http://www.cspinet.org News on nutrition, food safety, and more. http://www.cspinet.org/images/pearblogicon.gif http://www.cspinet.org http://cspinet.org/new/200812041.html <b>A Few Companies Actually Hike Salt Levels Dramatically in Some Products, Says CSPI</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Health experts have been ringing alarm bells about the amount of sodium, or salt, in processed foods for years. But according to discouraging new data published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, most food companies aren't listening. The average sodium content of 528 packaged and restaurant foods stayed essentially the same between 2005 and 2008, increasing by under one percent. But considering the food industry's acknowledgment that sodium levels are too high, the lack of progress is disturbing, said CSPI. The medical community has long agreed that diets high in sodium are a major cause of strokes and heart attacks. 2008-12-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200812021.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>We applaud Nestlé for setting nutrition standards for the products it advertises to children under 12. Switching from promoting Wonka candy to 100 percent juice and low-fat chocolate milk will be better for children and make it easier for parents to feed their children healthfully. 2008-12-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200812012.html <b>Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson to speak at the 92nd Street Y in New York City</b><br/>Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, will speak about eating healthfully as food costs continue to rise at the 92nd Street Y in New York City on Tuesday, December 9th. 2008-12-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200811251.html <b>As Thanksgiving Approaches, Group Urges Obama Administration to Make Food Safety Top Priority</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Outbreaks involving produce, including E. coli on spinach, and Salmonella on jalapeno peppers and fresh tomatoes grabbed headlines this year and last. But when you look at relative rates of outbreak-related illnesses caused by various foods, fish and shellfish turn out to cause more sicknesses per bite than any other category. Turkey is linked to three times as many illnesses as chicken—no doubt in part because many harried home cooks might not as be as familiar with how to safely thaw and cook a whole big bird, or to store the leftovers 2008-11-25 http://cspinet.org/new/200811172.html <b></b><br/>WASHINGTON— Current government regulatory agencies typically require that industrial chemicals, including food additives and environmental pollutants, be administered to lab rodents beginning shortly after birth and ending after two years to test whether those substances might cause cancer in humans. But a new peer-reviewed paper published in Environmental Health Perspectives argues that those tests sometimes understate human risks and should start in utero and continue as long as three years, the approximate life spans of rats and mice. The longer, more sensitive tests would provide a more reliable picture of the risk that various chemicals pose to humans throughout their lifespan, the authors say. The authors charged that practically all rodent tests submitted to regulatory agencies are insufficiently sensitive. 2008-11-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200811131.html <b></b><br/>WASHINGTON—The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest is pleased to announce Stephen Gardner, director of its litigation project, was named Advocate of the Year by the National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA). That organization presented the award at its annual meeting in Portland, Oregon on Oct. 25. 2008-11-13 http://cspinet.org/new/200811071.html <b>Audio and Transcript Now Available</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The Center for American Progress and the Center for Science in the Public Interest will convene a moderated panel discussion on the commercialization of genetically engineered animals on Monday, November 10, 2008 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. at the National Press Club in Washington. 2008-11-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200811061.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>Philadelphia now joins New York City, several counties, and the state of California in passing a strong menu labeling requirement for chain restaurants. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2010, chain restaurants with more than 15 outlets will have to disclose calories on menu boards, and calories, saturated and trans fat, sodium and carbohydrates on printed menus. The measure passed today by the Philadelphia City Council is the strongest in the nation so far, and we hope it is used as a model for other jurisdictions. 2008-11-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200810221.html <b>Pumpkin, Annatto, & Strawberry Color Foods There, Synthetic Petrochemicals Fill In Here</b><br/>WASHINGTON—British consumers enjoy products made by General Mills, Kellogg, Kraft and McDonald's that are free of synthetic food dyes, but American customers lack such royal treatment, according to the October issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter. Despite evidence linking food dyes to hyperactivity and other behavior problems in children, companies continue to use the controversial dyes in American product lines while substituting natural colorings in the United Kingdom. 2008-10-22 http://cspinet.org/new/200810101.html <b>FDA Urged to Develop Simple, Front-Label Nutrition Symbol</b><br/>WASHINGTON—A new report from the Government Accountability Office gives federal food regulators failing marks when it comes to preventing false and misleading labeling. 2008-10-10 http://cspinet.org/new/200810011.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>YUM! Brands' groundbreaking announcement that it will add calorie counts to menu boards at KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Long John Silver's is fabulous news for health-conscious consumers. Talk about thinking outside the bun! 2008-10-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200809301.html <b>Schwarzenegger Signs Historic Measure Putting Calories on Menu Boards</b><br/>WASHINGTON—California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed landmark legislation that will put calorie counts on chain restaurant menus and menu boards. Though enacted in New York City, Seattle, and several other jurisdictions, California is the first state in the country to pass such a measure. 2008-09-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200809231.html <b></b><br/>WASHINGTON—Despite its public statements and pledges to help combat childhood obesity, the overwhelming majority of foods marketed by the children's media giant Nickelodeon are of poor nutritional quality, according to an analysis conducted by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. 2008-09-23 http://cspinet.org/new/200809181.html <b>Statement of CSPI Biotechnology Director Gregory Jaffe</b><br/>Today the government formally acknowledged that genetically engineered animals need regulation and oversight. It may seem strange to consumers that the Food and Drug Administration wants to treat genetically engineered animals as "new animal drugs." But if FDA implements what it has proposed, the agency will at least have to determine whether these newly designed foods are safe to eat. 2008-09-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200809152.html <b>Should Pharma PR Pros Write the Government's Advice to Consumers?</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Drug ads can be confusing and often deceptive, so it makes sense that the Food and Drug Administration would develop a web site aimed at helping consumers separate fact from fiction. But to develop such a site the FDA turned to a nonprofit front group erected by Shaw Science Partners, a public relations firm that specializes in launching new drugs such as Viagra, Celebrex, Zoloft, Cymbalta and the now-withdrawn Rezulin. 2008-09-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200809121.html <b>Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Director George A. Hacker</b><br/>The Beer Institute has notified CSPI that MillerCoors has decided to eliminate its offensive, degrading, and ill-intentioned ad campaign for Sparks on the Heavy.com web site. But that move does not merit praise. Like a mugger taking a day off, MillerCoors is probably just taking a breather before testing new ways of exploiting the youth market with ads for a dangerous product. Sparks is formulated specifically to mask the intoxicating effects of its alcohol content, and is still marketed with unacceptable techniques designed to appeal to the youngest of drinkers. 2008-09-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200809111.html <b>Sponsored Videos on Heavy.com Aimed at 18+ Violate Industry's Voluntary Advertising Code</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Megabrewer MillerCoors is coming under fresh fire for advertising its caffeinated alcoholic drink Sparks with web videos that portray drug use, explicit sexual content, misogyny, and that otherwise exude general raunchiness. The company was already under investigation by state attorneys general and the target of a civil lawsuit filed earlier this week by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. 2008-09-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200809082.html <b>Caffeinated Booze Linked to Binge Drinking, Drunk Driving, and Assaults</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest today filed suit against MillerCoors Brewing Company, formerly Miller, over its alcoholic energy drink, Sparks. The product has more alcohol than regular beer and contains unapproved additives, including the stimulants caffeine and guarana. The lawsuit is asking the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to stop MillerCoors from selling the controversial drink, which is also under scrutiny from state attorneys general. 2008-09-08 http://cspinet.org/new/200808281.html <b>CSPI Urges More Testing Before Stevia Extract is Used in Food, Drinks</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Coca-Cola and Pepsi are planning to introduce new drinks made with rebiana, an extract of stevia leaves that is 200 times sweeter than sugar. But according to a new 26-page report by toxicologists at the University of California, Los Angeles, several, though not all, laboratory tests show that the sweetener causes mutations and DNA damage, which raises the prospect that it causes cancer. In a letter to the Food and Drug Administration, the Center for Science in the Public Interest says the agency should require additional tests, including a key animal study, before accepting rebiana as Generally Regarded as Safe, or GRAS. 2008-08-28 http://cspinet.org/new/200808251.html <b>Cutting Salt Could Save 150,000 Lives Each Year, Officials Say</b><br/>WASHINGTON—With high-salt diets increasingly being recognized as a major cause of high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes, health officials from around the country have called on the Food and Drug Administration to press food manufacturers and restaurants to cut back on salt. The comments were made in response to the FDA's request for public input on a petition filed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest urging the agency to revoke the "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS, status of salt and to limit sodium levels in various food categories. 2008-08-25 http://cspinet.org/new/200808212.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>FDA's announcement today that it will allow food processors to irradiate some leafy greens (spinach and iceberg lettuce) may not be the futuristic cure-all the agency is looking for. Irradiation is a treatment used at the end of production. While it may be safe and effective in treating some pathogens, it is not—and should not be mistaken for—a silver bullet. 2008-08-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200808211.html <b>Watchdog Group Wants Ban on Yellow 5, Red 40, and Other Artificial Food Dyes Linked to Hyperactivity, Behavior Problems</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The Center for Science in the Public Interest is asking America's parents for help in its campaign to convince the Food and Drug Administration that synthetic dyes, such as Yellow 5 and Red 40, don't belong in foods, especially those consumed by children. The dyes are being phased out in European countries because of important new evidence showing that the dyes, and perhaps the preservative sodium benzoate, cause hyperactivity and other behavior problems in children. 2008-08-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200808142.html <b>Statement of CSPI Director of Litigation Stephen Gardner</b><br/>The FTC's crackdown on Airborne is welcome and should serve as a template for similar actions against many other companies. CSPI represents Airborne purchasers in the private class action in California that has settled and awaiting court approval. If the court approves the settlement, victimized Airborne purchasers will get millions of dollars, perhaps as much as $20 million, in refunds. 2008-08-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200808141.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>The bipartisan FDA Food Safety Modernization Act would help refocus the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on preventing, rather than just reacting to, food-borne disease outbreaks. Senators Richard Durbin, Judd Gregg, Christopher Dodd, Richard Burr, Tom Harkin, and Lamar Alexander have developed constructive legislation in a bipartisan manner, proving that the safety of the food we serve our families is not a partisan political issue. 