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/201003091.html <b>Few Have Any Policies in Place at All, According to CSPI Report Card</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Most food and entertainment companies have received Fs from the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, which today issued a report card that rates 128 companies' policies with regard to food marketing aimed at children. Three-quarters of companies are getting an F, either for having weak policies or for failing to have any policies whatsoever. 2010-03-09 http://cspinet.org/new/201003081.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>We congratulate the beverage industry for working to remove sugary sodas from schools. Together with stronger state laws and local school wellness policies, the country is making good progress in getting sugary drinks out of schools. 2010-03-08 http://cspinet.org/new/201003041.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Attorney Sarah Klein</b><br/>The massive voluntary recall announced today by Basic Food Flavors, Inc.—of products containing a widely used flavor enhancer, hydrolyzed vegetable protein--is yet more proof that the Food and Drug Administration needs more authority, more inspectors, and more resources to ensure that our food supply is safe. Fortunately, this recall has been started before any illnesses have been linked to this strain of Salmonella. 2010-03-04 http://cspinet.org/new/201003031.html <b>Statement of CSPI Legal Affairs Director Bruce Silverglade</b><br/>The FDA's coordinated enforcement actions today against 16 food manufacturers, including Gerber, Beech-Nut, Gorton's, Sunsweet, Nestlé, Pom, and Diamond, should send a loud and clear signal to industry that time is running out on misleading health-related claims on labels. For far too long, manufacturers have exaggerated the healthfulness of their products, or even implied that their products contain special "functional" ingredients that provide drug-like protection against various diseases. The previous administration tolerated such shenanigans, but I hope that the party is now over. 2010-03-03 http://cspinet.org/new/201002241.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>Chicken, salt, and water all are natural, but when you combine the three what you get is chicken that is anything but "all natural." 2010-02-24 http://cspinet.org/new/201002161.html <b>Like Allowing Philip Morris to Sponsor Anti-Smoking Campaign, Says CSPI</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute should not partner with Coca-Cola to raise awareness of heart disease among women, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In a letter to the NHLBI, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest says overweight and obesity are prime risk factors for heart disease, and the agency shouldn't be bolstering the dismal reputation of the Coca-Cola Company, the world's biggest manufacturer of obesigenic soft drinks. 2010-02-16 http://cspinet.org/new/201002091.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>For far too long, the nation's response to childhood obesity has been underwhelming, considering obesity's massive impact on the nation's physical and fiscal health. The First Lady has the clout and visibility to change that and mobilize the nation's resources to address the problem. 2010-02-09 http://cspinet.org/new/201001291.html <b>$8.50 a Gallon for Small Cans of Water & High Fructose Corn Syrup?</b><br/>WASHINGTON—In recent ads, Coca-Cola cheerfully congratulated itself for introducing a new, 7.5-ounce can of soda. While calorie counters may appreciate the convenience of a 90-calorie can, dollar counters may be in for sticker shock: On an ounce-for-ounce basis, the new cans cost 50 to 140 percent more than 12-ounce cans. 2010-01-29 http://cspinet.org/new/201001111.html <b>CSPI Praises Move and Urges Industry to Cooperate</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The single most dangerous ingredient in the food supply is salt, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which today praised New York City health officials for pressuring food companies to reduce salt levels in packaged foods and restaurant meals by 25 percent over the next five years. CSPI called New York's program "smart, sophisticated, and timely." 2010-01-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200912291.html <b>New Report Makes Case for Ending Food Labeling Chaos</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Can orange juice really help prevent or treat arthritis? That's the implication on the label of a Minute Maid orange juice fortified with glucosamine hydrochloride "designed to help protect healthy joints." And it's exactly the kind of misleading health claim that the Center for Science in the Public Interest wants the federal government to stop. Today the group is sending the Food and Drug Administration a 158-page report that documents some of the most egregious examples of false claims, ingredient obfuscations, and other labeling shenanigans. 2009-12-29 http://cspinet.org/new/200912231.html <b></b><br/>WASHINGTON—In a troubling trend, state health departments completed fewer foodborne illness investigations in 2007 than in the previous decade, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. 2009-12-23 http://cspinet.org/new/200912151.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>The federal government is headed in exactly the right direction with the draft nutrition standards proposed for foods that are marketed to children. If adopted, the landscape of kids' food advertising would shift quite dramatically in favor of foods that promote health, and away from foods that promote obesity and disease. If these standards are adopted, it would be one of the most significant developments in this area in 30 years. 2009-12-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200912091.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>General Mills—which has included whole grains in all its cereals—is taking another important step in the right direction by pledging to cut the sugar in the cereals it advertises to children. As sugary cereal is one of the top products marketed to children, we hope the company swiftly implements these changes and that Kellogg, Post Foods, and other competitors quickly follow General Mills' lead. 2009-12-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200912071.html <b>Designs for New Nutrition & Ingredient Facts Labels Unveiled in Nutrition Action Healthletter</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Nutrition Facts labels on packaged foods have helped guide Americans' food choices for 15 years. But in that time, companies have cooked up a number of schemes to trick consumers about what's in—or isn't in—packaged foods. Today, the Center for Science in the Public Interest—the group that campaigned for the 1990 law requiring nutrition labeling—exposes some of the tricks that occur on the front of the label, and unveils makeovers of the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredient lists to last for the next 15 years. 2009-12-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200911241.html <b>Self-Regulation Proving Insufficient to Protect Children, Says CSPI</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Nearly 80 percent of food ads on the popular children's network Nickelodeon are for foods of poor nutritional quality, according to an analysis conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. That represents a modest and not quite statistically significant drop from 2005, when CSPI researchers found that about 90 percent of food ads on Nick were for junk food. Between the 2005 and 2009 studies, the food industry instituted a self-regulatory program through the Council of Better Business Bureaus, the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI). 2009-11-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200911182.html <b>New Lab Tests of Movie Theater Popcorn Show It's Still the Godzilla of Snacks</b><br/>WASHINGTON—It's hard to picture someone mindlessly ingesting three McDonald's Quarter Pounders with 12 pats of butter while watching a movie. But according to new laboratory analyses commissioned by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, that food is nutritionally comparable to what you'd find in a medium popcorn and soda combo at Regal, the country's biggest movie theater chain: 1,610 calories and three days' worth—60 grams—of saturated fat. (Nutrition aside, that combo costs $12—for raw ingredients that must cost Regal pennies.) 2009-11-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200911181.html <b>Food Safety Reform Legislation Clears HELP Committee</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Americans may soon be able to enjoy their peanuts, peppers, spinach and cookie dough with greater confidence that those foods are safe to eat if the full Senate passes the food safety legislation that cleared a key committee today. The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510), offered by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Tom Harkin (D-IA), was passed unanimously in the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. 2009-11-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200911132.html <b>Statement of David Plunkett, Senior Staff Attorney</b><br/>Public health lost out to the politics of special interests with FDA's announcement today that it may delay a requirement for processing Gulf Coast oysters to destroy the deadly bacteria Vibrio vulnificus, pending the findings of a feasibility study. A group of Gulf Coast Senators and Representatives weighed in on the side of a small but vocal industry in their states and won. Unfortunately this political victory for the Gulf Coast oyster industry is a health tragedy for their customers, and the action condemns scores of consumers to serious illness and death from this potent pathogen. This small portion of the shellfish industry should not have a free pass from FDA to sell adulterated and potentially deadly oysters to the public. 2009-11-13 http://cspinet.org/new/200911131.html <b>Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policy Director George A. Hacker</b><br/>We strongly support the investigation announced today by the Food and Drug Administration into the safety and legality of caffeinated alcoholic "energy" drinks. 2009-11-13 http://cspinet.org/new/200911091.html <b>Protections for Gulf Coast Shellfish Industry Would Increase Death Toll</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The Center for Science in the Public Interest was joined today by victims, consumer advocacy, and public health organizations in urging Congress to support the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) efforts to protect consumers from contaminated oysters that each year cause scores of serious illnesses and deaths. The blood infection caused by Vibrio vulnificus bacteria in oysters is one of the most deadly foodborne illnesses, killing half of the people infected. Those who survive can have painful lesions and fluid-filled blisters all over their bodies, sometimes requiring limbs to be amputated. Four methods of post-harvest processing have proven effective at destroying the bacteria without harming the texture or flavor of the oysters. 2009-11-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200911051.html <b>CSPI Urges EPA Not to Re-Register Products Unless Compliance Improves</b><br/>WASHINGTON—One out of every four farmers who plants genetically engineered (GE) corn is failing to comply with at least one important insect-resistance management requirement. That increases the likelihood that pesticide-resistant bugs will threaten the future of biotech crops and some of their non-biotech neighbors. That finding comes in a report released today by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to not renew registrations of the GE corn varieties unless compliance rates improve. 2009-11-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200910221.html <b>CSPI Urges Quick Action, With More Frequent Inspections & Testing</b><br/>Yes, the United States Senate is focused on health care reform. But if legislators want to save 5,000 lives and prevent 325,000 unnecessary and expensive hospitalizations each year, they should fix food safety too, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest... 2009-10-22 http://cspinet.org/new/200910211.html <b>Coke "Philanthropy" Buys Friends, Silences Critics, and Advances Anti-Health Extremism, According to CSPI</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The American Academy of Family Physicians, which claims its mission is "to improve the health of patients, families and communities," is coming under fire for a controversial new partnership with Coca-Cola, the world's leading producer of obesity-promoting soft drinks. The six-figure payment from Coke will fund "consumer education content related to beverages and sweeteners" on the group's web site. Today a number of leading physicians, nutritionists, and health experts are calling on the AAFP to return the money. 2009-10-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200910202.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>Simplified nutrition information on the fronts of food packages could be very helpful in enabling consumers to choose healthier packaged foods and have healthier diets. Unfortunately, though, a growing number of privately devised—and sometimes inconsistent—labeling systems may be confusing, not enlightening, some consumers. After all, foods like General Mills' Cocoa Puffs or Kellogg's Froot Loops belong more in our "food porn" category than a better-for-you category. 2009-10-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200910201.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>The school lunches and breakfasts eaten by tens of millions of American kids are due for a nutritional makeover thanks to strong new recommendations from the Institute of Medicine. 2009-10-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200910191.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>For 15 years, the Center for Science in the Public Interest has been urging the Food and Drug Administration to protect consumers from Vibrio vulnificus—the deadly bacteria found in almost all Gulf Coast oysters harvested in warmer months. The FDA announced this weekend that the agency will now require those oysters shipped to other states to be processed to kill the pathogen. 2009-10-19 http://cspinet.org/new/200910151.html <b>CSPI Says Gaps in Import Safety Controls Identified are Troubling</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Multiple agencies share responsibility for ensuring the safety of the increasing volume of imported food, including the Food and Drug Administration, the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service, and Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection division. But in a report made public yesterday, the Government Accountability Office found that those agencies' efforts are hampered by what the GAO said are gaps in enforcement and collaboration. 2009-10-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200910061.html <b>CSPI Urges Senate to Pass Food Safety Modernization Act</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Leafy greens, eggs, and tuna are on the top of a list of the 10 riskiest foods regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Those and seven other foods account for nearly 40 percent of all foodborne outbreaks linked to FDA-regulated food. That's no reason to forgo the occasional salad Niçoise, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which authored the report, nor need one pass up tomatoes, sprouts, and berries, even though those foods are also on the list. But the nonprofit watchdog group says the presence of so many healthy foods on such a list is exactly why the United States Senate should follow the House and pass legislation that reforms our fossilized food safety laws. 2009-10-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200910011.html <b>Drug Giant Tries to Silence CSPI With Threat of Libel Suit</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The Center for Science in the Public Interest has sued the German drug company Bayer for falsely claiming that the selenium in Men's One A Day multivitamins might reduce the risk of prostate cancer. The lawsuit is filed in the Superior Court of California in San Francisco. 2009-10-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200909301.html <b>"I actually think it's an idea that we should be exploring.There's no doubt that our kids drink way too much soda." — President Barack Obama to Men's Health</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Even as 48 states and the District of Columbia are facing grim budget shortfalls, only 25 states currently impose special taxes on soda and other beverages with added sugar, and all of those taxes are very small. And according to a new paper from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, states could generate a total of more than $10 billion per year by levying a tax of 7 cents per 12-ounce can of Coke or Mountain Dew. If implemented by Congress in the form of a national excise tax, that $10 billion could make an important contribution toward paying for health coverage for all Americans. 2009-09-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200909221.html <b>Bill Introduced Today Seeks Thorough Study of School-Based Marketing</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Despite rising public concern over childhood obesity, food companies, through an industry-funded self-regulatory group, have proposed a set of "principles" by which the companies can use a variety of approaches to market junk food to children in schools. The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest today urged the industry group to go back to the chalk board and consider whether Ronald McDonald truly belongs in the classroom. Also today, a bill introduced in Congress would require the Department of Education to conduct a thorough assessment of school-based food marketing. 