone wants to support people in the Gulf right now, government statements that ignore well-known risks only mean that more could suffer unnecessarily,” Plunkett said. 2010-06-24 CSPI to Sue McDonald's If It Continues Using Toys to Market Junk Food to Children http://cspinet.org/new/201006221.html Using Toys to Promote “Happy Meals” Is Unfair, Deceptive & Illegal, Group Says, Citing State LawsWASHINGTON—Tell it to the judge, Ronald: A nutrition watchdog group will sue McDonald’s if the fast-food chain continues to use toys to promote Happy Meals. According to the nonprofit <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>, using toys to lure small children into McDonald’s is unfair and deceptive marketing and is illegal under various state consumer protection laws. CSPI <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/mcdonalds-demand-062210.pdf" target="cspi">today served McDonald’s a notice </a> of its intent to sue, fulfilling a legal requirement of several states in which CSPI might bring the lawsuit. “McDonald’s is the stranger in the playground handing out candy to children,” said CSPI litigation director Stephen Gardner. “McDonald’s use of toys undercuts parental authority and exploits young children’s developmental immaturity—all this to induce children to prefer foods that may harm their health. It’s a creepy and predatory practice that warrants an injunction.” <img src="/images/mcdtoy1.jpg"> Photo Credit: Jeff Cronin CSPI will sue McDonald's if it continues to use toys to market directly to small children. McDonald’s is currently offering children toys related to Dreamworks’ latest Shrek movie. (CSPI’s action is unrelated to the recent recall of McDonald’s Shrek drinking glasses contaminated with the toxic heavy metal cadmium.) While Shrek may appear on packaging for low-fat milk and Apple Dippers, when children or parents order Happy Meals they are given French fries 93 percent of the time, according to a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200808041.html" target="cspi">CSPI study</a>. In 2007, McDonald’s made a pledge to an industry-funded self-regulatory group not to advertise to children meals that have more than 600 calories and no more than certain percentages of fat and sugar. Thus, the brief glimpses of actual food in McDonald’s youth-directed advertising, show Apple Dippers and low-fat milk as part of either a 4-piece Chicken McNuggets Happy Meal or a Hamburger Happy Meal. But toys, a powerful temptation for kids, are included with all Happy Meals, regardless of nutrition. Of the 24 possible Happy Meal combinations that McDonald’s describes on its web site, all exceed 430 calories (430 is one-third of the 1,300- calorie recommended daily intake for children 4 to 8 years old). A Happy Meal of a cheeseburger, French fries, and Sprite has half a day’s calories and saturated fat (640 and 7 grams, respectively), about 940 milligrams of sodium, and about two days’ worth of sugar (35 grams). And even that meal might have come with a toy related to Star Wars, iCarly, How to Train Your Dragon, Night at the Museum, or, of course, Shrek. Getting children accustomed to eating burgers, fries, and soda puts them at greater risk of developing obesity, diabetes, or other diet-related diseases over the course of their lifetimes, according to CSPI. "But regardless of the nutritional quality of what’s being sold, the practice of tempting kids with toys is inherently deceptive,” said CSPI executive director <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/mcdonalds-lawsuit-threat-mfj.pdf" target="cspi">Michael F. Jacobson</a>. “I’m sure that industry’s defenders will blame parents for not saying ‘no’ to their children. Parents do bear much of the responsibility, but multi-billion-dollar corporations make parents’ job nearly impossible by giving away toys and bombarding kids with slick advertising.” “We know from scientific research that young children—and even older ones—do not have the ability to understand how marketing has been designed to influence them,” said Kathryn Montgomery, professor of communication at American University and an expert on media and children. “In the era of digital marketing, these vulnerabilities are magnified even further. McDonald’s use of these techniques raises troubling questions, for health professionals, parents, and policy makers.” The practice of using toy promotions to promote fast-food to children is under scrutiny elsewhere, too. In May, the Santa Clara County, Calif., Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance preventing McDonald’s and other restaurants from including toys or other kid-oriented incentives with the purchase of unhealthy meals. And the Federal Trade Commission may have something to say about toy promotions when it releases a set of voluntary standards for food marketers later this year. According to a 2008 report from the FTC, food companies spend more than $350 million on toy giveaways each year. “McDonald’s makes my job as a parent more difficult,” said Sheila Nesbitt, 36, a project manager from Champlin, MN, and a parent of a six-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl. “They market cheap toys that appeal to kids and it works. My kids always want to go to McDonald’s because of the toys. I try my best to educate my kids about healthy eating but it's hard when I am competing against the allure of a new Shrek toy.” “McDonald’s marketing has the effect of conscripting America’s children into an unpaid drone army of word-of-mouth marketers, causing them to pester their parents to bring them to McDonald’s,” wrote Gardner in a notice letter to McDonald’s vice chairman, CEO, and president Jim Skinner, and McDonald’s USA president Jan Fields. CSPI’s notice letter says that McDonald’s toy-related promotions violate state consumer protection laws in Massachusetts, Texas, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and California. CSPI’s letter gives McDonald’s 30 days to agree to stop the practice before a suit is filed. CSPI’s <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/litigation" target="cspi">litigation unit</a> has taken on food marketing to children before. In 2006, CSPI notified Kellogg that it would be sued for marketing sugary cereals and other junk food directly to children. After negotiating for more than a year, CSPI and Kellogg reached a historic <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200706141.html" target="cspi">settlement agreement</a> that set nutrition standards for the foods the company may advertise on media with young audiences. Since then, Kellogg only advertises to young audiences if a serving of the food has no more than 200 calories, zero grams of trans fat and no more than 2 grams of saturated fat, no more than 230 milligrams of sodium, and no more than 12 grams of sugar. In previous fast-food litigation, CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200606121.html" target="cspi">sued KFC </a> for using partially hydrogenated oil, which made KFC’s chicken very high in trans fat. CSPI dropped that lawsuit when the company agreed to <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200610301.html" target="cspi">phase out</a> partially hydrogenated oils. KFC chicken is now trans-fat-free. This is the first time that CSPI has planned to take McDonald’s to court. 2010-06-22 New York City Passes Restaurant Grading http://cspinet.org/new/201006152.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Attorney Sarah KleinCongratulations to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for enacting restaurant food-safety grading. Beginning in July, consumers will finally be able to see how a restaurant fared on its most recent health inspection, simply by glancing at the letter grade in the front window or vestibule. <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/dirtydining/index.html" target="cspi">Foodborne illness</a> sickens 76 million Americans each year, and 40 percent of those illnesses are linked to restaurant food. With a greater emphasis on food safety in restaurant kitchens, we hope to see a lot fewer sick consumers in the New York City. Los Angeles has been doing restaurant grading for over 10 years with great results—including a documented 20 percent decrease in hospitalizations due to foodborne illness. With cities on both coasts now providing this import food safety information to consumers, the only question remaining is: Why aren’t all cities doing restaurant grading? 2010-06-15 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Releases Report http://cspinet.org/new/201006151.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanBasic nutrition advice hasn't changed much over the 30 years that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans has been published. That key report has long advised people to eat less unhealthy fats, salt, and added sugars and more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—and, for the most part, that advice has been ignored by individuals and institutions. The new Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee <a href="http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-DGACReport.htm" target="cspi">report</a>, at long last, recognizes that what is most needed is an unprecedented effort to help people follow the Dietary Guidelines, including changes in policy and the food environment. The report wisely recommends that USDA and HHS develop a national strategy to help people eat better, including ramping up nutrition education, expanding access to fruits and vegetables, and getting industry to provide more healthful products. 2010-06-15 House Child Nutrition Bill Promotes Good Nutrition for Kids http://cspinet.org/new/201006101.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanThe Center for Science in the Public Interest applauds Chairman George Miller for pulling together a <a href="http://edlabor.house.gov/blog/2010/06/house-democrats-to-introduce-n.shtml">strong child nutrition bill</a>. The bill would do much to help support and promote healthy eating by children. Like the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201003242.html">Senate child nutrition bill</a>, it is the beginning of the end for junk food and sugary drinks in schools. There also are a number of provisions to increase resources, technical assistance, and training to improve the nutritional quality of school meals. The bill would expand nutrition education in schools and strengthen school nutrition and physical activity wellness policies. The clock is ticking for child nutrition. While Congress has a lot on its plate, it needs to address what's on children's plates—and soon. In order to ensure that the strong reforms in the House and Senate child nutrition bills reach children as soon as possible, the full Senate needs to pass the bipartisan bill that was unanimously passed out of the Senate Agriculture Committee. The House also should move quickly to pass Chairman Miller's child nutrition package. Both the House and Senate child nutrition bills contain a historic agreement between health groups and food and beverage companies to improve the nutritional quality of foods sold out of vending machines and other venues outside of school meals. Getting junk food out of schools is important for improving children's diets and ensuring that those so-called competitive foods don't undermine the school lunch program. 2010-06-10 IOM Report Offers Useful Guidance for FDA, With One Major Exception http://cspinet.org/new/201006081.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalToday’s <a href="http://www.nationalacademies.org/morenews/20100608a.html">report from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council</a> offers several strong recommendations for improving food safety under the Food and Drug Administration, and serves as yet another call to Congress to pass critical food safety reform legislation. Many of the recommendations made in the report are contained in the food safety legislation pending in the Senate. Among the improvements IOM suggests are the creation of a centralized risk-based analysis and data management center, and the development of a specialized food safety inspection workforce. The data center envisioned by IOM, which resembles that of the European Food Safety Authority, could be a useful model for FDA. IOM’s recognition of the need for a specialized food safety inspection workforce is a welcome suggestion, recognizing that inspectors cannot be cross-trained adequately in food safety, drugs, and medical devices. Unfortunately, the report also recommends that FDA pursue delegating additional responsibility for food inspections to the states—an experiment destined to increase the number of food safety <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/outbreak_report.html">failures we have already experienced</a>. One need only look to the Peanut Corporation of America for evidence that states are ill-equipped to provide the level of inspection required. States and local governments have responsibility for food safety inspections of all <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200808071.html">restaurants</a>, hospitals, nursing homes, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200701301.html">schools</a>, and day care centers—responsibilities that are already taxing state governments. Instead of tasking overburdened and underfunded agencies with additional responsibilities, FDA should create a more efficient federal inspection force, including by utilizing other federal agencies. The IOM also recommends moving toward a single unified food safety agency, a plan championed by CSPI and used with success by other countries. 2010-06-08 Most Companies Replace Trans Fat with Healthier Fats, Study Finds http://cspinet.org/new/201005261.html WASHINGTON—When food manufacturers and chain restaurants reduced or eliminated artificial trans fat, the reformulated foods almost always ended up lower in their total amount of trans and saturated fat. That finding, published in the May 27 issue of the <a href="http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/362/21/2037" target="cspi">New England Journal of Medicine</a>, effectively disproves speculation that food manufacturers would merely replace partially hydrogenated oils—the source of artificial trans fat—with saturated fat from butter, lard, or palm oil. And, it means that getting rid of artificial trans fat usually resulted in foods that are healthier for hearts, according to the researchers. In the largest survey of its kind ever done in the United States, researchers identified 83 brand-name packaged and restaurant foods that had been made with <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/transfat" target="cspi">trans fat </a> prior to 2007, but then were reformulated to largely eliminate the trans fat. The study found that the overall content of both fats combined was reduced in 90 percent (52 of 58) of the supermarket products and 96 percent (24 of 25) of the restaurant products, with average total reductions of 1.2 and 3.9 grams per serving, respectively. The study was conducted by Dariush Mozaffarian of Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health and Michael F. Jacobson and Julie S. Greenstein of the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>. “This study should alleviate concerns that most food manufacturers and restaurants would simply switch to a shortening high in saturated fat when they reformulated their products without trans fat,” Mozaffarian said. “In only a small handful of baked goods, more saturated fat was added than trans fat subtracted following reformulation. Still, because a gram of trans fat is more harmful than a gram of saturated fat, even those changes represented relative improvements. In the majority of products, trans fat was reduced or eliminated without corresponding increases in saturated fat. In the case of reformulated restaurant foods, not only was trans fat largely eliminated, but saturated fat also was reduced—making for a much healthier food.” For example, a large order of McDonald’s French fries used to have 13 grams of saturated and trans fats, but ended up with only 3.5 grams. The total amount of trans and saturated fats in Gorton’s Crunchy Golden Fish Sticks declined from 7 grams to 4 grams. In one of the exceptions, an Entenmann’s frosted doughnut, which started with 5 grams of saturated fat and 5 grams of trans fats, ended up with no trans fat, but 12 grams of saturated fat. The authors note that some foods, such as pie crusts and pastries, may need a small amount of hard fat, like butter or palm oil, to have a flaky texture. “This paper demonstrates that the U.S. food industry has been generally responsible in replacing partially hydrogenated oils with more healthful oils,” Jacobson said. “That should pave the way for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to eliminate partially hydrogenated oils from the food supply. The agency could do that quite easily by stating that it no longer considers partially hydrogenated oil to be ‘generally recognized as safe,’ and give companies a year or two to switch to healthier oils.” 2010-05-26 And the Envelope, Please: The 2010 Xtreme Eating Awards Go To... http://cspinet.org/new/201005251.html Nutrition Action Healthletter Exposes 9 Caloric HeavyweightsWASHINGTON—Would you top a Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizza with six Taco Bell Crunchy beef Tacos? And then eat the whole thing? Well, pass the Pepto-Bismol, please: The nutrition and food safety watchdogs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest today conferred its <a href=" http://www.cspinet.org/nah/articles/xtremeeating2010.html" target="cspi">Xtreme Eating awards</a> on nine items from seven American restaurant chains. “One might think that chains like Outback Steakhouse and The Cheesecake Factory might want to lighten up their meals now that calories will be required on their menus, courtesy of the health care reform law signed in March,” said <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">CSPI</a> executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “But these chains don’t promote moderation. They practice caloric extremism, and they’re helping make modern-day Americans become the most obese people ever to walk the Earth.” <img src="/images/outbacksteaklamb.jpg"> Photo Credit: Melissa Pryputniewicz The Outbeak Steakhouse New Zealand Rack of Lamb plus the sides has 1,820 calories, 80 grams of saturated fat, and 2,600 milligrams of sodium. Most people wouldn’t think to order two orders of deep-fried steak and eggs for breakfast at a casual chain like Bob Evans. But if you order Bob Evans’ Cinnamon Cream Stacked & Stuffed Hotcakes, you’ll be getting 1,380 calories and 34 grams of bad fat—about what you’d get in two country-fried steaks and four eggs. But the hotcakes are worse because seven grams of their bad fat comes from trans fat—more than one should get in three and a half days. Syrup adds another 200 calories for every four-tablespoon serving. Pancakes, which are usually lightly fried white flour topped with sugary syrup, have never been a healthy breakfast. But Bob stuffs his hotcakes with cinnamon chips made of sugar and fat; adds a layer of cream-cheese-flavored filling; and tops them with sugary "cream" sauce, whipped topping, and powdered sugar. And that makes the item one of CSPI’s top Xtreme Eating dishonorees for 2010. To put these numbers into context, keep in mind that the average American should consume about 2,000 calories per day, and consume no more than 20 grams of saturated fat. Others examples of Xtreme Eating include: <ul><li>California Pizza Kitchen Tostada Pizza with Grilled Steak. With 1,680 calories,1½ day’s worth (32 grams) of saturated fat, and more than 2 day's worth (3,300 mg) of sodium ordering the single-serve pizza is like eating a Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizza topped with six Taco Bell Crunchy beef Tacos. </li> <li>Five Guys Bacon Cheeseburger. At McDonald’s, most people probably wouldn’t opt for a second Quarter Pounder (410 calories each). But at one of the trendy Five Guys’ 550 outlets, one Bacon Cheeseburger sans toppings has 920 calories and a day-and-a half’s worth (30 grams) of saturated fat. A large order of French fries at Five Guys has 1,460 calories—about triple the calories of a large order of fries at McDonald’s. (Famous Five Guys <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1TxMKaYHYA" target="cspi">patrons</a> please <a href="http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/02/first_lady_michelle_obama_lunc.html" target="cspi">take note</a>.)</li> <li>P.F. Chang’s Double Pan-Fried Noodles Combo. You could eat 10 egg rolls and not top the 1,820 calories in this dish. “They fry these noodles to make them hard and crunchy, while you end up soft and flabby,” says CSPI nutrition director Bonnie Liebman. If this noodle dish does indeed have the 7,690 milligrams of sodium to which the chain confesses, that would be about three teaspoons of salt—a five-day supply. </li> <li>The Cheesecake Factory Pasta Carbonara with Chicken. When CSPI first dubbed fettuccine Alfredo a “heart attack on a plate,” it was because CSPI’s lab tests found it had 1,500 calories and 48 grams of saturated fat. But, according to the company, this dish—with four cups of white-flour pasta, smoked bacon, chicken, and Parmesan cream and butter sauce—has 2,500 calories and more saturated fat (85 grams) than one should consume in four days. It’s like eating the chain’s onion-ring-topped Grilled Rib-Eye Steak with French Fries, and a slice of Tiramisu Cheesecake. </li> <li>The Cheesecake Factory Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake. A tower of any food is rarely a good idea. This six-inch-long, three-quarter-pound slab of cake has 1,670 calories and two-and-a-half days’ worth (48 grams) of artery-clogging saturated fat. Feel like eating 14 Hostess Ho Hos for dessert? </li> </ul> The full list of the 2010 Xtreme Eating Awards is published in the June issue of <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nah" target="cspi">Nutrition Action Healthletter</a>. “I wouldn’t accuse California Pizza Kitchen or P.F. Chang’s of being a threat to national security, but with a quarter of young Americans too heavy to join the military, these and other chains ought to get the extremes off their menus,” said Liebman. “At a minimum, they should disclose calories on menus now, even before federal regulations make it mandatory.” Packaged-food manufacturers recently made a commitment to slash a trillion calories from the foods they produce by 2012. But the <a href="http://www.healthyweightcommit.org/" target="cspi">Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation </a> includes only one restaurant company, Darden, the parent company of Olive Garden and Red Lobster. And none of the companies involved in the initiative are revealing any details on how calorie reductions will be achieved. CSPI noted that, while a trillion calories sounds like a lot, it represents only a drop in the bucket of the more than 350 trillion calories that Americans consume every year. “For all the industry’s rhetoric about providing consumers with ‘choice,’ the choices at restaurants mostly range from bad to terrible,” Jacobson said. “The healthy choices are largely afterthoughts and Xtreme Eating reigns supreme. If chain restaurants want to practice corporate responsibility, they should substitute fruits, vegetables, and whole grains for white flour, sugar, salt, and fat.” The <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201003211.html" target="cspi">health-reform law</a> enacted in March gives the Food and Drug Administration a year to propose a regulation specifying how restaurant chains with 20 or more outlets should disclose calories on menus and menu boards. The law will also require chains to make information about saturated fat, carbohydrates, sodium, and other nutrients available to diners upon request. 2010-05-25 Council Urged to Put DC School Kids Ahead of Special-Interest Opponents of Soda Tax http://cspinet.org/new/201005131.html Cheh Proposal Would Provide for Healthier School FoodsWASHINGTON—The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/letter_to_councilmembers_-_final.pdf">today called on members of the District of Columbia Council</a> to support a proposal by Council Member Mary Cheh to levy a penny-per-ounce tax on soda to help pay for healthier school meals. The nonprofit nutrition and food-safety group is aiding a petition drive in support of the proposal along with Save the Children, Earth Day Network, and other organizations at <a href="www.supporthealthyschools.org">www.supporthealthyschools.org</a>. Cheh's Healthy Schools Revenue Act would provide $6.5 million a year to fund the Healthy Schools Act. Together, the acts would improve school nutrition, provide free breakfast in all District schools, eliminate the reduced-price copayment for lunch, and triple the amount of physical and health education. An additional $6 million would fund healthy food access, faith-based anti-obesity programs, and programs to improve the diets and wellness of the elderly in the District. "Soda consumption in the District is fueling an expensive epidemic of diet-related disease, including obesity, diabetes, and other health problems," said CSPI executive director and District resident Michael F. Jacobson. "A modest tax on this nutritionally worthless, disease-promoting product would give our seniors and children greater access to fresh fruits, vegetables, and other health-promoting foods." Residents of Washington, DC, collectively spend about $472 million on the medical costs of obesity alone, Jacobson wrote in a letter delivered today to Council Members. Fifty-five percent of District adults and 35 percent of children are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and sugar-sweetened drinks are the only foods or beverages that have been shown to increase the risk of overweight and obesity. One study found that for each additional sugared drink consumed per day, the likelihood of a child becoming obese increases by 60 percent. A <a href="http://www.nodcbevtax.com/">web site</a> set up by soda tax opponents lists a number of liquor stores and fast-food outlets that oppose the Cheh proposal. United Medical Center, the hospital formerly known as Greater Southeast Community Hospital, also appears on that list, apparently without authorization. The hospital told CSPI that it would ask to be taken off the list. "I'm not surprised that Coke, Pepsi, liquor stores, and fast-food chains would object to a soda tax," Jacobson said. "But their concerns must take a back seat to the health of our students and seniors." 2010-05-13 CSPI Applauds IOM Recommendations to Strengthen Standards for Health-related Claims for Foods and Dietary Supplements http://cspinet.org/new/201005121.html Statement of CSPI Legal Affairs Director Bruce SilvergladeThe <a href="http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/Evaluation-of-Biomarkers-and-Surrogate-Endpoints-in-Chronic-Disease.aspx" target="cspi">Institute of Medicine report</a> gives the Food and Drug Administration a basis to establish a regulatory framework for health-related claims on foods and dietary supplements labels. While the FDA has recently begun a case-by-case crackdown on misleading food labeling claims, the agency lacks a comprehensive regulatory framework for many types of labeling claims. Misleading health-related claims on food labels are an industry-wide problem and need an industry-wide solution. We support the IOM conclusion that when foods or dietary supplements claim to provide drug-like benefits, they should be held to rigorous scientific standards. Right now, FDA policies are riddled with loopholes that let companies make phony promises on weak scientific evidence. <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">CSPI</a> petitioned the FDA in 2002 to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for foods with added ingredients that claim special health benefits. The IOM report now gives the agency a firm scientific basis to act. Right now the supermarket is a jungle of unsupported health-related claims. We hope that the IOM report will provide the basis for fundamental change of how food labeling claims are regulated. 2010-05-12 White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity Praised http://cspinet.org/new/201005111.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanThe <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/05/10/take-a-look-our-action-plan-solve-problem-childhood-obesity" target="cspi">White House</a> has laid out a <a href="http://www.letsmove.gov/tfco_fullreport_may2010.pdf" target="cspi">comprehensive strategy</a> that if made a national priority and implemented should reduce obesity. From urging companies to improve restaurant children’s meals and reduce unhealthy food marketing to getting good food in and junk food out of schools, the recommendations are bold, yet achievable. Straight away, Congress could deliver on many of the <a href="http://www.letsmove.gov/taskforce_childhoodobesityrpt.html" target="cspi">Task Force </a> recommendations by completing the child nutrition reauthorization. With one day’s attention, the Senate could pass the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201003242.html" target="cspi">Agriculture Committee’s bill</a>, which would provide a historic increase in school lunch funding, get junk food out of vending machines, and help schools implement stronger nutrition and physical activity wellness policies. 2010-05-11 USDA's New Performance Standards Promise Safer Poultry; Need Strong Enforcement Powers from Congress http://cspinet.org/new/201005101.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalThe newly announced <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/usdadocket.pdf" target="cspi">performance standards</a> for Salmonella and Campylobacter—the most common hazards in the meat and poultry supply—represent the most significant food-safety development from the <a href="http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os_gAC9-wMJ8QY0MDpxBDA09nXw9DFxcXQ-cAA_2CbEdFAEUOjoE!/?contentidonly=true&contentid=2010%2F05%2F0246.xml" target="cspi">U.S. Department of Agriculture</a> in 15 years. USDA has cut the target levels for Salmonella in poultry by over 60 percent, and set the first-ever performance standard for Campylobacter. These long-awaited changes will push poultry processors to improve the safety of their products. When HACCP was first adopted in 1996, USDA promised it would continuously update its performance standards, but the agency never delivered on this promise, until now. Performance standards are the metric for measuring whether a company is maintaining control over the pathogens that are often present on poultry, and which cause millions of illnesses each year. Beginning in July, poultry processors will be operating under a stricter testing standard for Salmonella, and for the first time, the same products will be evaluated for Campylobacter, the most common foodborne pathogen in poultry. These standards could have a greater impact on consumers than any food safety measure since 1996. Chicken and turkey will be safer once they are implemented, especially if retailers avoid companies that are named by USDA as needing improvement. Unfortunately, USDA still lacks authority to enforce these standards by closing failing plants—an authority stripped away in 2001 by a federal court in Supreme Beef, Inc. vs. USDA. For consumers to fully realize the benefits of the improved standards, Congress should reinstate USDA’s authority to enforce its performance standards. 2010-05-10 Lettuce Recalled Due to E. Coli: Another Reason Senate Should Take Up Food Safety Bill http://cspinet.org/new/201005062.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalIf members of the United States Senate need another reason to bring the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200911181.html" target="cspi">food safety bill</a> to the floor, may I recommend tomorrow’s newspapers? Once again, lettuce contaminated with dangerous bacteria, in this case, E. coli O145, is implicated in a multistate outbreak that has hospitalized at least 12 people so far and may be responsible for three cases of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). New York State identified the pathogen during testing of unopened bagged lettuce from Ohio-based Freshway Foods, and the Food and Drug Administration issued a recall of products from the Freshway plant. While consumers wait for Congress to pass food safety legislation, the plants that process and bag lettuce and the farms that grow it are operating under an industry honor system which clearly failed in this case. The FDA can’t tell us when it last had inspectors in the plant where this lettuce was processed. Congress urgently needs to give the FDA the resources and authority from the farm forward, transforming it from a reactive agency to an agency focused on preventing contamination. Freshway is conducting this recall on a voluntary basis, because – even with the presence of this serious food safety hazard – FDA lacks the ability to order a recall. Giving the FDA mandatory recall authority is another reason why the Senate should bring S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, to the floor without further delay. In the meantime, consumers should check <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm211131.htm" target="cspi">FDA’s web site</a> for specific information about this recall. Reports from FDA indicate that the recalled lettuce was intended for food service establishments, including some supermarket salad bars, but not bagged lettuce for retail sale. 2010-05-06 Safeway May Face Lawsuit for Failing to Alert Purchasers of Recalled Food http://cspinet.org/new/201005061.html Unlike Other Chains, Safeway Won’t Use Club Card Data to Notify Members of Recalls, Says CSPIWASHINGTON—Even though it collects phone numbers and email addresses from its Club Card members, Safeway won’t use that data to contact people who bought contaminated food. The nonprofit <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a> today <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/safewayletter.pdf" target="cspi">notified Safeway</a> that CSPI will file a lawsuit against the grocery chain if it fails to adopt a policy to notify Club Card members who purchased contaminated food subject to recalls. Many other leading retailers do use customer contact information generated by their bonus card programs to notify consumers when they’ve purchased recalled food. In 2009, as thousands of <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200902031.html" target="cspi">peanut-containing products</a> tainted with deadly Salmonella bacteria were being recalled, chains such as Costco sent <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/costcoletter.pdf" target="cspi">letters</a> or automated <a href="http://cspinet.org/audio/CliffBarRecall.mp3" target="cspi">phone calls</a> out to people who bought those foods. That was also the practice of Giant, Harris Teeter, Price Chopper, ShopRite, Wegman’s, and other chains. Even though that outbreak sickened hundreds and claimed nine lives, Safeway did not contact its Club Card shoppers during that or other recalls. “It shocks the conscience that a major retailer would sit on its hands, even though it has easy access to the emails, addresses, and phone numbers of those who have purchased food that might be contaminated,” said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. “Perhaps Safeway saves a few pennies by remaining silent. But why would you knowingly risk letting your customers fall ill, or worse, die?” Unless Safeway makes a commitment to notify consumers of Class 1 recalls—those recalls of products “that predictably could cause serious health problems or death”—CSPI will file a lawsuit aimed at compelling the company to do so, the group said in a letter to Safeway chairman and CEO Steven A. Burd. In the <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/safewayletter.pdf" target="cspi">letter</a>, CSPI says that Safeway’s failure to notify consumers that they’ve bought potentially dangerous products violates state consumer protection laws in Texas, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and California. According to the privacy policy on Safeway’s web site, Club Card data “may be used to help make Safeway’s products, services and programs more useful to its customers.” And, the company reserves the right to “disclose personal information to our related companies and third parties.” Yet, even when it has sold foods that might have been contaminated with E. Coli, Salmonella, botulism, or other deadly hazards, Safeway does not use its Club Card information to prevent customers from eating that food, according to CSPI. 2010-05-06 New York City Action on Salt Reduction Praised http://cspinet.org/new/201004262.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonNew York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has once again proven why it is the most effective health department in the country. The <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.c0935b9a57bb4ef3daf2f1c701c789a0/index.jsp?pageID=mayor_press_release&catID=1194&doc_name=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyc.gov%2Fhtml%2Fom%2Fhtml%2F2010a%2Fpr179-10.html&cc=unused1978&rc=1194&ndi=1" target="cspi">goals announced today</a> by the city-led National Salt Reduction Initiative will encourage major companies to begin cutting sodium. While I’m glad that 16 companies have chosen to participate in the initiative, too many companies—including giants such as PepsiCo, ConAgra, McDonald’s, and Burger King—have chosen to skip it. The limited participation indicates the need for federal health agencies to set mandatory national limits on the amount of sodium allowed in packaged and restaurant food. Previously, under the leadership of prevention-oriented health commissioners and public-health advocate Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York has <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200612052.html" target="cspi">taken the lead</a> on putting calories on menus and menu boards of chain restaurants, phasing artificial trans fat out of restaurant foods, and mounting creative campaigns against smoking and <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201004141.html" target="cspi">soft drinks</a>. The city’s leadership of the National Salt Reduction Initiative will help put American consumers back in charge of their <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201004201.html" target="cspi">salt intake</a>, and lead to longer, healthier lives for millions of people in New York and beyond. 2010-04-26 Attack of the Zombie Trans Fat! http://cspinet.org/new/201004261.html Bob Evans, White Castle, & Long John Silver’s Still Using Heart-Stopping Artificial Trans Fat, Despite Known DangerWASHINGTON—Just when you thought that artificial trans fat was dead, it staggers zombie-like out of the culinary graveyard: Bob Evans, White Castle, and Long John Silver’s are all still using artificial trans fat in French fries, onion rings, hotcakes, and other foods. But this nutritional zombie isn’t out for your brains; it’s after your heart. <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/transfat" target="cspi">Artificial trans fat</a> is such an uncommonly powerful promoter of heart disease that it has been dropped by the largest fast-food chains; it has been forced out of restaurants in New York City, California, and other jurisdictions; and has been increasingly hard to find in supermarkets since trans fat labeling went into effect in 2006. But while McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Starbucks, and other big chains have phased out their use of partially hydrogenated oil (the source of artificial trans fat), America’s chain-restaurant B-Listers have yet to get the memo, according to the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>. “Bob Evans, White Castle, and Long John Silver’s are now the roguish outliers among the restaurant industry,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “Many Americans might have thought that the era of artificial trans fat was over. At these chains, it lives tragically on.” The three chains, with total sales of $3 billion a year, range between the 39th- and 51st-biggest in the country. Trans fat promotes heart disease by raising one’s LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, which clogs arteries, while lowering one’s HDL, the “good” cholesterol that guards against heart attacks. The Institute of Medicine recommends consuming as little trans fat as possible, while still eating a healthy diet, and the American Heart Association advises people to limit trans fat to no more than 2 grams per day. Since small amounts of trans fat occur naturally in milk and beef, that doesn’t leave much room for trans fat from artificial sources, according to CSPI. At Bob Evans, the fries aren’t the problem; it’s the pancakes: An order of Stacked & Stuffed Caramel Banana Pecan Hotcakes has 7 grams of trans fat; a standard order of three unadorned Bob Evans Buttermilk Hotcakes has 9 grams. At White Castle, even Harold and Kumar might look askance at the French fries, onion chips, and onion rings, which have between 2 and 10 grams of trans fat per order, depending on the product and the size, says CSPI. CSPI said it was particularly disappointed to find that zombie trans fat still lurks at Long John Silver’s. That chain, owned by Yum! Brands, the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut, knows better, according to the group. KFC phased trans fat out of its fried foods in 2006, four months after <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200610301.html" target="cspi">CSPI filed a lawsuit</a> against the chain. Taco Bell also phased out artificial trans fat several years ago. Nevertheless, at LJS, battered fish and shrimp has between 2.5 and 4.5 grams of trans fat; a side order of cryptic “Crumblies” has 4 grams; and every single meal on the chain’s Dollar Stretcher menu has artificial trans fat, ranging from the Small Golden Fries (2.5 grams) to the Two Jr. Fish and Fries (7 grams). “The FDA has all the scientific evidence and legal authority it needs to send partially hydrogenated oil to the chemical boneyard quickly and permanently, but it has failed to do so,” Jacobson said. “Banning it would save thousands of lives annually.” 2010-04-26 Institute of Medicine Recommends Quick Government Action to Reduce Salt in the Food Supply http://cspinet.org/new/201004201.html CSPI Urges FDA and USDA to Set Limits on SaltWASHINGTON—Legislators and public health groups today praised a <a href="http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/Strategies-to-Reduce-Sodium-Intake-in-the-United-States.aspx" target="cspi">long-awaited report</a> from the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine that calls for urgent, government action to reduce salt in packaged and restaurant foods. “Limiting salt in packaged and restaurant foods is perhaps the single most important thing that the Food and Drug Administration could do to save hundreds of thousands of lives and save billions of dollars in health-care expenses,” said <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a> executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “The FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture should quickly implement the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations, starting with mandatory limits on salt, which could be phased in gradually over time.” For more than 30 years, CSPI has been pressing the federal government to take steps to reduce salt in packaged and restaurant foods. A <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200511081.html" target="cspi">2005 regulatory petition</a> filed by CSPI asks the Food and Drug Administration to treat salt as a food additive, subject to reasonable limits. CSPI supports limits, since the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/salt/" target="cspi">high levels of salt</a> in the American diet promote high blood pressure, which in turn promotes stroke and heart disease. Senator Tom Harkin and Representative Rosa DeLauro also joined CSPI in support of limits on salt. “As this report points out, Americans’ salt intake has continued to increase since the early 1970s, and thus so have our taste preferences,” said DeLauro. “The problem is, we have reached a point where our sodium intake is endangering our health, and we are paying a heavy price in heart attacks, strokes, and hypertension. The public health implications of this are really astounding. According to the IOM, reducing salt intake could prevent more than 100,000 deaths a year. The FDA should set national standards for sodium content in foods.” “Removing the barriers to healthy living leads to longer, healthier lives and lower health care costs down the road,” said Harkin. “It is difficult for Americans to control the amount of sodium they consume when dangerously high amounts are being added to processed foods. Nearly 80 percent of our daily sodium intake isn’t added at the table or during cooking—it’s added in processing plants before it ever gets to us. When sodium is so clearly linked to heart disease and strokes, it’s time to give Americans more information and better control over their daily intake. This is good common sense and it is a wise investment in our public health too.” “As the Institute of Medicine report unambiguously points out, 40 years of voluntary initiatives on the part of manufacturers have failed to reduce salt intake,” Jacobson said. “But we call on food manufacturers and restaurant chains to step up their efforts at salt reduction while the FDA and USDA implement the IOM’s recommendations.” Jacobson noted that 20 percent of Americans’ salt intake actually comes from the meat- and poultry-containing products regulated by the USDA. Seventy percent of the population—a group that includes the elderly, African Americans, and people with existing high blood pressure—should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day, according to the federal government. Everyone else should limit themselves to 2,300 mg per day. But according to CSPI, average sodium intake is actually north of 4,000 mg per day. And some <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/top_ten_salty_foods__restaurant_.pdf" target="cspi">restaurant meals </a> are capable of providing even more than that in a single meal. At Chili’s, a meal made of Buffalo Chicken Fajitas and a bowl of Black Bean Soup contain 7,770 mg of sodium—more sodium than is safe for most people to consume in five days. The <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200905111.html" target="cspi">Admiral’s Feast</a> with a Caesar Salad, a Cheddar Bay Biscuit and a Light Lemonade at Red Lobster has 5,925 mg of sodium. In 2009, CSPI sued restaurant chain <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200907231.html" target="cspi">Denny’s</a> to disclose sodium levels on its menus and include warnings for high sodium content. Even foods <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/top_ten_salty_foods__packaged.pdf" target="cspi">purchased at the grocery store </a> have unsafe levels of salt, says CSPI. A Swanson Hungry Man frozen dinner of Grilled Bourbon Steak Strips in sauce with rice and green beans contains 1,990 mg of sodium. Even foods intended for children, like an Oscar Mayer Lunchables with Lean Ham and Cheddar Cracker Stackers has more than 1,000 mg of sodium—nearly an entire day’s worth for kids aged four to eight. “Outrageously <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nah/articles/salt.html" target="cspi">high salt levels</a> are turning Americans hearts and brains into ticking time bombs. It’s about time for policymakers at all levels of government to bring salt levels back down to safer, more reasonable levels,” Jacobson said. According to CSPI, intervention by the British government to reduce sodium has succeeded in bringing many packaged foods’ sodium levels below the levels of comparable foods sold in the United States. 2010-04-20 Health Advocates Cheer Decline in Soda Drinking http://cspinet.org/new/201004141.html Taxes, Media Campaigns, Warning Labels Could Reduce Consumption Further, Says CSPIWASHINGTON—Health advocates see an encouraging trend in the fight against obesity and diet-related disease: Americans are drinking less soda pop. Per capita consumption of carbonated soft drinks has declined for 11 straight years, according to data from Beverage Marketing Corporation. Per capita consumption of sugary soft drinks is 22 percent below its peak in 1998, according to the trade publication <a href="http://www.beverage-digest.com/pdf/top-10_2010.pdf" target="cspi">Beverage Digest</a> and calculations by the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>. To be sure, even with the declines in consumption in recent years, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Dr. Pepper Snapple, and other companies produced 9.4 billion cases of sugary soda and energy drinks in 2009. At the 1998 peak, when CSPI first published its Liquid Candy report, companies were producing 638 8-ounce servings of non-diet soft drinks per person. By 2009, that figure was down to 543 8-ounce servings. Still, that’s about 140 empty calories a day, for every man, woman, and child in the United States. “The recognition that soda pop promotes weight gain and disease is gaining traction, contributing to the steady decline in soda consumption,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “Ten years from now, it would be great to see that Americans are drinking a can and a half a week, instead of a can and a half a day.” Besides concern over obesity, Jacobson said that the growing popularity of bottled water, the low-carb Atkins and South Beach diets, bans on soft drinks in schools, and rising unemployment rates are all partly responsible for the decline in soda consumption. According the United States Department of Agriculture and Beverage Digest, the proportion of carbonated soft drinks that are non-caloric diet drinks increased from 23 percent to 30 percent between 1998 and 2009. CSPI and other health advocates are urging state legislators to <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/liquidcandy" target="cspi">increase soda taxes</a> where they already exist, or to institute them for the first time. A state such as California, which already imposes a small sales tax on soft drinks, could raise nearly $2 billion each year if the state added a penny-per-ounce excise tax on soda. The state could put some of that money toward the state’s share of the $10 billion in medical expenses incurred each year by obese Californians. The revenues could also fund programs to encourage healthy eating and physical activity, such as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F4t8zL6F0c" target="cspi">media campaigns</a> to discourage the consumption of sugary beverages. “Reasonable taxes could help drive down consumption a bit more, particularly among children,” Jacobson said. “And if those taxes could fund hard-hitting media campaigns, like the one being run in New York City, that’s even better. The goal should be to restore sugary soda to what it once was—an occasional treat in a reasonable portion, not the every-day super-sized tub.” Another policy approach would be to require health notices on soft-drink containers, something that in 2005 <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200507131.html" target="cspi">CSPI petitioned</a> the Food and Drug Administration to do. CSPI proposed “The U.S. Government recommends that you drink less (non-diet) soda to help prevent weight gain, tooth decay, and other health problems,” as one such notice. The FDA hasn’t yet acted on that proposal. 2010-04-14 Half-Empty Food Packages Harm Consumers, Environment http://cspinet.org/new/201004051.html CSPI Calls on FDA, State Attorneys General to Crack Down on “Slack Fill”WASHINGTON—A biggish box of Hamburger Helper only half full of food. A giant box of Ginger Snaps half full of air. A solitary chicken quesadilla in a Lean Cuisine box that could easily fit two. The food industry calls it "slack fill." But the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a> calls it a form of deception—and an environmental nightmare to boot. The nonprofit nutrition and food safety watchdog group is urging the Food and Drug Administration and state attorneys general to crack down on illegal slack fill in food packages. <img src="/images/gingersnaps.JPG"> Photo Credit: Stephen Schmidt What seems like a full bag of ginger snaps before opening the box is actually a half-full combination of food and air— what the industry calls "slack fill." CSPI calls it deception. The federal government already has regulations on the books regarding slack fill, which is defined as the difference between the capacity of a container and the volume of product inside. Those rules are meant to restrict slack fill to those situations where some air in the packaging actually helps protect the contents, or where some settling of the product makes a little slack fill unavoidable. But according to CSPI, food manufacturers and the regulators who oversee them don’t seem overly concerned with the spirit of those regulations. "It would be disheartening, even shocking, if it weren’t so commonplace," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "But as consumers we’ve almost come to expect that our food packages will be half full of food and half full of air. Slack fill is just one trick that food marketers employ to make us thing we’re getting more for our money than we are." A box of Betty Crocker Wholesome Hamburger Helper is roughly 19 centimeters tall, 12 cm wide, and three-and-a-half cm deep. If it were filled to the very top, it could accommodate nearly 800 cubic cm of food. Instead, a small plastic bag of macaroni and a flat packet of sauce mix take up only about half of the package. The box does include the 5.8 ounces of food described on the label, but would the company dare do this if the package were see-through, asks CSPI? And what of the environmental cost of shipping half-full containers around the country and world? "If food companies cut packages of Ginger Snaps or Hamburger Helper in half, what now takes two trucks to ship would only take one," Jacobson said. "Some of us might appreciate some extra space in our cupboards, too. I wish the Food and Drug Administration or state attorneys general would take steps to ensure that consumers are getting their money’s worth at the grocery store." <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/memo_-_slack_fill.pdf" target="cspi">"Cut the Slack"</a> is the lead editorial in the April issue of CSPI’s flagship publication, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nah" target="cspi">Nutrition Action Healthletter</a>. Introductory subscriptions are $10 a year. 2010-04-05 Child Nutrition Bill Advances in Senate http://cspinet.org/new/201003242.