2008-08-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200808081.html <b>Statement of George Hacker, CSPI's Director of Alcohol Policies</b><br/>The NCAA continues to put profit over principle by continuing to embrace advertising for beer—the number-one cause of alcohol problems—during its popular sports telecasts. In contrast, the NCAA rejects advertising for distilled spirits, most wine, sports wagering, gambling, nightclubs, firearms and weapons, and NC-17-rated motion pictures, among others. 2008-08-08 http://cspinet.org/new/200808071.html <b>Inspection Reports Hard to Find in Many Cities</b><br/>WASHINGTON—In Atlanta, chicken salad stored at a balmy 50 degrees. Inadequate hand washing in Boston. Mouse droppings in a Minneapolis ice machine. A live roach scampers across a Pittsburgh cutting board. These are some of the gory details uncovered in an analysis by the Center for Science in the Public Interest of 539 restaurant inspection reports from 20 cities. Two-thirds of restaurants had these and other high-risk food safety violations. 2008-08-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200808051.html <b>College Presidents, Athletic Directors, and Coaches Appeal to NCAA</b><br/>WASHINGTON—When the executive committee and Division I board of directors of the National Collegiate Athletic Association meet for their annual gatherings in Indianapolis on August 7, it is likely they will have to take a hard look at the organization's policies on advertising alcoholic beverages during the "March Madness" national championship basketball tournament. 2008-08-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200808041.html <b>CSPI Investigation Reveals Kids' Meals at Restaurants Usually Too High in Calories, and Good Options Hard to Find</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Nearly every single possible combination of the children's meals at KFC, Taco Bell, Sonic, Jack in the Box, and Chick-fil-A is too high in calories, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, which today released the results of an investigation into the nutritional quality of kids' meals at 13 top restaurant chains. Ninety-three percent of 1,474 possible choices at the 13 chains exceed 430 calories—an amount that is one-third of what the Institute of Medicine recommends that children aged four through eight should consume in a day. 2008-08-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200807291.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>The new FTC study shows that there is a lot of marketing aimed at children, and let's be perfectly clear it was not spent urging kids to eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The food industry spent a billion and a half dollars urging children to eat fast food, sugary cereals, soft drinks, and other unhealthy foods. 2008-07-29 http://cspinet.org/new/200807251.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>That great big sucking sound you hear is the sound of partially hydrogenated oil leaving the American food supply. 2008-07-25 http://cspinet.org/new/200807241.html <b></b><br/>WASHINGTON—Everyone knows that Girl Scout cookies aren't health food. But even the trained nutritionists at the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest were shocked to see just how bad a new Thin Mint Cookie Blizzard from Dairy Queen is. The large, which weighs more than a pound, has more than 1,000 calories, 31 teaspoons of sugars, and provides more than a day's saturated fat. It's like drinking two Big Macs, according to CSPI. 2008-07-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200807213.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>More than 1,200 Americans have gotten sick and two people have died after eating produce contaminated with Salmonella Saintpaul. With an investigation spanning many weeks, food safety regulators have had a challenging time trying to track suspected tomatoes and peppers up or down the supply chain, hampered by paper records and repacking practices that effectively hide the identity of produce in the distribution chain. 2008-07-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200807212.html <b>CSPI Withdraws Intent to Sue as Part of Settlement</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Labels for Sara Lee's "Soft & Smooth Made With Whole Grain White Bread" will make clear that the product is 30 percent whole grain as part of a settlement agreement the company has reached with the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Last December, the nonprofit nutrition watchdog group threatened to sue the company over the bread's labeling, which, at the time, suggested that it had as much fiber as 100 percent whole wheat bread. 2008-07-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200807151.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>Today's report from the Government Accountability Office is a welcome addition to the growing outcry for a more comprehensive food safety reform here in the U.S. Many lessons can be learned from the food safety systems used in other countries. Instituting traceback procedures and mandatory recall authority are two things Congress could do to reform our antiquated multi-layer food safety system. The GAO report also shows that creating a unified food safety program is technologically and economically feasible, and most important, effective in helping to reduce foodborne illness. 2008-07-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200807111.html <b>Uniform Rules Would Aid Compliance, Editors and Bioethicists Say</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The Center for Science in the Public Interest today urged editors of journals of science and medicine to adopt a common standard for disclosing financial conflicts of interest among their authors, editors, and peer reviewers. The nonprofit watchdog group, whose Integrity in Science Project monitors corporate influence on science, developed a model disclosure policy with Barnett S. Kramer, Thomas F. Babor, and Wendy Cowles Husser, respectively of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the journal Addiction, and the Journal of the American College of Surgeons; and bioethicists Arthur Caplan and Jonathan Moreno, both of University of Pennsylvania. 2008-07-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200807031.html <b>Traceability Would Help Officials Respond More Quickly to Outbreaks</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Food safety and consumer watchdogs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Consumer Federation of America are today making an urgent plea to Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration: Protect Americans from unsafe food by implementing emergency regulations requiring traceability for produce. The groups say that if fruits and vegetables can be tracked back up through the supply chain back to the farm, investigators would have an easier time nailing down the source of outbreaks of Salmonella, E. coli, and other dangerous pathogens. 