2009-09-22 http://cspinet.org/new/200909171.html <b>Vat-Grown Mold Tastes Like Chicken but Makes Some Violently Ill</b><br/>WASHINGTON—An Arizona woman has filed a class action lawsuit accusing Quorn Foods of not disclosing on labels the fact that some people have serious allergic reactions to the main ingredient in its Quorn line of meat substitutes. That ingredient happens to be a fungus—mold, actually—discovered in the 1960s in a British dirt sample. The company grows the fungus in vats and processes it into a fibrous, proteinaceous paste. But more than a thousand people have reported to the Center for Science in the Public Interest that they have suffered adverse reactions, including nausea, violent vomiting, uncontrollable diarrhea, and even life-threatening anaphylactic reactions after eating the patties, cutlets, tenders and other products made with Quorn's fungus. 2009-09-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200908271.html <b></b><br/>WASHINGTON—Most people wouldn't consider eating an entire medium hand-tossed cheese pizza from Domino's in one sitting. And these days, most folks are carb-concious enough not to order pizza as a side order to pasta, or vice-versa. So why is Domino's trying to turn back the nutritional clock with its 1,300- to 1,500-calorie BreadBowl Pastas—white-flour penne, sauce, cheese, and other toppings entombed in Frisbee-sized white-bread crusts? Domino's BreadBowl Pastas are the most recent Food Porn exposed in Nutrition Action Healthletter, the popular publication of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. 2009-08-27 http://cspinet.org/new/200907301.html <b>Food Safety Reform Legislation Passes House, Heads to Senate</b><br/>WASHINGTON—After years of outbreaks of foodborne illness connected to everything from peanuts to peppers to pet food, and most recently, cookie dough, legislation to reform the nation's food safety system has passed the House of Representatives and is headed to the Senate. The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest hailed the House passage of the Food Safety Enhancement as an urgently needed step to help restore Americans' confidence in the food supply. 2009-07-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200907231.html <b>Denny's Meals, With Several Days' Worth of Salt, Promote Heart Disease, Stroke, Risk of Early Death</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Most Denny's meals are dangerously high in sodium, putting the restaurant chain's customers at greater risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, according to a class action lawsuit filed today by a New Jersey man with the support of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. 2009-07-23 http://cspinet.org/new/200907071.html <b>Working Group Advances E. Coli, Salmonella Protections</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The food safety working group created by President Barack Obama has directed the various government agencies involved in food safety to place new emphasis on preventing contamination—a move that the Center for Science in the Public Interest says bodes well for the reform legislation moving through Congress. And, says CSPI, it's an important sign that the current administration sees a more active role for government in ensuring the safety of food than previous ones. 2009-07-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200907021.html <b>Deadly Vibrio Bacteria Common in Summer Months</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The nation's governors are being called upon to ban the sale of untreated oysters from the Gulf Coast since they are often contaminated with the deadly Vibrio vulnificus bacteria. For people with liver or kidney disease, AIDS, cancer, diabetes or other conditions that can compromise the immune system, Vibrio vulnificus kills half the people it infects. It has been causing about 15 deaths a year for many years. 2009-07-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200906291.html <b>New Evidence Undermines Bayer's Prostate Health Claims</b><br/>WASHINGTON—For most men with prostate cancer, the dietary supplement selenium may promote more aggressive cases of the disease, according to a new study. Besides being bad news for men who have taken selenium in the hope of avoiding prostate cancer, the study comes at an inconvenient time for Bayer Healthcare, which was notified recently that it will be sued if it continues to claim that the selenium in its One A Day vitamins for men reduces risk of the disease or otherwise benefits the prostate. 2009-06-29 http://cspinet.org/new/200906221.html <b>Physicians and Health Groups Ask for Bold Action to Reverse Obesity Epidemic</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Some of the country's leading physicians, health organizations, and nutrition experts are asking President Barack Obama to create a Presidential Commission on Healthy Weights, Healthy Lives focused on combating obesity. In a letter to the President, the experts say that the broad and well-funded approach of the United Kingdom's anti-obesity strategy could serve as a model for a similar effort here. 2009-06-22 http://cspinet.org/new/200906191.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Attorney Sarah Klein</b><br/>If there was anyone left in America who didn't realize we need to reform the food safety functions at the Food and Drug Administration, this latest recall of Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough provides a sobering wakeup call. For too long the agency has lacked the authority and the resources it needs to inspect food processing facilities, issue mandatory recalls, and punish violators. Once again the agency is forced to react after illnesses are already occurring, when the focus should be on preventing contamination in the first place. We urge the House to pass the Food Safety Enhancement Act now. 2009-06-19 http://cspinet.org/new/200906181.html <b>Watchdog Group Notifies Bayer of Intent to Sue and Files Complaint with the Federal Trade Commission</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The Center for Science in the Public Interest has notified Bayer Healthcare that it will sue the company if it continues to claim that the selenium in its One A Day vitamins may reduce men's risk of prostate cancer, the health group announced today. 2009-06-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200906172.html <b>New Muscle and Resources Will Help FDA Prevent Contaminated Food, Says CSPI</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Historic legislation to reform food safety at the Food and Drug Administration moved a step closer to becoming a reality today as the Food Safety Enhancement Act was voted out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The bipartisan bill, spearheaded by Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Chairman Emeritus John Dingell (D-MI), has the support of the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest and a broad coalition of consumer and public health groups. 2009-06-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200906171.html <b>Plus, Reducing Consumption Can Help Curb Rising Obesity Rates</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Federal and state governments should levy excise taxes on soda and other sugary drinks both to raise revenues to pay for health coverage and prevention programs, and also to decrease consumption of products that promote obesity, the Center for Science in the Public Interest said today. The nutrition and food safety watchdog group launched a web-based Liquid Candy Tax Calculator to show policymakers, activists and media exactly how much money states and the federal government could raise in this way. 2009-06-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200906121.html <b>Bush Administration Blocked States from Using Federal Funds to Discourage Soda Consumption</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Bush-era rules at the U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibit states from using federal nutrition education funds for discouraging soda consumption, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest is urging Secretary Tom Vilsack to reverse them. The Bush Administration's policy was adopted shortly after the soft drink industry complained to state officials running campaigns that urged consumers to cut back on soft drinks, according to CSPI, and is out of sync with the federal government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 2009-06-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200906101.html <b>National Restaurant Association Joins CSPI in Support of Legislation Requiring Calories on Menus, Menu Boards</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Legislation that would require calories on chain restaurant menus and menu boards now has the support of the restaurant industry as well as health groups thanks to an agreement struck among senators who were previously supporting separate labeling bills. Besides requiring calories on menus, menu boards and drive-through displays, the new legislation would require chains with 20 or more outlets to provide additional nutrition information upon request. 2009-06-10 http://cspinet.org/new/200906031.html <b>Bill Gives FDA New Power and Resources to Prevent Contaminated Food</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Food safety advocates, led by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, say that rapid passage of the Food Safety Enhancement Act is the best hope for making America's food safer. CSPI food safety director Caroline Smith DeWaal testified in support of the legislation today, on behalf of the consumer and public health groups that are members of the Safe Food Coalition. 2009-06-03 http://cspinet.org/new/200906021.html <b>Chain Restaurants Engaged in Obesity-Promoting "Waist Race"</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Xtreme appetizers, entrées, and desserts at America's chain restaurants are making Americans fatter and sicker, and the trendy thing for chains to do is to make already bad foods even worse, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Bacon cheeseburgers come nestled inside quesadillas. Half racks of ribs are promoted as side orders to steak. Baseball-size blobs of macaroni and cheese are tossed in the deep-fryer and served with creamy marinara sauce and even more cheese. 2009-06-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200905141.html <b>MEAL Act Would Require Calorie Labeling on Chain-Restaurant Menus and Menu Boards</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Eating out would be a whole lot easier for nutrition-conscious customers in chain restaurants, if legislation introduced today by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) becomes law. The Menu Education and Labeling (MEAL) Act would require fast-food and other chain restaurants to post calories on menu boards and food display tags and calories, saturated plus trans fat, carbohydrates, and sodium on printed menus. 2009-05-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200905121.html <b>Move Applauded by CSPI</b><br/>The Food and Drug Administration took long-overdue action by demanding that General Mills halt its grossly exaggerated and misleading health claims for Cheerios cereal. The company claims that Cheerios can reduce "bad" cholesterol levels by 4 percent in just 6 weeks and ward off heart disease and cancers of the colon and stomach. The claims are plastered on Cheerios packages, the General Mills web site, and are even announced on supermarket public address systems. 2009-05-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200905111.html <b>Overly Salty Restaurant Meals Present Long-Term Health Risks for All, and Immediate Danger for Some</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Unsafe levels of sodium chloride, or salt, in chain restaurant meals increase one's chance of developing hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The nonprofit food safety and nutrition watchdog group today is exposing chain restaurant meals with dangerously high levels of sodium and is renewing its call on industry and government to lower sodium levels in foods. 2009-05-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200905011.html <b>Cold Stone's Oh Fudge! is Food Porn</b><br/>WASHINGTON—If the obesity epidemic needed a stimulus package, it would look much like the 24-fl.-oz. Oh Fudge! shake from Cold Stone Creamery, which sends a 1,920-calorie deposit of chocolate ice cream, milk, and fudge syrup into the bellies of those willing to pay $5.50 or more. To withdraw that from your daily calorie bank, you'd have to spend more than four hours on the step machine or nearly seven hours doing water aerobics. In other words, it's Food Porn. The gory details are published in the May issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter, published by the Washington-based watchdog group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest. 2009-05-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200904301.html <b></b><br/>WASHINGTON—Foods sold in schools will get a long-overdue nutritional makeover if legislation introduced today by Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) gets wrapped into this year's updates to the child nutrition programs, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The group says that the pizza, sodas, so-called "energy drinks," chips, and candy abundantly available in schools are helping to fuel an epidemic of child obesity and diabetes. 2009-04-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200904201.html <b>Statement of CSPI Legal Affairs Director Bruce Silverglade</b><br/>The astonishing claims made by Kellogg that its Frosted Mini-Wheats improved children's attentiveness by 20 percent were laughable on their face and never should have surfaced in an advertising campaign by a major food manufacturer. 2009-04-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200904081.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>The latest recall of a popular nut—pistachios—is expanding to include all nuts processed by Setton Farms in 2008. This recall, coming on the heels of a peanut recall affecting over 2,000 products, is another blow to farmers, nut processors, and consumer confidence. It proves the Food and Drug Administration urgently needs to institute mandatory process controls for all tree nuts and peanuts. The FDA should immediately require processors to institute process controls that would ensure safe product. 2009-04-08 http://cspinet.org/new/200904031.html <b>Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV Urges NCAA to Eliminate Beer Ads</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Beer advertising during NCAA basketball games is big, but not so big that the league couldn't replace most of it with ads for products that don't contribute to alcohol problems on campus and elsewhere. Increasingly, that's the message being sent to NCAA officials by its own member schools, coaches, and athletic directors, as well as the Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV. 2009-04-03 http://takeaction.cspinet.org/campaign/foodsafetyact <b></b><br/>Urge Your Representative in Congress to Cosponsor The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009. Go to http://www.cspinet.org/takeaction/index.html to take action! 2009-03-31 http://cspinet.org/new/200903231.html <b>Companies Use Fake Blogs, Fake Endorsements, Fishy Science, and Hard-to-Cancel Credit Card Transactions to Bilk Consumers</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The Center for Science in the Public Interest is warning consumers not to enroll online in supposedly free trials of diet products made with the trendy Brazilian berry açai (pronounced a-sigh-EE). There's no evidence whatsoever to suggest that açai pills will help shed pounds, flatten tummies, cleanse colons, enhance sexual desire, or perform any of the other commonly advertised functions. And thousands of consumers have had trouble stopping recurrent charges on their credit cards when they cancel their free trials. 2009-03-23 http://cspinet.org/new/200903051.html <b>Legislators, Health Groups Aim to Update Carter-Era Nutrition Standards</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Buoyed by a President and Secretary of Agriculture who have voiced their support for healthier school foods, health groups say this is the year Congress should take action. Today, Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) is introducing a bill that would get junk foods out of schools once and for all. The bill is likely to be addressed when Congress reauthorizes the Child Nutrition Act, which expires this year. 2009-03-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200903031.html <b></b><br/>ANNAPOLIS—Two pieces of legislation introduced in the Maryland General Assembly would make it much easier for the state's restaurant patrons to manage their weight and avoid heart disease. The first, sponsored by Senator David Harrington (D-47) and Delegate Doyle Niemann (D-47) would require calorie counts on fast-food chains' menu boards, and expanded nutrition information on chain restaurants' printed menus. The second, introduced by Delegate James Hubbard (D-23A), would require all restaurants to phase out their use of partially hydrogenated oil—the source of artery-clogging artificial trans fat. 2009-03-03 http://cspinet.org/new/200903022.html <b>Beleaguered Agency Doesn't Know Who, or What, It's Regulating</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Add dietary supplements to the growing list of products the beleaguered Food and Drug Administration is failing to regulate. Today, the Government Accountability Office will report to Congress that the FDA does not have even the most basic information to protect the public from hazardous supplements. It doesn't have an accurate inventory of the supplement ingredients on store shelves. It doesn't have a firm handle on the number and nature of serious adverse reactions to dietary supplements. In fact, the GAO found, the agency doesn't even have a list of the names and locations of herbal supplement manufacturers. And several substances banned overseas are readily available on the Internet and in retail stores all over the U.S. even though they are variously linked to kidney damage, liver damage, seizures, and death. 