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanAmerica’s schools are one step closer to being junk-food-free today. Congratulations to Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) for passing a strong child nutrition bill out of the Senate Agriculture Committee. This bipartisan bill contains numerous important steps to improve child nutrition and address childhood obesity, including a historic agreement between health groups and food and beverage companies to improve the nutritional quality of foods sold out of vending machines and other venues outside of school meals. Getting junk food out of schools is important for improving children’s diets and ensuring that those so-called competitive foods don’t undermine the school lunch program. Although USDA regularly adjusts school meal reimbursement rates for inflation, this is the first time in four decades that Congress would provide an additional increase in funding. The reimbursement rate increase is supported by several other provisions that expand financial resources, increase technical support to schools, and strengthen compliance with school meal nutrition standards to ensure healthier school meals for children. 2010-03-24 Nearly Half of States Need to Improve Outbreak Reporting, Says CSPI http://cspinet.org/new/201003241.html Better Reporting of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks Could Speed Recalls and Save LivesWASHINGTON—The <a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewtrustsorg/Reports/Produce_Safety_Project/PSP-Scharff%20v9.pdf?n=1136" target="cspi">national cost</a> of foodborne illness has been estimated at the astronomical sum of $152 billion annually, but the information on who is getting sick and what is causing those illnesses is part of a state-by-state surveillance system that shows mixed results around the country, raising important new questions about how to improve state outbreak reporting. In 2006, more than 200 people fell ill and 5 died after eating <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200609151.html" target="cspi">spinach</a> contaminated with deadly E. coli bacteria. So in 2007, which also saw several nationwide outbreaks, state and local public health agencies should have been on full alert to investigate illnesses and report outbreaks to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to an analysis of 2007 <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/statereport2010.pdf" target="cspi">outbreak reporting data</a> by the nonprofit <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>, outbreak <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/reportedoutbreaks.pdf" target="cspi">reporting varied widely</a> from state to state: nine states reported 10 to 15 outbreaks per million people, but many others reported only one. If states’ reporting performance during 2007 (the most recent year when such information is available) is any indication, at least 23 states need to make dramatic improvements in their surveillance and reporting systems, according to CSPI. “State and local health departments are our first line of defense when it comes to identifying the food that causes an outbreak,” said CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety" target="cspi">food safety </a> director Caroline Smith DeWaal. “But some states may not have enough investigators or the money to train and equip their staff, which can lead to lower-quality investigations and lower rates of reporting.” Oregon and Minnesota are well-recognized as having strong programs for foodborne outbreak surveillance, investigation, and reporting. Those states, which have excellent laboratory facilities and which quickly interview people who test positive for dangerous pathogens, each reported 10 outbreaks per million people in 2007. CSPI considered that a baseline for its analysis, and found that 7 states had even better reporting records, including Maine, Kansas, Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, Hawaii and North Dakota. Those states generated more reports and provided CDC with better information to prevent future outbreaks. On the other end of the spectrum, twelve states reported just one outbreak of foodborne illness per million people, and 11 states had reporting rates almost as low. Because there is no reason to think that those states would have such low incidences of outbreaks, CSPI is concerned that this variability in reporting reflects a failure to identify, fully investigate, and report outbreaks. The 23 states with the lowest reporting rates in 2007 were Delaware, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts, each with three outbreaks per million; Missouri, New Jersey, Virginia, Alabama, West Virginia, and Kentucky, each with two outbreaks per million; and Texas, North Carolina, Indiana, Louisiana, Nebraska, Utah, Arkansas, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Mississippi, and Oklahoma, each reporting just one outbreak per million. In September of 2007, 19-month-old Isabelle Reinert of Sauk Rapids, MN, became violently ill with unrelenting diarrhea and a 104-degree fever. Her diarrhea persisted for nearly six weeks, and her mother Amy Reinert told the Associated Press that it “was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced as a parent.” Epidemiologists working for the state of Minnesota were eventually able to identify the source of the Salmonella that sickened Isabelle and others that year: Banquet Turkey Pot Pies. That link between the outbreak and ConAgra’s pot pies led to a recall of over 3 million pot pies and new package cooking instructions, including advice that the pies should be cooked to 165 degrees F. Legislation that passed the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200907301.html" target="cspi">House of Representatives</a> would help improve state reporting, according to CSPI. The <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200911181.html" target="cspi">FDA Food Safety Modernization Act</a>, now pending in the Senate, would require FDA to improve coordination between federal, state and local surveillance systems; develop a national network of laboratories; and improve epidemiological tools available to the states. The bill would also integrate foodborne illness surveillance with other bio-surveillance capabilities. “State outbreak reporting is a vital piece of our national food safety system, and the information gathered in the course of outbreak investigations can reduce the impact of outbreaks and prevent future ones. Action on Senate bill would help strengthen both federal and state food safety programs,” DeWaal said. According to recent research done by <a href="http://www.safetables.org/index.cfm" target="cspi">S.T.O.P.</a>—Safe Tables Our Priority, a number of factors may also explain the variation in state investigations. “States’ systematic differences in response to foodborne illness case reporting may also explain variations in rates,” said S.T.O.P’s public health specialist, Susan Vaughn Grooters. “Time differences in surveying cases of foodborne illness and lack of integrated data collection may also affect how well states accurately capture data.” DeWaal will present CSPI’s findings today at a food safety conference in Atlanta cosponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and NSF International. 2010-03-24 Health Care Reform to Deliver Calorie Counts to Chain Restaurant Menus Nationwide http://cspinet.org/new/201003211.html CSPI Celebrates "Huge Victory for Consumers" After 7-Year FightWASHINGTON—Tucked neatly inside the health reform legislation headed to the Oval Office for a presidential signature is language that will require <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/healthreformmenulabeling.pdf" target="cspi">calorie labeling </a> on chain restaurant menus, menu boards, and drive-through displays, as well as on vending machines. The legislation applies to chains with 20 or more outlets, and requires them to provide additional nutrition information on request. <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/ml_map.pdf" target="cspi">Similar measures </a> are already in effect or are awaiting implementation in California, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, New York City, Philadelphia, and a dozen other localities. The federal standard will supersede the varied state and local requirements. <img src="/images/subway.jpg"> This Subway in New York City has posted calorie information for all menu items since the implementation of the local menu-labeling law in 2007. Soon all chain restaurants with 20 or more outlets nationwide will be required to post this information on menus, menu boards, drive-through displays and vending machines. "Coffee drinks can range from 20 calories to 800 calories, and burgers can range from 250 calories to well over 1,000 calories," said CSPI nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan. "With the health reform legislation passed today, Congress is giving Americans easy access to the most critical piece of nutrition information they need when eating out. While it’s a huge victory for consumers, it’s just one of dozens of things we will need to do to reduce rates of obesity and diet-related disease in this country." <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">CSPI</a> began pressing for <a href="http://www.menulabeling.org" target="cspi">nutrition labeling</a> at chain restaurants in 2003. In past sessions of Congress, stand-alone menu labeling bills were introduced by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). New York City became the first jurisdiction to enact menu labeling, via regulations issued by the city’s Board of Health, in 2006. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed California’s menu labeling law in 2008, after vetoing a similar measure the year before. The National Restaurant Association dropped its longstanding objection to menu labeling last year, and actually supported the language passed by Congress today. "The historic legislation that President Barack Obama will sign will do so much to give more Americans access to health care, but it also does much to help prevent disease in the first place," Wootan said. "Menu labeling at restaurants will help make First Lady Michelle Obama’s mission to reduce childhood obesity just a little bit easier." The bill exempts small businesses, and does not apply to daily or temporary specials and customized orders. It requires the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to propose specific regulations not later than one year from now. Those regulations will be finalized through a formal rulemaking process, and the FDA must make quarterly reports on its progress to Congress. 2010-03-21 Bipartisan Agreement Likely Means USDA Will Set Nutrition Standards for Vending in Schools http://cspinet.org/new/201003181.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanIn an otherwise contentious time in Washington, it's good to know that Republicans and Democrats can come together for the sake of child nutrition and health. The agreement that Chairman Blanche Lincoln and Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss have forged, along with the support of <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/nsns_senate_letter.pdf" target="cspi">industry leaders</a> and health groups, will allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure that the federal investment in healthy school meals isn't undermined by foods that harm kids' health. USDA is currently updating the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200910201.html" target="cspi">school meal standards</a>; now Congress is poised to allow USDA to take care of the rest of school foods. The current national nutrition standards for foods sold out of school vending machines and a la carte lines in cafeterias are 30 years out of date and no longer make sense. They don't address key nutrition problems like calories, fats, salt, and sugar. USDA needs to update its nutrition standards for school foods sold outside of meals, and apply those standards to the whole campus, the whole school day. We're pleased that industry leaders like Mars, Nestlé, Coke, and Pepsi see the need for this as well. There has been an absolute sea change when it comes to parents' expectations for the foods that are available in schools. Many cities, states, and companies have already begun to improve the nutritional quality of foods they sell in school. However, two-thirds of states still have weak or no school nutrition standards. When Congress passes the <a href="http://www.schoolfoods.org/" target="cspi">child nutrition reauthorization bill</a>, it will help get all junk food out of every school once and for all. 2010-03-18 Start Spreading the News! New York City Passes Food Safety Letter Grades for Restaurants http://cspinet.org/new/201003171.html CSPI Urges Other Jurisdictions to Do the SameWASHINGTON—New York City's trailblazing Department of Health and Mental Hygiene voted yesterday to require the city’s restaurants to post letter grades reflecting the establishment's cleanliness. That move was applauded today by the nonprofit <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>, which has been calling on cities and state legislatures to adopt such measures. Letter grades have been used in Los Angeles County restaurants for the past 11 years, and that popular measure is credited with reducing the number of hospitalizations due to foodborne illness there. A <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200808071.html" target="cspi">2008 CSPI review </a> of 539 restaurant inspections in 20 cities found that two-thirds of restaurants had troubling critical food safety violations. That report, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/dirtydining/index.html" target="cspi">Dirty Dining</a>, contained harrowing accounts of chicken salad stored at a bacteria-friendly 50 degrees, mouse droppings in ice machines, and roaches scampering across cutting boards. CSPI found that many of those inspection reports were hard for the public to obtain; CSPI investigators had to pry reports from some secretive health departments with formal requests made under the Freedom of Information Act. "When some said it was impossible to get artificial trans fat out of restaurant food, New York City proved them wrong," said CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety" target="cspi">food safety</a> attorney Sarah Klein. "When others said that calorie counts on menus were impractical, New York City made it look easy. L.A. was the first to put food safety letter grades in restaurant windows. But with 24,000 restaurants representing virtually every cuisine on Earth, <a href="http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/city-health-board-agrees-to-require-letter-grades-for-restaurant-cleanliness/" target="cspi">New York City</a> can show that if you can make it happen there, you can make it happen anywhere." Klein will represent CSPI at the Conference on Food Protection in Providence, RI, next month. That conference brings together food industry stakeholders, consumer groups, and food-safety officials from state, local, and federal agencies, and makes recommendations to the Food and Drug Administration on updating its model food code. That code forms the scientifically sound technical and legal basis for regulating retail food sales, and is then typically adopted by state and local agencies. CSPI wants it to include letter grades for restaurants. "Of course, we also want to prevent food from being contaminated before it even enters a restaurant, which is why Congress needs to give the FDA the authority and resources it needs to do that job," Klein said. The Senate is expected have a vote on final passage of the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200911181.html" target="cspi">FDA Food Safety Modernization Act</a> this spring. 2010-03-17 CSPI Applauds Pepsi for Making World-Wide Commitment Not to Sell Sugary Soft Drinks in Schools http://cspinet.org/new/201003161.html Coca-Cola Will Still Target High School Kids in Most CountriesWASHINGTON—PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi has announced that the company will phase out full-sugar carbonated soft drinks from all schools around the world. The move followed from the <a href="http://www.dumpsoda.org/" target="cspi">Global Dump Soft Drinks Campaign</a> led by the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>. The group proposed negotiations in 2008, which were led by the Geneva-based World Heart Federation with PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and the International Council of Beverage Associations. PepsiCo's <a href="http://www.pepsico.com/PressRelease/PepsiCo-Sets-Industry-Standard-By-Establishing-the-First-Consistent-Global-Appro03162010.html" target="cspi">policy</a> will still allow the sale in high schools of non caloric drinks and sports drinks such as Gatorade that have about half the calories of regular carbonated soft drinks, and the policy will not limit the portion sizes of fruit juice. <a href="http://origin.thecoca-colacompany.com/citizenship/global_school_beverage_guidelines.html" target="cspi">Last week Coca-Cola</a>, the world’s largest purveyor of what CSPI calls <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/liquidcandy" target="cspi">“liquid candy,”</a> announced a policy, which also springs from the negotiations, that the company will “not offer our beverages for sale in primary schools.” But the policy then states that if school authorities request drinks “to meet hydration needs, we will endeavor to meet those requests.” The Coke policy explicitly allows the sale of its sugary soft drinks in high schools. Smaller regional and national companies represented by the International Council of Beverage Associations, and others not represented by the association, did not make any commitments to change their policies. "We applaud PepsiCo for its global commitment not to sell carbonated sugary soft drinks in schools," said Bruce Silverglade, legal affairs director of CSPI and president of the International Association of Consumer Food Organizations, which represented CSPI and other consumer groups in the talks. "But shame on Coca-Cola for insisting on targeting high school students in most countries around the world. Childhood obesity is a world-wide problem and high school students everywhere deserve the same help as American high schoolers." The new policies come on the heels of a study by the American Beverage Association that shows that in the United States the industry has made very <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/201003081.html" target="cspi">significant progress in getting high-calorie sodas out of all schools </a> as a result of state and local pressure to remove soft drinks, a threat of litigation, and a 2006 agreement with health groups. That study found that non-diet soda, sports drinks, diluted fruit drinks, and ice teas have decreased dramatically over the past five years. When the school lunch and other child nutrition programs are reauthorized by Congress this year, health advocates expect that the bill will require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to update the nutrition standards for foods sold in vending machines and a la carte programs in cafeterias, presumably excluding soda and other high-calorie drinks. Pepsi's new policy takes effect on January 1, 2011, and the company says it hopes to have full compliance by January of 2012. The company says that in some countries, parts of the distribution chain are out of its control. Coca-Cola's policy does not go into effect until 2013 when the company says its existing beverage contracts with schools will expire. The International Diabetes Federation was also represented in the negotiations leading up to PepsiCo’s and Coca-Cola’s announcements. 2010-03-16 Retailers Could Use Bonus Card Data to Alert Buyers of Recalled Foods http://cspinet.org/new/201003111.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Attorney Sarah KleinNow that the <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g9LcUIAg-72ZFn6tDkvVdKaKirogD9EC5ON00">CDC has shown </a>that customer loyalty cards provided crucial information to pinpoint the items that sickened nearly 250 people in 44 states, this valuable tool should be used by all retailers to alert their customers when they purchase food products that are later recalled. A year ago, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200902031.html">CSPI called on retailers</a> to use the information generated by bonus cards to contact consumers who have purchased recalled products. That’s already the practice of Costco, Wegman’s, and Price Chopper. These cards which speeded identification of the contaminated salami and prevented another giant outbreak are a valuable tool. This get other grocery chains thinking about how they can protect their customers when the next dangerous outbreak hits. The bonus cards swiped at grocery stores can do more than just save consumers money and generate powerful marketing databases for retailers. If a retailer knows the address, phone number, or email address of someone who has purchased contaminated peanut butter, spinach, or salami, the company should take advantage of that opportunity to prevent future illnesses from recalled products. 2010-03-11 Most Food & Entertainment Companies Get Failing Grade for Policies on Marketing Food to Children http://cspinet.org/new/201003091.html Few Have Any Policies in Place at All, According to CSPI Report CardWASHINGTON—Most food and entertainment companies have received Fs from the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, which today <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/marketingreportcard.pdf" target="cspi">issued a report card</a> that rates 128 companies’ policies with regard to food marketing aimed at children. Three-quarters of companies are getting an F, either for having weak policies or for failing to have any policies whatsoever. CSPI's highest grade, a B+, went to Mars, Inc., though the group emphasized that the grade is not for the foods Mars sells, but rather for its policy on marketing to children. Mars' policy excludes <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/statement_report_card.pdf" target="cspi">marketing to children</a> under 12 and covers most of the key marketing tactics used to reach children. The entertainment company given CSPI’s highest grade, a B, is Qubo, a family-friendly children's television channel delivered nationwide over ION Media Networks 59 local digital television stations. Qubo’s policy is comprehensive, applying reasonably good nutrition standards to its full range of programming, according to <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">CSPI</a>. One food company (Procter & Gamble, which makes Pringles) received a B, six got a B-, 17 got a C, and 7 a D. Ninety-five companies received an F. <img src="/images/chucktoy.JPG"> Photo Credit: Jeff Cronin The Most Disappointing Toy Ever? At first glance it resembles the classic Easy Bake, but the <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/mostdisappointingtoy.pdf" target="cspi">Chuck E. Cheese's</a>® EZ-2 Make!™ Pizza Maker doesn't even have a heating element; it’s just a cheap plastic shell. "Despite the industry's self-regulatory system, the vast majority of food and entertainment companies have no protections in place for children," said CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy" target="cspi">nutrition policy</a> director Margo G. Wootan. "If companies were marketing bananas and broccoli, we wouldn’t be concerned. But instead, most of the marketing is for sugary cereals, fast food, snack foods, and candy. And this junk food marketing is a major contributor to childhood obesity." According to the Institute of Medicine, TV commercials affect children's food choices, food purchase requests, diets, and health. And the mere act of watching commercial television is linked to obesity CSPI gave restaurant chain Denny's an F for marketing to children through its children's menu, which includes many nutritionally poor items; games on its Web site; and a kid's birthday club. Lucasfilms received an F for not having a policy. Presently, Lucasfilms is licensing Star Wars toys as a premium to go with McDonald's Happy Meals, many of which are nutritionally poor. Candy company Topps also got an F. That company makes, among other things, Baby Bottle Pop, a powdered candy sold in a miniature baby bottle, eaten by dipping a candy nipple in a sugary powder and licking it off. Over the years Topps has retained the services of the Jonas Brothers and Clique Girlz singing groups to convince children to purchase that infantilizing product, whose 140 calories all come from sugar. Companies spend about $2 billion each year marketing foods and beverages to children. Food manufacturers and restaurants more often had policies for television, radio, print, Internet, and product placement than for digital marketing, like cell phones, iPods, and social networks, characters, games, and contests on food packages, toy give-aways with children's meals at fast-food restaurants, or branded marketing programs for schools. Half of the entertainment companies with policies, like the Cartoon Network, apply nutrition standards to the licensing of their characters, but few have policies for their television advertising or Web site, which are the primary ways they market to children. In 2006, the Council of Better Business Bureaus announced a self-regulatory program called the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200909221.html" target="cspi">Childrens Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative</a>. Sixteen major food and restaurant companies, representing about 80 percent of television food advertising expenditures, have joined the program and announced that they will not market foods to children under 12 that don’t meet companies’ individual nutritional standards. But those standards often are carefully tailored and still allow a considerable volume of junk-food advertising to reach young kids, according to CSPI. The group's analysis of advertising on <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200911241.html" target="cspi">Nickelodeon</a>, conducted in November, found that 80 percent of food ads on the popular children's network were for junk food. While 64 percent of food manufacturers that advertise to children have marketing policies, only 24 percent of restaurants and 22 percent of entertainment companies do. For Qubo’s part, the company says its nutrition policy reinforces an overall message about healthy living and providing children with the foundations for self-esteem that the company promotes in popular kids’ programs such as Turbo Dogs, Willa's Wild Life and Babar. "Shortly after the launch of the Qubo kids' channel in 2007, we established very stringent nutritional guidelines for advertising only healthy foods to children," said Brandon Burgess, chairman and CEO of ION Media Networks, the parent company of the Qubo Channel. "We were responding to the alarming increase in childhood obesity and the seminal work established by the FCC's Task Force on Media and Childhood Obesity. Then and now, we were happy to work with policymakers, CSPI, and our industry colleagues to fight childhood obesity and provide children with important educational building blocks in making healthy lifestyle choices." In the next few weeks, the Federal Trade Commission together with other federal agencies is expected to propose a set of nutrition criteria and other standards for foods marketed to children that, when finalized in July, the agency hopes companies will adopt on a voluntary basis. "If food, toy, and media companies fail to adopt those voluntary standards, they will be clanging the death knell for their self-regulatory initiative and inviting strong government involvement in food marketing aimed at kids," Wootan said. 2010-03-09 Study Shows Progress Made Removing Sugary Sodas from Schools http://cspinet.org/new/201003081.