2008-07-03 http://cspinet.org/new/200807022.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>The passage today in the California State Senate of a measure to phase out the use of artificial trans fat in restaurants puts the state on track to being the first in the nation to adopt this life-saving measure. The bill, which Assemblyman Tony Mendoza and Senator Elaine Alquist have skillfully steered through the legislative process, represents the longest nail yet in the coffin of artificial trans fat, which has been a major cause of heart disease. 2008-07-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200807011.html <b>CSPI Urges Feds to Crack Down on Food Frauds</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Kraft's Crystal Light Immunity Berry Pomegranate drink falsely claims that its vitamins A, C, and E will help "maintain a healthy immune system," charges the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The nonprofit nutrition watchdog today urged the Food and Drug Administration to crack down on that and other deceptive "structure/function" claims increasingly appearing on food labels. 2008-07-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200806261.html <b>Brewer Enters Into Settlement Agreements with CSPI, State AGs</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Anheuser-Busch will remove the caffeine, guarana, and ginseng from its flavored malt beverages Tilt and Bud Extra, and is calling on its competitors in the industry to similarly stop making pre-packaged caffeinated alcohol beverages. The move comes as part of agreements reached with the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which in February threatened to file suit against the company over the drinks, and a group of 11 state Attorneys General, which has separately been investigating the company. 2008-06-26 http://cspinet.org/new/200806251.html <b></b><br/>WASHINGTON—James Hansen, the director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and Representative Brad Miller (D-NC) will deliver keynote addresses at an upcoming conference on rejuvenating public-sector science, sponsored by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. The title for Hansen's address will be Threat to the Planet: The Dark and Bright Sides of Global Warming. Miller will speak on Preserving Scientific Integrity: The Role of Congressional Oversight. 2008-06-25 http://cspinet.org/new/200806231.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>The Corn Refiners Association's slick new advertising is deceptive in stating that high-fructose corn syrup "has the same natural sweeteners as table sugar." HFCS consists almost entirely of glucose and fructose, but not a single molecule of sucrose. Sugar is 100 percent sucrose. It is true that adding a water molecule to sucrose and splitting it in half yields one molecule each of glucose and fructose—but that is not the same as saying that HFCS and sugar contain the same sweeteners... 2008-06-23 http://cspinet.org/new/200806201.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>The Food and Drug Administration desperately needs the $150 million in new money approved by the House of Representatives last night, particularly the $67 million designated for the Centers for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. It's good news for consumers, merchants, and restaurateurs, who are sick and tired of outbreaks, like the latest one linked to tomatoes, that result in illnesses, wasted food, and a reduction in consumer confidence in our federal food safety programs. While FDA urgently needs even more funding, we're glad that the House leadership and the White House came to agreement on this down payment for restoring credibility to the FDA... 2008-06-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200806111.html <b>80 Percent Want Nutrition Info on Chain Restaurant Menus Statewide</b><br/>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... 2008-06-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200806091.html <b>Food Giant Absent from Industry's Child Nutrition Initiative</b><br/>A key member of Congress and a number of health groups are wondering why self-proclaimed nutrition, health and wellness leader Nestlé is absent from an industry-wide effort limit junk-food marketing to children... 2008-06-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200806041.html <b>Partially Hydrogenated Oils Cause Heart Disease, Health Groups Say</b><br/>Artificial trans fat may soon be vanishing from all Bay State restaurants—just like it will vanish from Boston restaurants this fall... 2008-06-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200806022.html <b>Dyes Called "Secret Shame" of Food Industry and Regulators</b> 2008-06-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200805201.html <b>Statement of CSPI Legal Director Bruce Silverglade</b><br/>Coke and Pepsi are proving that it's hard to adopt a strong anti-obesity policy when your core products are major causes of obesity... 2008-05-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200805081.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>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... 2008-05-08 http://cspinet.org/new/200804292.html <b>Miller, Guinness, and Foster's Logos Used on Tees at Popular Teen Retailer 'Forever 21'</b><br/>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." 2008-04-29 http://cspinet.org/new/200804291.html <b>Nutrition Action Healthletter Revisits "Chemical Cuisine," the Classic A-to-Z Guide</b><br/>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... 2008-04-29 http://cspinet.org/new/200804181.html <b>Similar Increases Could Help Reduce Health Care Costs by Funding Prevention, Says CSPI</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Governors, state legislators, and members of Congress interested in simultaneously bridging budget gaps and improving public health should look north to Maine. There, <a href="http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=181922&ac=PHnws" target="the legislature passed and Governor John Baldacci signed ">the legislature passed and Governor John Baldacci signed </a>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... 2008-04-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200804172.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>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.... 2008-04-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200804171.html <b>King County and Other Menu Labeling Policies Needed in State</b><br/>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... 2008-04-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200804161.html <b>Ruling Paves the Way for More Cities, States to Give Restaurant Diners Nutrition Information</b><br/>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. 2008-04-16 http://cspinet.org/new/200804091.html <b>NCAA Exceeding its Own Limits on Beer Ads During Final Four and Championship Basketball Games, According to CSPI Analysis</b><br/>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. 