Posted on 07/01/2003 10:20:02 AM PDT by L.N. Smithee
By Deborah Cohen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Kraft Foods Inc., the biggest U.S. maker of processed foods, on Tuesday said it would cap portion sizes, eliminate marketing in schools and reformulate some products as the food industry faces increasing legal blame for obesity and unhealthy eating trends.
The maker of Oreo cookies and Velveeta cheese spreads said this year it will develop a range of standards to improve the overall nutritional content of its products and the way it sells them. It will begin making changes to the way it manufactures and markets foods beginning next year.
The cost of the measures, which are sweeping, could not be estimated, according to a spokesman for the company, based in the Chicago suburb of Northfield, Illinois.
Critics are quick to point out that Kraft may be on the defensive at a time of heightened criticism over the role big food companies play in contributing to growing health problems in the United States. No. 1 fast-food chain McDonald's Corp. has already been the target of a highly publicized lawsuit linking its burgers to obesity in children.
"This is sort of a preemptive move to stave off the lawyers and the critics," said Henry Anhalt, an endocrinologist and director of the "Kids Weight Down" program at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn.
"What I think is going on is that the soothsayers are saying that coming down the pike are going to be large lawsuits, class action suits looking at cardiovascular disease, premature death, diabetes, and they're going to turn to the food industry and lay it on their feet," he said.
Still, he applauded Kraft for making changes that he believes will make a difference. Kraft could set standards that other major food companies could follow.
Obesity among adults in the United States has doubled since 1980, and tripled among adolescents, according to the U.S. surgeon general.
Kraft acknowledged that the moves may in part help indemnify the company against potential lawsuits.
"We're making these commitments first and foremost because we think it is the right thing to do for the people who use our products and for our business, but if it also discourages a plaintiff's attorney or unfair legislation, that's fine with us." said Michael Mudd, a Kraft spokesman.
GLOBAL EFFORTS
Kraft said its efforts would be global, focusing on product nutrition, marketing practices, information for consumers and public advocacy. It is forming an advisory council to help develop standards for the company's approach to health issues.
Marketing fatty and sugar-laden foods to children has been a hot-button in the news. Last week, New York City's school system decided to remove candy, soda and sweet snacks from school vending machines.
Last month, the head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) said that agency plans to push for expanded nutritional labeling on food products.
Kraft said the changes it will make will include advertising and marketing to children to encourage appropriate eating behaviors and active lifestyles.
The company, which used to promote its products on Channel One, a news channel played in secondary schools, will now cease all in-school marketing.
Other big food industry players are also taking defensive measures. McDonald's in March announced worldwide initiatives to help promote healthy lifestyles and provide consumers with expanded product information. It has also assembled an advisory council.
"This is an ongoing battle," said Keith Patriquin, a buy-side analyst with Loomis Sayles, which holds shares of Kraft and other big food names. "Trial lawyers ... are looking for the next big thing."
Earlier this year, a lawsuit was filed in California seeking to ban Kraft's Oreo cookies. The suit, which drew criticism in legal circles for potentially abusing the U.S. court system, was withdrawn less than two weeks later.
Shares of Kraft, which is majority owned by tobacco giant Altria Group Inc., were off 25 cents at $34.30 in mid-morning New York Stock Exchange (news - web sites) trading. (With reporting by Brad Dorfman in Chicago)
You could be right, . . .
On the other hand, I think MacDonald's was the first to cave on its french fries (removing the suet which made them taste great) -- and the health nuts smelled blood and tore after them for everything else, pretty much ignoring Burger King and the others.
Cookies don't kill people, people kill people.
I went to lunch with a plus-sized woman once. We ordered meal-sized salads. I had mine with an unsweetened iced tea. She had hers with a large order of fries and a big soda. Then she sat there and told me about how her thyroid was making her heavy. It's never their fault of course. >:(
If you lost eight pounds in one day, something wasn't right. Maybe a combination of water loss and unreliable scales. Not to put you down because in the end, you lost your weight and evidently worked hard at it.
When I first started losing weight, I discovered my scales were unreliable. I would get off and on and they would be as much as a seven pound difference. I invested in some fairly expensive scales that also calculates body fat by shooting laser beams into your feet and up into your body (not as scary as it sounds, it's actually quite reliable). Those scales weigh you by the tenth of a pound and it never varies by more than .4 when you step off and back on them. For anybody serious about losing weight, these are the scales to get. You can find them in any sporting goods or fitness store. