Center for Science In The Public Interest

Senate Move on FDA Funding Praised

2008-05-08

Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal
Along with my colleagues in the Alliance for a Stronger FDA, I stand in strong support of Senator Herb Kohl's move to include $275 million in new funding for the Food and Drug Administration in the pending emergency supplemental appropriations bill. Virtually no one, inside or outside Congress, believes that the FDA has the resources necessary to assure the safety of Americans' food, drugs, and medical devices. The proof hits home for American consumers every day. o one, inside or outside Congress, believes that the FDA has the resources necessary to assure the safety of Americans' food, drugs, and medical devices. The proof hits home for American consumers every day...

Brewers Urged to Stop Marketing Beer Shirts to Young Girls

2008-04-29

Miller, Guinness, and Foster's Logos Used on Tees at Popular Teen Retailer 'Forever 21'
WASHINGTON�The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest today urged Miller Brewing Co., Foster's, and Diageo, the parent company of Guinness, to stop allowing logos for those beers to be used on tee shirts sold at Forever 21, a retailer popular with teenage girls. CSPI says that the arrangement is in violation of the beer industry's voluntary advertising and marketing code. Though it is administered by the Washington, D.C., lobby group the Beer Institute, the code explicitly states that no beer brands or logos "should be used or licensed for use on clothing �intended for use primarily by persons below the legal drinking age."

Which Food Additives Are Safe? Which Aren't?

2008-04-29

Nutrition Action Healthletter Revisits "Chemical Cuisine," the Classic A-to-Z Guide
WASHINGTON�Would you like some butylated hydroxytoluene with that? If a waiter offered you some BHT in a restaurant, you'd probably decline. Yet that chemical is one of scores of hard-to-pronounce additives that routinely show up in the fine print on packaged foods' ingredients lists. Is BHT safe? For the record, food manufacturers use it to keep oils from going rancid, but animal studies differ on whether in promotes or prevents cancer. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, publisher of Nutrition Action Healthletter, says it warrants caution. Nutrition Action's revised "Chemical Cuisine," its classic guide to food additives, is the cover story in the May issue...

Maine Taxes on Soda, Beer & Wine Applauded

2008-04-18

Similar Increases Could Help Reduce Health Care Costs by Funding Prevention, Says CSPI
WASHINGTON�Governors, state legislators, and members of Congress interested in simultaneously bridging budget gaps and improving public health should look north to Maine. There, the legislature passed and Governor John Baldacci signed a package of tax increases on soda, beer and wine to help pay for a state health insurance program for small businesses and the self-employed. The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, which has long supported modest increases in taxes on soda and alcoholic beverages if the revenues are used to promote public health, today applauded Maine policy makers...

House to Consider Comprehensive FDA Reform Bill

2008-04-17

Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal
After numerous food borne illness outbreaks and scores of hearings on Capitol Hill, House Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell, together with Representatives Frank Pallone, Bart Stupak, and Diane DeGette, has introduced today a package of urgently-needed FDA reforms that, if enacted, will go a long way toward restoring Americans' confidence in the safety of our food supply....

With Calories Hard to Guess, Washington Voters Want Answers on Menus

2008-04-17

King County and Other Menu Labeling Policies Needed in State
Quick, what at McDonald's has the most calories? A Big Mac, two Sausage McGriddles, a large chocolate shake, or four hamburgers? If you guessed a Big Mac, you'd be in good company. And you'd also be wrong...

Judge Upholds NYC Law Requiring Calories on Menus & Menu Boards

2008-04-16

Ruling Paves the Way for More Cities, States to Give Restaurant Diners Nutrition Information
WASHINGTON�U.S. District Judge Richard J. Holwell today denied a motion filed by chain restaurant lobbyists to block New York City's requirement that chains disclose calories on menus and menu boards. The court had previously blocked the city from enforcing the regulation, but today found that the city's redrafted rule put to rest any questions about whether it was preempted by federal nutrition labeling laws. The judge also roundly rejected the industry's argument that requiring calories on menus somehow violated chain restaurant's First Amendment rights.

College Presidents Urge Elimination of Alcohol Advertising on NCAA Sports

2008-04-09

NCAA Exceeding its Own Limits on Beer Ads During Final Four and Championship Basketball Games, According to CSPI Analysis
WASHINGTON�More than one hundred college presidents today called on the National Collegiate Athletics Association to end "embarrassingly prominent" beer ads during televised NCAA basketball tournaments. In a letter to NCAA President Myles Brand, the presidents urged the NCAA's Division I Board of Directors and Executive Committee to formally review its policies on alcohol advertising, which were last examined in 2005.

Americans and Europeans Want Tougher Action on Childhood Obesity and Diet-Related Disease

2008-04-02

U.S. and E.U. Consumer Advocates Meet in Washington Next Week
WASHINGTON�Eighty-two percent of Americans believe that food companies should do more to reduce the fat, sugar, and salt in their products, 78 percent want fast-food and other chain restaurants to disclose calories and key nutrition information on menus and menu boards, and just 36 percent of Americans think that food companies are doing enough to limit junk food advertising to children, according to new survey research released today.

CSPI Says Parents May Want to Avoid BPA-lined Cans

2008-04-02

Nutrition Action Healthletter Asks Hard Questions About a Hard Plastic
WASHINGTON�Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding may want to consider reducing their exposure, and that of their infants and young children, to the controversial chemical bisphenol A (BPA) by avoiding most canned soups and drinks and many hard-plastic reusable water bottles. That advice comes from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the nonprofit group that publishes Nutrition Action Healthletter, which asks "Hard Questions About a Hard Plastic" in its April issue.

San Francisco Mayor Signs Menu Labeling Bill

2008-03-26

Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan
No one expects to learn the price of your restaurant meal by checking online in advance or by finding out only after you've ordered. And at chain restaurants, where menu items are so carefully calibrated and standardized, it would be easy for chains to put calories right on menu boards and even more nutrition information on printed menus. That's why residents of and visitors to San Francisco owe a debt of gratitude to the Board of Supervisors for passing a common-sense menu labeling ordinance, and to Mayor Gavin Newsom for signing it last night.

Getting Creamed at the Office?

2008-03-24

Nutrition Action Healthletter Weighs Coffee Creamers
WASHINGTON�The nutrition label on the Coffee-mate in your office kitchen might list 10 calories and just a half a gram of saturated fat. Those sound like reassuringly low levels of both. But use a more realistic tablespoon-size serving instead of the miserly teaspoon the Food and Drug Administration allows and you're looking at 30 calories and two grams of heart-harmful saturated fat. Have three of four servings of your office coffee thusly "creamed" and you've stealthily consumed half a day's saturated fat.

NEWS ADVISORY: Generation Excess III

2008-03-17

Conference Will Review Transatlantic Approaches to Tackling Obesity and Diet-related Disease
WASHINGTON�The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest and leading European consumer organizations will convene policy makers, nutrition experts, and public health officials from the United States and Europe for the third "Generation Excess" conference on diet and health on April 8 in Washington, D.C. The conference is being organized under the auspices of the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue, an advisory group of consumer organizations established by the European Commission and the U.S. Department of State.

Bay State Restaurants Still Using Artificial Trans Fat Despite Health Risks

2008-03-13

New Test Results Indicate Need for Statewide Phase-out, Says CSPI
BOSTON�Even though artificial trans fat promotes heart attacks and early deaths, major chains�including Massachusetts-based Friendly's�are still serving foods containing partially hydrogenated oil�the only artificial source of trans fat...

Airborne Agrees to Pay $23.3 Million to Settle Lawsuit Over False Advertising of its "Miracle Cold Buster"

2008-03-03

Company Now Under Scrutiny By FTC & 24 State Attorneys General
WASHINGTON�The makers of Airborne�a multivitamin and herbal supplement whose labels and ads falsely claimed that the product cures and prevents colds�will refund money to consumers who bought the product, as part of a $23.3 million class action settlement agreement. The company will pay for ads in Better Homes & Gardens, Parade, People, Newsweek, and many other magazines and newspapers instructing consumers how to get refunds.

Court Rebuffs Burger King in Trans Fat Case

2008-02-25

CSPI's Lawsuit to be Heard in D.C. Superior Court

WASHINGTON�WASHINGTON�Lawyers for Burger King failed to have a lawsuit over the company's use of artificial trans fat dismissed. The Center for Science in the Public Interest sued the chain in May 2007 because it is the only one of the three top burger chains not to promise to phase out its use of partially hydrogenated frying oil. CSPI sued in Superior Court for the District of Columbia, but Burger King transferred the case to a federal court and then asked for it to be dismissed, insisting, ironically, that CSPI's claims did not belong in federal court.

Consumers Still At Risk, Despite Recall

2008-02-20

Americans Still Wondering: "Where's the Beef?"

WASHINGTON�Millions of consumers could unknowingly dine on recalled beef because meat sold by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. went to grocery stores or was processed by other companies not named in the recall, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. The U.S. Department of Agriculture refuses to release the names of retail establishments that sell recalled meat to the public because of fears that companies won't share information with USDA under its voluntary recall system.

Mass. Voters Favor Ridding Restaurants of Artificial Trans Fat

2008-02-19

Bill Would Phase Out Use of Partially Hydrogenated Oils in Bay State
BOSTON�Two-thirds of Massachusetts voters are concerned about heart-attack-promoting artificial trans fat and favor a bill to phase it out of the state's restaurants, according to a new 7News/Suffolk University poll. Only 24 percent of those surveyed opposed phasing out artificial trans fat�meaning the partially hydrogenated oils sometimes used for deep-frying and baking. A whopping 81 percent say that restaurants that still use the discredited ingredient should disclose that fact on menus.