2008-04-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200804022.html <b>U.S. and E.U. Consumer Advocates Meet in Washington Next Week</b><br/>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. 2008-04-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200804021.html <b>Nutrition Action Healthletter Asks Hard Questions About a Hard Plastic</b><br/>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. 2008-04-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200803261.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>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. 2008-03-26 http://cspinet.org/new/200803242.html <b>Nutrition Action Healthletter Weighs Coffee Creamers</b><br/>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. 2008-03-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200803171.html <b>Conference Will Review Transatlantic Approaches to Tackling Obesity and Diet-related Disease</b><br/>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. 2008-03-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200803131.html <b>New Test Results Indicate Need for Statewide Phase-out, Says CSPI</b><br/>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... 2008-03-13 http://cspinet.org/new/200803032.html <b>Company Now Under Scrutiny By FTC & 24 State Attorneys General</b><br/>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. 2008-03-03 http://cspinet.org/new/200802252.html <b>CSPI's Lawsuit to be Heard in D.C. Superior Court</b><br/><p>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. 2008-02-25 http://cspinet.org/new/200802201.html <b>Americans Still Wondering: "Where's the Beef?"</b><br/><p>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. 2008-02-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200802191.html <b>Bill Would Phase Out Use of Partially Hydrogenated Oils in Bay State</b><br/>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. 2008-02-19 http://cspinet.org/new/200802061.html <b>Corn Refiners and CSPI Agree That High-Fructose Corn Syrup No Worse Than Sugar</b><br/>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. 2008-02-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200802042.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>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. 2008-02-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200801311.html <b>Study Shows Food Companies Target Captive School Audience</b><br/>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. 2008-01-31 http://cspinet.org/new/200801223.html <b>Restaurant Industry Lawsuit Against Previous Proposal Backfires</b><br/>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. 2008-01-22 http://cspinet.org/new/200801221.html <b>Not Protein, Fat and Carbs as Bush Administration Proposes</b> 2008-01-22 http://cspinet.org/new/200801211.html <b>CSPI Says Universities Endanger Academic Freedom</b><br/>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. 2008-01-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200801031.html <b>Cola Promotion in Elementary School Physical Activity Program Cited</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Consumer organizations in 20 countries today urged the <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/cokeletter.pdf" target="Coca-Cola">Coca-Cola</a> Company and <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/pepsiletter.pdf" target="PepsiCo">PepsiCo</a> to limit soft drink marketing and help stem the global tide of childhood obesity. The letters are the latest salvo in the <a href="http://www.dumpsoda.org" target="Global Dump Soft Drinks">Global Dump Soft Drinks</a> Campaign launched last fall. 2008-01-03 http://cspinet.org/new/200712211.html <b>Home of Yum! Brands to go Trans-Fat-Free?</b><br/>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... 2007-12-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200712203.html <b></b><br/>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. 2007-12-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200712202.html <b>Health Board Unanimously Makes Phase-out Mandatory After Voluntary Effort Stalls</b><br/>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. 2007-12-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200712201.html <b>Beef and Dairy Outbreaks Show Slight Rise in Latest <i>Outbreak Alert! </i>Report</b><br/>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. 2007-12-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200712171.html <b>CSPI Litigation Unit Serves Notice of Intent to Sue Over "Whole Grain" White Bread</b><br/>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. 2007-12-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200712052.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b> 2007-12-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200712051.html <b>Pills Put Smokers at Even Higher Risk for Lung Cancer</b><br/>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. 2007-12-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200712032.html <b>Science Groups Urge Agency to Adopt Restrictions on Conflicted Experts</b><br/>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. 2007-12-03 http://cspinet.org/new/200711301.html <b>Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project Director George A. Hacker</b><br/>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 <a href="http://www.cspinet.org" target="cspi">CSPI</a>recent 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. 2007-11-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200711281.html <b>Lack of Progress Indicates Need for Strong Federal Action, Says CSPI (Updated 2/7/08)</b><br/>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). 2007-11-28 http://cspinet.org/new/200711271.html <b>Move is in Response to CSPI Petition from 2005</b><br/>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. 2007-11-27 http://cspinet.org/new/200711062.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Staff Attorney Sarah Klein</b><br/>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... 2007-11-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200711061.html <b>Dishonest Labels and Marketing Crowd Store Shelves</b><br/>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... 2007-11-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200710311.html <b>CSPI Inspects Olive Garden & Romano's Macaroni Grill</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Nothing's more American than "Italian" entrées 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 <i>Nutrition Action Healthletter</i>. 2007-10-31 http://cspinet.org/new/200710301.html <b>CSPI Urges Congress to Enact Comprehensive Farm-to-Table Reform</b><br/>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. 2007-10-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200710293.html <b>Some Food Dyes & Preservatives Linked to Hyperactivity</b><br/>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. 