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanWe congratulate the beverage industry for working to <a href="http://www.ameribev.org/nutrition--science/school-beverage-guidelines" target="cspi">remove sugary sodas</a> from schools. Together with stronger state laws and local school wellness policies, the country is making good progress in getting sugary drinks out of schools. But, there is still much work to be done. According to the industry study, unhealthy full-calorie sodas, sports drinks, imitation fruit drinks, and ice teas have decreased from three-quarters to one-third of the beverages sold in high schools over the past five years. We're pleased that the beverage industry and many snack food companies support having Congress address school beverages and snacks through this year's reauthorization of the school lunch and other child <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy" target="cspi">nutrition</a> programs. It’s time to pass national legislation to finish getting sugary drinks out of schools and to also address junk foods. 2010-03-08 Foods With Contaminated Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Recalled http://cspinet.org/new/201003041.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Attorney Sarah KleinThe massive voluntary recall announced today by Basic Food Flavors, Inc.—of products containing a widely used flavor enhancer,<a href="http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/HVPCP/"> hydrolyzed vegetable protein,</a>—is yet more proof that the Food and Drug Administration needs more authority, more inspectors, and more resources to ensure that our food supply is safe. Fortunately, this recall has been started before any illnesses have been linked to this strain of Salmonella. Most Americans would be stunned to learn that FDA doesn't even have the authority to make recalls like these mandatory. And it's worth asking: When was the last time an FDA inspector visited this particular facility in Nevada? This is why the <a href="https://secure2.convio.net/cspi/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=901" target="cspi">Senate must act now</a> to pass the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, so that the agency can help prevent contamination in the first place, rather than chase down tainted products long after they've left the manufacturer. 2010-03-04 FDA Crackdown on Misleading Food Labels Praised http://cspinet.org/new/201003031.html Statement of CSPI Legal Affairs Director Bruce SilvergladeThe FDA's coordinated enforcement actions today against 16 food manufacturers, including Gerber, Beech-Nut, Gorton's, Sunsweet, Nestlé, Pom, and Diamond, should send a loud and clear signal to industry that time is running out on misleading health-related claims on labels. For far too long, manufacturers have exaggerated the healthfulness of their products, or even implied that their products contain special "functional" ingredients that provide drug-like protection against various diseases. The previous administration tolerated such shenanigans, but I hope that the party is now over. While today's action is the <a href="http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/default.htm" target="cspi">largest crackdown </a> on deceptive food labeling in more than a decade, the FDA must now turn its individual enforcement actions into binding regulations. Some companies highlighted in CSPI's <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200912291.html" target="cspi">recent report</a> found themselves targets of FDA action today, while others apparently escaped scrutiny. The FDA dodged some issues, like not cracking down on false claims that Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice and other foods help strengthen your immune system. And the agency should have banned misleading "0 grams trans fat" claims for foods high in saturated fat, instead of just instructing companies to add a disclosure like "see nutrition panel for saturated fat information." FDA also needs to set standards for claims such as "made with whole wheat" by specifying that the percentage of whole grains appear on the label in conjunction with the claim. In addition to issuing industry-wide regulations to halt misleading claims, the FDA should update the 20-year-old <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200912071.html" target="cspi">Nutrition Facts label</a> and improve the readability of ingredient lists. The FDA currently is studying various schemes for providing key pieces of nutrition information prominently on front labels. The warning letters sent by FDA today are a welcome step. But unless the FDA uses its authority to issue new, industry-wide regulations to prevent such abuses, the agency will forever be playing a game of Whac-A-Mole with companies that use deceptive labeling. 2010-03-03 Salt-Water-Soaked Chicken Not at all Natural, Says CSPI http://cspinet.org/new/201002241.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonChicken, salt, and water all are natural, but when you combine the three what you get is chicken that is anything but "all natural." When Americans take their hard-earned dollars to the supermarket, they want the most value for their money. And when they see labels like "100 percent natural," they assume that the foods really are. Unfortunately, too many unscrupulous poultry producers, with the regrettable acquiescence of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, have drained the meaning from those words. <img src="/images/chicken.jpg"> A 4 oz. serving of this chicken has 550 mg of sodium, a major promoter of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and other ailments. Reducing sodium to recommended levels would save about 100,000 deaths a year. The practice of pumping up poultry with salt water is basically a hidden tax of up to 15 percent that extracts about $2 billion from American consumers each year. This isn’t about "enhancing" chicken, it's about enhancing profits. Think of it this way. You think you’re buying 7.5 pounds of chicken, if 15 percent is water weight; you're really getting less than six and a half pounds of chicken and more than one pound of added water. Harm to our pocketbook would be bad enough, but adulterated chicken is also harmful to our health. Sodium chloride, or <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/salt" target="cspi">salt</a>, is probably the single most harmful ingredient in the food supply. It’s a major promoter of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and other ailments. Most adults should not consume more than about 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day, yet the average adult is consuming closer to 4,000 milligrams a day. Researchers have estimated that reducing sodium to recommended levels would save on the order of 100,000 deaths a year. One of the practices that has made our food supply so dangerously high in sodium is the adulteration of chicken with a salty broth. Just three days ago the Institute of Medicine called for sharply lower sodium levels in our food supply. Salted chicken would be one good place to start. 2010-02-24 Government Health Agency Urged to Drop Coca-Cola as Heart-Health Partner http://cspinet.org/new/201002161.html Like Allowing Philip Morris to Sponsor Anti-Smoking Campaign, Says CSPIWASHINGTON—The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute should not partner with Coca-Cola to raise awareness of heart disease among women, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/nhlbicokeletter.pdf" target="cspi">letter to the NHLBI</a>, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest says overweight and obesity are prime risk factors for heart disease, and the agency shouldn't be bolstering the dismal reputation of the Coca-Cola Company, the world’s biggest manufacturer of obesigenic soft drinks. "It is as inappropriate as it would be to allow Philip Morris to sponsor NHLBI's anti-smoking efforts," wrote <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">CSPI</a>'s executive director Michael F. Jacobson and nutrition policy advocate George A. Hacker, in a letter to NHLBI director Susan B. Shurin. On the NHLBI web site, <a href="http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/educational/hearttruth/partners/corporate-partners.htm" target="cspi">Diet Coke is listed first and most prominently</a> among several pages of corporate sponsors for The Heart Truth campaign. Supermodel Heidi Klum is described on the government web site as the "Diet Coke heart health ambassador." "Though Diet Coke is the ostensible sponsor, it is the entire Coca-Cola product line that is basking in the credibility conferred by a government heart-health agency and a slender supermodel, when in fact Coca-Cola promotes heart disease by marketing drinks that contribute to obesity," Jacobson said. "Coke has <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-soda-tax7-2010feb07,0,3512680,full.story" target="cspi">long</a> sought to affiliate with or <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200303041.html" target="cspi">co-opt </a> health groups, and associate its brand with <a href="http://www.livepositively.com/six_pack_athletes/a_ohno" target="cspi">athletes</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsWRgxMYvOQ" target="cspi">models</a>. I fervently hope that NHLBI officials understand that letting Coke bask in their agency’s good reputation does American hearts far more harm than good." Last week, President Barack Obama signed an <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-memorandum-establishing-a-task-force-childhood-obesity" target="cspi">executive order</a> directing a number of cabinet agencies, including NHLBI's parent agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, to develop a coordinated strategy to solve the childhood obesity problem within one generation. The order pointedly notes that heart disease is one of several obesity-related health problems. In addition to Coke, the NHLBI Heart Truth Web site publicizes two other corporate sponsors: Snyder's of Hanover, which CSPI describes in its letter as "a major producer of snack foods made largely of white flour and salt," and Sara Lee, which "is famous for its artery-clogging cheesecakes, salty Ball Park hot dogs, and Jimmy Dean sausages." Those foods, like Coke and other <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/liquidcandy/" target="cspi">soft drinks</a> sugary, are exactly the kinds of foods that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans advises people to eat less of, according to CSPI. "Promoting the corporate image of Coca-Cola Co. and other junk-food makers undermines the advice in the government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and is contrary to the spirit of the executive order signed by the President just last week," Jacobson said. 2010-02-16 Childhood Obesity Initiative Announced by First Lady Michelle Obama http://cspinet.org/new/201002091.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanFor far too long, the nation's response to childhood obesity has been underwhelming, considering obesity’s massive impact on the nation's physical and fiscal health. The First Lady has the clout and visibility to change that and <a href="http://letsmove.gov/">mobilize the nation's resources to address the problem</a>. Helping to support parents’ efforts to feed their children well and get them engaged in physical activity will require not only working cooperatively with food and entertainment companies, but also calling on them to do better for our children. Beverage companies have taken some notable steps to get sugary sodas out of schools, but Mrs. Obama should call on beverage and food companies to support Senators Tom Harkin and Lisa Murkowski and Representative Lynn Woolsey in their bipartisan effort to update the disco-era national standards for school vending machines and get junk food and all sugary beverages out of schools once and for all. Entertainment conglomerates like <a href="www.cspinet.org/new/200911241.html">Nickelodeon</a> and Disney are limiting the use of their characters on junk foods and running PSAs, but should be pressed to remove junk-food advertising from their television channels and other media. This year, Congress must <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/cnr_recommendations_2010.pdf">reauthorize the school lunch and other child nutrition programs</a>--a key opportunity to improve the diets and health of millions of American children. The First Lady can help by working with Congress to fund the full $1 billion per year recommended in the President's budget and urging them to move the bill quickly, so new reforms can be in place for the next school year. 2010-02-09 Coke to Fleece America by Charging More for Less, Says CSPI http://cspinet.org/new/201001291.html $8.50 a Gallon for Small Cans of Water & High Fructose Corn Syrup?WASHINGTON—In <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/cokeminiad2.pdf" target="cspi">recent</a> ads, <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/cokeminiad1.pdf" target="cspi">Coca-Cola</a> cheerfully congratulated itself for introducing a new, 7.5-ounce can of soda. While calorie counters may appreciate the convenience of a 90-calorie can, dollar counters may be in for sticker shock: On an ounce-for-ounce basis, the new cans cost 50 to 140 percent more than 12-ounce cans. In Washington, D.C., 12-packs of 12-ounce cans have been available for between $4 and $5.99 at Giant and Safeway stores. Both stores charge $3.99 for 8-packs of the new 7.5-ounce cans. So while the bigger cans have been selling for between $0.89 and $1.33 per quart, the new cans sell for $2.13 a quart, or about $8.50 a gallon. So far, the vaunted 7.5-ounce cans are only available in some New York City and Washington, D.C., retail outlets. The company says they'll be available nationwide in April. Sandy Douglas, the president of Coca-Cola North America, claims the new mini can is an "innovation" that "reinforces the Company's support for healthy, active lifestyles." But attentive shoppers may wonder what all the fuss is about. Coca-Cola has sold 8-ounce cans and bottles of Coke for years (again, at significantly inflated prices). "The only 'innovation' here is that Coke is charging more money for less product," Jacobson said. "Then again, these are the same folks who are ripping off Americans with expensive frauds like the 'calorie-burning' <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200702011.html" target="cspi">Enviga</a>. And 'endurance peach mango' <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200901151.html" target="cspi">VitaminWater</a>, which, besides doing nothing for one's endurance, contains no peach or mango. Now, the company wants a pat on the back for selling little cans of water and high-fructose corn syrup for $8.50 a gallon." Recently, New York Governor David Paterson proposed a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/201001191.html" target="cspi">penny-per-ounce excise tax</a> on <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/liquidcandy" target="cspi">soda</a> to help pay for health programs. An angry <a href="http://www.ameribev.org/news--media/news-releases--statements/more/177/" target="cspi">press statement</a> issued by the soda industry's top lobbyist called the proposal a "money grab, pure and simple," and patronizingly reminded the Governor that New Yorkers "continue to struggle through a tough economy with double-digit unemployment rates." Yet the price difference (a "convenience tax" perhaps?) assessed by Coca-Cola on the 7.5-ounce cans is bigger than Paterson's proposed tax—about two or three cents per ounce. 2010-01-29 New York City to Nudge Food Companies to Lower Salt Nationwide http://cspinet.org/new/201001111.html CSPI Praises Move and Urges Industry to CooperateWASHINGTON—The single most dangerous ingredient in the food supply is salt, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which today <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/pr2010/pr002-10.shtml" target="cspi">praised New York City</a> health officials for pressuring food companies to reduce salt levels in packaged foods and restaurant meals by 25 percent over the next five years. CSPI called New York's program "smart, sophisticated, and timely." <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/salt" target="cspi">Too much salt</a> in the diet is a major contributor to hypertension, stroke, heart and kidney disease, and other ailments. Starting in 1978, CSPI has been urging the Food and Drug Administration to use its regulatory authority to treat salt, or sodium chloride, as a food additive, as opposed to classifying it as an ingredient that is "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS. CSPI filed lawsuits against the FDA in 1982 and in 2005 to try to compel it to take action, and later in <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200511081.html" target="cspi">2005</a> filed a regulatory petition which asked the agency to set maximum levels of salt in various categories of food. The agency held a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200711271.html" target="cspi">public hearing</a> in 2007 but hasn’t taken any action since. "Reducing sodium levels in packaged and restaurant foods could save thousands of lives a year in New York City alone," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "Food companies should cooperate with New York City authorities and set achievable targets to reduce salt nationwide. If companies don't cooperate, they can certainly expect other state and local governments, and perhaps at long last, the Food and Drug Administration, to begin regulating in this area." Seventy percent of the population—a group that includes the elderly, African Americans, and people with existing high blood pressure—should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day, according to the federal government. Everyone else should limit themselves to 2,300 mg per day. But according to CSPI, average sodium intake is actually north of 4,000 mg per day. In May CSPI identified a number of <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200905111.html" target="cspi">popular chain restaurant meals</a> that provide 5,000, 6,000, or 7,000 mg of sodium. Reducing sodium by 25 percent over the next 5 years could also save the federal government billions in direct medical expenditures, according to CSPI. New York City similarly helped spur nationwide changes in the food industry when it became the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200609262.html" target="cspi">first jurisdiction</a> to require <a href="http://www.menulabeling.org/" target="cspi">calories</a> on chain restaurant menus, and to phase out the use of artificial <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/transfat" target="cspi">trans fats</a> in all restaurants. 2010-01-11 CSPI Urges FDA Crackdown on False & Misleading Food Labeling http://cspinet.org/new/200912291.html New Report Makes Case for Ending Food Labeling ChaosWASHINGTON—Can orange juice really help prevent or treat arthritis? That's the implication on the label of a Minute Maid orange juice fortified with glucosamine hydrochloride "designed to help protect healthy joints." And it’s exactly the kind of misleading health claim that the Center for Science in the Public Interest wants the federal government to stop. Today the group is sending the Food and Drug Administration a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/food_labeling_chaos_report.pdf" target="cspi">158-page report </a> that documents some of the most egregious examples of false claims, ingredient obfuscations, and other labeling shenanigans. Though under the Obama Administration the FDA is sending more warning letters to food manufacturers about misleading labeling, many major companies, including Coca-Cola, Kellogg, Kraft, General Mills, and Nestlé, continue to confuse or defraud consumers about the health effects, ingredients, or "natural"-ness of their products. Some notable offenders include: Kellogg: On labels for Smart Start Strawberry Oat Bites cereal, the company deliberately misreads a report from the Institute of Medicine to claim, falsely, that consumers can eat 125 grams—more than half a cup—of added sugars per day. CSPI says FDA should establish a Daily Value for added sugars, require its disclosure on Nutrition Facts panels, and provide definitions for terms such as "low sugar." Nestlé: Labels for the company's Carnation Instant Breakfast misleadingly claim that its antioxidants "help support the immune system." While it is true that serious deficiencies in vitamins A, C, and E and other antioxidants can lead to serious health problems, consuming this or other products that make this common claim won’t help ward off colds, the flu, or other maladies. Kashi: A Kellogg-owned brand, Kashi falsely claims that the green tea in its Heart to Heart Instant Oatmeal will "support healthy arteries." The FDA does have a so-called qualified health claim for green tea that relates to cancer but has not agreed that green tea can protect arteries or fend off heart disease. Glacéau: The Coca-Cola-owned product bears a confusing double-column Nutrition Facts label that gives the impression that a 20-ounce bottle of VitaminWater contains multiple servings. Yet the company knows full well that the product is typically consumed by one person on a single occasion, delivering 125 calories, not the 50 in a "serving." CSPI says the dual-column format should be barred. Edy's: Labels for Dibs Bite Sized Snacks boast "0g trans fat!"—giving the impression that the product is heart-healthy. Yet a serving of this ice cream snack has 16 grams of saturated fat—80 percent of the daily value. CSPI says the FDA should prohibit companies from boasting of "0 grams trans" on foods with more than 1 gram of saturated fat per serving. FDA already has similar limits on "cholesterol free" and "healthy" claims. Thomas': Labels for Thomas' Hearty Grains English Muffins claim that the food is "made with the goodness of whole grain” and “made with whole grains." Yet the primary ingredient is "unbleached enriched wheat flour," meaning white flour. The product has more water than whole wheat flour, which is the third ingredient. Gerber: Labels for Gerber Graduates Juice Treats—a product intended for pre-schoolers—picture an abundance of fruit: oranges, grapes, peaches, cherries, pineapple, and raspberries. Yet there is no cherry, orange, or pineapple in the product, and less than 2 percent is raspberry and apple juice concentrate. The main ingredients are corn syrup and sugar, providing 17 grams—or about four teaspoons—of refined sugars per serving. <img src="/images/gerber.jpg"> The main ingredients are corn syrup and sugar, not the abundance of fruit shown on the package, providing 17 grams—or about four teaspoons—of refined sugars per serving. Minute Maid: The words "all natural" appear on Minute Maid's Cranberry Apple Cocktail. Yet the product contains added citric acid—meaning citric acid that didn’t occur naturally in the juice. FDA has long held that adding citric acid disqualifies a company from claiming the food is all natural. This product also contains high-fructose corn syrup—the end result of a highly complex series of chemical changes whereby corn starch is converted to glucose and fructose. FDA should disallow "all natural" claims on food that contain HFCS, according to CSPI. "For far too long, some of the world's biggest food manufacturers have designed their labels either to exaggerate the amount of healthy ingredients, or to imply that the food has magical, drug-like qualities that could prevent or treat various health problems," said CSPI legal affairs director Bruce Silverglade. "The Bush Administration gave manufacturers more and more license to deceive. But the party’s over—or at least it should be." In May, the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200905121.html" target="cspi">FDA instructed </a> General Mills to drop exaggerated heart disease and cancer claims on labels and its web site for its Cheerios cereal. And in October, FDA expressed concern over the industry-wide <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200910202.html" target="cspi">Smart Choices</a> front-of-packaging labeling program. Both moves were praised by CSPI and were seen as a sign that the agency will more aggressively police food labeling. <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">CSPI</a> wants the agency to prohibit qualified health claims for foods. Unlike "health claims," which must meet a "significant scientific agreement" standard, qualified health claims include disclaimers explaining that the scientific evidence is uncertain. CSPI also wants the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to prohibit misleading "structure/function" claims that a given food will "support" or "maintain" healthy immune systems, joints, vision, and so on. Consumers simply can't distinguish between stringently regulated health claims, which require FDA approval, and structure/function claims, which don’t, according to CSPI. "Consumers need honest labeling so they can spend their food dollars wisely and avoid diet-related disease," said CSPI senior staff attorney Ilene Ringel Heller, co-author of the report. "Companies should market their foods without resorting to the deceit and dishonesty that's so common today. And, if they don't, the FDA should make them." 2009-12-29 CSPI Finds a Troubling Decline in Foodborne Outbreak Investigations by State Health Officials http://cspinet.org/new/200912231.html WASHINGTON—In a troubling trend, state health departments completed fewer foodborne outbreak investigations in 2007 than in the previous decade, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "The decline in fully-investigated outbreaks could reflect a serious gap in state public health spending," said CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety" target="cspi">food safety</a> director Caroline Smith DeWaal. "Fewer outbreaks were fully investigated by state public health departments in 2007 than in any of the previous 10 years—and a smaller percentage of outbreaks were fully characterized than in any of the previous 7 years." The trend showed up in the latest <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/outbreak_report_2009.html" target="cspi">Outbreak Alert! report</a> by CSPI. It found that states reported 33 percent fewer fully investigated outbreaks to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2007 than in 2002. This doesn't mean that outbreaks aren't occurring, DeWaal stressed. Nearly 1,100 outbreaks were reported in 2007 to CDC, but in only 378 cases did states identify both a food and the pathogen (the mark of a complete investigation). Outbreaks are first investigated at the local and state level. To provide the most useful data for controlling food safety problems, those investigators need to identify both the pathogen and the specific food responsible for the outbreak, and then state departments of health need to report the outbreaks to CDC. Fewer completed investigations mean that less information is available to the CDC and other federal health agencies—affecting their ability to identify problems in the food safety system or issue recalls to protect the public. <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">CSPI</a> has been tracking foodborne outbreak reports for over 10 years and publishing the data in its <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/outbreak_report.html" target="cspi">Outbreak Alert!