Unlikely Duo Opposes San Francisco Soft Drink Tax Plan

2008-02-06

Corn Refiners and CSPI Agree That High-Fructose Corn Syrup No Worse Than Sugar
WASHINGTON�The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest has long supported small taxes on soft drinks to help pay for bike paths, nutrition education, and other obesity-prevention programs. But CSPI opposes a measure proposed by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom because it would tax only drinks made with high-fructose corn syrup and not drinks made with other forms of sugar. Less surprisingly, the Corn Refiners Association also opposes the measure, but the two groups cosigned an unusual joint letter to Mayor Newsom urging him to reconsider his plan.

Bush Food Protection Initiative Fails to Nourish a Starving FDA

2008-02-04

Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal
Following a year when the FDA's food program was characterized as "high risk" by the Government Accountability Office and cited by the FDA's own Science Board as an agency that "does not have the capacity to ensure the safety of food for the nation," the Bush Administration's "food protection" initiative is little more than shadow boxing against unsafe imports. A $32 million increase proposed for fiscal year 2009 for the agency's food science and inspection programs translates into a bare-bones increase of only $2 million when adjusted for the agency's typical inflationary cost (6 percent). And while food safety is highlighted as an important area, if the agency has shortfalls elsewhere, it will likely move this money from foods to drugs or devices. The 2009 President's budget fails to reverse the history of starving this critical public health agency of essential resources.

Junk Food Marketing Prevalent in Montgomery County Schools

2008-01-31

Study Shows Food Companies Target Captive School Audience
WASHINGTON�Junk-food and soda makers directly market to young children right in their schools, according to a new survey of public schools in Montgomery County, Maryland. Conducted at the request of Montgomery County Council Member George Leventhal, chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) found that the most prevalent forms of marketing in schools are the exteriors of vending machines, food sales in vending machines, posters, signs, and school fundraisers.

New York City Board of Health (Again) Votes to Put Calories on Chain Restaurant Menus and Menu Boards

2008-01-22

Restaurant Industry Lawsuit Against Previous Proposal Backfires
WASHINGTON�The New York City Board of Health today unanimously voted to require the city's chain restaurants with more than 15 units nationally to list calories on menus and menu boards. A previously passed regulation was blocked by a federal judge who found that by only applying the regulations to restaurants with existing public nutrition information, the measure was preempted by federal law. The rule passed today addresses the judges concerns and avoids conflicting with federal law. Chains must comply by March 31.

Labels on Alcoholic Drinks Should Include Calories, Ingredients & Alcohol Content, Says CSPI

2008-01-22

Not Protein, Fat and Carbs as Bush Administration Proposes

Polluters Drilling for Respect on Campus, Says Report

2008-01-21

CSPI Says Universities Endanger Academic Freedom
WASHINGTON�American universities may be jeopardizing their academic integrity by giving oil, gas, and other polluting industries unprecedented influence over the research those companies fund on campus, according to a report released today by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Consumer Groups in 20 Countries Urge Coke, Pepsi to Limit Soft Drink Marketing to Children

2008-01-03

Cola Promotion in Elementary School Physical Activity Program Cited
WASHINGTON�Consumer organizations in 20 countries today urged the Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo to limit soft drink marketing and help stem the global tide of childhood obesity. The letters are the latest salvo in the Global Dump Soft Drinks Campaign launched last fall.

Louisville, KY Passes Trans Fat Measure

2007-12-21

Home of Yum! Brands to go Trans-Fat-Free?
Yesterday the Louisville Metro Council passed a resolution directing its public health department to conduct an education campaign about the dangers of consuming products that contain trans fats, and to consider regulations on the use of trans fat in restaurants...

Congress Tells FDA to Tighten Standards for Health Claims

2007-12-20

WASHINGTON�The just-passed omnibus spending bill urges the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) not to permit so-called "qualified health claims" for foods until a Government Accountability Office report on the controversial program is completed. The step, first approved by the House of Representatives last August, has prompted the FDA to annouce today that it is commencing a scientific review of several health claims previously permitted by the agency. The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest welcomed the move.

Artificial Trans Fat to Leave Westchester County, NY

2007-12-20

Health Board Unanimously Makes Phase-out Mandatory After Voluntary Effort Stalls
The Westchester County, NY, Board of Health voted unanimously today to require restaurants to phase out their use of artificial trans fats, or partially hydrogenated oils, for deep-frying. The county joins New York City; Nassau County, NY; Philadelphia; King County (Seattle), Wash.; Montgomery County, Md.; and Brookline, Mass., in passing measures to get rid of what health experts say is a dangerous and unnecessary substance in the food supply. The Westchester move follows months of efforts by county officials to encourage restaurants to switch to natural, healthier oils voluntarily. However, unlike those other jurisdictions, Westchester didn't address the trans fat in cookies, cakes, pie crusts, and other non-fried foods�however the easiest changes and the biggest benefits come from changing the frying oil.

Produce and Poultry Top Causes of "Illnesses Linked to Outbreaks"

2007-12-20

Beef and Dairy Outbreaks Show Slight Rise in Latest Outbreak Alert! Report
WASHINGTON�While produce outbreaks grabbed the headlines in 2006 with E. coli 0157:H7 in spinach and Salmonella in tomatoes, in 2007, recalls due to E. coli 0157:H7 contamination in beef have surged. Between June and November 2007, at least 30 million pounds of beef were recalled by 20 different companies.

Sara Lee Accused of Whole Grain Whitewash

2007-12-17

CSPI Litigation Unit Serves Notice of Intent to Sue Over "Whole Grain" White Bread
WASHINGTON�On several Sara Lee web sites, the company muses about how consumers are likely to mistakenly believe that many "whole grain" breads are actually more like whole wheat bread than white bread, and chides its competitors for not being "100-percent whole-grain." Yet Sara Lee helps foster that confusion by marketing a "Soft & Smooth Made with Whole Grain White Bread" and falsely claiming that it is as nutritious as whole wheat bread. Today the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest served the company with formal notice that it will file suit against the company if the misleading claims continue.

CSPI Urges Stronger FDA and Modernized Food Safety Law

2007-12-05

Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal

Cancer Warning Urged for Beta-Carotene Supplements

2007-12-05

Pills Put Smokers at Even Higher Risk for Lung Cancer
WASHINGTON�The Center for Science in the Public Interest today asked the Food and Drug Administration to require manufacturers of dietary supplements that contain large doses of synthetic beta-carotene to warn smokers or people exposed to asbestos of an increased risk of lung cancer if they take these supplements.

Despite Official Spin, Report Shows FDA Can Easily Find Experts Without Conflicts of Interest

2007-12-03

Science Groups Urge Agency to Adopt Restrictions on Conflicted Experts
Two weeks ago, the Food and Drug Administration claimed a new report prepared by the Eastern Research Group (ERG) showed it would be difficult to create advisory committees free from conflicts of interest and that advisers granted conflict-of-interest waivers have greater expertise than those without conflicts of interest. However, an independent analysis of the data in the study shows just the opposite, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, who, with other prominent science and consumer groups, is today urging the FDA to adopt the conflict-of-interest guidelines the agency published last March. Those guidelines would ban anyone with greater than $50,000 a year in financial ties to industry from advisory committees and deny a vote to anyone with lesser conflicts.

NBC Affiliate in NYC Urged To Reconsider Liquor Ads

2007-11-30

Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project Director George A. Hacker
WNBC's acceptance of liquor commercials is bad news for parents and bad news for efforts to prevent and reduce alcohol consumption among underage persons. Although the ads will air only after 11 p.m., when audiences are mostly adult, substantial numbers of young people will be exposed to those additional inducements to drink. There is reason for concern, given that CSPIrecent research has documented the association of increased exposure among teenagers to alcohol advertising and an increased likelihood of heavy drinking. The addition of more advertising for alcoholic beverages can only contribute negatively to public health and safety.

Two-thirds of States Get Poor Grades on School Food Report Card

2007-11-28

Lack of Progress Indicates Need for Strong Federal Action, Says CSPI (Updated 2/7/08)
WASHINGTON� Kentucky and Oregon top the nation in healthy school foods policies, but two-thirds of states have no or weak nutrition standards to limit junk-food and soda sales out of vending machines, school stores, and other venues outside of school meals, according to a school foods report card from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

FDA to Hold Hearing on Regulating Salt Content in Food

2007-11-27

Move is in Response to CSPI Petition from 2005
WASHINGTON�For almost three decades, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the nonprofit nutrition watchdog group, has been urging the Food and Drug Administration to do something�anything�to help Americans avoid high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease by reducing dietary salt consumption. CSPI first petitioned the FDA in 1978 and sued FDA in federal court for its food-dragging in 1983. Then in 2005, CSPI filed a second lawsuit against the FDA, accusing it of not making good on its Reagan-era promises to press food companies to voluntarily reduce salt content in foods. Later that year, CSPI filed another formal petition with the agency urging it to regulate salt.

New Food Import Safety Recommendations Issued

2007-11-06

Statement of CSPI Food Safety Staff Attorney Sarah Klein
For too long, this administration has resisted giving FDA mandatory recall authority, so it's good news that the Interagency Working Group on Import Safety wants to reverse course on that front...

Hold on to Your Wallet: CSPI Flags 8 Food Frauds

2007-11-06

Dishonest Labels and Marketing Crowd Store Shelves
Made with whole grains! Real Fruit! Strengthen your body's defenses! Food marketers are seemingly stopping at nothing to convince consumers that fairly ordinary products like waffles, green tea, and jam hold the secret to better health...

A 3,000-Calorie Dinner? Belly-ssimo!