2007-10-29 http://cspinet.org/new/200710291.html <b></b><br/>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. 2007-10-29 http://cspinet.org/new/200710241.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b> 2007-10-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200710231.html <b></b><br/><p>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. 2007-10-23 http://cspinet.org/new/200710151.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>This <a href="http://gov.ca.gov/pdf/press/SB%20120%20veto%20message.pdf">veto</a> is a giant, greasy stain on the Governor's health record. <p>By giving into lobbying by McDonald's, Burger King, and other big restaurant chains, Governor Schwarzenegger has turned his back on the <a href="http://www.publichealthadvocacy.org/menulabelingpoll.html">vast majority</a> of Californians who want to know what they're eating at chain restaurants. 2007-10-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200710051.html <b>Even Butter is Far Better than Using Artificial Trans Fat in Baked Goods, Says CSPI</b><br/>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. 2007-10-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200710011.html <b>Stick with fish or fish oil for best heart-health benefits, says <i>Nutrition Action</i></b><br/><p>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 <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/omegas.pdf" target="cover story">cover story</a> in the October issue of <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nah" target="<i>Nutrition Action Healthletter</i>"><i>Nutrition Action Healthletter</i></a>, 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. 2007-10-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200709261.html <b>CSPI Says Fuze Quacks Like a Duck and Urges FDA to Take Aim</b> 2007-09-26 http://cspinet.org/new/200709211.html <b>Statement of CSPI Integrity in Science Director Merrill Goozner</b> 2007-09-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200709201.html <b>Bill Comes One Year After Massive Spinach Recall</b><br/>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. 2007-09-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200709174.html <b>New Online Resource From CSPI Offers Researchers, Journalists & Consumers the Best Data on Outbreaks of Foodborne Illness</b><br/>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 <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/outbreak/pathogen.php" target="new online database">new online database</a> will help policymakers, reporters, and home cooks alike answer the central question: What, exactly, is making us sick? 2007-09-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200709173.html <b>Industry Opposing Consumer Alert on Labels</b><br/>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. 2007-09-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200709171.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>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. 2007-09-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200709125.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b> 2007-09-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200709124.html <b></b> 2007-09-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200709112.html <b>Ruling Means New York City May Redraft Its Regulation to Avoid Preemption by Federal Law</b> 2007-09-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200709111.html <b>Governor Schwarzenegger Urged to Make California First State to Require Nutrition Info</b><br/>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. 2007-09-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200709042.html <b>League Penalizes Players for Alcohol Abuse While Profiting from Beer Sales</b><br/>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). 2007-09-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200708301.html <b>Health Advocates Urge Passage in Assembly</b> 2007-08-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200708161.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>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. 2007-08-16 http://cspinet.org/new/200708141.html <b>Portion-controlled snacks distract from healthier foods</b><br/>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. 2007-08-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200708022.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson at Joint Press Conference</b> 2007-08-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200708021.html <b>Lab Tests Show McDonald's Fries are Virtually Trans-Fat-Free in the Big Apple!</b><br/>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. 2007-08-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200707271.html <b>Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project Director George A. Hacker</b><br/>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. 2007-07-27 http://cspinet.org/new/200707241.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b> 2007-07-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200707201.html <b>King County, Washington Joins New York City by Passing Bold Public Health Measures</b><br/>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. <p>Last night, the <a href="http://www.metrokc.gov/Health/news/07071901.htm" target="King County, Washington Board of Health ">King County, Washington Board of Health </a>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 <a href="http://www.menulabeling.org" target="menu labeling">menu labeling</a> 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 <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200612052.html" target="New York City">New York City</a> 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. 2007-07-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200707181.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b> 2007-07-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200707171.html <b>CSPI Urges New Money for FDA, Ultimately Single Food Safety Agency</b><br/>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). 2007-07-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200707162.html <b>Congressman, Former FDA Commissioner, AMA, Public Health Organizations and Experts Join Public Citizen and CSPI in Support of Rule to Combat Obesity Epidemic</b><br/>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. 2007-07-16 http://cspinet.org/new/200707091.html <b>CSPI Praises Subway for Breaking Away from Industry Laggards</b><br/>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. 2007-07-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200706211.html <b>FDA should enforce its own rules, according to CSPI</b><br/>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). 2007-06-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200706151.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>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. 2007-06-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200706141.html <b>Advocacy Groups and Parents Applaud Efforts, Drop Plans to Sue</b><br/>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. 