</a> report and on its website. CSPI analyzes state reports compiled by CDC, sorts them by food category, and makes the aggregated data available to federal policymakers to guide priority setting, to the industry to address production problems, and to the public. CSPI says that a food safety bill passed several months ago by the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200907301.html" target="cspi">U.S. House of Representatives</a> and another bill that is pending in the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200911181.html" target="cspi">Senate</a> would greatly enhance the government’s surveillance systems and ensure better coordination between state officials and the CDC. Most important, the legislation would create a food-safety system focused on preventing contamination in the first place, by requiring food processors to prepare food safety plans and requiring the FDA to inspect food processing facilities more frequently. "Congress should pass legislation to dramatically reduce the numbers of needless deaths and expensive hospitalizations caused by contaminated food," said CSPI senior staff attorney David Plunkett. "Americans deserve food safety legislation early in the new year." CSPI analyzed a total of 4,638 outbreaks of illness linked to specific foods, involving 117,136 individual illnesses that occurred between 1998 and 2007. An "outbreak" involves two or more people sickened by the same food. The food categories (other than "multi-ingredient") most commonly linked to outbreaks during this ten-year period were: <ul><li>Seafood: 838 outbreaks involving 7,298 cases of illness</li> <li>Produce: 684 outbreaks involving 26,735 cases of illness</li> <li>Poultry: 538 outbreaks involving 13,498 cases of illness</li> <li>Beef: 428 outbreaks involving 9,824 cases of illness</li> <li>Pork: 200 outbreaks involving 4,934 cases of illness</li></ul> Foods regulated by the FDA, such as seafood, produce, eggs, and dairy products, were associated with more than twice as many outbreaks as foods regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees meats and poultry. The data also show several changes in food trends. For instance, in this 10-year analysis of the data, eggs dropped out of the top five causes of outbreaks, probably due to the implementation of safety programs by egg producers, programs recently made mandatory by FDA. Also, dairy outbreaks increased dramatically after 2004 due to the increased availability of unpasteurized dairy products. The outbreaks in <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/outbreak/pathogen.php" target="cspi">CSPI's database</a> represent just the tip of a much larger problem. The CDC estimates that contaminated foods kill thousands and sicken up to 76 million Americans each year. The vast majority of foodborne illnesses are undiagnosed and most are never reported to state officials. For those that come to their attention, state officials may lack the resources to track down the cause of most illnesses and outbreaks, and are not required to report foodborne illness outbreaks to CDC. 2009-12-23 Proposed Federal Standards for Foods Marketed to Kids Praised http://cspinet.org/new/200912151.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanThe federal government is headed in exactly the right direction with the draft nutrition standards proposed for foods that are marketed to children. If adopted, the landscape of kids’ food advertising would shift quite dramatically in favor of foods that promote health, and away from foods that promote obesity and disease. If these standards are adopted, it would be one of the most significant developments in this area in 30 years. Food marketers, and their self-regulatory body, the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, should adopt these standards on a voluntary basis. Rather than trying to weaken these standards, I hope that the industry sees the <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/ftcnewstandards.pdf" target="cspi">Interagency Working Group's recommendations </a> as a wake-up call, and soon phases out the discredited practice of marketing junk food to kids altogether. 2009-12-15 General Mills' Move to Reduce Sugar in Cereals Advertised to Children Praised http://cspinet.org/new/200912091.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanGeneral Mills—which has included whole grains in all its cereals—is taking another important step in the right direction by pledging to cut the sugar in the cereals it advertises to children. As sugary cereal is one of the top products marketed to children, we hope the company swiftly implements these changes and that Kellogg, Post Foods, and other competitors quickly follow General Mills' lead. 2009-12-09 Food Label Makeovers Proposed by CSPI http://cspinet.org/new/200912071.html Designs for New Nutrition & Ingredient Facts Labels Unveiled in Nutrition Action HealthletterWASHINGTON—Nutrition Facts labels on packaged foods have helped guide Americans' food choices for 15 years. But in that time, companies have cooked up a number of schemes to trick consumers about what's in—or isn't in—packaged foods. Today, the Center for Science in the Public Interest—the group that campaigned for the 1990 law requiring nutrition labeling—<a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/special_report_-_label_makeover.pdf" target="cspi">exposes some of the tricks</a> that occur on the front of the label, and unveils makeovers of the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredient lists to last for the next 15 years. One innovation <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">CSPI</a> has long urged is the use of symbols on the fronts of packages to give shoppers a quick snapshot of the key nutrients. (The packaged-food industry, under pressure from the Food and Drug Administration, recently halted its own recently adopted system, Smart Choices, which allowed some junk foods like Froot Loops to use the program's logo.) The FDA recently announced that it will conduct some <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/newfoodlabels.pdf" target="cspi">preliminary tests</a> to see which front-label system helps consumers the most. CSPI is also calling on the FDA to <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200910202.html" target="cspi">crack down on deceptive claims</a> ("Strengthens your immune system," "Helps Protect Healthy Joints!" and others) and to tighten up industry-loosened definitions of "fiber" and "all natural." Companies shouldn't be able to brag about having “0 grams trans fat!” if the item contains significant amounts of saturated fat, says the group. And companies that boast that their foods are "made with whole grain" should be required to disclose how much of that grain is whole. It's often less than half, according to CSPI. "So many packaged foods are little more than white flour, fat, sugar, salt and additives in various combinations, yet they are marketed as modern-day medical miracles, offering vague benefits for virtually every part of the body," said CSPI legal affairs director Bruce Silverglade. "The FDA has recently challenged some especially egregious health claims, such as the exaggerated cholesterol-reduction claims on Cheerios. But the agency should put a permanent stop to a wide range of other deceptive claims." CSPI's reimagined Nutrition Facts label puts a greater emphasis on calories, and indicates when a food is high in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, or added sugars ("added" means sugars that do not occur naturally in fruit and milk). Only fiber from whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables, and not faux fibers such as polydextrose and maltodextrin, would be considered to be fiber on the nutrition label. CSPI also would like to see ingredient lists presented as clearly as the Nutrition Facts panel is, as opposed to the condensed, all-caps type often used. The new Ingredient Facts panel also would separate the major ingredients from minor ones. And for foods with several forms of sugar scattered around the ingredients list, those sugars would be combined so that they would show up higher on the list of ingredients. Percentages of key ingredients would be disclosed. "Food marketers bring their graphic design firepower to bear on the front of food packages, but then go to great lengths to make their ingredient lists almost indecipherable," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "The fine print shouldn’t taketh what the big print giveth." CSPI illustrates how food labels can trick consumers and shows <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/beforeafterlabel.pdf" target="cspi">"before" and "after"</a> Nutrition labels in the December issue of <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nah" target="cspi">Nutrition Action</a>. 2009-12-07 Most Food Ads on Nickelodeon Still for Junk Food http://cspinet.org/new/200911241.html Self-Regulation Proving Insufficient to Protect Children, Says CSPIWASHINGTON—Nearly 80 percent of food ads on the popular children's network Nickelodeon are for foods of poor nutritional quality, according to an <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/pledgereport.pdf" target="cspi">analysis conducted</a> by the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>. That represents a modest and not quite statistically significant drop from 2005, when CSPI researchers found that about 90 percent of food ads on Nick were for junk food. Between the 2005 and 2009 studies, the food industry instituted a self-regulatory program through the Council of Better Business Bureaus, the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI). CSPI also examined the practices of the food companies that participate in that self-regulatory program. Of the 452 foods and beverages that companies say are acceptable to market to children, CSPI found that 267, or nearly 60 percent, do not meet CSPI's recommended nutrition standards for food marketing to children, such as General Mills' Cookie Crisp and Reese’s Puffs cereals, Kellogg Apple Jacks and Cocoa Krispies cereals, Kellogg Rice Krispies Treats, Campbell's Goldfish crackers and SpaghettiOs, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, and many Unilever Popsicles. "While industry self-regulation is providing some useful benchmarks, it's clearly not shielding children from junk food advertising, on Nick and elsewhere," said CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy" target="cspi">nutrition policy</a> director Margo G. Wootan. "It's a modest start, but not sufficient to address children’s poor eating habits and the sky-high rates of childhood obesity." Of the foods companies say are appropriate to market to children, no puddings, cookies, or fruit-flavored snacks meet CSPI's nutrition standards, but 73 percent of yogurts did. Other foods that meet CSPI's standards include Nabisco Teddy Grahams, Kellogg Frosted Mini-Wheats, Kellogg Eggo Waffles, and several Kid Cuisine frozen dinners. Most beverages (64 percent), such as fruit drinks with little fruit juice, sports drinks, and high-fat milk, didn't meet CSPI’s nutrition standards. None of the 10 products PepsiCo says are appropriate to market to children actually are according to CSPI’s standards. Only three of 47 Kraft-approved products, one of eight McDonald’s-approved meals, and 22 of 86 General Mills-approved products met CSPI's standards. Burger King only identified one meal as appropriate to market to children at the time of the study—a Kids Meal with Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, apple fries with caramel sauce, and a Hershey's 1 percent milk, which also met CSPI's standards. Four companies that belong to the CFBAI (Coca-Cola, Hershey's, Mars, and Cadbury Adams) state that they do not advertise any products to children (according to the CBBB definition). Of the food ads on Nickelodeon, a fourth were from companies that don't participate in the industry's self-regulatory program. Almost none of those ads were for foods that met CSPI's nutrition standards, and only 28 percent of the ads from companies in the CBBB Initiative met them. In 2006, the National Academies' Institute of Medicine recommended that food and media companies shift the mix of foods marketed to youth toward healthier foods within two years. Currently, an Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children, including representatives from the Federal Trade Commission, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is developing nutrition standards for foods marketed to children. Those are expected in July of 2010, and CSPI is urging the Council of Better Business Bureaus to adopt them for the CFBAI. CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200807291.html" target="cspi">also has urged</a> Chuck E. Cheese's, IHOP restaurants, Topps Candy, Yum! Brands (which owns KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut) and Perfetti van Melle (maker of Air Heads candy) to join the CFBAI. <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200809231.html" target="cspi">Nickelodeon</a> and other media companies should also have comprehensive policies covering all their food marketing aimed at children. "Nickelodeon should be ashamed that it earns so much money from carrying commercials that promote obesity, diabetes, and other health problems in young children," Wootan said. "If media and food companies don't do a better job exercising corporate responsibility when they market foods to children, Congress and the FTC will need to step in to protect kids’ health." <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/marketingguidelines.pdf" target="cspi">CSPI's nutrition standards</a> include reasonable limits on saturated and trans fats, sodium, and added sugars and encourage the presence of key vitamins, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. CSPI says that ideally, companies would market only the most healthful foods to children, but that its guidelines strike a practical balance between that ideal and the current food marketing climate. 2009-11-24 'Two Thumbs Down' for Movie Theater Popcorn http://cspinet.org/new/200911182.html New Lab Tests of Movie Theater Popcorn Show It’s Still the Godzilla of SnacksWASHINGTON—It's hard to picture someone mindlessly ingesting three McDonald's Quarter Pounders with 12 pats of butter while watching a movie. But according to <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/nahpopcorn.pdf" target="cspi">new laboratory analyses</a> commissioned by the nonprofit <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>, that food is nutritionally comparable to what you’d find in a medium popcorn and soda combo at Regal, the country’s biggest movie theater chain: 1,610 calories and three days’ worth—60 grams—of saturated fat. (Nutrition aside, that combo costs $12—for raw ingredients that must cost Regal pennies.) "Regal and AMC are our nominees for Best Supporting Actor in the Obesity Epidemic," said CSPI senior nutritionist Jayne Hurley. "Who expects about 1,500 calories and three days’ worth of heart-stopping fat in a popcorn and soda combo? That’s the saturated fat of a stick of butter and the calories of two sticks of butter. You might think you’re getting Bambi, but you’re really getting Godzilla." <img src="/images/combo.jpg">Photo Credit: Stephen Schmidt A medium combo at Regal has 1,610 calories and 60 grams of saturated fat. That's roughly the saturated fat of a stick of butter and the calories of two sticks of butter. Regal says that its medium popcorn has 720 calories and that its large has 960. But CSPI's lab tests found that those numbers were understated. Regal’s medium and large sizes each had 1,200 calories and, thanks to being popped in coconut oil, 60 grams of saturated fat. (The large size looks bigger, thanks to its titanic tub, but it costs a dollar more and comes with a free refill.) A "small" at Regal has 670 calories and 34 grams of saturated fat. That’s about as many calories as a Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizza—except the popcorn has three times the saturated fat. Even shared with another person, that size provides nearly an entire day’s worth of the kind of fat that clogs arteries and promotes heart disease. And every tablespoon of "buttery" oil topping adds another 130 calories. Asking for topping is like asking for oil on French fries or potato chips, according to CSPI. AMC, the second largest theater chain, also pops in coconut oil but has smaller serving sizes. Its large popcorn has 1,030 calories and 57 grams of saturated fat. That's like eating a pound of baby back ribs topped with a scoop of Häagen-Dazs ice cream—except that the popcorn has an additional day’s worth of saturated fat. A medium has 590 calories and 33 grams of saturated fat; and a small has 370 calories and a day’s worth—20 grams—of saturated fat. (Like Regal, AMC reports calorie counts lower than those returned in CSPI's lab tests.) Third-largest Cinemark pops in heart-healthy canola oil. A large has 910 calories with 4 grams of saturated fat; a medium has 760 calories and 3 grams of saturated fat; and a small has 420 calories and 2 grams of saturated fat. Though popping in canola gives this chain’s popcorn far less saturated fat than its competitors, it's almost as high in calories and has the most sodium—about twice as much as Regal or AMC. With 1,500 milligrams of sodium—a day's worth of sodium for most people—a large popcorn without topping from Cinemark will be less likely to clog your arteries but more likely to elevate your blood pressure. And while Cinemark uses a "buttery" oil topping similar to the toppings used at Regal and AMC, at some outlets, particularly in the West, it uses a topping made with real butter. That version has 9 grams—half a day’s worth—of saturated fat per tablespoon. CSPI also took a look at the sodas and candies sold at the movies. A small non-diet soda ranges from 150 calories at Cinemark to 300 calories at Regal. Mediums have 300 calories at AMC and Cinemark and 400 calories at Regal. With 33 teaspoons of sugar in nearly 2 quarts—54 ounces—Regal has the most outsized large soda, with 500 empty calories. <img src="/images/reeses.jpg">Photo Credit: Stephen Schmidt Eating an 8-ounce bag of Reese's Pieces is like eating a 16-ounce T-bone steak and a buttered baked potato. The oversized boxes and bags (four to five ounces) of candy sold at movie chains are universally high in calories. A 5-ounce bag of Twizzlers has 460 calories and 15 teaspoons of sugar. A 7-ounce box of Nerds has 790 calories and 46 teaspoons of sugar. Chocolate candies like Butterfinger Minis, Raisinets, Sno-Caps, or M&M's have between 400 and 500 calories and at least a half day’s worth of saturated fat. An 8-ounce bag of Reese's Pieces is just a cup of candy. But with 1,160 calories and 35 grams of saturated fat, it's like eating a 16-ounce T-bone steak plus a buttered baked potato. "Sitting through a two-hour movie isn't exactly like climbing Mt. Everest," Hurley said. "Why do theaters think they need to feed us like it is?" The study, published as the cover story in the December issue of <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nah" target="cspi">Nutrition Action Healthletter</a>, updates a famous exposé the group conducted 15 years ago. For Regal and AMC, CSPI tested samples from theaters in the Washington, D.C., area. For Cinemark, samples came from Texas, Illinois, and Maryland. 2009-11-18 Bipartisan Food Safety Bill Poised for Floor Vote http://cspinet.org/new/200911181.html Food Safety Reform Legislation Clears HELP CommitteeWASHINGTON—Americans may soon be able to enjoy their peanuts, peppers, spinach and cookie dough with greater confidence that those foods are safe to eat if the full Senate passes the food safety legislation that cleared a key committee today. The <a href="http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:s510is.txt.pdf" target="cspi">FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510)</a>, offered by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Tom Harkin (D-IA), was passed unanimously in the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Food safety advocates are calling on the full body to pass the bill before the end of the year. Similar legislation passed the House in July. "Americans expect the businesses that grow, fish, process and handle our food are following the best practices to ensure it is safe," said CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety" target="cspi">food safety </a> director Caroline Smith DeWaal. "This bill gives FDA needed new authorities to manage food safety from farm to table, through improved standards and more frequent inspections." The bill calls on food processors to register with the government periodically, implement food safety plans, meet FDA performance standards, and verify that the food they import complies with U.S. law. The <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200907301.html" target="cspi">House-passed bill </a> also requires more frequent risk-based inspections of food processing facilities and microbial testing for dangerous pathogens like Salmonella or E. coli O157:H7. Under the current system, food manufacturing facilities might only receive visits from an FDA inspector once every five or 10 years. Both bills also give the FDA authority to issue mandatory recalls of contaminated foods. "Senator Durbin and Senator Harkin have been championing food safety for years, and they deserve enormous credit for crafting a bill with such broad bipartisan support," said DeWaal. "We’re also grateful for the cosponsorship of Ranking Member Mike Enzi and Senators Judd Gregg and Richard Burr and the rest of the Republicans who joined the Democrats in advancing this legislation." The bill is widely supported by a diverse coalition of consumer and health groups, including the American Public Health Association, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Safe Tables Our Priority, the Pew Charitable Trusts, and Trust for America's Health. The <a href="http://www.makeourfoodsafe.org/" target="cspi">Make Our Food Safe coalition</a> will continue to seek some strengthening amendments to the legislation, but urge rapid passage in order to restore consumer confidence, which has been shaken by numerous outbreaks of food-borne illness. 2009-11-18 Public Health Loses Out to Politics in Oyster Decision http://cspinet.org/new/200911132.html Statement of David Plunkett, Senior Staff AttorneyPublic health lost out to the politics of special interests with <a href="http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm190513.htm" target="cspi">FDA's announcement today </a> that it may delay a requirement for processing Gulf Coast oysters to destroy the deadly bacteria Vibrio vulnificus, pending the findings of a feasibility study. A group of Gulf Coast Senators and Representatives weighed in on the side of a small but vocal industry in their states and won. Unfortunately this political victory for the Gulf Coast oyster industry is a health tragedy for their customers, and the action condemns scores of consumers to serious illness and death from this potent pathogen. This small portion of the shellfish industry should not have a free pass from FDA to sell adulterated and potentially deadly oysters to the public. 