2007-10-31

CSPI Inspects Olive Garden & Romano's Macaroni Grill
WASHINGTON�Nothing's more American than "Italian" entr�es like lasagna, ravioli, and spaghetti with meatballs. And Olive Garden and Romano's Macaroni Grill, with 568 and 238 units in the United States respectively, are selling a combined $3.4 billion worth of fried calamari, chicken marsala, and other foods each year. The Center for Science in the Public Interest�the nutrition watchdogs who famously called fettuccine Alfredo a "heart attack on a plate" when they first looked at Italian food in 1994�commissioned independent lab tests (for Olive Garden) and examined company-provided data (for Macaroni Grill). Their picks and pans are published in the November issue of the group's Nutrition Action Healthletter.

Congress Needs to Build a Modern Food Safety System, Says CSPI

2007-10-30

CSPI Urges Congress to Enact Comprehensive Farm-to-Table Reform
WASHINGTON�Import legislation under consideration by the House Energy and Commerce Committee (H.R. 3610, the Food and Drug Import Safety Act) would be valuable, but would still only partially solve the food safety problems threatening Americans, according to a new white paper published today by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. In it, CSPI reviews a dozen food safety bills being considered by Congress.

New York State Assembly to Hold Hearing on Food Additives, Children's Behavior

2007-10-29

Some Food Dyes & Preservatives Linked to Hyperactivity
Legislators in New York state are exploring the links between certain artificial food additives and behavioral problems in children. Those links have been ignored by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), despite the evidence from more than a dozen studies over the past three decades that artificial flavorings and colorings used in food affect some children's behavior. The New York Assembly's Standing Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Developmental Disabilities is holding a hearing on the topic Tuesday in New York City.

Groups Announce Global "Dump Soda" Campaign

2007-10-29

An international coalition of consumer organizations announced the formation of the Global "Dump Soda" Campaign to call attention to the marketing of sugary soft drinks and other high calorie beverages linked to the world-wide childhood obesity crisis.

New York City Health Dept. Proposes That Restaurant Chains with 15+ Outlets List Calories

2007-10-24

Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan

Consumer and Industry Groups Cosponsor Conference on Salt Reduction

2007-10-23

WASHINGTON�Health experts agree that Americans are consuming too much salt. That's why the nation's biggest food industry group, Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), 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 at a conference aimed at helping consumers meet the 2005 Dietary Guidelines goal of 2,300 mg of sodium per day.

Menu Labeling Veto a "Giant, Greasy Stain" on Schwarzenegger Health Record

2007-10-15

Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan
This veto is a giant, greasy stain on the Governor's health record.

By giving into lobbying by McDonald's, Burger King, and other big restaurant chains, Governor Schwarzenegger has turned his back on the vast majority of Californians who want to know what they're eating at chain restaurants.

Philadelphia Council Urged Not to Open Trans Fat Loophole

2007-10-05

Even Butter is Far Better than Using Artificial Trans Fat in Baked Goods, Says CSPI
The Philadelphia City Council did exactly the right thing in February when it unanimously voted to phase out the use of artificial trans fat in restaurants, and health advocates say it should not open a new loophole for baked goods. On Tuesday the council will hold a hearing on a proposal advanced by operators of several bakeries, which would give them a special exemption to continue to use partially hydrogenated oil in cakes, pastries, and other foods. But according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, this is one squeaky wheel that shouldn't get the (ahem) grease.

Omega-3 Madness: Fish Oil or Snake Oil?

2007-10-01

Stick with fish or fish oil for best heart-health benefits, says Nutrition Action

WASHINGTON�Omega-3 claims are popping up in everything from cereal to mayonnaise, but are those foods the panacea that marketers would have you believe? According to the cover story in the October issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter, certain omega-3s may reduce the risk of heart disease and might even help protect against cancer, Alzheimer's, and vision problems. But many foods making claims have little or none of those omega-3s, and labels don't have to reveal how much or which omega-3 fat the foods contain.

Coca-Cola's Fuze Beverage Makes False Claims of Reducing Risk of Cancer, Heart Disease, Flu, Kidney Infection, More

2007-09-26

CSPI Says Fuze Quacks Like a Duck and Urges FDA to Take Aim

FDA Reform Bill Passes House & Senate

2007-09-21

Statement of CSPI Integrity in Science Director Merrill Goozner

Food Safety Act Calls For Inspections on Produce Farms

2007-09-20

Bill Comes One Year After Massive Spinach Recall
WASHINGTON�Legislation introduced today by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) would establish a national program to assure the safety of fresh produce. The introduction of the Fresh Produce Safety Act comes one year after the biggest recall of fresh produce in American history, when spinach contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 sickened 205 people. More than 100 of those were hospitalized, and at least three people died. And just this week, Dole is recalling romaine salad mix after Canadian tests came back positive for E. coli.

What's Making Us Sick?

2007-09-17

New Online Resource From CSPI Offers Researchers, Journalists & Consumers the Best Data on Outbreaks of Foodborne Illness
WASHINGTON�Tainted spinach. Filthy beef. Chili with beans ... and botulism. Recent outbreaks of foodborne illness have shocked Americans and spurred calls for reform of the nation's fossilized food safety laws. Now a new online database will help policymakers, reporters, and home cooks alike answer the central question: What, exactly, is making us sick?

CSPI Urges FDA to Facilitate Adverse Reaction Reporting for Dietary Supplements

2007-09-17

Industry Opposing Consumer Alert on Labels
WASHINGTON � The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is under pressure from the dietary supplement industry to weakly implement a law intended to prevent a repeat of the difficulties the agency faced in its nine year effort to ban ephedra, during which time the supplement was linked to 155 deaths and thousands of serious injuries. For much of that time, the, FDA lacked sufficient data to justify a ban in court partly because adverse reactions to ephedra were not reported.

Study Shows Progress in Getting Soft Drinks out of Schools, Still Two-Thirds of School Beverage Sales are Sugary Drinks

2007-09-17

Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan
The good news is that soft drinks sales are declining in schools. The bad news is the majority of school beverages are still sugary drinks.

Burger King to Reform its Marketing to Children

2007-09-12

Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan

Physicians Urge Kennedy, Dodd to Support Curb on Financial Conflicts of Interest on FDA Advisory Committees

2007-09-12

States, Cities May Require Nutrition Labeling at Restaurants, Judge Finds

2007-09-11

Ruling Means New York City May Redraft Its Regulation to Avoid Preemption by Federal Law

California Legislature Passes Historic Menu Labeling Bill

2007-09-11

Governor Schwarzenegger Urged to Make California First State to Require Nutrition Info
Last night the California Assembly passed a bill requiring calories on fast-food menu boards and additional nutrition information on chain-restaurants' printed menus. Later today, the state's Senate will consider separate legislation that would require restaurants to phase out their use of artificial trans fats. Both measures have the strong support of the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, which is calling on Governor Schwarzenegger to sign both bills.

NFL Linebacker Case Highlights League's Ties to Alcohol Money, Says CSPI

2007-09-04

League Penalizes Players for Alcohol Abuse While Profiting from Beer Sales
WASHINGTON�While the National Football League (NFL) talks a big game about not tolerating substance abuse among its players, it is simultaneously enabling alcohol abuse among its fans by aggressively advertising beer on TV and in stadiums, where it also sells alcoholic beverages, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

Menu Labeling Bill Clears Key Hurdle in California

2007-08-30

Health Advocates Urge Passage in Assembly

Nickelodeon Reduces Junk Food Marketing to Kids

2007-08-16

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
Nickelodeon is taking a key step toward reducing junk-food marketing to children by agreeing not to license its characters for use on unhealthy foods. The company is following the lead of Disney, Sesame Workshop, Kraft, Kellogg, and several other companies that have adopted nutrition criteria for advertising to young children.

Consumers Pay Hefty Premium for Air, Packaging in 100-Calorie Packs

2007-08-14

Portion-controlled snacks distract from healthier foods
WASHINGTON�Lately, the colorful, chaotic snack aisle at the grocery store has gotten even more cramped. With a deluge of 100-calorie packs of everything from Cheetos to beef jerky, food manufacturers have provided a seemingly healthier alternative to super-sized bags of snacks.

Menu Labeling Urged for Montgomery County, Md., and DC

2007-08-02

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson at Joint Press Conference

Burger King and Wendy's Fries Flunk Trans Fat Test in New York City

2007-08-02

Lab Tests Show McDonald's Fries are Virtually Trans-Fat-Free in the Big Apple!
WASHINGTON�Though New York City now requires restaurants to use trans-fat-free frying oils, Burger King and Wendy's are still serving New Yorkers French fries with more trans fat than is safe to consume in an entire day, according to new test results. McDonald's French fries in New York City are virtually trans-free and have the least saturated fat of the three chains as well.

More Teens Choosing Liquor over Beer?

2007-07-27

Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project Director George A. Hacker
Startling research, published today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows that more teens are drinking hard liquor than beer. This is a huge victory for liquor marketers. But it is scary and ominous news for parents and public health professionals, who should rightly be concerned by the liquor industry's successful campaign to make booze more attractive to kids.

Important to Heed Warning Presented by Botulism Recall

2007-07-24

Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal

In Seattle, Menu Labeling Is "In", Trans Fat is "Out"

2007-07-20

King County, Washington Joins New York City by Passing Bold Public Health Measures
WASHINGTON�The movement to get rid of artificial trans fat and put nutrition information on chain restaurant menus has spread from the Big Apple to the Emerald City.

Last night, the King County, Washington Board of Health voted to require food service establishments to phase out their use of artificial trans fat and to list nutrition information on chain restaurant menus. The menu labeling rule only affects chain restaurants with 10 or more outlets and that have standardized menu items. Starting in August 2008, those restaurants will be required to list calories on menu boards, and calories, carbohydrates, saturated fat, and sodium on printed menus. Like a New York City regulation adopted last December, King County's artificial trans fat phase out occurs in two steps. Food service establishments have until April 1, 2008, to switch to trans-fat-free frying oils and shortenings and until February 1, 2009, to remove artificial trans fat from other products.