2009-03-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200902241.html <b>Today Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree introduced a bill to require menu labeling at chain restaurants. Below is a statement by CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan.</b><br/>I hope this year Maine will join New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, OR, and the state of California in passing menu labeling for chain restaurants. If McDonald's, Subway, and Applebee's can provide New Yorkers with nutrition information, shouldn't they do the same for Mainers? 2009-02-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200902181.html <b>Topps Urged to Stop Using Young Girls to Market "Baby Bottle Pop"</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The Topps candy company has signed a musical trio of twelve- and fourteen-year-old girls to sell Baby Bottle Pop—a powdered candy sold in a miniature baby bottle, eaten by dipping a candy nipple in a sugary powder and licking it off. The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest is calling on the owner of Topps—former Disney CEO Michael Eisner—to scuttle that deal and join an industry-wide self regulatory group which monitors the way foods are marketed to children. 2009-02-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200902093.html <b>Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project Director George Hacker on Absolut Vodka's Ads on CBS</b><br/>What's next? Chivas Regal ads on Hannah Montana? Sunday night, in a craven act of bad judgment and greed, alcoholic beverage conglomerate Pernod Ricard and CBS settled on a Grammys award broadcast featuring 16-year-old Miley Cyrus, 19-year-old Taylor Swift, the Jonas Brothers, and other young performers to air the first prime time ad for Absolut vodka. 2009-02-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200902092.html <b>Ads promote consumption, send harmful message to underage sports fans, says CSPI</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest and dozens of health, youth advocacy, and other organizations are urging the National Basketball Association to reverse its decision to allow courtside hard-liquor advertisements and other alcohol promotions on team web sites, retail locations, and inside arenas. To increase revenue, team owners recently voted to lift the ban of these ads, which would add to the deluge of beer ads that already air on NBA telecasts. For the first time, the ads would promote drinking liquor to thousands of underaged fans and link professional basketball to drinking liquor, according to CSPI. 2009-02-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200902061.html <b>School Foods in Particular Should be Free of Controversial Colorings, Says CSPI</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Maryland may become the first state in the country to protect children—and their families—from Red 40, Yellow 5, and other artificial food dyes that worsen hyperactivity and other behavior problems in some children. One bill introduced by Senator Norman Stone (D-Baltimore County) would require warning labels on foods that contain the dyes and then prohibit their use after 2012, and another bill would prohibit dyed foods in Maryland schools. 2009-02-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200902031.html <b>Chains Have Obligation to Help Contain Outbreak, Says CSPI</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Besides helping consumers save a little money on their grocery purchases, retail loyalty card programs help supermarket and drugstore chains assemble gigantic databases on the shopping preferences of their customers. The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest is urging retailers that collect this kind of information to use it to notify consumers when they purchased tainted peanut-butter products or other items subject to a food safety recall. 2009-02-03 http://cspinet.org/new/200902022.html <b>Rendell, Assembly Urged to Phase Out Artificial Trans Fat</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Health advocates are urging Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and the state's General Assembly to ignore a report from a task force on trans fat that recommended against a legislative phase-out of the harmful food ingredient. The Washington-based Center for Science in the Public Interest says the state should instead adopt legislation requiring restaurants to phase out artificial trans fat—the heart-attack-inducing fat that comes from partially hydrogenated oil. 2009-02-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200901271.html <b>1,600-Calorie Dessert Equivalent to One and a Half Racks of Chili's Original Baby Back Ribs</b><br/>WASHINGTON—After a full restaurant meal, would you order a rack of baby back ribs for dessert? How about a rack and a half? That would be roughly equivalent to Chili's Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie—the latest Food Porn exposed in Nutrition Action Healthletter. That dessert provides 1,590 calories (about three-quarters of a day's worth), 37 grams of saturated fat (almost two days' worth), and surprisingly, for a dessert, 910 milligrams of sodium (more than half a day's worth). (The nutrition data have shifted very slightly since Nutrition Action went to press.) 2009-01-27 http://cspinet.org/new/200901221.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>The tragic outbreak from peanut butter has already sickened hundreds of people and killed more people than the infamous 1993 Jack in the Box outbreak or the 2006 spinach outbreak. Given the long shelf life of these peanut products, this outbreak may sicken and kill many more if the Food and Drug Administration does not act to effectively remove contaminated products from stores and facilities that may have them. Yet, without mandates for recall and few inspectors, the agency's ability to protect the public is minimal. 2009-01-22 http://cspinet.org/new/200901152.html <b></b> 2009-01-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200901151.html <b>vitamins + water + sugar + hype = soda - bubbles</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The Coca-Cola Company has been served notice a class action lawsuit filed over what the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) says are deceptive and unsubstantiated claims on its VitaminWater line of beverages. 2009-01-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200901141.html <b>Large Fast-Food Chain is Missing From Industry Self-Regulatory Program, Says CSPI and Other Groups</b><br/>WASHINGTON--Though it has more healthy choices for children than other fast-food chains, Subway is conspicuously absent from the self-regulatory initiative that has collected commitments from 15 other food companies regarding which foods are marketed to kids and how. Today Subway was urged to join the Council of Better Business Bureau's Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and more than 30 other national and local health advocacy groups and experts. 2009-01-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200901091.html <b>Hundreds of Thousands of Lives, Tens of Billions of Dollars at Stake, Experts Say</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Bold action is needed to stem the obesity epidemic, or else today's children might be the first generation of Americans ever to lead shorter life spans than their parents. That's the urgent message delivered today to President-elect Barack Obama by 49 of the nation's most prominent health and medical organizations and 44 prominent physicians and nutrition experts. The obesity epidemic is harming Americans' health just as global warming is harming the planet, the experts write in a letter to the next President, and requires the coordinated effort of the Departments of Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Transportation and other government officials. 2009-01-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200901071.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>Quick—can you name the Surgeon General? 2009-01-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200901055.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>After a decade-long gestation period, the Food and Drug Administration has finally ordered that food and cosmetics manufacturers that color their products with carmine and cochineal list them by name in ingredient lists. Until now, these colorings, extracted from the dried bodies of the tiny cochineal bug, have been hidden under the terms "artificial colors" or "color added." Naming those ingredients on labels will help people who suffered allergic reactions determine if the colors were the culprits. 2009-01-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200901054.html <b>CSPI Urges Legislation to Restore Balance</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The National Coal Council issues reports with titles such as "Coal: America's Energy Future" and "The Urgency of Sustainable Coal." And while its web site loads, Aaron Copeland's "Fanfare for the Common Man" streams triumphantly over the image of an American bald eagle. Coal boosterism from a K Street lobby shop? In fact, the National Coal Council is an official government science panel charged with advising the Secretary of Energy on the feasibility of clean coal technology. Not surprisingly, the panel has at least 15 members with financial ties to coal companies, whose fate depends on the technology's favorable review. 2009-01-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200901021.html <b>Lawsuit Against Company to Move Forward</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The Gerber Products Company, owned by Nestleì, has drawn harsh criticism from a U.S. Court of Appeals for using pictures of real fruit to market a gummi-bear-like candy formerly called "Fruit Juice Snacks." The Court said that consumers would likely be deceived because the package depicts images of oranges, cherries and strawberries, though the leading ingredients are corn syrup and sugar. 2009-01-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200812182.html <b>Statement of CSPI Director of Litigation Steve Gardner</b><br/>It was a bad idea that never should have gotten as far as it did—adding caffeine to sweetened, high-alcohol-content malt beverages and marketing them to young people via word-of-mouth and infantile web sites. Marketing caffeinated beer demonstrated a disturbing lack of restraint on the part of major companies like MillerCoors, and it put millions of young Americans in harms way. That's why we sued the company in September. 2008-12-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200812181.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>Shame on the Food and Drug Administration for its midnight decision to accept industry's contention that rebaudioside A, a sweetener extracted from the herb Stevia, is "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS. That "general recognition" of safety certainly doesn't extend to the UCLA scientists who concluded that rebaudioside A is inadequately tested in terms of cancer and caused mutations in some laboratory tests. It is far too soon to allow this substance in the diet sodas and juice drinks consumed by millions of people. It looks like this is President Bush's parting gift to the soda industry. 2008-12-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200812152.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>Cargill and Coca-Cola are sticking their thumbs in the Food and Drug Administration's eyes by rushing to market novel sweeteners based on the stevia plant. Cargill has been marketing its Truvia product as a table-top sweetener for several months, and, according to media reports this week, Coca-Cola will start marketing stevia-sweetened drinks. So far, the other main producer, Merisant, and user, PepsiCo, of a stevia-based product have held back. A small company, Wisdom Natural Brands, put SweetLeaf sweetener on the market several months ago. 2008-12-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200812121.html <b>IOM Recommendation to Move Meat and Poultry to FDA Questioned</b><br/>WASHINGTON—The Institute of Medicine today stated that the Food and Drug Administration's food safety system remains ill-equipped to meet emerging challenges, and the legal authority underlying all government inspection programs should be updated to emphasize prevention of foodborne illness. The IOM further suggested there would be benefits to creating a new focused food safety entity within the Department of Health and Human Services rather than continuing at FDA. Consumer Federation of America and the Center for Science in the Public Interest endorsed that action and today are urging President-Elect Barack Obama to act quickly to advance it. 2008-12-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200812111.html <b>USDA Concerned With More Than Maximizing Commodity Production, According to Consumer Coalition</b><br/>WASHINGTON—Much of the media speculation on who the next Secretary of Agriculture will be focuses on candidates lacking experience with food safety, nutrition, or environmental issues—issues which are at the heart of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's mission. Consumer advocates and other public interest groups are today urging President-Elect Barack Obama to appoint an individual who appreciates the diversity of programs administered by the $95-billion-a-year department, as opposed to a candidate whose primary experience involves large-scale agricultural production. 2008-12-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200812091.html <b>St. Nick Used to Promote Beer, Despite Prohibition in Industry Code</b><br/>WASHINGTON—MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch have been very, very naughty this holiday season, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. The watchdog group says that the companies deserve lumps of coal—if not subpoenas—in their stockings for using the iconic image of Santa Claus to promote binge drinking events in Atlanta, Boston, Washington, and other cities. Though the events are ostensibly charitable, they run afoul of the beer industry's voluntary advertising and marketing code, which has a very specific prohibition on the use of St. Nick's likeness: a Santa clause, if you will. 2008-12-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200812051.html <b>Statement of CSPI Biotechnology Director Gregory Jaffe</b> 2008-12-05 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 http://cspinet.org/new/200607181.html <b>Agency Routinely Checks for Presence, not Accuracy, of Nutrition Facts Labels</b> 2006-07-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200607121.html <b>CSPI Says Logos on Cars, at Tracks—-Even on Toys—-Confuse Young Kids About Drinking and Driving</b><br/>When it conducts its upcoming review of the alcohol industry's advertising and marketing practices and the industry's self-regulation systems, the Federal Trade Commission should examine the burgeoning alcohol sponsorship relationships with Nascar, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest... 2006-07-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200607112.html <b>Statement of CSPI Integrity in Science Director Merrill Goozner</b> 2006-07-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200607111.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b> 2006-07-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200607101.html <b></b><br/>Two dozen leading hypertension experts, physicians, and health groups today urged Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt to swing his agency into action to reduce Americans' salt consumption... 2006-07-10 http://cspinet.org/new/200607061.html <b>CSPI Urges FDA to Provide Clear Information About Mercury in Fish</b><br/>When it comes to understanding the government's advice on mercury in seafood, most Americans are hopelessly—and justifiably—lost at sea, according to new survey commissioned by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). 2006-07-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200606271.html <b>Agency Captured by Industries It Should Be Regulating</b><br/>While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the self-congratulatory throes of its <a href="http://www.fda.gov/centennial/">100th anniversary</a>, leading independent experts on nutrition, food safety, and drug safety say the agency is failing to protect Americans. 2006-06-27 http://cspinet.org/new/200606221.html <b>Global Resolution Urges FIFA to Eliminate Alcohol Promotion in World Cup Events</b><br/>Influential medical organizations and grassroots groups from around the world today called on FIFA, the governing body for the World Cup, to get rid of alcohol promotion at World Cup events and on match broadcasts... 2006-06-22 http://cspinet.org/new/200606211.html <b>Statement of CSPI Legal Affairs Director Bruce Silverglade</b><br/>Manufacturers of dietary supplements should absolutely be required to report serious adverse reactions to the Food and Drug Administration... 2006-06-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200606201.html <b>Kentucky Tops List with A-</b><br/>WASHINGTON--In the past year California, Connecticut, and New Jersey all made headlines for bumping soda out of schools and for otherwise improving the foods available to kids during the school day. But according to a year-end School Foods Report Card issued today by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest... 2006-06-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200606121.html <b>Lawsuit Aimed at Eliminating, or Disclosing Use of Artery-Clogging Frying Oil</b><br/>See you in court, Colonel Sanders. That's the message delivered today to KFC, a unit of Louisville, KY-based Yum! Brands, by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)... 2006-06-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200606081.