2009-11-13 FDA Investigation of Safety & Legality of Caffeinated Alcoholic Drinks Praised by CSPI http://cspinet.org/new/200911131.html Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policy Director George A. HackerWe strongly support the investigation announced today by the Food and Drug Administration into the safety and legality of <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/ucm190366.htm" target="cspi">caffeinated alcoholic "energy" drinks</a>. For many years, federal regulators have stood mutely by as these <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/obrien.pdf" target="cspi">potentially dangerous products</a>, which resemble non-alcoholic energy drinks in many ways, gained in popularity among young people. No studies exist that demonstrate the safety of alcohol and caffeine or other stimulants combined in any quantity, much less the high levels of each found in products like Joose and Four Loko. In fact, emerging research suggests that the young consumers of these products are more likely to be the perpetrator or victim of sexual aggression, to ride with an intoxicated driver, or to become otherwise injured. Our <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200806261.html" target="cspi">negotiations with Anheuser-Busch</a>, our <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200809082.html" target="cspi">lawsuit against MillerCoors</a>, and, importantly, the actions taken by <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200812182.html" target="cspi">state attorneys general</a> helped get the biggest manufacturers out of this category. We hope the FDA’s move today will result in enforcement action that represents the beginning of the end of the category as a whole. Along with cracking down on unsupportable health claims on cereal, pushing for the elimination of <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200907071.html" target="cspi">salmonella in eggs</a> and <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200911091.html" target="cspi">Vibrio bacteria in oysters</a>, and enforcing a ban on candy-flavored cigarettes, this is one of several moves that indicates the new leadership at FDA is serious about protecting public health. 2009-11-13 Make Our Food Safe Coalition Urges Congressional Support for FDA Action on Tainted Shellfish http://cspinet.org/new/200911091.html Protections for Gulf Coast Shellfish Industry Would Increase Death TollWASHINGTON—The <a href="http://cspinet.org/foodsafety" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a> was joined today by <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/vibrioletter.pdf">victims, consumer advocacy, and public health organizations</a> in urging Congress to support the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) efforts to protect consumers from contaminated oysters that each year cause scores of <a href=" http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/vv_victim_stories.pdf">serious illnesses and deaths</a>. The blood infection caused by <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/nationwidevibrioillnesses.pdf" target="cspi">Vibrio vulnificus</a> bacteria in oysters is one of the most deadly foodborne illnesses, killing half of the people infected. Those who survive can have painful lesions and fluid-filled blisters all over their bodies, sometimes requiring limbs to be amputated. Four methods of post-harvest processing have proven effective at destroying the bacteria without harming the texture or flavor of the oysters. But fearing the loss of jobs in the state, Florida Senator Bill Nelson and Representative Allen Boyd don't want the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200910191.html" target="cspi">Food and Drug Administration (FDA)</a> to implement this life-saving measure and have instead proposed legislation putting the convenience of a tiny industry ahead of the lives and health of those who enjoy eating oysters. The <a href="http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h4022ih.txt.pdf" target="cspi">Gulf Oyster Protection Act </a> by Rep. Boyd and a similar bill by Senator Nelson are in response to FDA’s announcement last month that it will no longer tolerate the interstate sale of Gulf Coast oysters infected with the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus. Starting in 2011, oysters harvested from the Gulf of Mexico will have to be treated to destroy the bacteria in warm months when water and temperature conditions indicate it may be most prevalent. "The lives snuffed out prematurely by contaminated oysters should not be coldly dismissed by the shellfish industry or by their allies in Congress as the 'cost of doing business,'" said <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">CSPI</a> senior staff attorney David Plunkett. "The industry has known for years how to prevent these deaths with readily available post-harvest processing techniques. Over 250 people have become ill and half of those have died since 2001, and if this industry-supported legislation passes, the toll of preventable death and disease caused by contaminated oysters will continue to rise." The Gulf Coast oyster industry is fighting the new requirements, claiming they will affect jobs while only saving the lives of 15 to 20 people each year. The Gulf oyster harvest was valued at $60 million in 2008, including processed and unprocessed oysters. FDA meanwhile estimates that three-fourths of the Gulf Coast harvest won’t even be affected by the new requirement. "Instead of speculating on lost jobs, Gulf Coast communities should expect that companies engaged in treating oysters would expand their business in the Gulf in anticipation of the new rules going into effect." Plunkett said. For many years, the FDA allowed the shellfish industry to essentially police itself, in the form of the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference, which is dominated by representatives from industry and coastal states. But that system has failed to prevent <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200907021.html" target="cspi">contaminated oysters </a> from killing almost a score of people each year, according to CSPI. In September, an Ohio man honeymooning in Panama City, Florida ate oysters at a beach-side oyster bar and became infected with Vibrio vulnificus. According to a report published in the Dayton Daily News, Darrell Dishon, who has diabetes, had to have his legs amputated in order to save his life. He told the paper that Florida used to be one of his favorite places but that he will never return: "Now it reminds me I’ll never have legs again. I don’t need to be reminded about that. I just have to look down to know about that." "The FDA does not want to ban oysters, it wants to eliminate Vibrio vulnificus contamination in oysters," Plunkett said. "Advising high-risk consumers to avoid Gulf Coast oysters may have reduced overall demand for oysters, but has unfortunately done nothing to reduce the toll of deaths and illnesses. Making Gulf Coast oysters significantly safer will increase consumers' willingness to buy them, and will benefit all segments of the industry." 2009-11-09 Too Many Farmers Growing Genetically Engineered Corn Not Complying with Key Environmental Requirements http://cspinet.org/new/200911051.html CSPI Urges EPA Not to Re-Register Products Unless Compliance ImprovesWASHINGTON—One out of every four farmers who plants genetically engineered (GE) corn is failing to comply with at least one important insect-resistance management requirement. That increases the likelihood that pesticide-resistant bugs will threaten the future of biotech crops and some of their non-biotech neighbors. That finding comes in a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/complacencyonthefarm.pdf" target="cspi">report released today</a> by the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>, which is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to not renew registrations of the GE corn varieties unless compliance rates improve. In 2008, 57 percent of the corn acreage in the United States was planted with corn spliced with genes from the Bacillus thuringiensis bacterium, or Bt. Those crops produce natural toxins that are harmless to humans but will kill corn rootworms and corn borers, which otherwise reduce crop yields. Farmers who plant such crops are supposed to plant a refuge of conventional corn in, adjacent to, or near the GE crop. That refuge is designed to reduce the risk that pests that survive the toxin will breed with each other and produce resistant offspring. Resistant offspring would not only reduce yields of the Bt crops, but could also threaten organic or conventional farmers who use natural Bt-based pesticides on non-GE crops. Depending on the location of the crop and the pests targeted by the strain of corn, farmers have varying requirements specifying the size of the refuge and its distance from the GE crop. According to industry surveys submitted to EPA in 2008: <ul><li>Only 78 percent of growers planting corn-borer-protected crops met the size requirement, and only 88 percent met the distance requirement. </li></ul> <ul><li>Only 74 percent of growers planting rootworm-protected crops met the size requirement, and 63 percent met the distance requirement.</li></ul> <ul><li>Only 72 percent of farmers growing stacked varieties of GE corn—corn protected against both corn borer and rootworm—met the size requirement and 66 percent met the distance requirement.</li></ul> Those compliance rates are down, in some cases sharply, from 2003 to 2005, when compliance rates were often above 90 percent. Though compliance assessments made on the farm tend to show higher compliance rates than the surveys, those rates also decreased in the last three years, according to CSPI. "Given the tremendous growth in the acreage given over to genetically engineered corn since its introduction, it is intolerable for farmers not to be meeting their refuge requirements," said CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/biotech" target="cspi">biotechnology</a> director Greg Jaffe. "Given the stakes, regulators should insist on compliance rates much closer to 100 percent to prevent insect problems that threaten all farmers, not just those planting biotech crops." In a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/epaletter.pdf" target="cspi">letter sent today</a> to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, CSPI said that the agency should not re-register the existing varieties of Bt corn until the companies demonstrate higher levels of compliance. But, if the EPA does re-register the products, registrants such as Monsanto, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Syngenta, and Dow AgroSciences should be subject to severe fines or seed sales restrictions if noncompliance rates remain high, according to the letter. Those biotech companies should also provide farmers with incentives to meet their obligations. CSPI also wants the EPA to obtain more reliable data by requiring biotech companies to pay for independent, third-party assessments of farmer compliance with refuge requirements, and to require labeling on bags of biotech seed corn to specify refuge requirements. 2009-11-05 Senate HELP Committee Weighing FDA Reform Legislation http://cspinet.org/new/200910221.html CSPI Urges Quick Action, With More Frequent Inspections & TestingYes, the United States Senate is focused on health care reform. But if legislators want to save 5,000 lives and prevent 325,000 unnecessary and expensive hospitalizations each year, they should fix food safety too, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. And the chance that the Senate will act this year on legislation that would reform the nation’s creaky and outdated food safety laws got a boost with a key hearing held on the topic today. "Consumers would rather pay at the check-out counter for safer foods than at the emergency room. In fact, unsafe foods pose a huge burden both to individuals and society at large, with estimates of the financial toll ranging from $40 billion to well over $100 billion annually," said <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety" target="cspi">CSPI food safety </a> director Caroline Smith DeWaal, who <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/summary_help_testimony_on_s._510_final.pdf" target="cspi">testified today</a> before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. "Outbreaks over the last few years are the clear consequence of an antiquated legal system that limits the Food and Drug Administration's ability to ensure the safety of the food supply." Senators are considering the <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:s510:" target="cspi">FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510)</a>, sponsored by Assistant Senate Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-IL). Like legislation passed in July by the House, S. 510 requires that food processors register with the government periodically, implement food safety plans and meet performance standards, and verify the food they import complies with U.S. law. While CSPI urges the Committee to move the bill forward to passage, CSPI also asked on behalf of the <a href="http://www.makeourfoodsafe.org/" target="cspi">Make Our Food Safe</a> coalition that the bill is amended to require more frequent and risk-based inspection of food processing facilities. The bill should also require more microbial testing for pathogens and other contaminants, as well as require government-to-government certification to help assure the safety of imports. Many in the food industry support FDA reform legislation also. Besides CSPI, representatives from the Food Marketing Institute and the United Fresh Produce Association testified at the Senate hearing. "It is rare to see the level of consensus reflected among such diverse consumer and industry organizations on the need to fix our national food safety system," DeWaal testified. "Congress can, with simple changes, take action this year to make food safer for American consumers." The hearing comes on the heels of a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/200910061.html" target="cspi">CSPI report detailing the ten riskiest foods regulated by the FDA</a>. That list that included a number of healthy foods that the group recommends Americans should be consuming more of, like leafy greens, tomatoes and berries. Despite the outbreaks linked to those products, CSPI's advice to consumers remains the same: Eat your veggies. "Just wash them first, and ask your Senators to reform the FDA," DeWaal said. 2009-10-22 Family Doctor Group Squanders Credibility by Taking Tainted Coke Cash http://cspinet.org/new/200910211.html Coke "Philanthropy" Buys Friends, Silences Critics, and Advances Anti-Health Extremism, According to CSPIWASHINGTON—The American Academy of Family Physicians, which claims its mission is "to improve the health of patients, families and communities," is coming under fire for a controversial new partnership with Coca-Cola, the world's leading producer of obesity-promoting soft drinks. The six-figure payment from Coke will fund "consumer education content related to beverages and sweeteners" on the group’s web site. Today a number of leading physicians, nutritionists, and health experts are <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/aafp-coke-letter.pdf" target="cspi">calling on the AAFP</a> to return the money. The <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a> says that the AAFP should be urging patients and consumers to avoid sweetened soft drinks—which promote obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, and other health problems—and not helping Coca-Cola advance its anti-health agenda in Washington. "Because of the kinds of products it markets, Coca-Cola Co. is desperate to burnish its soiled reputation ... which is why it is paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to have a relationship with your organization," the health advocates wrote in a letter to AAFP leaders. "The AAFP web site should be criticizing beverages sweetened with sugars in the strongest language … But with Coca-Cola providing funding, the AAFP simply cannot do that." Besides paying for web content about soft drinks, the incoming president of the AAFP said that the money will help the group engage in federal advocacy efforts on health care reform. Presumably, says CSPI, the AAFP’s lobbying efforts won't depart sharply from those of its generous new benefactor, which is spending a lot of time and money trying to convince legislators not to include taxes on soda to help pay for health care reform. This is hardly the first time that Coca-Cola has used its grant-making power to win new friends among health professionals. In 2003, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists took a $1 million payment from Coca-Cola. Before the payment, the dentists' group acknowledged the connection between sugary drinks and dental disease. But after the payment, the president of the AAPD told reporters that the "scientific evidence is certainly not clear" on the role soft drinks play. "Coke wields its 'philanthropy' with all the subtlety of a baseball bat," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "In some cases, it can buy useful friends; in other cases, it might be purchasing the silence of a potential critic. Elsewhere, it funds anonymous front groups to do real p.r. dirty work, as when it <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/12/business/yourmoney/12food.html?sq=melanie%20warner%20center%20for%20consumer%20freedom%20coca%20cola&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=2&adxnnlx=1256137224-tSOdYAxzdbFK/qihiKKkJA" target="cspi">pays the Center for Consumer Freedom</a> to deny that obesity is a problem." Besides Jacobson, other signatories on the letter to AAFP include Henry Blackburn of the University of Minnesota, George A. Bray of the Louisiana State University, Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., of the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, Joan Gussow of Columbia University, Lisa R. Young of New York University, and Carlos A. Camargo, Jr., Meir Stampfer, Walter Willett, and Grace Wyshak of the Harvard School of Public Health. In September, a soda industry lobby group ran <a href="http://www.nofoodtaxes.com/ads/" target="cspi">print and television advertisements</a> under the rubric of "Americans Against Food Taxes," urging Congress not to adopt a soda tax. The ad lists some predictable supporters, like the Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the right-wing Institute for Liberty, which promoted the "tea party" protests that became notorious for their <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/12/taxpayer-march-on-washing_n_284477.html" target="cspi">inflammatory</a>, and sometimes <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/9/14/779699/-912-Teabaggers-in-their-own-words" target="cspi">racist</a>, rhetoric and signage. But the ad listed some surprising supporters, including a number of Latino organizations, ranging from obscure (the <a href="http://www.hapinstitute.net/Board.aspx" target="cspi">Hispanic Alliance for Prosperity</a>) to the well known (the <a href="http://www.lulac.org/programs/corpall.html" target="cspi">League of United Latin American Citizens</a>). The ad also listed a number of unlikely groups that don’t ordinarily get involved in issues of taxation or health care reform, like the <a href="http://www.hispanicarts.org/sponsors.htm" target="cspi">National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts</a> and the <a href="http://www.hacu.net/hacu/2008_Partners_EN.asp?SnID=88682164" target="cspi"> Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities</a>. Those seemingly improbable signatories to the soda industry's ad list Coca-Cola and/or PepsiCo as donors on their web sites. "The stakes are so high in the health care debate, yet I fear that these groups, some of which are well respected, are selling out at such bargain-basement prices," Jacobson said. "Low-income people, Latinos, and African Americans disproportionately suffer from obesity, diabetes, and diet-related disease and have the most to gain from health care reform. I hope that the leadership of these organizations, as well as the AAFP, comes to realize that Coke isn't advancing their interests. Coke just wants to sell more liquid candy." 2009-10-21 FDA To Scrutinize "Smart Choices" & Other Front-of-Label Nutrition Symbols http://cspinet.org/new/200910202.html Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. JacobsonSimplified nutrition information on the fronts of food packages could be very helpful in enabling consumers to choose healthier packaged foods and have healthier diets. Unfortunately, though, a growing number of <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200611301.html" target="cspi">privately devised</a>—and sometimes inconsistent—labeling systems may be confusing, not enlightening, some consumers. After all, foods like General Mills' Cocoa Puffs or Kellogg's Froot Loops belong more in our <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nah/10_09/rsfp.pdf" target="cspi">"food porn"</a> category than a better-for-you category. Consider Kraft's Strawberry Bagel-ful, which is a mostly white-flour bagel stuffed with cream cheese and strawberry purée that is sweetened with sugar and colored with red dye 40. It's exactly the kind of food we should be eating less of, but it gets the Smart Choices logo. The American Heart Association's well-intentioned labeling program is also flawed, considering that the heart-check logo is on Uncle Ben's instant white rice and a number of other relatively poor dietary choices. In 2006, the Center for Science in the Public Interest <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/healthy_symbol_petition.pdf" target="cspi">petitioned the FDA</a> to implement a national front-of-package labeling system, and more recently CSPI urged Congress to fund Institute of Medicine research to identify the optimal system. Fortunately, <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/FoodLabelingNutrition/ucm187208.htm" target="cspi">the FDA</a> recognizes the potential value of labeling and the deception that is now occurring. Ideally, the end result of FDA's initiative, and the parallel Institute of Medicine study, will be one national, mandatory system that will truly help consumers choose healthier diets. 2009-10-20 School Meals to Get Nutritional Makeover http://cspinet.org/new/200910201.html Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. WootanThe school lunches and breakfasts eaten by tens of millions of American kids are due for a nutritional makeover thanks to strong <a href="http://www.iom.edu/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2009/School-Meals/School%20Meals%202009%20%20Report%20Brief.ashx" target="cspi">new recommendations</a> from the Institute of Medicine. The recommendations, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture will write into regulations, will increase the amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in school meals; reduce the content of sodium and trans fat; and ensure that the milk is low or no fat. Those important changes will help to address the biggest problems in children’s diets and foster healthier eating habits. However, the IOM unfortunately didn’t recommend limits on added sugars. Schools shouldn't wait for USDA’s final regulations to implement IOM’s sensible new school meal standards. USDA should help schools work toward the new standards, so by the time they are required schools are already most of the way there. And when Congress reauthorizes <a href="http://www.schoolfoods.org" target="cspi">child nutrition legislation</a>, it also should give USDA and school districts the resources and support they need to make these <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/schoolmeals.html" target="cspi">healthier meals</a> appeal even to the most finicky of young eaters. To do that, Congress should provide adequate and consistent funding for USDA's Team Nutrition Network in the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization to provide technical assistance for schools and nutrition education for students. Few things are more important than the food we feed our kids and funding healthier school meals is an investment worth making. 2009-10-20 FDA Acts to Protect Consumers from Vibrio in Oysters http://cspinet.org/new/200910191.html Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaalFor 15 years, the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a> has been <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/oysters.html" target="cspi">urging</a> the Food and Drug Administration to protect consumers from Vibrio vulnificus—the deadly bacteria found in almost all <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200907021.html" target="cspi">Gulf Coast oysters</a> harvested in warmer months. The FDA announced this weekend that the agency will now require those oysters shipped to other states to be processed to kill the pathogen. That's a major advance for public health, one that will prevent <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/nationwidevibrioillnesses.pdf" target="cspi">10 to 25 needless deaths</a> each year. Technology to kill these dangerous bacteria has existed for many years, but the shellfish industry has steadfastly opposed requirements that it be used. Numerous plans to address the hazard have been tried, but they have ultimately proved ineffective. One plan was effective, but it was only available to the <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/vibroban.pdf" target="cspi">citizens of California</a>. When the state of California banned the sale of untreated Gulf Coast oysters deaths plummeted from about five a year to zero. As the FDA's Mike Taylor said over the weekend, seldom is the evidence of a food safety problem and its solution so unambiguous. This is the approach being adopted for consumers nationwide by the new FDA policy. More broadly, this move by the new leadership at the FDA is yet another signal that the agency is reasserting its vital public health and consumer protection mission. This long-awaited action on tainted oysters follows FDA’s action to require on-farm controls for <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200907071.html" target="cspi">Salmonella</a> in eggs. 2009-10-19 FDA and USDA Not Kept in the Loop on Food Imports, Says GAO http://cspinet.org/new/200910151.html CSPI Says Gaps in Import Safety Controls Identified are TroublingWASHINGTON—Multiple agencies share responsibility for ensuring the safety of the increasing volume of imported food, including the Food and Drug Administration, the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service, and Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection division. But in a <a href="http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09873.pdf" target="cspi">report made public yesterday</a>, the Government Accountability Office found that those agencies' efforts are hampered by what the GAO said are gaps in enforcement and collaboration. The report was released at a Global Food Safety Forum on Capitol Hill convened by the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a> and co-hosted by the Waters Corporation, a leading manufacturer of equipment for testing the safety of food and water. The GAO found that while importers report information about food shipments to the Customs agency, that agency's computer system does not notify FDA or FSIS when shipments arrive at the border, increasing the risk that contaminated food passes through border checkpoints undetected. The report found that Customs and FDA do not use an unique identification number for importers, making it difficult for FDA to track high-risk imports and importers. The report also found that FDA lacks the authority to fine importers who don't comply with its regulations. As a result, importers can ignore rules against selling food shipments before they are cleared by FDA. "A high and growing portion of the American food supply is imported, so it is essential that those foods meet U.S. safety standards," said CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety" target="cspi">food safety </a> director Caroline Smith DeWaal. "Border inspection provides an important – and sometimes the only – food safety checkpoint. GAO describes a food safety framework for imports that doesn’t keep the regulators 'in the loop' to the extent that they can inspect risky products before they are released to the public." Besides CSPI and Waters, Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), FDA senior advisor Mike Taylor, and representatives from the GAO, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cargill, and Consumers Union made presentations at the policy forum. In July, the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200907301.html" target="cspi">House of Representatives </a> passed the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200906172.html" target="cspi">Food Safety Enhancement Act</a> with broad, bipartisan support. That measure would give FDA the authority to require food processors to design and implement food safety plans, provide specific safety standards that growers would have to meet, establish and pilot test tracking systems for foods, and require FDA to visit inspect food facilities regularly. It also addresses problems identified in the GAO report. The House bill calls for closer collaboration between the Customs and Border Protection and the FDA, requires each importer to have and use an unique identification number that is registered with FDA, and gives FDA authority to impose civil fines. In the Senate, <a href="http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:s510is.txt.pdf" target="cspi">similar legislation</a>, sponsored by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL), is pending. 