Food Companies' Marketing Commitments a Positive Development

2007-07-18

Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan

Chinese Import Scandal Demonstrates FDA Failings, Congress Told

2007-07-17

CSPI Urges New Money for FDA, Ultimately Single Food Safety Agency
WASHINGTON�While all imported meat and poultry products are visually inspected at the border and subject to microbial and chemical testing, 99 percent of imported seafood, produce, animal feeds, and grains pass through U.S. borders uninspected. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, that's because meat and poultry products are regulated by the adequately funded U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and most other foods are regulated by the woefully underfunded Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

New York City's Fast-Food Calorie Labeling Rule Should Be Upheld, Groups Urge Federal Court

2007-07-16

Congressman, Former FDA Commissioner, AMA, Public Health Organizations and Experts Join Public Citizen and CSPI in Support of Rule to Combat Obesity Epidemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. � A federal court in New York should reject the state restaurant association's attempt to strike down New York City's new requirement that certain fast-food and other chain restaurants disclose calorie information on their menus, according to a brief submitted today by the nonprofit organizations Public Citizen and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The groups were joined in their brief by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), a former FDA commissioner and a host of prestigious public health organizations and esteemed nutrition experts.

Subway First to List Calories on Menu Boards in Country

2007-07-09

CSPI Praises Subway for Breaking Away from Industry Laggards
WASHINGTON�Subway is the first large chain restaurant to list calories on menu boards in its restaurants in New York City, as is required by the city's groundbreaking menu labeling law. Though July 1 was the effective date of a regulation passed by the New York City Board of Health, McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, and other fast-food restaurants are refusing to comply while the industry sues the city in federal court. Besides Subway, several other chains�Johnny Rockets, Arby's, and the pretzel chain Auntie Anne's�submitted sample menu boards to the city and indicated that they too, will comply before the city starts enforcing the regulation in earnest in October.

Egg Producers Deceive Consumers, Violate Law with Bogus Omega-3 Claims

2007-06-21

FDA should enforce its own rules, according to CSPI
WASHINGTON�Consumers who shell out more money for eggs boasting of omega-3 content and promoting heart health should know that those claims are not all they're cracked up to be, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

Desperate Restaurant Chains Sue NYC Over Diners' Right to Know

2007-06-15

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
McDonald's, Burger King, and the members of the New York State Restaurant Association, with their malevolent lawsuit against the New York City Board of Health, are basically telling New Yorkers that they don't have a right to know what they're eating. This lawsuit is served up with a supersized side order of shamelessness, since this is the very same industry that goes hat-in-hand to state legislatures and Congress asking for special protection from obesity-related lawsuits.

Kellogg Company Makes Historic Settlement Agreement, Adopting Nutrition Standards For Marketing Foods To Children

2007-06-14

Advocacy Groups and Parents Applaud Efforts, Drop Plans to Sue
WASHINGTON�Kellogg Company will adopt nutrition standards for the foods it advertises to young children, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC), and two Massachusetts parents will not proceed with a lawsuit against the company.

Food Marketers Rely Less on TV in Favor of Other Marketing, Says CSPI About FTC Report

2007-06-01

Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan
The new data released today by the Federal Trade Commission show that food advertising on children's television hasn't increased. But that's hardly cause for much celebration. As parents know, television is just a one slice of an ever-expanding pie of food marketing aimed at kids.

Pumped-Up Poultry Not 'Natural,' Says CSPI

2007-05-22

Statement of Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
People shouldn't be paying chicken prices for saltwater. But some unscrupulous poultry producers add as much as 15 percent saltwater�and then have the gall to label such pumped-up poultry products "natural." Some in the industry euphemistically call chicken soaked or injected with salt water "enhanced chicken." Of course this isn't really about enhancing chicken, it's about enhancing profits. Someone's clucking all the way to the bank

Federal Trade Commission Urged to Crack Down on Enviga

2007-05-21

CSPI Says "Calorie Burning" and Weight Loss Claims Illegal
WASHINGTON�The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) should take enforcement action against Coca-Cola and Nestl� for their unlawful deceptive advertising for Enviga, their green-tea-flavored diet soda, according to a complaint filed with the agency today by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). At issue is the companies' claim that Enviga burns more calories than the five calories per can it delivers, which, CSPI says, strongly implies weight loss. CSPI is separately suing Coke and Nestl� in federal court on the same issue but says that shouldn't stop the FTC from cracking down immediately on the false advertising.

Burger King Hit With Trans Fat Lawsuit

2007-05-16

CSPI Says Burger King is Biggest Chain Without Firm Plans to Convert to Safer Alternatives to Partially Hydrogenated Oils
WASHINGTON�By using partially hydrogenated oil, Burger King is knowingly increasing its customers risk of heart disease and early death, according to a lawsuit filed today by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. CSPI is asking a District of Columbia Superior Court judge to order the restaurant chain to stop using the deadly trans-fat-laden ingredient, or at least to require prominent warning notices on Burger King's menu boards. According to CSPI, Burger King is the biggest restaurant chain that is not fully committed to getting rid of the artificial trans fat found in partially hydrogenated oil.

CSPI Calls on House to Fix FDA Reform Bill by Eliminating Conflict-of-Interest Waivers

2007-05-09

Statement of CSPI Integrity in Science Director Merrill Goozner

USDA Wrong Place to Consolidate Food Safety, Says CSPI

2007-05-09

Agency's Boosterism Role at Odds with Health & Safety, Committee Told

CSPI Tracks Beer Money in Congress

2007-05-08

Industry Seeks Roll Back of Beer Taxes
CSPI is maintaining an updated list of members of the House of Representatives who are co-sponsoring the "beer tax rollback bill" in the 110th Congress, along with a tally of the contributions each has received in the 2005-2006 election cycle from the two biggest beer-industry donors, the National Beer Wholesalers Association and Anheuser-Busch.

Memory Supplements Forgettable, Says CSPI

2007-05-04

Pills' Science Debunked in Nutrition Action Healthletter [watch video]
WASHINGTON�Don't count on dietary supplements to help protect or improve your memory, since there's no solid science indicating that any of the major ingredients in these pills actually work, according to a review in the May issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter, published by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest.

CSPI on the New Food Protection Czar

2007-05-02

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
The appointment yesterday by FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach of David Acheson as the FDA's food protection czar is a good one. Dr. Acheson is a talented scientist and honest broker, and his presence in the commissioner's office will give food safety a much higher profile at the top level of the agency.

CSPI Salutes KFC for Trans-Fat-Free Chicken

2007-04-30

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
Last year we wanted to court martial Colonel Sanders but today we salute him. KFC has now completed its conversion from partially hydrogenated frying oil to heart-healthy soybean oil, and now KFC's fried chicken is trans-fat-free. This is a big, bold move by the company, and whether it's due in some small part to our litigation or not, we welcome it with open arms. Fried chicken is never going to be diet-food as such, but being trans-fat-free, it is much healthier for hearts and arteries. That said, the company needs to get the trans fat out of its pot pies and biscuits, and work toward reducing the high levels of sodium in its products across the board.

Institute of Medicine School Food Recommendations Should Be Law of the Land, Says CSPI

2007-04-25

Harkin-Murkowski Bill Would Require USDA to Update Old Nutrition Standards
WASHINGTON�The nutrition standards proposed today by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) for foods and drinks sold in vending machines, cafeteria a la carte lines, and elsewhere on school grounds are far superior to the current standards promulgated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). While USDA's 30-year-old standards for foods sold alongside the official school meals were designed to make sure American school children got enough of certain vitamins and nutrients, the new IOM standards take into account things children today are consuming too much of, namely calories, saturated and trans fat, sodium, and caffeine.

CSPI Urges FDA to Ban Grain Imports from China

2007-04-24

American Pets are Serving as "Puppies in the Coal Mine"
WASHINGTON�The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should ban imports of wheat gluten, rice protein, and other grain products from China until the agency can certify that the products are free of chemical or microbial contamination, urged the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). In a letter to FDA commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach, CSPI recommended that FDA should evaluate whether a ban is needed for other foods or ingredients coming from China�the source of the contaminated gluten linked to the largest-ever recall of pet food.

Quaker Agrees to Tone Down Exaggerated Health Claims on Oatmeal

2007-04-17

CSPI Drops Plans to Sue
WASHINGTON�The Quaker Oats Company has agreed to drop certain claims on labels and in advertising that the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) says exaggerated the health benefits of eating oatmeal. Quaker will no longer describe its oatmeal as a "unique" whole grain food that "actively finds" cholesterol and "removes it from the body" and will no longer display a graph that greatly exaggerated the cholesterol-lowering potential of oatmeal. In turn, CSPI will not file a lawsuit that it warned Quaker company about in October.

New CDC Data Show Increases in E.coli, Salmonella and Vibrio

2007-04-12

Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's latest report shows that infections from E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and Vibrio are all on the rise. E. coli cases reported to CDC's FoodNet rose 50 percent since 2004, and Vibrio, another potentially deadly pathogen in shellfish, rose a whopping 78 percent since FoodNet began (1996-1998).

World Health Organization Forum Endorses Salt Reduction to Prevent Heart Disease and Stroke

2007-04-09

Montgomery County Trans Fat Proposal Praised

2007-03-26

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
People who live in the area won't be surprised to learn that Montgomery County, Maryland is slightly ahead of most of the country in terms of advancing public health. After all, the county was one of the first jurisdictions to protect restaurant patrons from the hazards of secondhand cigarette smoke...