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>Quite simply, Wendy's removal of artery-clogging partially hydrogenated oils from its deep-fryers will make its French fries and fried chicken healthier than similar foods at McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, and other competitors... 2006-06-08 http://cspinet.org/new/200606021.html <b></b><br/>Restaurant foods play an increasingly important role in the American diet, and any serious discussion about obesity has to take that into consideration... 2006-06-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200606011.html <b>Agreement with CSPI Avoids Litigation</b><br/>Frito-Lay will avoid a lawsuit threatened by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) by indicating more prominently on labels the presence of the controversial fat substitute olestra, or Olean, on its "Light" line of potato chips and tortilla chips... 2006-06-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200605111.html <b>High Fructose Corn Syrup Not Remotely Natural, Says CSPI</b><br/>The company that makes the "uncola" is accused of telling an untruth in a new marketing campaign that touts 7UP as "100% natural." 2006-05-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200605031.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>Soft drink companies have been using schools to market empty-calorie beverages to children, a practice that many parents and nutritionists have deplored. Considering that recent scientific studies have shown that increased soft-drink consumption contributes to obesity, today's announcement that soft drink companies will be pulling their high-calorie drinks from schools represents a significant advance for children's health... 2006-05-03 http://cspinet.org/new/200605022.html <b>Statement of Alcohol Policies Project Director George A. Hacker</b><br/>The latest study by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) adds to a mountain of growing evidence that the alcoholic-beverage industry cannot be trusted to regulate itself nor be expected voluntarily to give up advertising and marketing aimed at attracting its principal profit centers: underage and adult excessive drinkers... 2006-05-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200605021.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>The joint report of the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Health and Human Services makes welcome recommendations on improving food marketing aimed at kids... 2006-05-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200605011.html <b>Labeling Improvements Aside, Carmine Still Causes Allergic Reactions</b><br/>Carmine and cochineal extracts, the red food dyes made from the dried bodies of the cochineal insect, should be exterminated from the food supply once and for all, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)... 2006-05-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200604271.html <b>Action Urged Before US-EU Summit Meeting in May</b><br/>The top health official in the United States is doing woefully little to stem the obesity epidemic or help Americans avoid diet-related diseases, according to the nonprofit nutrition advocacy group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)... 2006-04-27 http://cspinet.org/new/200604261.html <b>"Good Source of Whole Grain" and Other Such Claims Can Often Mean "Made with Mostly Plain Old Refined White Flour"</b><br/>The Dietary Guidelines for Americans released by the federal government in 2005 place welcome emphasis on the importance of including whole grains in the diet. Happily, many genuinely whole grain products line supermarket shelves. But according to the cover story in the May issue of <i>Nutrition Action Healthletter</i>, some food companies are trying to cash in on the whole grain trend by adding whole grain claims on labels—even if their products have more refined white flour or sugar that whole grain 2006-04-26 http://cspinet.org/new/200604242.html <b></b><br/>It takes a certain amount of chutzpah to propose a bill that would eliminate more than 200 state and local food safety laws on restaurant sanitation, milk pasteurization, and shellfish safety—and to then simultaneously claim that the bill does none of those things... 2006-04-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200604241.html <b>Draft Guidance May Miss Opportunity to Educate Americans About Importance of Lifestyle, Diet on High Blood Pressure</b><br/>The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) advisory committee on cardiovascular and renal drugs will be chaired by and dominated by industry-connected scientists when it meets on Wednesday to evaluate draft labeling guidance for antihypertensive drugs... 2006-04-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200604131.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>The startling test results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, of widely varying trans fat levels in deep-fried fast food, are further proof that McDonald's, KFC, and other chains could virtually eliminate trans fat in their products... 2006-04-13 http://cspinet.org/new/200604061.html <b>Animal ID System, Cattle Feed Rules Long Overdue, but Stalled by Industry Influence, Says CSPI</b><br/>Despite the discovery of three cows infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, long overdue measures to ensure the safety of the food supply and to keep foreign markets open to American beef have been stalled, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest... 2006-04-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200604052.html <b>Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act Introduced</b><br/>The school foods reform movement, which has been sweeping through states and local school districts, has reached the nation's capital. Bipartisan legislation aimed at improving the nutritional quality of foods available in schools was introduced today in both houses of Congress... 2006-04-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200604051.html <b>Lab Tests Reveal Hidden Trans Fat in "0 Grams Trans" Spreads</b><br/>Many popular vegetable oil spreads that boast of "0 grams trans fat" on their labels actually contain significant levels of trans, according to laboratory analyses commissioned by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest... 2006-04-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200604041.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>The new National Cancer Institute study significantly allays concerns raised by a recent Italian study that found that modest amounts of aspartame caused cancer in rats... 2006-04-04 http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/alcaware.pdf <b>Alcohol Facts You'll Never Hear from Big Booze</b> 2006-03-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200603281.html <b>Meat Substitute Made From Vat-Grown Fungus Causes Vomiting, Allergic Reactions ... and a Lawsuit</b><br/>The number of people who became sick after eating Quorn, the meat substitute made from a factory-fermented fungus, and filed adverse reaction reports with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has now reached 1,000... 2006-03-28 http://cspinet.org/new/200603212.html <b>Weyherhaeuser Has Obvious Financial Conflict of Interest, Groups Say</b><br/>More than a dozen public interest and environmental organizations today protested the presence of a top forest products industry executive on a National Academies of Science (NAS) committee charged with evaluating the impact of forest management practices on the nation's water quality. 2006-03-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200603211.html <b>Group Calls on Food Industry & Consumers to Avoid Palm Oil from Unsustainable Sources in Malaysia and Indonesia</b><br/>Increased demand for palm oil is fueling destruction of the rainforest habitats of Sumatran and Bornean orangutans, pushing those and other already endangered species even closer to extinction, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)... 2006-03-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200603161.html <b>'0 Grams Trans' Labels Mislead Consumers about Foods High in Artery-Clogging Saturated Fat</b><br/>The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) today urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take enforcement action against companies making misleading trans-fat claims on food labels... 2006-03-16 http://cspinet.org/new/200603151.html <b>Of 64 Men's Basketball Tournament Schools, 10 Support an End to Beer Ads on College Sports Programming</b><br/>The Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV today urged 54 of the 64 colleges and universities sending teams to the NCAA men's basketball tournament to commit to ending beer advertising on college sports games... 2006-03-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200603071.html <b>CSPI Says Move Would Help Consumers Avoid Tainted Food</b><br/>A regulation proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Inspection Service would help consumers avoid contaminated meat or poultry in the event of a recall, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)... 2006-03-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200603071.html <b>CSPI Says Move Would Help Consumers Avoid Tainted Food</b><br/>A regulation proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Inspection Service would help consumers avoid contaminated meat or poultry in the event of a recall, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)... 2006-03-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200603061.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>The new <i>Pediatrics</i> report provides dramatic evidence that the empty calories in soda and noncarbonated soft drinks promote weight gain in overweight teenagers. If the soft drink industry had any respect for children's health, it would extend its recent pull-out from elementary schools and remove soda, "sports" drinks, and other high-calorie beverages from middle and high schools. 2006-03-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200602231.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>USDA test results announced today show that Salmonella rates in chicken increased almost 80 percent since 2000... 2006-02-23 http://cspinet.org/new/200602221.html <b></b><br/>Campbell Soup Company, long a bastion of high sodium products, is drawing praise from the Center for Science in the Public Interest for significantly reducing the sodium levels in some of its products and for introducing a number of lower-sodium versions. 2006-02-22 http://cspinet.org/new/200602171.html <b>New Labeling Rules Spur Major Improvements but Pitfalls Remain, Says CSPI's Nutrition Action Healthletter</b><br/>New trans-fat labeling regulations that went into effect on January 1 have spurred many food processors to dump partially hydrogenated oils in favor of less harmful alternatives. As welcome as those changes are, consumers shouldn't assume that all food manufacturers have gotten rid of trans, nor should they assume that all foods with "zero grams trans" are zero threat to the arteries... 2006-02-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200602151.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>Does anyone else think President Bush picked a strange venue for a health care speech? Was the lobby of Philip Morris unavailable? 2006-02-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200602131.html <b>Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policy Project Director George Hacker on Alcohol Marketing at Olympics</b><br/>If Anheuser-Busch truly wanted to use the Olympics "to remind parents about the importance of preventing underage drinking," they could start by canceling the keg party they're having tonight in Torino for underage athletes... 2006-02-13 http://cspinet.org/new/200602082.html <b></b><br/>Media reports on a recent major study on low-fat diets may mislead the public because they suggest that current advice to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer are wrong. In fact, the study tested diet advice that is 10 to 20 years out of date... 2006-02-08 http://cspinet.org/new/200602081.html <b>Statement of Alcohol Policies Project Director George Hacker</b><br/>The Beer Institute's new Code Compliance Review Board (CCRB) represents a modest step forward in allowing consumers and others to challenge beer ads that fail to meet even minimal industry standards... 2006-02-08 http://cspinet.org/new/200602061.html <b>CSPI Tests Show Hospitals Using Partially Hydrogenated Oil</b><br/>Eighteen of the nation's top hospitals are unnecessarily harming their faculties and staffs, their visitors, and some patients by serving foods prepared with partially hydrogenated oil-the biggest source of artery-clogging trans fat in the American diet... 2006-02-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200602021.html <b>Does Skiing Really Need an "Official Alcoholic Beverage?" asks CSPI</b><br/>When champion skier Bode Miller confessed to taking to the slopes intoxicated, one of the first to tut-tut his disapproval was Bill Marolt, president and CEO of the U.S. Ski and Snowboarding Association. "Not only is the use of alcohol irresponsible on the part of an athlete, but it is also a dangerously inappropriate message to send to participants in our sport, especially young skiers and snowboarders," said Marolt. Now Marolt's group is accused of fostering irresponsibility and sending inappropriate messages to young people because of its partnership with Anheuser-Busch, maker of Budweiser and Bud Light—the "official malt beverage" of the ski association. 2006-02-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200602011.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo Wootan</b><br/>We applaud Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell and Connecticut Senate President Pro Tempore Donald Williams for championing children's health by taking bipartisan action to improve the foods available to kids during the school day... 2006-02-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200601271.html <b>CSPI Says Proposed Rule on Insect-based Food Coloring Doesn't Go Far Enough</b><br/>In response to a legal petition filed in 1998 by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing a new labeling regulation that would require food companies to disclose when the red or orange color in a food product comes from cochineal extract, or carmine. FDA will not, however, require companies to list the source of those food colorings: the tiny, dried bodies of the cochineal beetle... 2006-01-27 http://cspinet.org/new/200601241.html <b>A Nutrition Action Exposé on How Dr. Weil, Dr. Phil, and Larry King Turn Your Trust into Cash</b><br/>A folksy, popular daytime television host. A legendary radio and television interviewer. And a best-selling author and health guru whose familiar bearded face recently appeared on the cover of Time magazine. <p>These three men have one thing in common, according to the cover story in the current issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter. They all use their fame to hawk vitamins, herbs, and other dietary supplements that often rely on inflated claims and dubious (or nonexistent) science... 2006-01-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200601121.html <b></b> 2006-01-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200601041.html <b>CSPI Wants Court to Order Labels on Frito Lay "Light" Chips to Warn of Diarrhea, Stomach Cramps</b><br/>Frito-Lay has been notified that it will be sued by a Massachusetts consumer for deceptively marketing its line of "Light" potato chips. Those chips are made with olestra—the controversial fat substitute that causes diarrhea, stomach cramps, and other unappetizing symptoms... 2006-01-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200512151.html <b></b><br/>With its Triple Whopper, Burger King is solidifying its reputation as the fast-food chain most likely to solidify your arteries... 2005-12-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200512141.html <b>Industry Lobbyists Want to Topple California's Prop. 65, but State Officials Fear Bioterror Implications</b><br/>Congressional Republicans are mounting an assault on state food-safety and labeling laws, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is poised to take up legislation that would summarily pre-empt almost 100 state laws having to do with carcinogen labeling, seafood safety, and food allergens and additives... 2005-12-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200512071.html <b></b><br/>Seventy-one percent of Americans support a five cent per drink increase in federal alcohol taxes, according to new survey research commissioned by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)... 2005-12-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200512062.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo Wootan</b><br/>The Institute of Medicine's report on food marketing to children is a milestone that marks the beginning of the end of junk-food marketing to kids... 2005-12-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200512061.html <b>Groups Say FDA Should Urge States to Require Point-of-Purchase Notices</b><br/>The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should urge states to require easy-to-understand advice about mercury in fish right at the seafood counter, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)... 2005-12-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200512011.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>It's a telling sign that the soda industry knows it is losing its battle to stay in America's schools when its lobbyists are congratulating themselves for lower sales. They're trying to make it seem like it's their benevolence and self-restraint that were responsible for a decline and not the parents, and increasingly, some policymakers, who are sick of soda companies putting profits ahead of our kids' health... 