2009-10-15 Leafy Greens, Eggs, & Tuna Top List of Riskiest FDA-Regulated Foods http://cspinet.org/new/200910061.html CSPI Urges Senate to Pass Food Safety Modernization ActWASHINGTON—Leafy greens, eggs, and tuna are on the top of a list of the <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/cspi_top_10_fda.pdf" target="cspi">10 riskiest foods</a> regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Those and seven other foods account for nearly 40 percent of all foodborne outbreaks linked to FDA-regulated food. That's no reason to forgo the occasional salad Niçoise, says the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>, which authored the report, nor need one pass up tomatoes, sprouts, and berries, even though those foods are also on the list. But the nonprofit watchdog group says the presence of so many healthy foods on such a list is exactly why the United States Senate should follow the House and pass legislation that reforms our fossilized food safety laws. The FDA is responsible for regulating produce, seafood, egg and dairy products, as well as typical packaged foods such as cookie dough and <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200901221.html" target="cspi">peanut butter</a>—nearly 80 percent of the food supply. More than 1,500 separate, definable outbreaks were associated with the top 10 riskiest FDA-regulated foods, causing nearly 50,000 reported illnesses. Since most foodborne illnesses are never reported, these outbreaks are only the tip of a large, hulking iceberg. "Outbreaks give the best evidence of where and when the food safety system is failing to protect the public," said <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety" target="cspi">CSPI staff attorney</a> Sarah Klein, the lead author of the report. "It is clearly time for FDA's reliance on industry self-regulation to come to an end. The absence of safety plans or frequent inspections unfortunately means that some of our favorite and most healthful foods also top the list of the most risky." CSPI identified 363 outbreaks linked to iceberg lettuce, romaine, spinach, and other leafy greens, variously contaminated with E. coli, Norovirus, or Salmonella, and causing 13,568 cases of illness. Manure, contaminated irrigation water, or poor handling practices are all possible culprits in those outbreaks. The FDA does not currently require farms and processors to have written food safety plans, nor does it provide specific safety standards for even the largest growers to meet. Eggs were linked 352 outbreaks and 11,163 illnesses; tuna to 268 outbreaks and 2,341 cases of illness, and <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200907021.html" target="cspi">oysters</a>—despite their limited consumption—to 132 outbreaks causing 3,409 illnesses. Outbreaks involving potatoes don’t seem to make headlines, but nevertheless they are linked to 108 outbreaks and 3,659 cases of illness. Cheese, ice cream, tomatoes, sprouts, and berries round out the top 10 list. The data come from <a href="http://cspinet.org/foodsafety/outbreak_report.html" target="cspi">CSPI's Outbreak Alert! Database</a>, which includes outbreaks from 1990 to 2006, using data collected from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other sources. In July, the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200907301.html" target="cspi">House of Representatives </a> passed the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200906172.html" target="cspi">Food Safety Enhancement Act</a> with broad, bipartisan support. That measure would give FDA authority to require food processors to design and implement food safety plans, provide specific safety standards that growers would have to meet, and require FDA to visit high-risk facilities every 12 months or less, and most other facilities every 3-4 years. In the Senate, <a href="http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:s510is.txt.pdf" target="cspi">similar legislation</a>, sponsored by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL), is pending. "As consumers, we don't have the power to check on these products," said Kathleen Chrismer, whose 9-year-old daughter Rylee Gustafson was hospitalized for a month after becoming seriously ill from eating spinach salad contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. "Without a better system to protect us, we are totally at the mercy of the next outbreak." 2009-10-06 Bayer Sued Over Unsupported Prostate Cancer Claims on One A Day http://cspinet.org/new/200910011.html Drug Giant Tries to Silence CSPI With Threat of Libel SuitWASHINGTON—The Center for Science in the Public Interest <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/bayercomplaint.pdf" target="cspi">has sued</a> the German drug company Bayer for falsely claiming that the selenium in Men’s One A Day multivitamins might reduce the risk of prostate cancer. The lawsuit is filed in the Superior Court of California in San Francisco. CSPI first <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200906181.html" target="cspi">contacted Bayer in June</a> to demand that the drug maker alter its marketing of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTDgofjwcXE" target="cspi">Men's One A Day</a> because the largest prostate cancer prevention trial ever conducted found eight months earlier that selenium supplementation does not prevent prostate cancer. More alarmingly, that study and another found that selenium supplements may increase the risk of diabetes. A day after CSPI contacted Bayer, the FDA issued a letter containing qualified health claim language for use on labels that said, in part, that it was "highly unlikely that selenium supplements reduce the risk of prostate cancer." That forced Bayer to alter much of its marketing, but it pointedly refused to recall existing packages bearing the false claims. The company also refused to remove all false prostate claims from some marketing for Men's One A Day, and failed to put in writing that it will not make those claims in the future. <img src="/oneaday1.jpg">Photo Credit: Jeff Cronin “Bayer continued to run deceptive ads even after SELECT found that selenium supplements weren’t helping and might even be hurting,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "Given Bayer's long history of wrongdoing in other cases, CSPI is acting to ensure that Bayer is permanently stopped from deceiving consumers about selenium," said <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/litigation" target="cspi">CSPI litigation</a> director Stephen Gardner. The largest prostate cancer prevention <a href="http://cme.nci.nih.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/SELECTJAMAresults2008" target="cspi">trial</a> ever conducted found that the mineral selenium was no more effective in reducing prostate cancer risk than a placebo. That trial, the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial, known as SELECT, was halted early when it became clear that the men were not benefiting from selenium and may have developed more cases of diabetes than men in the control group. Another study of selenium and prostate cancer found an alarming three-fold increased risk of diabetes among men taking selenium. Writing about the SELECT trial in the Journal of the American Medical Association, <a href="http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/2008.863" target="cspi">Dr. Peter Gann </a> of the University of Illinois at Chicago cautioned that "physicians should not recommend selenium or vitamin E—or any other antioxidant supplements—to their patients for preventing prostate cancer." Hopes that selenium might be beneficial to the prostate were further dashed when a 2009 study of men with prostate cancer found more aggressive cases of the disease in men with high selenium blood levels and a common genetic trait shared by three out of four men. "Bayer has been giving American men false hope about the selenium in One A Day multivitamins," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "Bayer continued to run deceptive ads even after SELECT found that selenium supplements weren’t helping and might even be hurting." In a recent letter to CSPI, Bayer threatened to sue CSPI for libel for calling attention to Bayer’s selenium claims. Much of Bayer's courtroom experience, however, comes as a criminal or civil defendant. In 2001, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/24/us/bayer-to-pay-14-million-to-settle-charges-of-causing-inflated-medicaid-claims.html" target="cspi">Bayer paid $14 million to U.S. and state governments</a> to settle allegations that the company's actions helped health care providers submit inflated Medicaid claims for drugs. In 2003, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/17/business/17DRUG.html" target="cspi">Bayer pleaded guilty to a criminal charge</a> and paid $257 million in fines and penalties after a whistleblower exposed a scheme by the company to overcharge for the antibiotic Cipro. Media accounts at the time described it as the biggest recovery for Medicaid fraud. In 2004, <a href="http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/press_releases/2004/204602.htm" target="cspi">Bayer pleaded guilty to a criminal charge</a> and paid a $66 million fine after a Justice Department investigation into Bayer’s role in a price-fixing conspiracy involving a chemical used to make rubber products. Two Bayer executives separately pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison for their role in the scandal. In 2007, Bayer paid $8 million to resolve allegations by <a href="http://www.atg.wa.gov/pressrelease.aspx?&id=11916" target="cspi">state</a> attorneys <a href="http://www.ksag.org/page/attorney-general-morrison-announces-30-state-settlement-with-bayer-corporation" target="cspi">general</a> that the company failed to warn physicians and consumers about safety issues surrounding its cholesterol-lowering drug Baycol, which is no longer on the market. Bayer has even gotten into hot water with the federal government in the past over its One A Day marketing. In 2007, it paid a $3.2 million civil fine as part of a <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/01/weightloss.shtm" target="cspi">consent decree</a> reached with the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice. The case centered on weight-loss claims that the FTC said violated an earlier order requiring that all health claims for One A Day be supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence. CSPI says that Bayer's prostate claims for Men’s One A Day violate the consent decree, which could compound the company's legal problems. And this year, Bayer was required to run a $20-million corrective advertising campaign about its birth control pill Yaz, and to submit its ads for FDA approval, as part of a legal settlement secured by a number of <a href="http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/pressroom/2009_02/20090209.html" target="cspi">state</a> attorneys <a href="http://www.oag.state.md.us/Press/2009/020909.htm" target="cspi">general</a> and the FDA. "Bayer's threat to sue CSPI is clearly designed to have a chilling effect on free speech and to intimidate us into silence," Jacobson said. "I'm confident, however, that the FTC, the FDA, and the courts will all take careful note of the facts of this case, as well as Bayer's long history of flouting the law. It takes a lot of chutzpah for a company with such a long record of corporate malfeasance to level libel charges against a nonprofit organization." CSPI is suing on behalf of itself and its members, and is represented by its in-house litigators Stephen Gardner and Katherine Campbell, alongside Harry Shulman of The Mills Law Firm of San Rafael, Calif., and Washington, D.C.-based lawyers Steven N. Berk and Chris Nidel. 2009-10-01 Taxing Soda Could Trim State Deficits (and Waistlines), Says Report http://cspinet.org/new/200909301.html "I actually think it's an idea that we should be exploring.There's no doubt that our kids drink way too much soda.” — President Barack Obama to Men’s HealthWASHINGTON—Even as 48 states and the District of Columbia are facing grim budget shortfalls, only 25 states currently impose special taxes on soda and other beverages with added sugar, and all of those taxes are very small. And according to a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/state_budget_report_-_sugar_tax.pdf" target="cspi">new paper</a> from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, states could generate a total of more than $10 billion per year by levying a tax of 7 cents per 12-ounce can of Coke or Mountain Dew. If implemented by Congress in the form of a national excise tax, that $10 billion could make an important contribution toward paying for health coverage for all Americans. Plus, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200906171.html" target="cspi">says CSPI</a>, the decrease in <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/liquidcandy" target="cspi">soda consumption</a> due to a higher price would help reduce the incidence of <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/sdtaxes_obesity_factsheet.pdf" target="cspi">obesity</a>, diabetes and other costly chronic diseases. Americans spend approximately $147 billion a year on medical expenditures related to obesity, of which half is paid with Medicare and Medicaid dollars. CSPI's <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/state_budget_report_-_sugar_tax.pdf" target="cspi">report</a> comes shortly after seven prominent nutrition experts made the case for a tax on soda in a separate paper published in the <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/soda_-_nejm2_-_9-09.pdf" target="cspi">New England Journal of Medicine</a>. Earlier this month, the prestigious Institute of Medicine included soda taxes as one of several policies that should be adopted to help reduce obesity, and a Brookings Institution committee on health reform, led by former Medicare and Food and Drug Administration director Mark McClellan, issued a report that called for a soft-drink tax. President Obama's interview with Men’s Health magazine is further renewing interest in soda taxes, according to CSPI. "President Obama is exactly right when he say kids are drinking too much soda," said <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">CSPI</a> executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "Soda is dirt cheap and promotes expensive and debilitating diseases, which in turn run up health-care costs at all levels of government. Federal, state, and even local governments would be wise to institute or increase taxes on a product that causes so much medical and financial harm." Also recently, a joint statewide study from the <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/822/story/2188612.html" target="cspi">California</a> Center for Public Health Advocacy and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research confirmed that soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages are one of the largest—if not the largest—contributors to obesity. According to the <a href="http://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/pubs/publication.asp?pubID=375#download" target="cspi">study</a>, the 24 percent of adults who drink one or more non-diet sodas a day are 27 percent more likely to be overweight than adults who don't drink soda. On its web site, CSPI has a <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/liquidcandy" target="cspi">Liquid Candy Calculator </a> that enables legislative staffers or citizens to calculate the revenue their state could raise from sales or excise taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages. The Senate Finance Committee raised the prospect of soda taxes and higher alcohol taxes when it released a policy options paper on health care reform in May. Such taxes were not included in the <a href="http://baucus.senate.gov/newsroom/details.cfm?id=317894&&" target="cspi">draft legislation </a> released by Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) yesterday, nor have they been offered in an amendment during the committee’s ongoing markup, but CSPI and other health groups are still urging members of both houses of Congress to include soda taxes in the final legislation. "About half of the states have small soda taxes and there certainly hasn't been any outrage over them," said Jacobson. "If the Senate Finance Committee decides to leave these billions and billions of dollars on the table, I suspect more state legislatures will tap soda taxes to help pay for their own prevention efforts. In fact, more states could do what New York City is doing, and fund an <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/pr2009/pr057-09.shtml" target="cspi">ad campaign </a> designed to discourage soda consumption." 2009-09-30 Food Industry Seeks to Maintain Junk-Food Marketing in Schools http://cspinet.org/new/200909221.html Bill Introduced Today Seeks Thorough Study of School-Based MarketingWASHINGTON—Despite rising public concern over childhood obesity, food companies, through an industry-funded self-regulatory group, have proposed a set of "principles" by which the companies can use a variety of approaches to market junk food to children in schools. The nonprofit <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a> today urged the industry group to go back to the chalk board and consider whether Ronald McDonald truly belongs in the classroom. Also today, a bill introduced in Congress would require the Department of Education to conduct a thorough assessment of school-based food marketing. The industry document at issue is a <a href="http://www.bbb.org/us/storage/0/Shared%20Documents/ESFactSheetFinalWord.pdf" target="cspi">"Fact Sheet on the Elementary School Advertising Principles"</a> released by the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, which is funded by industry and administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus. Members of the initiative include Burger King, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Hershey Company, McDonald's, Campbell Soup Company, and other major food companies. The fact sheet begins with an introduction stating that the member "companies agree that they will not advertise any food or beverage in elementary schools," and lists coupons, food samples, posters, and book covers among several other forms of prohibited advertising. That sounds promising, but the document then spends much of the following 10 pages describing what food marketing it does not include, such as marketing on vending machine exteriors, label-collection programs, branded display racks, tray liners that promote food sold in schools, and menu boards, many of the techniques that are used most widely in schools. The self-regulatory scheme also allows companies to sponsor curricula, other educational materials, and public service announcements. "Spokescharacters" like Ronald McDonald or Tony the Tiger are allowed, as is the sale—by students—of low-nutrition foods in fundraisers. It even omits the most common form of in-school marketing: the sale of the food itself. Although some of the CFBAI-participating companies have pledged to address school food sales through an agreement with the Clinton Foundation and American Heart Association, the majority of companies have not. In a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/cbbletter.pdf" target="cspi">letter to Elaine Kolish</a>, the initiative’s director, CSPI also expressed concern that the guidelines only cover elementary schools (K-6). At the very least, the guidelines should cover middle schools, where the average 6th grader is 11 years old. Nor do the guidelines apply during after-school activities. "These principles are a sham, written more to protect the commercial needs of food marketers than the health of children," said CSPI <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy" target="cspi">nutrition policy</a> director Margo G. Wootan. "It's bad enough that <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/DecreaseMarketingToChildren.html" target="cspi">junk food </a> is still available for kids to buy in schools. But who wants their son or daughter to be enlisted in an unpaid, drone army actually selling junk food?" <a href="http://www.bookitprogram.com/" target="cspi">Pizza Hut's Book It! Program </a> is an example of an in-school marketing program that is allowed under the principles outlined in the industry fact sheet, since the Pizza Hut logo is small compared to other text on the materials. Logo aside, it is the prospect of free Pizza Hut pizza that really captures children's attention. (Yum! Brands [Pizza Hut’s parent company], Chuck E. Cheese's, Topps Candy, and a number of other major marketers to children have not joined the self-regulatory program.) "Schools should teach the joys of reading," said Wootan. "Programs like Pizza Hut's turn reading into a commercial proposition that, unfortunately, ends up promoting obesity and disease in children." Experts warn against using food as a reward, which can instill in children lifetime habits of rewarding or comforting themselves with unhealthy food behaviors. CSPI says that without a substantial expansion of the marketing principles the food industry's self-regulatory system won’t adequately protect kids’ health. "With a new Administration, a re-animated Federal Trade Commission, and more city and state governments interested in aggressively tackling the problem of childhood obesity, we’re likely to see reforms that far surpass what the industry is willing to do voluntarily," Wootan said. The legislation introduced today, sponsored by Representatives Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) and Todd Platt (R-PA), would require the U.S. Department of Education, along with the Division of Adolescent and School Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to assess the nutritional quality of foods available in schools and the forms of food marketing in schools. The legislation is supported by a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/letter_of_endorsement_mccarthy_bill.pdf" target="cspi">broad coalition</a> of national and state health groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, and the Trust for America’s Health. 