Wok Carefully: CSPI Takes a (Second) Look at Chinese Restaurant Food

2007-03-21

Too Much Sodium in Otherwise Healthful Food, Says Nutrition Watchdog [video]
WASHINGTON�Popular Chinese restaurant meals can contain an entire day's worth of sodium and some contain two days' worth, according to a new analysis by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. The good news is that Chinese food is often rich in vegetables and the fat comes mostly from heart-safe, trans-fat-free vegetable oils. More good news is that Chinese food hasn't gotten worse since CSPI first looked�which is something that certainly can not be said about typical American-style restaurant food.

Surgeon General's Call to Action on Underage Drinking Welcomed

2007-03-07

Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project's Manager of Federal Relations Kimberly Miller

T.G.I. Friday's "Right Portion, Right Price" is Right Direction, Says CSPI

2007-03-07

WASHINGTON�T.G.I. Friday's deserves credit for its new "Right Portion, Right Price" menu, which gives consumers the option of several smaller entre�s when they dine out, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Last week, the restaurant chain announced the move and became the first in its category to respond to consumer demand for smaller meals at discounted prices.

Senate Hearing to Debate Junk Food in Schools Tuesday

2007-03-05

WASHINGTON�Tomorrow the Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on school nutrition issues, a move that the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) says signals new hope for strong, national action to get junk food out of schools. Senators are expected to discuss the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act, sponsored by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), among others, as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s fruit and vegetable snack program, long championed by Harkin and which CSPI seeks to expand.

British Crackdown on Junk Food Ads Praised

2007-02-23

CSPI Says Food Companies and Broadcasters Should Comply with Similar Guidelines Here
WASHINGTON� Television advertising in the United Kingdom for foods high in fat, salt, or sugar will be reduced by up to 50 percent on programs viewed by children under 16 under tough new regulations promulgated by Ofcom, that country's quasi-governmental telecommunications regulator. While U.K. consumer groups will press the British parliament to enact tighter standards, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) urged multinational food companies to behave at least as well in the U.S. as they'll soon be required to behave in the U.K.

Consumer Group Praises Pepsi's Disclosure of Caffeine Content

2007-02-20

CSPI Urges Coke and Others to Follow Suit
Cans and bottles of Pepsi will now bear an important disclosure�the exact amount of caffeine in each serving. That information on soda containers will help pregnant women, parents, and others concerned about adverse effects of the mildly addictive stimulant drug, which is also found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and other products. Since 1997, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has been calling on the Food and Drug Administration to require disclosure on food labels of caffeine content. The American Medical Association has done the same. Today CSPI applauded PepsiCo's new practice and called on Coca-Cola and other marketers of caffeine-containing products to follow suit.

Congressional Leaders Call for Single Food Safety Agency

2007-02-14

CSPI Supports Effort to Modernize Food Safety Laws
WASHINGTON�Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) today introduced legislation to put all food safety responsibilities under a single new Food Safety Administrator. The Safe Food Act also would modernize the 100-year old food safety laws, and give the new chief a unified budget. The legislation is supported by the nonprofit food safety and nutrition watchdog group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

Sweet Deals: School Fundraising Can Be Healthy and Profitable, Says CSPI

2007-02-14

New Report Rates Healthy and Unhealthy School Fundraisers
WASHINGTON�Schools often rely on fundraisers to bridge budget gaps and help pay for athletic equipment, field trips, and supplies. But even though rates of childhood obesity have tripled in recent years, those fundraisers all too often rely on the sale of calorie-dense, low-nutrient junk food, according to a new report from the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Fortunately, says the group, schools have a wide range of non-food and healthy-food fundraising options to choose from, and experience shows that these options can raise as much or even more money than junk-food sales.

Enviga Study Casts Doubt on Calorie Burning & Weight-Loss Claims

2007-02-12

Companies' Own Study Shows Many People May Expend Less Energy--Not More--After Drinking New Beverage

WASHINGTON�Coca-Cola and Nestl� have claimed that an unpublished Swiss study shows that their new green-tea-flavored soda Enviga burns more calories than it provides, resulting in what sounds like a dieter's Holy Grail: "negative calories." Given the size of the study (just 31 young, lean subjects), its duration (only 72 hours), and the funding of the study (Nestl� itself!), the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) was skeptical enough to file suit in federal court against the companies earlier this month. But the full study, published today in the journal Obesity, shows that there's even less foundation for the weight-loss properties than Enviga's makers imply in their marketing materials.

Philadelphia Moving Toward Trans-Fat-Free Future

2007-02-08

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
Restaurants in the city of brotherly love are about to become a lot more lovable, with the news that the Philadelphia city council has unanimously passed an ordinance that would get rid of artificially produced and heart-attack-inducing trans fat. Like New York City's similar move, this will further accelerate the pace of partially hydrogenated oil's departure from the food supply, and we hope Mayor John Street promptly signs it into law.

Watchdog Group Sues Coke, Nestl� For Bogus "Enviga" Claims

2007-02-01

Green Tea-Flavored Diet Soda Won't Help You Lose Weight, Despite Claims of "Negative Calories"

WASHINGTON�The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest filed suit today against Coca-Cola and Nestl� for making fraudulent claims in marketing and labeling for Enviga, a new artificially sweetened green tea soft drink. Labeled "the calorie burner" on cans, Enviga is marketed as a weight-loss aid, with claims that it has "negative calories" and that it can "keep those extra calories from building up." Enviga's web site also says the drink is "much smarter than following fads, quick fixes, and crash diets." But according to CSPI scientists who reviewed the studies cited by Coke and Nestl�, Enviga is just a highly caffeinated and over-priced diet soda, and is exactly the kind of faddy, phony diet aid it claims not to be.

CSPI Recommends Avoiding Fried Foods at Burger King & McDonald's Until Frying Oil No Longer Partially Hydrogenated

2007-01-31

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
With separate announcements this week, Burger King and McDonald's clearly see the handwriting on the wall: partially hydrogenated oil, which has been causing tens of thousands of fatal heart attacks annually, is on its way out of the food supply. That process will be accelerated by city and state laws, like New York City's, which bar restaurants' use of artificially produced trans fat, and possibly by lawsuits, like the one CSPI filed against KFC. Eventually, the Food and Drug Administration may even revoke its approval for partially hydrogenated oil once and for all.

What Danger Lurks in the School Cafeteria?

2007-01-30

New CSPI Report Finds School Districts Lagging in Food Safety
WASHINGTON�Conditions in America's school cafeterias could trigger potentially disastrous outbreaks of food poisoning at any time, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which ranks food service operations in a new report released today. Most of the 29 million meals served in the nation's school cafeterias each day are nutritious and safe, but some school districts and governments aren't inspecting school cafeterias frequently enough or are using out-of-date food safety standards, leaving students at risk of food poisoning. Younger children in particular face a higher risk of complications from infections caused by E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and other potentially deadly foodborne pathogens.

Glaxo-Affiliated Doctors to Dominate Upcoming NIH Neonatal Herpes Conference

2007-01-18

Health Groups, Prominent Physicians Call on NIH to Seek Balance and Prohibit Financial Conflicts of Interest on Guideline-Writing Panels
WASHINGTON�Next month five physicians will lead sessions at a National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) conference that was called to write clinical practice guidelines for preventing neonatal herpes. Four of those doctors have direct financial relationships with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline�a company which stands to gain if the conference recommends broader testing of pregnant women for herpes, since Glaxo makes the antiviral drug Valtrex. Today more than 30 physicians and scientists and more than a dozen health organizations called on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to seek balance when it convenes guideline-writing panels, and to ensure that all panelists are free from financial conflicts of interest like those of the four Glaxo-affiliated doctors.

7UP Drops "All Natural" Claim

2007-01-12

CSPI Praises Move and Drops Planned Lawsuit
Cadbury-Schweppes will no longer market 7UP as "All Natural" according to a statement put out by the company. Rather, the company will highlight ingredients "for which there is no debate" over whether they are natural, which will obviously exclude the controversial factory-made sweetener known as high-fructose corn syrup...

Kraft is Sued for Falsely Calling Capri Sun Drink "All Natural"

2007-01-08

Update: Kraft got rid of "All Natural" claims; CSPI dropped suit
WASHINGTON�Kraft Foods, the maker of Capri Sun�foil pouches filled with a solution of water, high-fructose corn syrup, and small amounts of juice�is being sued by a Florida woman for deceptively marketing the product as "All Natural." The suit contends that the company's deceptive marketing tricks consumers into thinking the product is healthier than it actually is, perhaps encouraging some people to confuse the almost juice-less drink with real fruit juice. Though high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is no more harmful than other sugars, it is a plainly man-made ingredient, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which, alongside the Florida law firm of Varnell & Warwick, is representing the plaintiff in the class action suit.

USDA Urged to Limit Sodium in Meat and Poultry Foods

2007-01-03

Americans' Salt Intake Far Exceeds Government Recommendations
WASHINGTON� Too much salt in the diet is a major contributor to high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes, and almost all Americans consume far much more sodium than is recommended. So today the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish maximum levels of sodium in various categories of meat and poultry products. According to leading sodium researchers, halving the salt content in processed and restaurant foods would save 150,000 lives a year in the U.S.

2007 to Bring Sharp Reductions in Artificial Trans Fat...

2006-12-29

Restaurants Respond to Laws, Litigation, & Consumer Demand
Top restaurant chains, which had been lagging far behind food manufacturers in getting rid of artificial trans fat, are finally beginning to replace partially hydrogenated oils with healthier alternatives�both for deep-frying and other applications, according to an analysis conducted by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest...

FDA Releases Draft Risk Assessment and Management Plan for Cloned Animals

2006-12-28

Statement of CSPI Biotechnology Director Gregory Jaffe
The FDA's draft risk assessment and management plan addressing the food safety issues surrounding cloned animals is better late than never...