2005-12-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200511281.html <b></b><br/>In response to sporadic pressure from regulators on either side of the Atlantic, food companies occasionally improve their labeling or marketing practices, or reformulate products to have a better nutritional profile. But the non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is urging governments to pressure companies to make such improvements the standard practice in all countries in which they do business, rather than just doing the bare minimum to keep each country's regulators at bay... 2005-11-28 http://cspinet.org/new/200511221.html <b>Chain Restaurants Lag Far Behind, According to CSPI Survey</b><br/>While many of America's biggest food manufacturers and supermarket chains are busily replacing trans fats with more healthful substitutes, the biggest restaurant chains are still frying French fries, chicken nuggets, and other fast foods in trans-fat-laden, heart-attack-inducing partially hydrogenated oils, according to a survey conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)... 2005-11-22 http://cspinet.org/new/200511211.html <b>Produce is Primary Cause of Large Salmonella Outbreaks</b><br/>Most people properly associate Salmonella with raw poultry. But according to an analysis of food-poisoning outbreaks by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, fresh produce is catching up with chicken as a major culprit of Salmonella infections... 2005-11-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200511081.html <b>Excess Salt in Diet Kills 150,000 Each Year, Says CSPI</b><br/>After 25 years of false starts and foot-dragging the Food and Drug Administration should use its authority to set reasonable upper limits on the salt content of processed foods, according to a legal petition filed today by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)... 2005-11-08 http://cspinet.org/new/200511071.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>Parents of young children know how difficult a trip to the supermarket can be, when familiar cartoon characters like SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, and Shrek grace the packaging of candy, sugary cereals, and other junk foods... 2005-11-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200510273.html <b>Statement of CSPI Integrity in Science Project Director Merrill Goozner</b><br/>The compromise provision to the FY2006 Agriculture/FDA appropriations bill that provides advance notice when scientists with conflicts of interest serve on FDA advisory committees is a step in the right direction. We congratulate the Senate and House conferees, especially Sen. Richard Durbin and Rep. Maurice Hinchey, who helped make this possible... 2005-10-27 http://cspinet.org/new/200510272.html <b>CSPI Exposes Some of the Most Misleading Ingredient Claims</b><br/>Health-conscious consumers are being misled by many food labels that exaggerate the presence of healthful ingredients, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The nutrition and food-safety watchdog group says that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn't have the resources or the will to stop deceptive labeling and typically does nothing even when flagrantly fraudulent labels are brought to its attention. 2005-10-27 http://cspinet.org/new/200510271.html <b>Legislation Would Put Nutrition Info on Menus at Fast Food and Other Chain Restaurants in Nation's Capital</b><br/>District residents waiting in line at McDonald's may soon be able to see that a Big Mac costs 590 calories, if legislation sponsored by District of Columbia Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) becomes law. The Menu Education and Labeling (MEAL) Act would require fast-food and other chain restaurants in DC to list calories, saturated plus trans fat, carbohydrates, and sodium on printed menus and calories on menu boards (where there is less space). 2005-10-27 http://cspinet.org/new/200510251.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>McDonald's announcement that it will add nutrition information to most of its packages is a useful step in providing customers more, and more readable, nutrition information... 2005-10-25 http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/halloween.pdf <b></b> 2005-10-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200510191.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>Once again, members of the House of Representatives have leapt to the defense of restaurant chains and food manufacturers. It seems to me that if Congress really wanted to encourage personal responsibility, it would enact laws that actually encouraged Americans to choose better diets... 2005-10-19 http://cspinet.org/new/200510061.html <b>So-called "Malternatives" Aim to be Kids' First Drink, According to CSPI</b><br/>The controversial, sweet-tasting alcoholic drinks known as "alcopops," many of which bear the brand names of hard liquor companies such as Bacardi, Smirnoff, Skyy, and Stolichnaya, derive some of their alcohol content from distilled spirits and should be taxed and regulated accordingly, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)... 2005-10-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200510041.html <b>Health Canada Approving Dubious Claims for Supplements, According to CSPI's Nutrition Action Healthletter</b><br/>Health Canada's Natural Health Products Directorate (NHPD) has been busy in recent years approving hundreds of sometimes startling claims for various herbs and botanicals... 2005-10-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200509291.html <b></b><br/>The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) policy of allowing preliminary health claims on food labels misleads consumers and has "failed the key communications test," according to a previously undisclosed FDA study obtained by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)... 2005-09-29 http://cspinet.org/new/200509281.html <b></b><br/>The kids' version of the food pyramid is as ineffective as the adult version, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)... 2005-09-28 http://cspinet.org/new/200509231.html <b></b><br/>Despite various policy disagreements, we'll miss Dr. Crawford for his openness, and because he's really one of the only FDA commissioners who has had substantive experience with food safety... 2005-09-23 http://cspinet.org/new/200509221.html <b>New Federal Law Gives Parents Access to Cafeteria Inspection Reports</b><br/>Is your child's school cafeteria free of rodents, under-cooked or improperly stored food, and other hazards that can cause serious—and possibly fatal—food poisoning? A new federal law makes it easier for parents to answer that question by requiring more frequent inspections and easy access to school cafeteria inspection reports... 2005-09-22 http://cspinet.org/new/200509211.html <b>Statement of CSPI Integrity in Science Director Merrill Goozner</b><br/>The amendment passed by the Senate last night is a step in the right direction. We congratulate the Senate and particularly Senator Richard Durbin, who led the effort. Consumers concerned that drug, device and food manufacturers have corrupted the FDA's advisory committee process may soon have 15 days notice when the FDA wants to put scientists with conflicts of interest on one of its 30 advisory panels... 2005-09-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200509141.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>The school nutrition bills to be signed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger are the first and best of their kind in the nation... 2005-09-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200509091.html <b></b><br/>The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is under fire again today for allowing scientists with direct financial ties to a drug manufacturer to serve on an advisory committee charged with evaluating that company's product... 2005-09-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200509071.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>A new report from the Government Accountability Office leaves little doubt about the proliferation of junk foods in America's schools. Despite pockets of progress around the country, the GAO report shows that nearly nine out of 10 schools offers junk foods to kids out of vending machines, school stores, and via "a la carte" lines right in the cafeteria... 2005-09-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200508231.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>A pair of troubling new studies published today in the American Journal of Public Health shows just how the deck is stacked against parents when it comes to children's nutrition... 2005-08-23 http://cspinet.org/new/200508181.html <b>CSPI Urges Processing for Raw, Gulf Coast Oysters</b><br/>Despite a risk management plan adopted in 2001, deaths and illnesses caused by raw oysters contaminated with the dangerous Vibrio vulnificus bacteria have remained relatively constant... 2005-08-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200508172.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>Today's announcement that the member companies of the American Beverage Association will voluntarily pull soda out of elementary schools is an encouraging step from an industry that, up to now, has thwarted angry parents who want to get soda out of their kids' schools... 2005-08-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200508171.html <b>CSPI Says Steep Sodium Reductions Achievable for Many Brands</b><br/>Most foods sold in supermarkets and restaurants are too high in salt. But a new study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) finds that some manufacturers are recklessly loading up their products with two, three, or even four times as much salt as their competitors within a food category... 2005-08-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200508112.html <b>More Accurate Labeling Resolves Lawsuit</b><br/>Tropicana Peach Papaya drink has no peach juice and no papaya juice. In fact, the very small amount of juice in this drink is pear juice from concentrate. But at least the company will make some changes to its labels which will help consumers understand the drink is a flavored drink and not 100 percent juice... 2005-08-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200508111.html <b>CSPI Was on the Verge of Suing Manufacturer, Pinnacle Foods</b><br/>Sleepy regulators at the Food and Drug Administration have known for years that the "blueberries" in Aunt Jemima Blueberry Waffles are fake, despite the bounty of plump berries bursting forth on the product labels. But it took the threat of a lawsuit from the nonprofit food-safety and nutrition watchdog group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), to actually get Aunt Jemima's attention... 2005-08-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200507281.html <b>CSPI Says Mad Cow, Avian Flu, Bioterrorism Concerns Require Global Coordination</b><br/>Bioterrorism, mad cow disease, and other more common food safety hazards know no borders and require stronger food safety systems all over the world, according to a group of food safety officials and consumer advocates from 25 countries who met in Geneva last month. The first-of-its-kind conference was organized by the U.S.-based Center for Science in the Public Interest, and hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO)... 2005-07-28 http://cspinet.org/new/200507272.html <b>Consumers & Manufacturers Should Switch to Sucralose Pending Thorough Government Safety Tests</b><br/>The Food and Drug Administration should immediately review the safety of the artificial sweetener aspartame, and possibly ban it, in light of a new study published in the European Journal of Oncology. The study, conducted in Italy, found statistically significant increases in lymphomas and leukemias among female rats given aspartame... 2005-07-27 http://cspinet.org/new/200507271.html <b>CSPI Says Alcohol Advertising Incompatible with Outreach Efforts that Target Kids as Young as 6</b><br/>The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is actively building brand loyalty among young people in order to get them interested in sports and to boost the attractiveness of NCAA telecasts to advertisers. But those recruitment efforts may deliver more and more young viewers to Anheuser-Busch and other beer marketers which advertise heavily on college sports... 2005-07-27 http://cspinet.org/new/200507201.html <b>Apple Jacks Ads Portray Apples as 'Bad,' 'Sour'</b><br/>An advertising campaign for Kellogg's Apple Jacks disparages real apples as sour and as otherwise inferior to sugary breakfast cereal. The ads are coming under fire from the Produce for Better Health Foundation, a nonprofit education and marketing organization aimed at increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, whose members include produce growers, shippers and supermarkets, and the nonprofit nutrition and food-safety watchdog group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest... 2005-07-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200507141.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>There's no doubt that the current self-regulatory scheme set up by the food industry fails to protect kids from billions of dollars worth of advertising and marketing of low-nutrition foods... 2005-07-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200507131.html <b>New "Liquid Candy" Data: Teens Guzzling More Soft Drinks than Ever Before</b><br/>Teenage boys who drink carbonated or non-carbonated soft drinks consume an average of three 12-ounce cans per day, and girls more than two cans, according to a new analysis of 1999-2002 government data. Teens who drink soft drinks get nearly 15 percent of their total calories from those drinks. Although adults seem to be turning to diet soda, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) says that the data show teenagers are actually drinking more high-calorie soft drinks than ever-and less diet soda than in years past-despite growing concerns about obesity... 2005-07-13 http://cspinet.org/new/200506241.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>It appears the animal that recently was confirmed as positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy did not enter the human food supply. But since the United States does not have a mandatory animal tracking system, USDA's strategy is basically to cross its fingers and hope that beef from a BSE-infected animal doesn't end up on Americans' dinner plates. Call it a faith-based mad cow policy... 2005-06-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200506141.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>We are extremely disappointed that Governor Jodi Rell vetoed the school nutrition bill. By siding with soda companies, Governor Rell has undermined parents' ability to feed their children healthful diets... 2005-06-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200506082.html <b>Statement of CSPI Integrity in Science Director Merrill Goozner</b><br/>In the past year it has become increasingly clear that scientists who have financial ties to drug companies or medical-device manufacturers should not be sitting in judgement of those companies' products... 2005-06-08 http://cspinet.org/new/200506081.html <b>Safe Food International Conference Under Way in Geneva</b><br/>The Center for Science in the Public Interest has released a detailed survey of food-safety challenges around the world... 2005-06-08 http://cspinet.org/new/200506071.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael Jacobson</b><br/>Acting Governor Richard Codey deserves applause from New Jersey parents for promoting and protecting children's health by ridding the state's schools of soft drinks and candy. New Jersey is the first state to take this historic step, and we hope that many others will quickly follow its lead... 2005-06-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200506021.html <b>Plantations Clearing Rainforest, Threatening Already Endangered Species, Says CSPI</b><br/>oil has long been known to promote heart disease, but a new report from the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) says that palm oil production also promotes destruction of the rainforest, particularly in Malaysia and Indonesia... 2005-06-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200505241.html <b>Officials & Advocates from Around the World Meeting in Geneva Next Month</b><br/>Food-safety advocates and experts from around the world will convene next month at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland... 2005-05-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200505191.html <b>Measure Must Return to Senate for Final Passage, Then to Gov.</b><br/>Legislation prohibiting the sale of sugary sodas, candy bars, and other junk foods in schools passed the Connecticut House of Representatives last night and is headed back to the state Senate, where it has passed once before in slightly different form... 2005-05-19 http://cspinet.org/new/200505181.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>Senator Harkin's HeLP America Act offers bold initiatives aimed at improving the health of all Americans by preventing disease and promoting wellness... 2005-05-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200505161.html <b>Coalition Cites Budget Deficit, Social Costs of Alcohol</b><br/>Some of America's most distinguished economists today called for what they say are long-overdue increases in federal excise taxes on alcoholic beverages to help offset the massive economic and social costs of alcohol... 2005-05-16 http://cspinet.org/new/200505052.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>While USDA's announcement of a new proposal on animal identification and traceback systems represents an important food safety improvement, the timeline for implementation is another Bush-adminstration bow to the cattle producers... 2005-05-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200505051.html <b></b><br/>Multinational food companies like Nabisco, Kellogg, Unilever, and Nestlé might have to disclose on labels the percentage of key ingredients in their products if tough new labeling standards eventually are adopted by a group of more than 50 countries meeting to debate international trade rules for the food industry... 