2009-09-22 Makers of Quorn, the Chicken-Flavored Fungus, Sued for Not Disclosing Dangerous Reactions http://cspinet.org/new/200909171.html Vat-Grown Mold Tastes Like Chicken but Makes Some Violently IllWASHINGTON—An Arizona woman has filed a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/complaint_and_summons_final_draft_091609.pdf" target="cspi">class action lawsuit</a> accusing Quorn Foods of not disclosing on labels the fact that some people have serious allergic reactions to the main ingredient in its Quorn line of meat substitutes. That ingredient happens to be a fungus—mold, actually—discovered in the 1960s in a British dirt sample. The company grows the fungus in vats and processes it into a fibrous, proteinaceous paste. But more than a thousand people have <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/quorn/victims.html" target="cspi">reported</a> to the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/quorn" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a> that they have <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/quorn/medical_research.html" target="cspi">suffered adverse reactions</a>, including nausea, violent vomiting, uncontrollable diarrhea, and even life-threatening anaphylactic reactions after eating the patties, cutlets, tenders and other products made with Quorn's fungus. <img src="/images/quorn2.jpg">Photo Credit: Stacey Greene "I was vomiting so hard," said Kathy Cardinale, who ate these Quorn patties. The nonprofit food safety and nutrition watchdog group is serving as co-counsel in the case. Connecticut State Marshals are serving the company, whose U.S. headquarters are in that state, with the suit today. The case is filed in Superior Court in the Judicial District of Stamford-Norwalk. Kathy Cardinale, a 43-year-old advertising executive, ate Quorn’s Chik’n Patties on three separate occasions in 2008. Each time, within two hours of eating the product, Cardinale became violently ill. Thinking she had had a stomach virus, Cardinale didn’t realize that she was reacting to the Quorn until the third time she ate one of the patties, after which she vomited seven or eight times within two hours. "I felt like the soles of my feet were going to come out of my mouth, I was vomiting so hard," said Cardinale. "Once I began to research Quorn online I realized I wasn’t alone and that other people had similar stories. It was unbelievable to me that the company knew this was going on and wasn’t warning consumers about these problems." <img src="/images/quorn3.jpg">Photo Credit: Stacey Greene Clockwise from upper left: Quorn’s shape-shifting fungus takes the form of "chik’n", "turk’y", or unspecified "grounds." Quorn Foods, which is British-owned, markets its signature organism as being related to mushrooms, truffles, and morels, since all of those are fungi. While that’s true, it's as misleading as claiming that humans are related to jellyfish since they’re both animals, according to CSPI. Quorn's fungus is named Fusarium venenatum—"venenatum" is Latin for "venomous." As early as 1977, a study found that some people have adverse reactions to Fusarium venenatum. That unpublished study conducted by Quorn's developer found that 10 percent of 200 test subjects who ate the fungus experienced nausea, vomiting, or other gastrointestinal symptoms, compared with five percent in a control group. The company claims the rate of illness is trivial, though a 2005 telephone survey of consumers in Britain—where the products have been marketed longer and more widely than in the United States—commissioned by CSPI found that almost five percent of Quorn eaters experienced adverse reactions. That was a higher percentage of people than that of those who reported allergies to shellfish, milk, peanuts or other common food allergens. Since 2002, more than 1,400 British and American consumers have filed adverse reaction reports on a website maintained by CSPI, <a href="http://www.quorncomplaints.org/" target="cspi">quorncomplaints.org</a>. "It's almost unheard of for a company to market something as healthy when it actually makes a significant percentage of its customers sick within minutes or hours," said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. "It is the company's legal obligation to warn consumers about these serious adverse reactions, and getting the company to meet that obligation is the purpose of this lawsuit." "Quorn Foods should either find a fungus that doesn’t make people sick, or place prominent warning labels about the vomiting, diarrhea, breathing difficulties, and other symptoms Quorn causes in some consumers," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not disagree that Quorn products cause sometimes-severe allergic reactions, the agency still considers the Quorn ingredient to be "generally recognized as safe." "At a time when the public and doctors are deeply concerned about the rise in food allergies, it is deeply distressing that the FDA knowingly permitted a powerful new allergen into the food supply," said Jacobson. "We call on the FDA to revisit its policy." CSPI's <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/litigation" target="cspi">litigation department </a> has, since its founding in 2004, sued a number of leading national food companies and has secured agreements improving food labeling, marketing, or product formulation with <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200806261.html" target="cspi">Anheuser Busch</a>, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200601041.html" target="cspi">Frito-Lay</a>, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200706141.html" target="cspi">Kellogg</a>, <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/200606121.html" target="cspi">KFC</a>, <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/200701081.html" target="cspi">Kraft</a>, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200807212.html" target="cspi">Sara Lee</a> and other companies. CSPI's litigation activities helped spur the removal of <a href="http://cspinet.org/transfat" target="cspi">artificial trans fat</a> from restaurant food and helped return millions of dollars to consumers from makers of the dietary supplement <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200803032.html" target="cspi">Airborne</a>. Daniel Blinn of the Connecticut firm Consumer Law Group is serving as co-counsel in the case alongside CSPI’s litigation unit. 2009-09-17 Domino's Fat-on-Carb-on-Carb Food Porn: BreadBowl Pastas http://cspinet.org/new/200908271.html WASHINGTON—Most people wouldn't consider eating an entire medium hand-tossed cheese pizza from Domino's in one sitting. And these days, most folks are carb-concious enough not to order pizza as a side order to pasta, or vice-versa. So why is Domino's trying to turn back the nutritional clock with its 1,300- to 1,500-calorie BreadBowl Pastas—white-flour penne, sauce, cheese, and other toppings entombed in Frisbee-sized white-bread crusts? Domino's BreadBowl Pastas are the most recent <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/septemberfoodporn.pdf" target="cspi">Food Porn</a> exposed in <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nah" target="cspi">Nutrition Action Healthletter</a>, the popular publication of the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>. "White-flour pasta with cream-cheese sauce can be a nutritional nightmare on its own," said CSPI senior nutritionist Jayne Hurley. "The last thing it needs is an 800-calorie white-bread pizza-crust bowl." Savvy eaters will remember that more than a decade ago CSPI famously called fettuccine Alfredo a "heart attack on a plate." Domino's executives seem to have forgotten since the infamous cream sauce tops three out of the five BreadBowl Pastas—the Chicken Alfredo, the Chicken Carbonara and even the innocently named Pasta Primavera. There is also an Italian Sausage Marinara (with Provolone cheese) and Three Cheese Mac-N-Cheese. The items range from 1,340 to 1,480 calories and more than a day's worth of saturated fat (22 to 28 grams) and sodium (1,820 to 2,840 milligrams). "Topping a pizza crust with an order of macaroni and cheese is probably the most discouraging mac-and-cheese innovation since The Cheesecake Factory decided to ball it up and toss it in the deep-fryer," Hurley said. "What's next, wrapping it in a <a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/1447/saturday-night-live-taco-town" target="cspi">giant blueberry pancake?</a>" <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nah" target="cspi">Nutrition Action Healthletter</a> spotlights a Food Porn in each issue alongside a Right Stuff, recommendation. Past Food Porns include Starbucks' Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200905011.html" target="cspi">Cold Stone Creamery's Oh Fudge! shake</a>, and Hardee's Thickburger. Introductory subscriptions to Nutrition Action are $10 per year. 2009-08-27 Cookie Dough is Last Straw for Congress http://cspinet.org/new/200907301.html Food Safety Reform Legislation Passes House, Heads to SenateWASHINGTON—After years of <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/outbreak_report.html" target="cspi">outbreaks</a> of foodborne illness connected to everything from <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200901221.html" target="cspi">peanuts</a> to peppers to pet food, and most recently, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200906191.html" target="cspi">cookie dough</a>, legislation to reform the nation's food safety system has passed the House of Representatives and is headed to the Senate. The nonprofit <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a> hailed the House passage of the <a href="http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h2749ih.txt.pdf" target="cspi">Food Safety Enhancement Act </a> as an urgently needed step to help restore Americans' confidence in the food supply. Under the current system, food manufacturing facilities might be visited by an inspector from the Food and Drug Administration only once every five or 10 years. The bill that passed the House today increases food inspections dramatically: every six to 12 months for high risk facilities; every 18 months to three years for low-risk facilities; and every five years for warehouses. The bill requires companies to identify hazards particular to the foods they produce, and to implement written food safety plans to control those hazards. The bill also gives the FDA authority to issue mandatory recalls of contaminated foods and provides for tougher penalties for negligent processors. "Consumers want safe foods, and we are tired of having to ask whether the healthy foods we're buying for our families are contaminated with deadly bacteria," said <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety" target="cspi">CSPI food safety</a> director Caroline Smith DeWaal. "FDA has been operating under the same law for 70 years and can do little more than respond to outbreaks after the fact. This bill gives the FDA more authority and real enforcement teeth to help prevent more outbreaks, illnesses, and deaths." The bill is widely supported by a diverse coalition of consumer and health groups and is expected to come before the Senate in the fall. 2009-07-30 Unsafe Sodium Levels at Denny's Prompt Class Action Lawsuit http://cspinet.org/new/200907231.html Denny's Meals, With Several Days' Worth of Salt, Promote Heart Disease, Stroke, Risk of Early DeathWASHINGTON—Most Denny's meals are dangerously high in sodium, putting the restaurant chain's customers at greater risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, according to a class action <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/complaint_denny_s.pdf" target="cspi">lawsuit filed today</a> by a New Jersey man with the support of the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>. The lawsuit was filed in Superior Court of New Jersey in Middlesex County, and seeks to compel Denny's to disclose on menus the <a href="http://cspinet.org/salt" target="cspi">amount of sodium</a> in each of its meals and to place a notice on its menus warning about high sodium levels. CSPI is working with the New Jersey firms of Galex Wolf, LLC and Williams Cuker Berezofsky. Most Americans should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But at Denny's, the great majority of its meals contain more, and in some cases, several times more. Some meals at Denny's provide more than 4,000 or 5,000 mg of sodium—more than most adults should consume in three days. Diets <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200905111.html" target="cspi">high in sodium</a> are a major cause of high blood pressure, which in turn is a major cause of heart disease and stroke, the first- and third-leading causes of death in the United States. <img src="/images/spicy.jpg">Photo Credit: Jeff Cronin A Spicy Buffalo Chicken Melt with regular fries would have 4,120 mg of sodium; with seasoned fries instead (shown) it has 4,880 mg. Start off this meal with clam chowder and it would have 6,700 mg of sodium. "Denny's is slowly sickening its customers," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "For those Americans who should be most careful about limiting their sodium, such as people middle-aged and older, African-Americans, or people with existing high blood pressure, it's dangerous to eat at Denny's. Denny's customers deserve to be warned about the considerable health risk posed by many of these meals." The plaintiff, Nick DeBenedetto, is a 48-year-old resident of Tinton Falls, NJ, who has eaten for many years at Denny’s restaurants in East Brunswick and Brick, NJ. DeBenedetto takes a prescription medication to control his high blood pressure and at home does not cook with salt or use the salt shaker. Some of his favorite Denny's items, such as Moons Over My Hammy or the Super Bird turkey sandwich, contain far more than 1,500 mg of sodium—even without soup, salad, fried onion rings, or other side dishes. "I was astonished—I mean, literally floored—to find that these simple sandwiches have more salt than someone in my condition should have in a whole day," DeBenedetto said. "It's as if Denny's is stacking the deck against people like me. I never would have selected those items had I known." Moons Over My Hammy, a ham, egg, and cheese sandwich, has 2,580 mg of sodium by itself—more than even a healthy young person should consume in a day. It's served with hash browns (adding 650 mg of sodium) or grits (an additional 840 mg). The Super Bird sandwich, served with regular French fries, has 2,610 mg of sodium—more than twice what someone with high blood pressure should consume in a day. Denny's Meat Lover’s Scramble, which has two eggs with chopped bacon, diced ham, crumbled sausage, Cheddar cheese, plus two bacon strips, two sausage links, hash browns, and two pancakes has 5,690 mg sodium, or 379 percent of the advised daily limit. A full meal at Denny's consisting of a bowl of clam chowder, a Spicy Buffalo Chicken Melt, and a side of seasoned fries contains an alarmingly high 6,700 mg of sodium. It's a big meal, to be sure, with about 1,700 calories. But that’s more sodium than what 70 percent of Americans should consume in four and a half days. Even many of the smaller meals advertised for children and seniors have inappropriately high sodium levels. Many health experts consider high dietary sodium levels to be one of the nation's top health threats. Dr. Stephen Havas, adjunct professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, says that reducing the sodium content of packaged and restaurant foods by half would save at least 150,000 lives per year. For some people, particularly Denny’s elderly patrons, getting several days' worth of sodium in a single meal might be enough to trigger congestive heart failure. "As a physician, I have grave concerns about the sodium levels at Denny's, and grave concerns about an elderly person or someone with hypertension eating even one such meal," Havas said. "The body can have a hard time getting rid of that much salt, potentially leading to fluid retention and accumulation in the lungs. Consuming that much sodium can have severe consequences." Denny's describes itself as the largest full-service family restaurant in the United States, with more than 1,500 restaurants and annual sales of $2.4 billion. "By concealing an important material fact about its products—namely, that that these foods have disease-promoting levels of sodium—Denny's is failing its responsibility to its customers and is in violation of the laws of New Jersey and several other states," said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. Denny's and CSPI had been in private negotiations over sodium, but those talks ended earlier this year. Shortly thereafter, the chain made small sodium reductions in a handful of items, like cheese sauce, shrimp skewers and kids' meals, but the chain did not make the kind of broad sodium reductions or menu disclosures urged by CSPI. CSPI's <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/litigation" target="cspi">litigation department</a> has, since its founding in 2004, sued a number of leading national food companies and has secured agreements improving food labeling, marketing, or product formulation with <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200806261.html" target="cspi">Anheuser Busch</a>, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200601041.html" target="cspi">Frito-Lay</a>, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200706141.html" target="cspi">Kellogg</a>, <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/200606121.html" target="cspi">KFC</a>, <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/200701081.html" target="cspi">Kraft</a>, <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200807212.html" target="cspi">Sara Lee </a> and other companies. CSPI's litigation activities helped spur the removal of <a href="http://cspinet.org/transfat" target="cspi">artificial trans fat</a> from restaurant food and helped return millions of dollars to consumers from makers of the dietary supplement <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200803032.html" target="cspi">Airborne</a>. The lawsuit filed today against Denny's is CSPI's first sodium-related lawsuit against a food company. Separately, CSPI has <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/200511081.html" target="cspi">petitioned the Food and Drug Administration</a> to regulate salt as a food additive and to restrict sodium levels in various categories of food. 2009-07-23 Obama Administration Takes Welcome Actions on Food Safety http://cspinet.org/new/200907071.html Working Group Advances E. Coli, Salmonella ProtectionsWASHINGTON—The food safety working group created by President Barack Obama has directed the various government agencies involved in food safety to place new emphasis on preventing contamination—a move that the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a> says bodes well for the reform legislation moving through Congress. And, says CSPI, it's an important sign that the current administration sees a more active role for government in ensuring the safety of food than previous ones. For starters, the FDA announced that a long-awaited rule governing the safety of shell eggs has finally hatched. "This is a good beginning for the Obama Administration when it comes to food safety," says <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety" target="cspi">CSPI food safety</a> director <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/house_science_testimony_-_apr_09.pdf" target="cspi">Caroline Smith DeWaal</a>. "But it faces many tests of how quickly the administration can fix a weakened federal food safety structure and reverse course on policies wrongly decided under the Bush Administration. Congress must pass the Food Safety Enhancement Act to give the FDA the statutory foundation needed as well as increased financial resources to restore Americans' confidence in the safety of our food supply." The <a href="http://www.foodsafetyworkinggroup.gov/" target="cspi">working group</a> proposed a series of <a href="http://www.foodsafetyworkinggroup.gov/FSWG_Key_Findings.pdf" target="cspi">specific activities</a> to reduce the risk of Salmonella and deadly E. coli in the food supply. The recommendations cover FDA- and USDA-regulated foods including eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, leafy greens, melons, and tomatoes. The working group was chaired by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Under the proposal, the two agencies will provide guidance to increase traceability in the food supply in advance of legislation requiring it. The working group also proposed steps to increase the effectiveness of outbreak surveillance among federal, state and local agencies in addition to using web-based social media to notify consumers of food safety problems. In a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/hamburg_letter__july_1_09.pdf" target="cspi">letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg</a> last week, CSPI urged the agency to reinstate a zero-tolerance policy for the lethal Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, which can grow in refrigerated soft cheeses, smoked seafood, and lunch meats; to require the shellfish industry to treat all Gulf Coast oysters harvested during warmer months to kill the deadly <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200907021.html" target="cspi">Vibrio vulnificus</a> bacteria; and to strengthen its advice to vulnerable consumers on eating fish with high levels of methylmercury. CSPI had long urged the FDA to <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/eggruletimeline.pdf" target="cspi">finalize the egg rule</a> announced today. That rule will require on-farm controls and expanded microbial testing to eliminate Salmonella Enteriditis in shell eggs. A version of that rule languished for years since CSPI first petitioned the FDA in 1998 to issue such a regulation. In June, the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200906031.html" target="cspi">Food Safety Enhancement Act</a> cleared a key hurdle in the House of Representatives when it was voted unanimously out of the Energy and Commerce Committee. The bill, spearheaded by Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Chairman Emeritus John Dingell (D-MI), requires food processors to identify potential hazards and develop written action plans to prevent contamination. It also requires the FDA to conduct more frequent inspections of food processors and importers, and gives the agency the authority to issue mandatory recalls of contaminated food. "For far too long, FDA has not had the staff, funding, or even the legal authority to get the job done," said DeWaal. "Things have gotten so bad that even the food industry is clamoring for reform, which is not surprising as consumer confidence in the food industry has fallen to less than 20 percent. But most important, American consumers face a never-ending stream of food- safety failures that result in having to avoid tainted fruits, vegetables, peanut butter, even cookie dough. The time for modernizing our federal food safety system is long overdue." 2009-07-07 Governors Urged to Block Sale of Untreated Gulf Coast Oysters http://cspinet.org/new/200907021.html Deadly Vibrio Bacteria Common in Summer MonthsWASHINGTON—The nation's governors are <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/vibriogovernorletter.pdf" target="cspi">being called upon</a> to ban the sale of untreated oysters from the Gulf Coast since they are often contaminated with the deadly Vibrio vulnificus bacteria. For people with liver or kidney disease, AIDS, cancer, diabetes or other conditions that can compromise the immune system, Vibrio vulnificus kills half the people it infects. It has been causing about 15 deaths a year for many years. In 2003, California banned the sale of untreated Gulf Coast oysters harvested in summer months and saw the number of vibrio-related deaths plummet from about 6 per year to zero in the five years since. Many safety-conscious retailers, such as Legal Sea Foods and Costco, only sell Gulf Coast oysters that have been processed with cold pasteurization, hydrostatic pressure, or another technology that can kill Vibrio vulnificus without affecting taste. Those and similar processes cost merely pennies per oyster. "Letting untreated Gulf Coast oysters reach consumers this summer will needlessly sentence several of them to death," said <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety" target="cspi">CSPI</a> staff attorney Sarah Klein. "Unfortunately the Food and Drug Administration has abdicated its responsibility to ensure shellfish safety and instead lets the industry police itself with minimal oversight. That’s proven to be a deadly mistake." For the past eight years the FDA has relied on the <a href="http://www.issc.org/" target="cspi">Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference</a> to monitor food safety in shellfish. That group includes representatives of the FDA and other government agencies, but also includes representatives of the shellfish industry. It does not require that processors kill Vibrio vulnificus during the dangerous summer months. Under the ISSC framework, more than 125 people have died agonizing deaths from contaminated oysters and another 125 people suffered serious illnesses. Despite the failure of the ISSC to control Vibrio, FDA is poised to grant a three-year extension while the industry tries other techniques—such as changing refrigeration temperatures—rather than making effective changes. "The Gulf Coast oyster industry has privately acknowledged that it has the capacity to perform post-harvest processing on 100 percent of their oysters, but refuse to do so until demand for treated product is clear," wrote Klein to 49 governors and the mayor of the District of Columbia. "We urge you to require that only safe oysters be sold in your communities, an approach that will reduce medical costs and save lives." <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">CSPI</a> says untreated oysters harvested from Gulf Coast waters from April to October should be subject to state bans and, meanwhile, consumers should avoid consuming such oysters. 2009-07-02 CSPI Urges FDA to Seize Stockpiles of Bayer One A Day for Men http://cspinet.org/new/200906291.html New Evidence Undermines Bayer’s Prostate Health ClaimsWASHINGTON—For most men with prostate cancer, the dietary supplement selenium may promote more aggressive cases of the disease, according to a <a href="http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/abstract/JCO.2008.18.8938v1" target="cspi">new study</a>. Besides being bad news for men who have taken selenium in the hope of avoiding prostate cancer, the study comes at an inconvenient time for Bayer Healthcare, which was <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200906181.html" target="cspi">notified recently</a> that it will be sued if it continues to claim that the selenium in its One A Day vitamins for men reduces risk of the disease or otherwise benefits the prostate. Today, the <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a> filed a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/bayer-fda-letter.pdf" target="cspi">formal complaint with the Food and Drug Administration</a> over the various prostate claims on One A Day's labeling. The claim that the selenium in One A Day Men's Health Formula reduces the risk of prostate cancer gives the product the status of an unapproved drug, and is therefore illegal. Even the more general claim Bayer uses to promote that and another men's supplement that selenium "supports prostate health" is deceptive and illegal since it is unsubstantiated by scientific evidence and implies that the product can reduce the risk of prostate cancer. No published studies have investigated whether selenium helps or hurts when it comes to the only other common prostate problem, benign prostatic hyperplasia, or enlarged prostate. CSPI says the FDA should seize existing stockpiles of the deceptively labeled products until the company corrects the labels. Coincidentally, on June 19, the FDA authorized a very negatively worded "qualified health claim" which Bayer is unlikely to use, according to CSPI. It reads: <blockquote>Two weak studies suggest that selenium intake may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. However, four stronger studies and three weak studies showed no reduction in risk. Based on these studies, FDA concludes that it is highly unlikely that selenium supplements reduce the risk of prostate cancer.</blockquote> Even if Bayer wanted to use that new claim, it could not since it only applies to a certain form of selenium, selenomethionine. Bayer uses the selenate form of the mineral in One A Day pills. To prevent consumers from being misled, CSPI said that FDA must halt not only the claim that selenium reduces the risk of cancer, but also the milder claim about supporting prostate health. CSPI says that "supports prostate health" is deceptive because there's no good evidence to support it. On June 18, besides notifying Bayer of a potential lawsuit, CSPI filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission over Bayer's advertising. Some of the leading prostate cancer researchers in the country wrote the FTC in support of CSPI's complaint. Bayer has yet to respond to CSPI's demand letter, but <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/features/consumer/article1013770.ece" target="cspi">news reports</a> indicate that the company may already be retreating from claiming selenium reduces risk of prostate cancer, but has not promised to remove the more generally deceptive claims concerning "prostate health." In the <a href="http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/abstract/JCO.2008.18.8938v1" target="cspi"