Congress Requires Dietary Supplement Companies to Report Adverse Reactions to FDA

2006-12-11

Labels to provide consumer information by 2008
WASHINGTON�Within one year, dietary supplement manufacturers will have to list an address or telephone number on product labels that consumers can use to report serious adverse reactions, and companies will have to promptly turn over such information to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The new requirement will also apply to over-the-counter drugs.

WHO Committee Calls for Broad Curbs on Children's Food Marketing

2006-12-07

WASHINGTON�A World Health Organization (WHO) technical committee report calling for broad restrictions on food marketing to children should serve as a blueprint for action by the next Congress, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

Congress Passes Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP) Underage Drinking Act

2006-12-07

Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project Director George A. Hacker

Schools Getting Raw Deal from Bottlers

2006-12-06

Beverage Deals Not Very Lucrative According to Analysis of Beverage Contracts
WASHINGTON�Most school beverage deals aren't very lucrative, raising an average of only $18 per student per year, according to the first-ever multi-state analysis of school systems' contracts with beverage companies. The study, conducted by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI), analyzed 120 contracts in 16 states and found that the majority (67 percent) of the revenue collected from drink sales goes to beverage companies, not schools. The study was supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Argosy Foundation.

NYC Trans Fat, Calorie Labeling Initiatives Approved

2006-12-05

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
Congratulations to the New York City Board of Health, Health Commissioner Tom Frieden and Mayor Michael Bloomberg for adopting these bold new measures to promote the public's health. When New York City's major chain restaurants comply with these sensible new regulations, I hope they make the changes nationwide.

FDA Urged to Stop Claims for "Energy" Drinks

2006-12-05

CSPI Opposes Industry Plan for Weak Regulation of "Functional" Foods
WASHINGTON�The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should enforce stricter standards for "energy" drinks and other so-called functional foods, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Today CSPI testified at a hearing on the controversial foods convened by the FDA. The hearing was spurred in part by a CSPI petition in 2002 urging the FDA to tighten regulations and take enforcement action.

"Calorie Burning" Enviga Tea Drink a Fraud, Group Says

2006-12-04

CSPI to Sue Coke, Nestl� if Weight Loss Claims Persist
WASHINGTON�Enviga, a new carbonated green tea beverage, claims that it burns more calories than it provides, resulting in "negative calories." But the nonprofit food watchdog group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), says that Enviga burns money, and over the long term is more likely to result in a negative bank balance than negative calories. Today CSPI served notice on Coca-Cola and Nestl�, the companies behind Enviga, that it will sue them if they continue to market the drink with fraudulent calorie-burning and weight loss claims.

FDA Urged to Create New "Healthy Food" Labeling System

2006-11-30

Companies' Own Front-Label Symbols, Based on Different Criteria, Can Confuse or Mislead Consumers, Says CSPI
WASHINGTON�Kraft has a "Sensible Solution." PepsiCo has a "Smart Spot." The American Heart Association licenses its "heart-check" symbol. General Mills displays one or more of 26 different logos on what it calls a "Goodness Corner" on some of its packages. But the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) says consumers can easily be confused or misled since the various programs have different aims and use inconsistent nutrition criteria. So today CSPI formally petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to design a national set of symbols to help consumers quickly identify healthier foods.

British Plan to Shield Kids from Junk Food Ads Better than US Approach

2006-11-17

UK Regulators to Get Junk-Food Ads off Kids' TV
While officials at the Federal Trade Commission in Washington are merely observing the debate over junk-food marketing aimed at kids, British regulators are actually doing something about it. The Office of Communications (Ofcom), the quasi-governmental agency that has statutory authority to regulate...

The Best Advice is Free � From Conflicts of Interest

2006-11-15

Statement of CSPI Integrity in Science Director Merrill Goozner on S.3807

CSPI Petitions FDA to Regulate Manure, Water and Sanitation on Farms

2006-11-15

Consumer Groups Excluded from Senate Hearing on Spinach Outbreak

New FDA Web Site, Brochure Won't Prevent Obesity Any More Than Old FDA Web Site, Brochure

2006-11-14

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
Obesity and diet-related diseases claim hundreds of thousands of American lives each year. Yet every response from the Bush Administration is so feeble, so flaccid, and so consistently disproportionate to the magnitude of the epidemic. I fear that Secretary Leavitt and Acting Commissioner Von Eschenbach are just delusional if they think yet another web site and brochure will make a dent in the obesity epidemic.

Weak New Voluntary Guidelines on Advertising to Kids Designed to Protect Marketers, Not Parents and Families

2006-11-14

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
Any junk food advertiser who feared that a rewrite of the Children's Advertising Review Unit's voluntary guidelines would force a significant change in the way companies do business can rest easy. While the Council of Better Business Bureaus labored like an elephant, it came forth with a mouse. Regrettably but not surprisingly, advertisers are more interested in preserving what it candidly calls their "freedom to direct their messages to young children" than helping busy parents keep their children healthy.

New Online Quiz from CSPI Compares Restaurant Foods

2006-11-06

Highlights Need for Restaurant Menu Labeling

Cutting Salt in Kids' Diets Reduces Blood Pressure

2006-10-31

New UK Study Makes Strong Case for Reducing Salt Content of Processed and Restaurant Foods, According to CSPI
WASHINGTON�A new study shows that reducing salt intake in children quickly lowers their blood pressure. If their blood pressure remains lower, those kids could experience lower rates of heart attacks and strokes as they age. But according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), makers of popular packaged and restaurant foods make it virtually impossible for children not to consume unhealthy levels of salt if they eat them.

Specialty Fruit Juices Taste Like Money to Sellers

2006-10-27

But Can We Trust Their Health Claims?
WASHINGTON� Pomegranate juice will help you "cheat death." Mangosteen juice can cure migraines. Noni juice will rid you of diabetes, depression and a host of other ailments. At least that's what some sellers of those expensive fruit juices would have you believe.

California Urged to Monitor Farms for Food Safety

2006-10-25

States Can Move Faster Than the Federal Government to Implement Standards, Says CSPI
WASHINGTON�The state of California should move quickly to adopt regulations governing the production of fruit and vegetables in California since no federal agency has yet adopted standards, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). In a legal petition filed with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and California Department of Health Services Director Sandra Shewry, CSPI food safety director Caroline Smith DeWaal said that mandatory regulations governing manure, water and sanitation on farms could help reduce the number of produce-borne food outbreaks, such as the recent outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 traced to California-farmed spinach.

Stars Urged to Rethink "Bud.TV"

2006-10-19

Child Protection and Health Advocates Call on Affleck, Damon, Others to Insist on Age-Verification Programs to Shield Underage Kids

Disney Praised for Helping Kids Eat Healthier Diets

2006-10-16

Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo Wootan
Few companies are as visible among families with children than Disney, so it is welcome news that the company is setting sound nutritional guidelines for the food products it helps market with its kid-friendly characters. Parents who take their kids to Disney's theme parks and resorts will benefit from the healthier choices that are being added---and for the trans fat that's being phased out. Those are important and laudable steps, and ones that should be replicated by other media companies, restaurants, and food processors.

Guidelines No Substitute for Legislation to Get Junk Food Out of Schools

2006-10-06

Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo Wootan
The voluntary guidelines for snacks sold in school vending machines are perfectly reasonable. We applaud former President Clinton and the American Heart Association for their continued work on school foods, and we're glad some segments of the junk-food industry recognize their products' contribution to childhood obesity. But as benevolent as this agreement is, it's schools and vending machine companies who decide what to stock in school vending machines � and they aren't parties to this agreement.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Signs Food Safety Law

2006-10-03

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger last weekend signed into law important legislation that would help protect that state's consumers from tainted food. The bill requires meat and poultry companies whose products are being recalled to tell state health officials which retailers and restaurants received the contaminated products.

Bold New York City Health Department Proposals Praised

2006-09-26

NYC May Require Calories on Menus and Limit Artificial Trans Fat in Restaurants
All restaurants in New York City would have to remove most artificial trans fat from foods, and the typical fast food restaurant would have to list calories for each item on its menu boards if two new proposed regulations in New York City are adopted...

Coalition for a Stronger FDA Says Agency Needs More Resources

2006-09-25

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael Jacobson
Press Conference Announcing the Coalition for a Stronger FDA September 25, 2006

WHO Considering Food Labeling Reforms, Global Phase-out of Partially Hydrogenated Oils

2006-09-20

WASHINGTON�A World Health Organization (WHO) proposal to implement its strategy to combat diet-related disease includes a recommendation that governments around the world phase out partially hydrogenated oils if trans-fat labeling alone doesn't spur significant reductions in their use.

FDA Urges Consumers to Stop Eating Bagged Spinach During Outbreak

2006-09-15

Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal
Consumers should heed the advice of the Food and Drug Administration and not eat bagged commercial spinach until the precise source of the outbreak is discovered and until public health authorities indicate it is safe to consume this product again...

Institute of Medicine Releases Progress Report on Childhood Obesity

2006-09-13

Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo Wootan
Despite isolated pockets of progress, we need bold national policies to stem the tide of childhood obesity. The Institute of Medicine progress report on childhood obesity should end the politicians' handwringing, and spur strong and swift action.

Good Cup, Bad Cup

2006-09-05

CSPI's Nutrition Action Healthletter Offers Advice on How to Survive in Latte Land
WASHINGTON�Would you drink a Quarter Pounder with Cheese? If you order a venti (20-oz.) Starbucks Caff� Mocha, you might as well be sipping that 500 calorie burger through a straw. And a venti Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino, with 650 calories and nearly a day's saturated fat, is a McDonald's coffee plus 11 creamers and 29 packets of sugar, according to the watchdogs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In the September issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter, CSPI's nutritionists tell you how to keep your coffee break from becoming a Big Mac break.