2005-05-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200505041.html <b>CSPI Supports Hinchey Effort to Reform FDA</b><br/>Scientists with financial ties to drug makers or other medical companies would be prohibited from serving on federal advisory committees charged with reviewing the safety of drugs, if reform legislation offered by Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) becomes law... 2005-05-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200505031.html <b>Whole Foods, Quorn Target of First Suit; Quaker Avoids Lawsuit by Making Label Changes</b><br/>The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the nonprofit food watchdog group, said today that it intends increasingly to turn to the courts to stop deceptive labeling, fraudulent advertising, and the use of dangerous food additives... 2005-05-03 http://cspinet.org/new/200504281.html <b>More Like Money Loss in a Bottle, According to Nutrition Action Healthletter</b><br/>That "CortiSlim lifestyle," however, bilks consumers for millions by making baseless claims for overpriced pills, according to an article in the May issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter, the 900,000-circulaton newsletter published by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)... 2005-04-28 http://cspinet.org/new/200504191.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>The Dietary Guidelines unveiled in January were the strongest ever, but the new pyramid doesn't clearly communicate that advice to the public... 2005-04-19 http://cspinet.org/new/200504152.html <b>Statement of CSPI Legal Affairs Director</b><br/>This decision leaves no doubt that the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) prevents the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from taking unsafe products off the market... 2005-04-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200504151.html <b>WHO Recommended Nutrition, Food-Safety Updates</b><br/>This week in Paris revisions to the Code were being considered by a committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) sponsored by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization... 2005-04-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200504141.html <b>Here's Hoping Your Next 50 Years Will Be Better than Your First</b><br/>McDonald's has had an enormous impact on our diets, on agriculture, and the economy. To be fair, McDonald's has done better than some of its competitors when it comes to food safety, animal welfare, and the environment... 2005-04-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200504071.html <b>Watchdog Groups Say Beer Ad Depicts Lying About Drinking</b><br/>A new ad for Bud Light beer depicts men joking about lies they've told to cover up their daytime drinking, and two watchdog groups say the Federal Trade Commission should crack down and ask Anheuser-Busch to pull the ad... 2005-04-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200504061.html <b>Durbin and DeLauro Introduce Safe Food Act of 2005</b><br/>Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) today introduced the Safe Food Act of 2005, a bill that would help protect consumers from food-borne illness by consolidating the current fragmented and overlapping food-safety system... 2005-04-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200504012.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>The labeling changes on which the FDA is soliciting comment would be small but welcome measures. If implemented, they would help those consumers who read labels see how many calories they're taking in .... 2005-04-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200504011.html <b>NCAA to Review Alcohol Policies on April 28, But CSPI Questions Propriety of Anheuser-Busch Ties</b><br/>When it reviews its alcohol policies later this month the NCAA should vote to end beer ads on televised college sports programming, according to the Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV—a coalition of health advocacy groups and coaches organized by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The campaign is calling on the 18 college presidents that make up the NCAA's Division I board of directors not to let the close financial ties between the NCAA and mega-brewer Anheuser-Busch influence their decisions. CSPI says that an example of those ties is an internal briefing paper recently prepared by NCAA staff ..... 2005-04-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200503211.html <b>CSPI Says Profits, Not Public Health, Drives Effort to Keep Canadian Border Closed</b><br/>Despite the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, in four older Canadian cattle, including one discovered in Washington state, there is no public health basis for preventing young Canadian animals from entering the United States, according to a new report ..... 2005-03-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200503161.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>Each day, American kids get exposed to scores of commercial messages, and probably half of those are for food. If advertisers were trying to get kids to try new vegetables, or to eat more fresh fruit, or to switch from white bread to whole-wheat bread, I'd be all for it. But the overwhelming majority of the food ads kids see are for junk foods: Soda. Candy. Cookies. Sugary cereals. Fatty snacks. Fast food. And fast-food companies aren't pushing salads on kids but burgers, fries, and chicken nuggets ..... 2005-03-16 http://cspinet.org/new/200503101.html <b>Scientists Shouldn't be Passing Judgment on their Funders' Products, Groups Say</b><br/>Health advocates today urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to stop placing scientists with direct financial conflicts of interest on its advisory committees, and to limit the number of individuals with any industry ties to no more than half of any committee. In a letter to Acting FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford, the groups said that the agency failed to comply with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) when it assigned scientists with ties to manufacturers of arthritis pain drugs known as Cox-2 inhibitors 2005-03-10 http://cspinet.org/new/200503091.html <b>Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project Director George A. Hacker</b><br/>For too long, efforts to combat underage drinking on campus have been undermined by million of dollars in beer advertising on college sports--advertising that reaches millions of kids below the legal drinking age. We stand in strong support of Representative Tom Osborne's effort to encourage the NCAA and its member schools to pledge to end all alcohol advertising during college sports ..... 2005-03-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200502251.html <b>Research from CSPI's Integrity in Science Project</b><br/>The Food and Drug Administration on February 16-18, 2005 held an advisory committee meeting to discuss the cardiovascular risk posed by painkillers known as Cox-2 inhibitors, which include Celebrex, Bextra and Vioxx... 2005-02-25 http://cspinet.org/new/200502242.html <b>CSPI Sues FDA to Force End to 20-Year Delay in Regulating Salt</b><br/>Too much salt in the diet is boosting Americans' blood pressure and is prematurely killing roughly 150,000 people each year, according to a new report issued today by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Despite the pleas of health experts to cut back, salt consumption has drifted upward over the past 30 years to the point where Americans are now consuming about 4,000 milligrams of sodium per day—about twice the recommended amount. CSPI is filing a lawsuit against the FDA in federal court 2005-02-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200502161.html <b></b><br/>Published studies of prescription painkillers Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra were largely geared to developing new uses for those drugs and were much less concerned with the question of whether they increased users' risk of heart attacks and strokes, according to a review of the medical literature by the Center for Science ........... 2005-02-16 http://cspinet.org/new/200502142.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b> 2005-02-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200502141.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b> 2005-02-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200502111.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>The excellent legal settlement reached between McDonald's and BanTransFats.com and in the class action on the same matter is a perfect example of how litigation can motivate food companies to change their practices for the better. The programs that the American Heart Association will be able to sponsor should accelerate ..... 2005-02-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200502022.html <b>Act Would Only Affect Chains with 20 or More Outlets</b><br/>Fast-food and other chain restaurants would be required to disclose nutrition information on menus if legislation introduced by Assemblymen Douglas Fisher (D-District 3) and William Payne (D-District 29) becomes law. A3064 would require retail food establishments to list calories, saturated plus trans fat, carbohydrates, and sodium on printed menus and calories on menu boards. The bill applies only to standard menu items--not changing specials--and only to chains with 20 or more outlets ..... 2005-02-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200502021.html <b>Analysis Finds Fewer Biotech Crops Moving Through Regulatory System</b><br/>For years, agricultural biotechnology companies and industry analysts predicted that genetic engineering would spawn a cornucopia of heartier crops, more-healthful oils, delayed-ripening fruits, and many other more nutritious and better-tasting foods. However, the number of genetically engineered (GE) crops going through the regulatory review process dropped sharply ...... 2005-02-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200501261.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>It makes sense that the plaintiffs in the McDonald's suit will be able to advance their case before Judge Sweet. Fast-food companies that try to convince kids and parents to eat more and more unhealthful food do so at their own legal peril. If you market products to children that cause disease, and you do it in a way that conceals the risks from parents, you may end up explaining your actions to a judge or a jury. That hardly seems that radical a notion. And, anyone who thinks this kind of litigation is frivolous should remember ..... 2005-01-26 http://cspinet.org/new/200501131.html <b>Chairman of President's Fitness Council Shouldn't Flack for Junk</b><br/>Nutrition advocates and government watchdogs today called for the firing of Lynn Swann, the chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. According to published reports in Corporate Crime Reporter and The Washington Post, the former Pittsburgh Steelers football player received payment to appear at a public relations event for a vending-machine trade association. ....... 2005-01-13 http://cspinet.org/new/200501126.html <b>Calls for New Government Campaigns to Implement Them</b> 2005-01-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200501125.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b><br/>Kraft is doing parents a real favor by recognizing that foods of poor nutritional quality should not be advertised to kids. By setting nutrition standards for foods advertised to six- to 11-year-olds, Kraft will make it a little easier to reduce kids' consumption of foods high in calories ..... 2005-01-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200501123.html <b>Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project Director George A. Hacker</b><br/>CSPI applauds the alcohol section of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. Although the overall advice on alcohol is little changed from the sound message of the 2000 edition, the new version strengthens important messages, including the discussions of moderation and the catalog of persons who should not drink at all. The document should be widely circulated and promoted ..... 2005-01-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200501051.html <b>CSPI Calls for Nutrition Standards and Curbs on TV Advertising, Movie Tie-Ins, School-based Marketing and Other Tactics for Selling Junk Food to Children</b><br/>The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) today released new Guidelines for Responsible Food Marketing to Children, which call on food manufacturers, broadcasters, restaurants, movie studios, and schools to reform the way drinks, snacks, fast-food meals, and other foods are marketed to kids. The Guidelines propose curbing certain marketing techniques but unlike the food industry's self-imposed guidelines, CSPI is proposing basic nutritional ..... 2005-01-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200412091.html <b>Committee on Teflon Toxic Larded with Industry Scientists</b><br/>Health advocacy groups this week called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to remove two scientists from its "short list" of candidates for the advisory committee that will evaluate the health risk posed by a chemical used in making Teflon. ..... 2004-12-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200412061.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>Secretary Tommy Thompson is right to think that the food supply isn't as safe as it could be from a terrorist attack... 2004-12-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200412011.html <b>Ad-Free Samples of National Geographic Kids Deceptive, Group Tells FTC</b><br/>Sample issues of National Geographic Kids magazine give the impression that the magazine is advertising-free, but the real thing is chock full of ads for junk food and other products, according to a complaint filed today with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The sample issues are used in direct-mail solicitations aimed at potential new subscribers. But the complaint, filed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), alleges that the venerable National Geographic Society is deceiving parents .... 2004-12-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200411231.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>In all probability, a small number of BSE-infected animals are circulating in North America, and it is prudent to assume that some are entering the feed and food chain. While consumers' risk of contracting the human form of the disease is minuscule, USDA and FDA should nevertheless .... 2004-11-23 http://cspinet.org/new/200411181.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>The inconclusive test result that may lead to a second finding of mad cow disease in the U.S. raises numerous questions about why the Bush Administration has delayed implementing promised protections against Bovine Spongiform .... 2004-11-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200411171.html <b>Why Not Start By Weighing in on the Thickburger?, Asks CSPI</b><br/>The nation's leading nutrition advocacy organization says that the top federal health official should be an active participant instead of a hapless spectator in America's struggle against obesity and other diet-related maladies like heart disease and stroke. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) today urged Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson to speak out against unhealthful trends ... 2004-11-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200411162.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>We first labeled Hardee's Thickburger as "Food Porn" when it was some 200 calories smaller than the Monster version Hardee's is rolling out today. But if the old Thickburger was Food Porn, the new Monster Thickburger is the fast-food equivalent of a snuff film. .... 2004-11-16 http://cspinet.org/new/200411121.html <b>Panel Still Consists of Several Members With Industry Ties</b><br/>Citizen groups who protested the flagrant conflicts of interest of several appointees to the National Academy of Sciences' committee studying the health effects of Mine Placement of Coal Combustion Wastes welcomed yesterday's announcement that coal industry lobbyist Edward Green is no longer a member of the committee and that Dr. Patricia Buffler, who frequently consults for ..... 2004-11-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200411101.html <b>Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project Director George Hacker</b><br/>NASCAR's decision to abandon 30 years of limiting the promotion of alcoholic beverages at its racing events spells trouble for young race fans and for national efforts to reduce the association of drinking and driving. It's bad enough that popular beer brands have become as much a part of car racing as they have. NASCAR's cute website headline about the new deal with liquor ("Liquor is Quicker") suggests .... 2004-11-10 http://cspinet.org/new/200410281.html <b>CSPI Wants Labels to Reflect Consumption Realities</b><br/>Many single-serving food and drink containers are misleadingly labeled as several servings, despite some companies' recent moves to relabel single-serve products. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) says that the steady growth in sizes of soft drinks, snack cakes, candy bars, and other foods that are clearly meant for one person .... 2004-10-28 http://cspinet.org/new/200410261.html <b>CSPI & Environmental Groups Call for Removal of Industry Insiders</b><br/>A newly appointed National Academy of Sciences (NAS) panel that will study the environmental impact of disposing coal combustion waste in mines is rife with members who have ties to the mining, coal and electric utility industries, according to 42 environmental ... 2004-10-26 http://cspinet.org/new/200410251.html <b>"WOW!" Chips Have New Name, But Same Old Side Effects, Says CSPI</b><br/>The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) today warned consumers that Frito-Lay's "Light" snack chips are fried in the infamous, diarrhea-inducing fake fat known as olestra. Formerly known as WOW! chips, the rebranded products are now called Lays's Light, Ruffles Light, Doritos Light, and Tostitos Light. CSPI says the move increases the odds that unwitting consumers will experience the cramps, diarrhea, bleeding, stained underwear, or incontinence ..... 