2007-06-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200706012.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>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. 2007-06-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200705221.html <b>Statement of Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>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 2007-05-22 http://cspinet.org/new/200705212.html <b>CSPI Says "Calorie Burning" and Weight Loss Claims Illegal</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) should take enforcement action against Coca-Cola and Nestlé for their unlawful deceptive advertising for Enviga, their green-tea-flavored diet soda, according to a <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/enviga_ftc.pdf" target="complaint">complaint</a> 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 <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200702011.html" target="suing">suing</a> Coke and Nestlé in federal court on the same issue but says that shouldn't stop the FTC from cracking down immediately on the false advertising. 2007-05-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200705161.html <b>CSPI Says Burger King is Biggest Chain Without Firm Plans to Convert to Safer Alternatives to Partially Hydrogenated Oils</b><br/>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. 2007-05-16 http://cspinet.org/new/200705093.html <b>Statement of CSPI Integrity in Science Director Merrill Goozner</b> 2007-05-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200705091.html <b>Agency's Boosterism Role at Odds with Health & Safety, Committee Told</b> 2007-05-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200705082.html <b>Industry Seeks Roll Back of Beer Taxes</b><br/>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. 2007-05-08 http://cspinet.org/new/200705041.html <b>Pills' Science Debunked in <i> Nutrition Action Healthletter</i> [watch video]</b><br/>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 <i>Nutrition Action Healthletter</i>, published by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. 2007-05-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200705021.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>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. 2007-05-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200704302.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>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. 2007-04-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200704251.html <b>Harkin-Murkowski Bill Would Require USDA to Update Old Nutrition Standards</b><br/>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. 2007-04-25 http://cspinet.org/new/200704241.html <b>American Pets are Serving as "Puppies in the Coal Mine"</b><br/>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 <a href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/chinese_grain_imports.pdf" target="letter">letter</a> 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. 2007-04-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200704171.html <b>CSPI Drops Plans to Sue</b><br/>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. 2007-04-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200704121.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>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). 2007-04-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200704091.html <b></b> 2007-04-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200703261.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>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... 2007-03-26 http://cspinet.org/new/200703211.html <b>Too Much Sodium in Otherwise Healthful Food, Says Nutrition Watchdog [video]</b><br/>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. 2007-03-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200703072.html <b>Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project's Manager of Federal Relations Kimberly Miller</b> 2007-03-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200703071.html <b></b><br/>WASHINGTON—T.G.I. Friday's deserves credit for its new "Right Portion, Right Price" menu, which gives consumers the option of several smaller entreés 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. 2007-03-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200703051.html <b></b><br/><p>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 <a href=" http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&docid=f:s2592is.txt.pdf" target="Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act">Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act</a>, 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. 2007-03-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200702232.html <b>CSPI Says Food Companies and Broadcasters Should Comply with Similar Guidelines Here</b><br/>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. 2007-02-23 http://cspinet.org/new/200702201.html <b>CSPI Urges Coke and Others to Follow Suit</b><br/>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. 2007-02-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200702143.html <b>CSPI Supports Effort to Modernize Food Safety Laws</b><br/>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). 2007-02-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200702141.html <b>New Report Rates Healthy and Unhealthy School Fundraisers</b><br/>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. 2007-02-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200702121.html <b>Companies' Own Study Shows Many People May Expend Less Energy--Not More--After Drinking New Beverage</b><br/><p>WASHINGTON—Coca-Cola and Nestlé 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 (Nestlé 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 <i>Obesity</i>, shows that there's even less foundation for the weight-loss properties than Enviga's makers imply in their marketing materials. 2007-02-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200702081.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>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. 2007-02-08 http://cspinet.org/new/200702011.html <b>Green Tea-Flavored Diet Soda Won't Help You Lose Weight, Despite Claims of "Negative Calories"</b><br/><p>WASHINGTON—The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest filed suit today against Coca-Cola and Nestlé 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 Nestlé, 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. 2007-02-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200701311.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>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. 2007-01-31 http://cspinet.org/new/200701301.html <b>New CSPI Report Finds School Districts Lagging in Food Safety</b><br/>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 <i>E. coli O157:H7</i>,<i> Salmonella</i>, and other potentially deadly foodborne pathogens. 