New Online Calculators Encourage Eating Green

2006-08-16

Consumers Can Check Impact of Diet on Health, Environment, & Animal Welfare on EatingGreen.org
Two interactive online calculators on the new Eating Green web site from the Center for Science in the Public Interest allow consumers to gauge the health, environmental, and animal welfare impact of their diet...

"Food Industry Protection Act" Threatens Hundreds of State and Local Food Safety and Labeling Laws, Says CSPI

2006-07-26

More than 220 state and local food safety and labeling laws including restaurant hygiene codes, milk pasteurization requirements, and even some states' warnings to pregnant women about drinking alcohol or consuming fish high in mercury would be killed if a controversial bill before the Senate becomes law...

FDA Misleads Congress on Agency Efforts to Halt Deceptive Food Labeling

2006-07-18

Agency Routinely Checks for Presence, not Accuracy, of Nutrition Facts Labels

Federal Trade Commission Urged to Investigate Beer and Liquor Sponsorship of NASCAR

2006-07-12

CSPI Says Logos on Cars, at Tracks�-Even on Toys�-Confuse Young Kids About Drinking and Driving
When it conducts its upcoming review of the alcohol industry's advertising and marketing practices and the industry's self-regulation systems, the Federal Trade Commission should examine the burgeoning alcohol sponsorship relationships with Nascar, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest...

Hidden Conflicts of JAMA Authors Exposed

2006-07-11

Statement of CSPI Integrity in Science Director Merrill Goozner

New Data Show FDA/EPA's Mercury Advice on Tuna Doesn't Hold Water

2006-07-11

Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal

Medical Experts Call on Secretary Leavitt to Tackle Hypertension by Promoting Salt Reduction

2006-07-10

Two dozen leading hypertension experts, physicians, and health groups today urged Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt to swing his agency into action to reduce Americans' salt consumption...

Is It High or Is It Low?

2006-07-06

CSPI Urges FDA to Provide Clear Information About Mercury in Fish
When it comes to understanding the government's advice on mercury in seafood, most Americans are hopelessly�and justifiably�lost at sea, according to new survey commissioned by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

FDA Fails to Protect Americans from Dangerous Drugs and Unsafe Foods

2006-06-27

Agency Captured by Industries It Should Be Regulating
While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the self-congratulatory throes of its 100th anniversary, leading independent experts on nutrition, food safety, and drug safety say the agency is failing to protect Americans.

Give Bud the Boot from World Cup, Groups Say

2006-06-22

Global Resolution Urges FIFA to Eliminate Alcohol Promotion in World Cup Events
Influential medical organizations and grassroots groups from around the world today called on FIFA, the governing body for the World Cup, to get rid of alcohol promotion at World Cup events and on match broadcasts...

Dietary Supplement Bill Would Require Companies to Report Adverse Reactions to FDA

2006-06-21

Statement of CSPI Legal Affairs Director Bruce Silverglade
Manufacturers of dietary supplements should absolutely be required to report serious adverse reactions to the Food and Drug Administration...

23 States Get Failing Grade on CSPI's School Foods Report Card

2006-06-20

Kentucky Tops List with A-
WASHINGTON--In the past year California, Connecticut, and New Jersey all made headlines for bumping soda out of schools and for otherwise improving the foods available to kids during the school day. But according to a year-end School Foods Report Card issued today by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest...

KFC Sued for Fouling Chicken with Partially Hydrogenated Oil

2006-06-12

Lawsuit Aimed at Eliminating, or Disclosing Use of Artery-Clogging Frying Oil
See you in court, Colonel Sanders. That's the message delivered today to KFC, a unit of Louisville, KY-based Yum! Brands, by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)...

Kudos to Wendy's for Dumping Partially Hydrogenated Oil

2006-06-08

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
Quite simply, Wendy's removal of artery-clogging partially hydrogenated oils from its deep-fryers will make its French fries and fried chicken healthier than similar foods at McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, and other competitors...

Statement by CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan on the New FDA Report on Restaurant Foods and Obesity

2006-06-02

Restaurant foods play an increasingly important role in the American diet, and any serious discussion about obesity has to take that into consideration...

Frito-Lay Agrees to Label Fake Fat Olestra More Clearly on its "Light" Chips

2006-06-01

Agreement with CSPI Avoids Litigation
Frito-Lay will avoid a lawsuit threatened by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) by indicating more prominently on labels the presence of the controversial fat substitute olestra, or Olean, on its "Light" line of potato chips and tortilla chips...

CSPI to Sue Cadbury Schweppes over "All Natural" 7UP

2006-05-11

High Fructose Corn Syrup Not Remotely Natural, Says CSPI
The company that makes the "uncola" is accused of telling an untruth in a new marketing campaign that touts 7UP as "100% natural."

CSPI Applauds Agreement to Get High-Calorie Drinks Out of Schools; Drops Planned Litigation

2006-05-03

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
Soft drink companies have been using schools to market empty-calorie beverages to children, a practice that many parents and nutritionists have deplored. Considering that recent scientific studies have shown that increased soft-drink consumption contributes to obesity, today's announcement that soft drink companies will be pulling their high-calorie drinks from schools represents a significant advance for children's health...

CSPI Reaction to CASA Study

2006-05-02

Statement of Alcohol Policies Project Director George A. Hacker
The latest study by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) adds to a mountain of growing evidence that the alcoholic-beverage industry cannot be trusted to regulate itself nor be expected voluntarily to give up advertising and marketing aimed at attracting its principal profit centers: underage and adult excessive drinkers...

CSPI Reaction to FTC-HHS Report on Food Marketing to Children

2006-05-02

Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan
The joint report of the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Health and Human Services makes welcome recommendations on improving food marketing aimed at kids...

Bug-Based Food Dye Should Be ... Exterminated, Says CSPI

2006-05-01

Labeling Improvements Aside, Carmine Still Causes Allergic Reactions
Carmine and cochineal extracts, the red food dyes made from the dried bodies of the cochineal insect, should be exterminated from the food supply once and for all, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)...

Secretary Leavitt Urged to Jump Start HHS's Moribund Anti-Obesity Efforts

2006-04-27

Action Urged Before US-EU Summit Meeting in May
The top health official in the United States is doing woefully little to stem the obesity epidemic or help Americans avoid diet-related diseases, according to the nonprofit nutrition advocacy group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)...

Look for "The Whole (Grain) Truth" in Nutrition Action Healthletter

2006-04-26

"Good Source of Whole Grain" and Other Such Claims Can Often Mean "Made with Mostly Plain Old Refined White Flour"
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans released by the federal government in 2005 place welcome emphasis on the importance of including whole grains in the diet. Happily, many genuinely whole grain products line supermarket shelves. But according to the cover story in the May issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter, some food companies are trying to cash in on the whole grain trend by adding whole grain claims on labels�even if their products have more refined white flour or sugar that whole grain

Statement of CSPI Senior Staff Attorney Benjamin Cohen on Proposed Food-Safety Rollback

2006-04-24

It takes a certain amount of chutzpah to propose a bill that would eliminate more than 200 state and local food safety laws on restaurant sanitation, milk pasteurization, and shellfish safety�and to then simultaneously claim that the bill does none of those things...

FDA Panel Investigating Labeling of Antihypertensive Drugs Stacked with Industry Consultants

2006-04-24

Draft Guidance May Miss Opportunity to Educate Americans About Importance of Lifestyle, Diet on High Blood Pressure
The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) advisory committee on cardiovascular and renal drugs will be chaired by and dominated by industry-connected scientists when it meets on Wednesday to evaluate draft labeling guidance for antihypertensive drugs...

Study Finds Trans Fat Levels Vary in McDonald's, KFC Foods Worldwide

2006-04-13

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
The startling test results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, of widely varying trans fat levels in deep-fried fast food, are further proof that McDonald's, KFC, and other chains could virtually eliminate trans fat in their products...

Despite Third Mad Cow, Administration Promises Still Unkept

2006-04-06

Animal ID System, Cattle Feed Rules Long Overdue, but Stalled by Industry Influence, Says CSPI
Despite the discovery of three cows infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, long overdue measures to ensure the safety of the food supply and to keep foreign markets open to American beef have been stalled, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest...

Bipartisan Support on Capitol Hill for Healthier School Foods

2006-04-05

Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act Introduced
The school foods reform movement, which has been sweeping through states and local school districts, has reached the nation's capital. Bipartisan legislation aimed at improving the nutritional quality of foods available in schools was introduced today in both houses of Congress...

"I Can't Believe It's Not Better"

2006-04-05

Lab Tests Reveal Hidden Trans Fat in "0 Grams Trans" Spreads
Many popular vegetable oil spreads that boast of "0 grams trans fat" on their labels actually contain significant levels of trans, according to laboratory analyses commissioned by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest...

New Aspartame Study May Allay Cancer Concerns

2006-04-04

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
The new National Cancer Institute study significantly allays concerns raised by a recent Italian study that found that modest amounts of aspartame caused cancer in rats...

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

2006-03-30

Alcohol Facts You'll Never Hear from Big Booze

1,000 Complain About Reactions to "Quorn"

2006-03-28

Meat Substitute Made From Vat-Grown Fungus Causes Vomiting, Allergic Reactions ... and a Lawsuit
The number of people who became sick after eating Quorn, the meat substitute made from a factory-fermented fungus, and filed adverse reaction reports with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has now reached 1,000...

Groups Urge Removal of Logging Executive from Forestry Panel

2006-03-21

Weyherhaeuser Has Obvious Financial Conflict of Interest, Groups Say
More than a dozen public interest and environmental organizations today protested the presence of a top forest products industry executive on a National Academies of Science (NAS) committee charged with evaluating the impact of forest management practices on the nation's water quality.