2004-10-25 http://cspinet.org/new/200410071.html <b>CSPI Praises Durbin/DeLauro Push to Revamp Aging Food Safety Laws</b><br/>Only a single food safety agency can handle modern challenges like bioterrorism and mad cow disease, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Today the nonprofit food-safety watchdog group applauded comprehensive legislation offered by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) that would create such an agency and revamp what CSPI says is an antiquated, 100-year-old set of food-safety laws. 2004-10-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200410061.html <b>Environmental Health Perspectives' Disclosure Policy is Model for Other Publications, Says CSPI</b><br/>The science journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) will penalize its authors if they fail to disclose all potential financial conflicts of interest. The new policy was prompted by a report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which found that three authors that published in EHP failed to disclose various financial relationships with private industry. 2004-10-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200409302.html <b>State Officials, Consumer Groups Oppose So-Called "Uniformity" Bill</b><br/>Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are poised to pass legislation on Thursday that would summarily nullify all state and local food safety and labeling laws. The bill, championed by Representative Richard M. Burr (R-NC) and the Grocery Manufacturers of America, is opposed by a number of state Attorneys General and consumer groups ..... 2004-09-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200409301.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan on</b><br/>Today's report from the National Academies' Institute of Medicine recommends many familiar and sensible measures for curbing the alarming rates of obesity among America's kids. Like the IOM, we favor putting more nutrition information in restaurants, helping kids avoid soda ...... 2004-09-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200409291.html <b>Meetings with Food Lobbyists Result in Weakened Rules, Delays</b><br/>Administration officials met ten times with food-industry lobbyists while the government was supposed to be finalizing regulations designed to protect the food supply from bioterrorism, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest ..... 2004-09-29 http://cspinet.org/new/200409241.html <b>CSPI Mounts Ad Campaign Against Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil</b><br/>McDonald's has not kept its two-year-old promise to eliminate artificial trans fat from its cooking oil and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is not lovin' it. Today, the nonprofit food-safety and nutrition watchdog group is running a full-page ad in The New York Times ..... 2004-09-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200409231.html <b>CSPI, Doctors Want Independent Review of Research on Statins</b> 2004-09-23 http://cspinet.org/new/200409221.html <b>Evidence for Sexual-Enhancement Supplements Limp, says CSPI</b><br/>The brand names run the gamut from tasteful, Viagra-like pharmaspeak (Enzyte, Elexia) to implausible (Pro-Erex, Vahard, VasoRect) to the just plain ridiculous (Big Daddy, Libido-Max, Suregasm). Animals figure prominently (Cobra, Lioness). All of them variously promise to increase sex drive, pleasure, or even the length ........ 2004-09-22 http://cspinet.org/new/200409211.html <b>Language on Fats and Carbs Called Vague and Meaningless</b><br/>More than 25 nutrition experts today urged the federal government to revise key nutrition messages proposed in the recent report from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC). While praising the strong scientific basis of the committee's report, the nutrition experts said ..... 2004-09-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200409201.html <b>Proposal Could Eliminate Salmonella in Eggs</b><br/>A regulation proposed today by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could virtually eliminate dangerous Salmonella enteritidis (SE) from eggs, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Salmonella in eggs sickens thousands ....... 2004-09-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200408271.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>The report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee made three vitally important new recommendations: Americans should consume less than one percent of their calories from trans fat, no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, and at least three servings of whole grains per day. Those explicit numbers will force healthful changes .... 2004-08-27 http://cspinet.org/new/200408051.html <b></b><br/>In a letter to Secretary Ann Veneman, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) announced its "Where's the Beef?" campaign, to urge the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to disclose distribution records for recalled meat so consumers could find out if meat they recently purchased was part of the recall. CSPI requested that USDA disclose 2004-08-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200408041.html <b>Newman's Own Misleads Customers About Healthfulness of Palm Oil</b><br/>Labels on several Newman's Own products make misleading claims about the healthfulness of palm oil, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). CSPI today asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to crack down ..... 2004-08-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200407301.html <b></b><br/>The American College Health Association (ACHA) has joined a growing list of organizations endorsing the Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV's drive to reduce the exposure of young people to alcohol advertising on televised sports events. The Campaign's ...... 2004-07-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200407222.html <b>210 NCAA Schools Pledge Action to Nix Alcohol Ads</b><br/>More than 200 colleges in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have pledged to end alcohol advertising on college sports broadcasts. Those schools .... 2004-07-22 http://cspinet.org/new/200407221.html <b>Trans Fat From PHOs Kill Thousands Each Year</b><br/>While the government decides whether to ban partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHOs) from the food supply, it should at least require restaurants that use the trans-fat-laden artificial ingredient to warn customers .... 2004-07-22 http://cspinet.org/new/200407212.html <b>Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project Director George A. Hacker</b><br/>Alcohol is the leading drug problem among young people in the United States and underage drinking contributes to the deaths of 6.5 times more young people than all illicit drugs combined. The "STOP Underage Drinking Act" represents a long-overdue acknowledgement of the need to ...... 2004-07-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200407211.html <b>CSPI Urges President Bush to Sign Legislation Making Allergens Easier to Spot on Food Labels</b><br/>Legislation that will help Americans with food allergies spot common allergens on food labels has passed both houses of Congress and is headed to President Bush .... 2004-07-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200407191.html <b>'National Geographic Kids' Magazine Takes Ads for Fast Food, Sugary Cereals, Candy, & More</b><br/>The National Geographic Society's once ad-free magazine for kids is now packed with ads for fast food, candy, sugary cereals, snack cakes, and other products, according ..... 2004-07-19 http://cspinet.org/new/200407123.html <b>CSPI Says Authors Fail to Disclose Financial Conflicts of Interest; Journals Fail to Enforce Disclosure Policies</b><br/>Several leading medical and science journals fail to enforce their own policies for disclosing financial conflicts of interest among contributing authors, according to a study released today by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The study examined 163 articles .... 2004-07-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200407122.html <b></b><br/><p>Theodora Colborn, Ph.D., whose career has focused on the effects of synthetic chemicals on human health, has been given the second annual Rachel Carson Award for Integrity in Science by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The former World Wildlife Fund scientist was recognized ..... 2004-07-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200407091.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b><br/>The Bush Administration today broke its promise to institute important new protections for animal feed. Instead of regulations, the agency issued a second Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking--a fancy bureaucratic tool for delay--on the critical issue of the safety of ......... 2004-07-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200407081.html <b>News Articles Often Silent on Scientists' and Groups' Funding & Biases</b><br/>How a reporter describes an expert source determines how much credibility a reader gives to the expert's assertion, according to a new national survey released today by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Most respondents ... 2004-07-08 http://cspinet.org/new/200406211.html <b>Consumer Organizations Aim to Improve Food Safety Standards Globally</b><br/>Consumer organizations from around globe are joining together to address the need for a safer food supply. Safe Food International (SFI)---in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and .......... 2004-06-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200406171.html <b>Legislation Would Ensure Safety of GE Foods</b><br/><p>The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) strongly backs landmark legislation introduced today by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) that would create a mandatory approval process to ensure the safety of genetically engineered (GE) foods. Presently, companies can market GE foods without .... 2004-06-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200406031.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>While I'm glad that the Federal Trade Commission took action in response to our complaint about KFC's ads, the remedy is a day late ........... 2004-06-03 http://cspinet.org/new/200406021.html <b>CSPI Says Industry & Regulators Sowing Secrecy in America's New 'Pharm Belt'</b><br/>The controversial practice of using genetic engineering to grow drugs or industrial chemicals in food crops is picking up speed, according to a new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). While a 2002 scandal ....... 2004-06-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200405261.html <b>At Issue: Corporate Influence Over Science & Policy</b><br/>Corporate influence on science and science policy comes again under the microscope at the Center for Science in the Public Interest's (CSPI) second annual conference on the topic. Scientists, academics, journalists, and policy advocates will convene in Washington on July 12 to debate corporations' use of science to frustrate regulation, thwart research on health risks, and corrupt evidence-based medicine. .......... 2004-05-26 http://cspinet.org/new/200405211.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b><br/>The news that major microwave popcorn makers are considering using the diarrhea-inducing fake fat Olestra is unwelcome news for Americans' insides. ....... 2004-05-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200405201.html <b>CSPI Urges Senate to Stand Up to Junk-Food Lobby</b><br/>Despite growing concerns about childhood obesity, some Democrats and most Republicans in Congress support selling junk food in school vending machines. Four Democrats on the Senate Agriculture Committee joined eight of the panel's Republicans in defeating a proposal by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) ............ 2004-05-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200405181.html <b>CSPI Aims to Reduce Heart Disease by Eliminating Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil from Food Supply</b><br/>Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which cause thousands of heart-attack deaths each year, should be removed from the American food supply since safer alternatives are widely available...... 2004-05-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200405141.html <b></b><br/>A dream team of college coaching greats--including Hall of Famers John Wooden and Dean Smith--today urged U.S. Representatives to cosponsor a Resolution in the House that calls on the NCAA and its member colleges to voluntarily end alcohol advertising on college sports broadcasts ...... 2004-05-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200405111.html <b>75 Percent of Drinks and 85 Percent of Snacks Unhealthful, Says CSPI</b><br/>A nationwide survey of vending machines in middle schools and high schools finds that 75 percent of the drinks and 85 percent of the snacks sold are of poor nutritional value. The study, of 1,420 vending machines in 251 schools, was organized by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and conducted by ............. 2004-05-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200405061.html <b>Statement of CSPI Integrity in Science Project Director Merrill Goozner</b><br/>The new guidelines unfortunately include huge new loopholes for agency scientists, which, if widely used, will put in jeopardy NIH's mission of looking for the causes and cures for disease. ....... 2004-05-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200405051.html <b></b> 2004-05-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200404261.html <b>Kids Need Calcium and Vitamin D but not Saturated Fat, Says CSPI</b><br/>The dairy industry uses its lobbying muscle to make it harder for schools to serve only low-fat milk, even though whole and 2% milk are by far the largest sources of saturated fat in children's diets. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) today accused the dairy industry of putting its profits ahead of the hearts of America's school-aged children .... 2004-04-26 http://cspinet.org/new/200404191.html <b>Statement of CSPI Legal Affairs Director Bruce Silverglade</b> 2004-04-19 http://cspinet.org/new/200404151.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b> 2004-04-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200404012.html <b></b><br/>CSPI Reacts To IOM Report On Dietary Supplements 2004-04-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200404011.html <b>More Food-Safety Measures Needed on Farms, Says CSPI</b> 2004-04-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200403301.html <b>"Maxaroni" Pairs Mac & Cheese With Fried Chicken Nuggets</b> 2004-03-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200403301.html <b>"Maxaroni" Pairs Mac & Cheese With Fried Chicken Nuggets</b> 2004-03-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200403251.html <b>Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project Director George A. Hacker</b> 2004-03-25 http://cspinet.org/new/200403181.html <b>Ads In Party Schools' Papers Target High-Calorie Drinks</b> 2004-03-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200403121.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b> 2004-03-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200403103.html <b>Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo Wootan</b> 2004-03-10 http://cspinet.org/new/200403102.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b> 2004-03-10 http://cspinet.org/new/200403093.html <b>Statement of CSPI nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan</b> 2004-03-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200403092.html <b>Statement of CSPI nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan</b> 2004-03-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200403091.html <b>Plain English Words Would Identify Allergens on Ingredient List</b> 2004-03-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200403081.html <b>CSPI Says Herbal Supplement Linked to Cancer Spread, Liver Failure</b> 2004-03-08 http://cspinet.org/new/200403031.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b> 2004-03-03 http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/testimonysenatecommerce.pdf <b>CSPI Testimony on Childhood Obesity</b> 2004-03-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200402241.html <b>Sit-Down Restaurants' Kids' Fare Often Worse Than Fast Food, Says CSPI</b> 2004-02-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200402181.html <b>CSPI Says US Protecting Food Industry, Not Public Health</b> 2004-02-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200402041.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b> 2004-02-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200402021.html <b>CSPI Supports Food Industry's Request for FDA Action</b> 2004-02-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200402012.html <b></b> 2004-02-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200402011.html <b>CSPI Identifies Bias in Medical Literature on Pediatric Antidepressants</b> 2004-02-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200401271.html <b>CSPI Applauds FDA Move</b> 2004-01-27 http://cspinet.org/new/200401221.html <b>Watchdog Groups Call for Removal of Mining Co. Reps.