2007-01-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200701181.html <b>Health Groups, Prominent Physicians Call on NIH to Seek Balance and Prohibit Financial Conflicts of Interest on Guideline-Writing Panels</b><br/>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. 2007-01-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200701121.html <b>CSPI Praises Move and Drops Planned Lawsuit</b><br/>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... 2007-01-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200701081.html <b>Update: Kraft got rid of "All Natural" claims; CSPI dropped suit</b><br/>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. 2007-01-08 http://cspinet.org/new/200701031.html <b>Americans' Salt Intake Far Exceeds Government Recommendations</b><br/>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. 2007-01-03 http://cspinet.org/new/200612291.html <b>Restaurants Respond to Laws, Litigation, & Consumer Demand</b><br/>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... 2006-12-29 http://cspinet.org/new/200612281.html <b>Statement of CSPI Biotechnology Director Gregory Jaffe</b><br/>The FDA's draft risk assessment and management plan addressing the food safety issues surrounding cloned animals is better late than never... 2006-12-28 http://cspinet.org/new/200612111.html <b>Labels to provide consumer information by 2008</b><br/>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. 2006-12-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200612072.html <b></b><br/>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). 2006-12-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200612071.html <b>Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project Director George A. Hacker</b> 2006-12-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200612061.html <b>Beverage Deals Not Very Lucrative According to Analysis of Beverage Contracts</b><br/>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. 2006-12-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200612052.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>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. 2006-12-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200612051.html <b>CSPI Opposes Industry Plan for Weak Regulation of "Functional" Foods</b><br/>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. 2006-12-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200612041.html <b>CSPI to Sue Coke, Nestlé if Weight Loss Claims Persist</b><br/>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 Nestlé, the companies behind Enviga, that it will sue them if they continue to market the drink with fraudulent calorie-burning and weight loss claims. 2006-12-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200611301.html <b>Companies' Own Front-Label Symbols, Based on Different Criteria, Can Confuse or Mislead Consumers, Says CSPI</b><br/>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. 2006-11-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200611171.html <b>UK Regulators to Get Junk-Food Ads off Kids' TV</b><br/>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... 2006-11-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200611152.html <b>Statement of CSPI Integrity in Science Director Merrill Goozner on S.3807</b> 2006-11-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200611151.html <b>Consumer Groups Excluded from Senate Hearing on Spinach Outbreak</b> 2006-11-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200611142.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>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. 2006-11-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200611141.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>Any junk food advertiser who feared that a rewrite of the Children's Advertising Review Unit's <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/11-14-2006/0004473584&EDATE=">voluntary guidelines</a> 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. 2006-11-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200611061.html <b>Highlights Need for Restaurant Menu Labeling</b> 2006-11-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200610311.html <b>New UK Study Makes Strong Case for Reducing Salt Content of Processed and Restaurant Foods, According to CSPI</b><br/>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. 2006-10-31 http://cspinet.org/new/200610271.html <b>But Can We Trust Their Health Claims?</b><br/>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. 2006-10-27 http://cspinet.org/new/200610251.html <b>States Can Move Faster Than the Federal Government to Implement Standards, Says CSPI</b><br/>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. 2006-10-25 http://cspinet.org/new/200610191.html <b>Child Protection and Health Advocates Call on Affleck, Damon, Others to Insist on Age-Verification Programs to Shield Underage Kids</b> 2006-10-19 http://cspinet.org/new/200610162.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo Wootan</b><br/>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. 2006-10-16 http://cspinet.org/new/200610061.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo Wootan</b><br/>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. 2006-10-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200610031.html <b></b><br/>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. 2006-10-03 http://cspinet.org/new/200609262.html <b>NYC May Require Calories on Menus and Limit Artificial Trans Fat in Restaurants</b><br/>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... 2006-09-26 http://cspinet.org/new/200609251.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael Jacobson</b><br/>Press Conference Announcing the Coalition for a Stronger FDA September 25, 2006 2006-09-25 http://cspinet.org/new/200609201.html <b></b><br/>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. 2006-09-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200609151.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>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... 2006-09-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200609131.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo Wootan</b><br/>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. 2006-09-13 http://cspinet.org/new/200609051.html <b>CSPI's Nutrition Action Healthletter Offers Advice on How to Survive in Latte Land</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Would you drink a Quarter Pounder with Cheese? If you order a venti (20-oz.) Starbucks Caffè 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. 2006-09-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200608161.html <b>Consumers Can Check Impact of Diet on Health, Environment, & Animal Welfare on EatingGreen.org</b><br/>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... 2006-08-16 http://cspinet.org/new/200607261.html <b></b><br/>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... 2006-07-26