CSPI Says Orangutans Literally "Dying for Cookies"

2006-03-21

Group Calls on Food Industry & Consumers to Avoid Palm Oil from Unsustainable Sources in Malaysia and Indonesia
Increased demand for palm oil is fueling destruction of the rainforest habitats of Sumatran and Bornean orangutans, pushing those and other already endangered species even closer to extinction, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)...

CSPI Calls for FDA Crackdown Against Deceptive Trans-Fat Claims

2006-03-16

'0 Grams Trans' Labels Mislead Consumers about Foods High in Artery-Clogging Saturated Fat
The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) today urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take enforcement action against companies making misleading trans-fat claims on food labels...

NCAA Schools Urged to End Beer Ads on Broadcasts

2006-03-15

Of 64 Men's Basketball Tournament Schools, 10 Support an End to Beer Ads on College Sports Programming
The Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV today urged 54 of the 64 colleges and universities sending teams to the NCAA men's basketball tournament to commit to ending beer advertising on college sports games...

USDA Proposes Making Recall Information Public

2006-03-07

CSPI Says Move Would Help Consumers Avoid Tainted Food
A regulation proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Inspection Service would help consumers avoid contaminated meat or poultry in the event of a recall, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)...

USDA Proposes Making Recall Information Public

2006-03-07

New Study Should Spur Action to Oust Soda, Says CSPI

2006-03-06

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
The new Pediatrics report provides dramatic evidence that the empty calories in soda and noncarbonated soft drinks promote weight gain in overweight teenagers. If the soft drink industry had any respect for children's health, it would extend its recent pull-out from elementary schools and remove soda, "sports" drinks, and other high-calorie beverages from middle and high schools.

Government Testing of Chicken Shows Dramatic Jump in Salmonella in 2005

2006-02-23

Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal
USDA test results announced today show that Salmonella rates in chicken increased almost 80 percent since 2000...

Campbell Praised For Lowering Sodium in Soup, Juice

2006-02-22

Campbell Soup Company, long a bastion of high sodium products, is drawing praise from the Center for Science in the Public Interest for significantly reducing the sodium levels in some of its products and for introducing a number of lower-sodium versions.

Trans Traps

2006-02-17

New Labeling Rules Spur Major Improvements but Pitfalls Remain, Says CSPI's Nutrition Action Healthletter
New trans-fat labeling regulations that went into effect on January 1 have spurred many food processors to dump partially hydrogenated oils in favor of less harmful alternatives. As welcome as those changes are, consumers shouldn't assume that all food manufacturers have gotten rid of trans, nor should they assume that all foods with "zero grams trans" are zero threat to the arteries...

Health Care Speech at Wendy's HQ?

2006-02-15

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
Does anyone else think President Bush picked a strange venue for a health care speech? Was the lobby of Philip Morris unavailable?

CSPI to Anheuser-Busch: Cancel the Torino Teen Kegger

2006-02-13

Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policy Project Director George Hacker on Alcohol Marketing at Olympics
If Anheuser-Busch truly wanted to use the Olympics "to remind parents about the importance of preventing underage drinking," they could start by canceling the keg party they're having tonight in Torino for underage athletes...

Statement of CSPI Nutrition Director Bonnie Liebman on the Women's Health Initiative Study

2006-02-08

Media reports on a recent major study on low-fat diets may mislead the public because they suggest that current advice to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer are wrong. In fact, the study tested diet advice that is 10 to 20 years out of date...

CSPI Responds to the Beer Institute's Creation of an Independent Third-Party Review Panel to Field Complaints About Beer Advertising

2006-02-08

Statement of Alcohol Policies Project Director George Hacker
The Beer Institute's new Code Compliance Review Board (CCRB) represents a modest step forward in allowing consumers and others to challenge beer ads that fail to meet even minimal industry standards...

Top Hospitals Harming Hearts by Cooking with Trans Fat

2006-02-06

CSPI Tests Show Hospitals Using Partially Hydrogenated Oil
Eighteen of the nation's top hospitals are unnecessarily harming their faculties and staffs, their visitors, and some patients by serving foods prepared with partially hydrogenated oil-the biggest source of artery-clogging trans fat in the American diet...

U.S. Ski Association Urged to Dump Beer Sponsor in Wake of Bode Miller Flap

2006-02-02

Does Skiing Really Need an "Official Alcoholic Beverage?" asks CSPI
When champion skier Bode Miller confessed to taking to the slopes intoxicated, one of the first to tut-tut his disapproval was Bill Marolt, president and CEO of the U.S. Ski and Snowboarding Association. "Not only is the use of alcohol irresponsible on the part of an athlete, but it is also a dangerously inappropriate message to send to participants in our sport, especially young skiers and snowboarders," said Marolt. Now Marolt's group is accused of fostering irresponsibility and sending inappropriate messages to young people because of its partnership with Anheuser-Busch, maker of Budweiser and Bud Light�the "official malt beverage" of the ski association.

CSPI Applauds Connecticut School Foods Plan

2006-02-01

Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo Wootan
We applaud Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell and Connecticut Senate President Pro Tempore Donald Williams for championing children's health by taking bipartisan action to improve the foods available to kids during the school day...

Bush Administration to Allow Secret Bugging of Americans?

2006-01-27

CSPI Says Proposed Rule on Insect-based Food Coloring Doesn't Go Far Enough
In response to a legal petition filed in 1998 by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing a new labeling regulation that would require food companies to disclose when the red or orange color in a food product comes from cochineal extract, or carmine. FDA will not, however, require companies to list the source of those food colorings: the tiny, dried bodies of the cochineal beetle...

Supplementing Their Income

2006-01-24

A Nutrition Action Expos� on How Dr. Weil, Dr. Phil, and Larry King Turn Your Trust into Cash
A folksy, popular daytime television host. A legendary radio and television interviewer. And a best-selling author and health guru whose familiar bearded face recently appeared on the cover of Time magazine.

These three men have one thing in common, according to the cover story in the current issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter. They all use their fame to hawk vitamins, herbs, and other dietary supplements that often rely on inflated claims and dubious (or nonexistent) science...

CSPI Calls on Journals to Strengthen Disclosure of Conflicts

2006-01-12

Frito-Lay Target of Olestra Lawsuit

2006-01-04

CSPI Wants Court to Order Labels on Frito Lay "Light" Chips to Warn of Diarrhea, Stomach Cramps
Frito-Lay has been notified that it will be sued by a Massachusetts consumer for deceptively marketing its line of "Light" potato chips. Those chips are made with olestra�the controversial fat substitute that causes diarrhea, stomach cramps, and other unappetizing symptoms...

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson on Burger King's King Kong Promotion

2005-12-15

With its Triple Whopper, Burger King is solidifying its reputation as the fast-food chain most likely to solidify your arteries...

House Republicans Mounting Attack on State Food Laws

2005-12-14

Industry Lobbyists Want to Topple California's Prop. 65, but State Officials Fear Bioterror Implications
Congressional Republicans are mounting an assault on state food-safety and labeling laws, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is poised to take up legislation that would summarily pre-empt almost 100 state laws having to do with carcinogen labeling, seafood safety, and food allergens and additives...

Alcohol Tax Hikes Prove Popular in New Poll

2005-12-07

Seventy-one percent of Americans support a five cent per drink increase in federal alcohol taxes, according to new survey research commissioned by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)...

Institute of Medicine Reports on Food Marketing Aimed at Kids

2005-12-06

Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo Wootan
The Institute of Medicine's report on food marketing to children is a milestone that marks the beginning of the end of junk-food marketing to kids...

Government Should Warn About Mercury in Fish, Says CSPI

2005-12-06

Groups Say FDA Should Urge States to Require Point-of-Purchase Notices
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should urge states to require easy-to-understand advice about mercury in fish right at the seafood counter, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)...

CSPI Reaction to Soda Lobby Study on Schools

2005-12-01

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
It's a telling sign that the soda industry knows it is losing its battle to stay in America's schools when its lobbyists are congratulating themselves for lower sales. They're trying to make it seem like it's their benevolence and self-restraint that were responsible for a decline and not the parents, and increasingly, some policymakers, who are sick of soda companies putting profits ahead of our kids' health...

Transatlantic Cooperation on Food Marketing, Labeling, & Nutrition Urged to Help Curb Obesity Epidemic

2005-11-28

In response to sporadic pressure from regulators on either side of the Atlantic, food companies occasionally improve their labeling or marketing practices, or reformulate products to have a better nutritional profile. But the non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is urging governments to pressure companies to make such improvements the standard practice in all countries in which they do business, rather than just doing the bare minimum to keep each country's regulators at bay...

Food Processors & Supermarkets Move Forward on Trans Fat

2005-11-22

Chain Restaurants Lag Far Behind, According to CSPI Survey
While many of America's biggest food manufacturers and supermarket chains are busily replacing trans fats with more healthful substitutes, the biggest restaurant chains are still frying French fries, chicken nuggets, and other fast foods in trans-fat-laden, heart-attack-inducing partially hydrogenated oils, according to a survey conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)...

Salmonella Outbreaks Linked to Produce on the Rise

2005-11-21

Produce is Primary Cause of Large Salmonella Outbreaks
Most people properly associate Salmonella with raw poultry. But according to an analysis of food-poisoning outbreaks by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, fresh produce is catching up with chicken as a major culprit of Salmonella infections...

Group Asks FDA to Limit Salt in Processed Foods

2005-11-08

Excess Salt in Diet Kills 150,000 Each Year, Says CSPI
After 25 years of false starts and foot-dragging the Food and Drug Administration should use its authority to set reasonable upper limits on the salt content of processed foods, according to a legal petition filed today by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)...