</b> 2004-01-22 http://cspinet.org/new/200401211.html <b>CSPI Says Malibu Campaign Illustrates Flaws with Industry's Voluntary Ad Code</b> 2004-01-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200401201.html <b>Statement of CSPI Biotechnology Project Director Gregory Jaffe</b> 2004-01-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200401161.html <b>Behind the Scenes Lobbying at Odds with Anti-Obesity Rhetoric</b> 2004-01-16 http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/mjfdlispeech.pdf <b>Speech by Michael Jacobson at Food and Drug Law Institute</b> 2004-01-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200401131.html <b>Nutrition Action Healthletter Rates Diet Books</b> 2004-01-13 http://cspinet.org/new/200401091.html <b>Company Warned that Proposed Nutrition Brochures Not Enough</b> 2004-01-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200401072.html <b>Feds Shouldn't Bar States from Disclosing Stores & Restaurants Receiving Tainted Meat</b> 2004-01-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200401071.html <b></b> 2004-01-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200312311.html <b>Long Overdue, But Rules Could Go Further to Protect Public</b> 2003-12-31 http://cspinet.org/new/200312241.html <b>Statement of Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b> 2003-12-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200312181.html <b>CSPI Says Watered Down Rules Fail to Protect Public</b> 2003-12-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200312161.html <b>Consumer Groups Petition TTB to Bring Alcohol Up to Labeling Standards</b> 2003-12-16 http://cspinet.org/new/200312111.html <b></b> 2003-12-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200312091.html <b>Fake Meat Made From Fungus Causes Vomiting, Diarrhea, & Worse, According to CSPI</b> 2003-12-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200312052.html <b></b> 2003-12-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200312051.html <b>Chain Bucks Health Trends with 1,200-Calorie Burgers</b> 2003-12-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200312031.html <b>FDA Commissioner One of Several to Receive Awards from ACSH</b> 2003-12-03 http://cspinet.org/new/200311261.html <b>Plain English Words Would Identify Allergens on Ingredients Lists</b> 2003-11-26 http://cspinet.org/new/200311211.html <b>CSPI Calls for Restoration of Historic Plane to Its Pre-Bud Glory</b> 2003-11-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200311191.html <b>Proper Thawing, Handling, & Cooking as Important as Ever, Says CSPI</b> 2003-11-19 http://cspinet.org/new/200311121.html <b>71 Percent Want Colleges to Dump Beer Ads</b> 2003-11-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200311073.html <b>Group Asks Feds to Crack Down on Deceptive Healthy Eating Claims</b> 2003-11-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200311071.html <b></b> 2003-11-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200311051.html <b>MEAL Act Would Only Affect Chains with 20 or More Outlets</b> 2003-11-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200310291.html <b>Nutrition, Labeling, Anti-Fraud Efforts Underfunded, Says Report</b> 2003-10-29 http://cspinet.org/new/200310091.html <b>"Two-if-by-Land" Prior Notice Rule Represents Retreat by FDA</b> 2003-10-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200309301.html <b>'Food Police' Bust Chipotle for Calorie Coverup</b> 2003-09-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200309291.html <b>Bush Administration Urged to Give One Agency On-Farm Authority</b> 2003-09-29 http://cspinet.org/new/200309251.html <b>Consumer Groups Say Unproven Health Claims Will Mislead Consumers</b> 2003-09-25 http://cspinet.org/new/200309231.html <b>Fake Meat Appears to be More Allergenic Than Other Food Allergens, Prompting CSPI Call For Ban</b> 2003-09-23 http://cspinet.org/new/200309181.html <b>CSPI Applauds State For Resisting</b> 2003-09-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200309161.html <b></b> 2003-09-16 http://cspinet.org/new/200309151.html <b>Tool Kit Gives Advice for Replacing Soda & Junk Food with Healthier Drinks & Snacks</b> 2003-09-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200309101.html <b>Insects May Become Resistant, Warns CSPI</b> 2003-09-10 http://cspinet.org/new/200309092.html <b>Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project Director George A. Hacker</b> 2003-09-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200309091.html <b>Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project Director George A. Hacker</b> 2003-09-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200309042.html <b>CSPI Looks at Ice Cream Bars, Fruit Bars, and other Frozen Treats</b> 2003-09-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200309041.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b> 2003-09-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200308211.html <b>Nature and Science Failing To Disclose Authors' Financial Ties</b> 2003-08-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200308191.html <b>CSPI Calls for Replacement of Members with Tightest Corporate Ties</b> 2003-08-19 http://cspinet.org/new/200308121.html <b>Panels Will Examine On-Farm Food Safety Challenges</b> 2003-08-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200308011.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b> 2003-08-01 http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/obesityindicators.pdf <b>Bigger Seats, More Plus Sizes</b> 2003-07-31 http://cspinet.org/new/200307231.html <b>Many Frozen Creations Equal to 2 or 3 Quarter Pounders</b> 2003-07-23 http://cspinet.org/new/200307172.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b> 2003-07-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200307171.html <b>Young Children Especially at Risk for Death by Choking on Certain Foods</b> 2003-07-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200307161.html <b>Legislation Would Put Nutrition Info on Chain Restaurant Menus, Menu Boards in Nation's Capital</b> 2003-07-16 http://cspinet.org/new/200307151.html <b>Cases Highlighted in Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition</b> 2003-07-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200307111.html <b>Americans Think Doctors Are Influenced by Drug Companies' Gifts</b> 2003-07-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200307101.html <b>Statement of CSPI Legal Affairs Director Bruce Silverglade</b> 2003-07-10 http://cspinet.org/new/200307092.html <b>Critics Silenced & Friends Won Through Corporate Donations</b> 2003-07-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200307091.html <b>New Regulation is Important Step in Right Direction, Says CSPI</b> 2003-07-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200307031.html <b>Statement of CSPI Director of Nutrition Policy Margo Wootan</b> 2003-07-03 http://cspinet.org/new/200306192.html <b>Anti-Consumer Bill Would Shield Food Industry from Liability</b> 2003-06-19 http://cspinet.org/new/200306191.html <b>CSPI Finds Many Farmers Violating EPA's Requirements</b> 2003-06-19 http://cspinet.org/new/200306101.html <b>Gulf Coast Shellfish Responsible for Needless Deaths Each Year</b> 2003-06-10 http://cspinet.org/new/200306051.html <b></b> 2003-06-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200306042.html <b>Statement Of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b> 2003-06-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200306041.html <b>CSPI Says Companies Should Reduce Levels of Known Carcinogen</b> 2003-06-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200306041.html <b>CSPI Says Companies Should Reduce Levels of Known Carcinogen</b> 2003-06-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200306021.html <b>Action Taken in Response to CSPI Investigation</b> 2003-06-02 http://cspinet.org/new/200305301.html <b>New Claims On Foods Can Mislead & Confuse, Says CSPI</b> 2003-05-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200305221.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b> 2003-05-22 http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/bse_5-21-03_letter.pdf <b></b> 2003-05-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200305201.html <b>Will Address Corporate Efforts to Manipulate Science</b> 2003-05-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200305131.html <b>"100% Fruit" More Like 43%—or Less</b> 2003-05-13 http://cspinet.org/nah/2003/untangling_the_web.html <b></b> 2003-05-08 http://cspinet.org/new/200305061.html <b>CSPI Says Rules Should Protect Food Supply, Not Pamper Industry</b> 2003-05-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200304302.html <b>CSPI Highlights Top (and Bottom) Health Web Sites</b> 2003-04-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200304301.html <b>Statement of CSPI Integrity in Science Project director Virginia A. Sharpe</b> 2003-04-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200304291.html <b>Doses of Ginkgo, Ginseng, & Other Herbs too Tiny to Justify Wild Claims</b> 2003-04-29 http://cspinet.org/new/200304251.html <b>Guacamole Dips from Kraft, Others Have Precious Little Avocado</b> 2003-04-25 http://cspinet.org/new/200304241.html <b>Statement of CSPI Biotechonlogy Project Director Gregory Jaffe</b> 2003-04-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200304232.html <b>Contamination Shows Industry and Government Not Doing Enough, Says CSPI</b> 2003-04-23 http://cspinet.org/new/200304231.html <b>FDA Investigation Moving too Slowly, Says CSPI</b> 2003-04-23 http://cspinet.org/new/200304211.html <b>Trade Group Tries Unsuccessfully to Whack Report on Diet & Disease</b> 2003-04-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200304151.html <b>Emergency Order Praised by CSPI</b> 2003-04-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200304081.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b> 2003-04-08 http://cspinet.org/new/200304042.html <b>Animal Drug Bill Weakens Regulation for GE Food Animals</b> 2003-04-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200304041.html <b>"Fast Casual" Fare (Mostly) Better Than Burgers, Says CSPI</b> 2003-04-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200304011.html <b>CSPI Finds More Than Twice the Fat, Saturated Fat as Claimed</b> 2003-04-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200303261.html <b>Prodigene Not To Start Paying Fine Until 2004</b> 2003-03-26 http://cspinet.org/new/200303111.html <b>Legislation Would Put Nutrition Info on Chain Restaurant Menus, Menu Boards</b> 2003-03-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200303101.html <b>At Issue: Industry Influence Over Federal Advisory Committees</b> 2003-03-10 http://cspinet.org/new/200303071.html <b>Congress Needs to Change the Law on Manufacturing Standards</b> 2003-03-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200303042.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b> 2003-03-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200303041.html <b>CSPI Urges AAPD to Put Kids' Teeth Ahead of Coke's Money</b> 2003-03-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200302281.html <b>Congress Needs to Change Dietary Supplement Law</b> 2003-02-28 http://cspinet.org/new/200302271.html <b>Government and Industry Must Heed the Report's</b> 2003-02-27 http://cspinet.org/new/200302261.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b> 2003-02-26 http://cspinet.org/new/200302252.html <b>Statement of CSPI Biotechnology Project Director Gregory Jaffe</b> 2003-02-25 http://cspinet.org/new/200302251.html <b>Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project Director George A. Hacker</b> 2003-02-25 http://cspinet.org/new/200302201.html <b>Restaurant and Bar Lobby Behind "Orwellian" PR Campaign</b> 2003-02-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200302181.html <b>Ice Cream Cone Serving Sizes Exceed McDonald's Official Numbers</b> 2003-02-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200302141.html <b>Nation's First Comprehensive Anti-Obesity Package Bans Junk Food in Schools & Calls for Restaurant Menu Labeling</b> 2003-02-14 http://cspinet.org/new/200302121.html <b></b> 2003-02-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200302101.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b> 2003-02-10 http://cspinet.org/new/200302061.html <b>Statement of CSPI Biotechnology Director Gregory Jaffe</b> 2003-02-06 http://cspinet.org/new/200301281.html <b>Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b> 2003-01-28 http://cspinet.org/new/200301151.html <b>Statement of CSPI Biotechnology Project Director Greg Jaffe</b> 2003-01-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200301071.html <b>FDA Needs Authority To Assure Safety Of GE Foods, Says Report</b> 2003-01-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200212301.html <b></b> 2002-12-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200212181.html <b>Statement of CSPI Legal Affairs Director Bruce Silverglade</b> 2002-12-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200212171.html <b>Bush Administration Stacking the Deck on Key Committees at CDC</b> 2002-12-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200212121.html <b>Statement of CSPI Biotechnology Project Director Gregory Jaffe</b> 2002-12-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200212101.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b> 2002-12-10 http://cspinet.org/new/200211291.html <b>New Kraft "It's Pasta Anytime" Loaded With Fat & Sodium</b> 2002-11-29 http://cspinet.org/new/200211211.html <b>Consumers Should Look For Plant I.D. Number—Not Just Brand</b> 2002-11-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200211191.html <b>Tobacco, Chemical, & Drug Companies' Funding Goes Undisclosed, Say Critics</b> 2002-11-19 http://cspinet.org/new/200211151.html <b>Statement of CSPI Biotechnology Project Director Gregory Jaffe</b> 2002-11-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200211051.html <b>ATF Lets Liquor-Branded Alcopops Fool Adults, Target Kids</b> 2002-11-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200211011.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b> 2002-11-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200210241.html <b>CSPI Says Coke Deal Makes "Chamber of Secrets" Look Like "Chamber of Commerce"</b> 2002-10-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200210171.html <b>Statement Of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b> 2002-10-17 http://cspinet.org/new/200210161.html <b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b> 2002-10-16 http://cspinet.org/new/200210111.html <b>25 Scientists Call For Mandatory Approval Of Biotech Crops</b> 2002-10-11 http://cspinet.org/new/200210091.html <b>CSPI Calls On FDA To Verify That Firms Are Keeping Hazards At Bay</b> 2002-10-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200210081.html <b>Statement Of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b> 2002-10-08 http://cspinet.org/new/200210072.html <b>870 Calories In A Drink? "Food Porn," Says CSPI</b> 2002-10-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200210071.html <b>Statement Of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan</b> 2002-10-07 http://cspinet.org/new/200210041.html <b>USP Mark Does Not Mean Ingredient Is Safe Or Effective</b> 2002-10-04 http://cspinet.org/new/200209252.html <b>CSPI Slams Report From Coke-Funded 'Front Group'</b> 2002-09-25 http://cspinet.org/new/200209251.html <b>Kennedy/Lowey Bill Heads To Senate Floor</b> 2002-09-25 http://cspinet.org/new/200209242.html <b>Statement Of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal</b> 2002-09-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200209241.html <b>Statement Of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project Director George Hacker</b> 2002-09-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200209231.html <b>Statement Of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson</b> 2002-09-23 http://cspinet.org/new/200209201.html <b>Legislation Would Require Readable Ingredients Lists, Allergen Info</b> 2002-09-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200209191.html <b></b> 2002-09-19 http://cspinet.org/new/200209181.html <b>CSPI Report Recommends Single Food Safety Agency</b> 2002-09-18 http://cspinet.org/new/200209101.html <b>Diageo Deal A Historically Bad First</b> 2002-09-10 http://cspinet.org/new/200209091.html <b>Cinnamon Roll With Cream Cheese Icing Is "Food Porn," Says CSPI</b> 2002-09-09 http://cspinet.org/new/200209051.html <b>CSPI senior nutritionist David Schardt, M.S., had the following comment about the Institute of Medicine's new report on Dietary Reference Intakes for Macronutrients</b> 2002-09-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200208281.html <b>Statement of Margo G. Wootan, Director of Nutrition Policy</b> 2002-08-28 http://cspinet.org/new/200208211.html <b>Burger King Sweeps the Worst ... but Also Has Two Bests</b> 2002-08-21 http://cspinet.org/new/200208201.html <b>Regulatory System Needs Significant Improvement to Adequately Assess Risks</b> 2002-08-20 http://cspinet.org/new/200208151.html <b>Food-Safety Group Calls For Ban On Mould-Based Meat Substitute</b> 2002-08-15 http://cspinet.org/new/200208131.html <b>Violations Raise Questions About Compliance Elsewhere</b> 2002-08-13 http://cspinet.org/new/200208121.html <b>FDA Unconcerned About Vomiting Caused By Fungus-Based Faux Meat</b> 2002-08-12 http://cspinet.org/new/200208051.html <b>Partnership Sends Mixed Messages To America's Youth, Says CSPI</b> 2002-08-05 http://cspinet.org/new/200207301.html <b>Nothing "All Natural" About Artificial Ingredients</b> 2002-07-30 http://cspinet.org/new/200207261.html <b>"Secret Fat" May Be Less Secret Soon—But Consumers May Still Be Confused If FDA Has Its Way</b> 2002-07-26 http://cspinet.org/new/200207241.html <b>Report Should Be Expanded To Cover Effectiveness</b> 2002-07-24 http://cspinet.org/new/200207161.html <b>New Data Prove Teens Tuning In To Booze-Branded Alcopop Ads Despite Industry's Self-Enforced Ad "Standards"</b> 2002-07-16 http://cspinet.org/new/200207101.html <b>CSPI Says Report Makes Case For Including Trans On Food Labels</b> 2002-07-10 http://cspinet.org/new/200207011.html <b>"Nick of Time" Testing Not Good Enough, Experts Say</b> 2002-07-01 http://cspinet.org/new/200206271.html <b>Statement Of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson On WHO's Findings</b> 2002-06-27 http://cspinet.org/new/200206261.html <b>Four People Have Died So Far This Year</b> 2002-06-26 http://cspinet.org/new/200206251.html <b>Snack Chips, French Fries Show Highest Levels Of Known Carcinogen<br>CSPI Calls On FDA To Test More Food</b> 2002-06-25 http://cspinet.org/new/200206181.html <b>Super-Sized Portions May Be More Than You Bargained For, Says Report</b> 2002-06-18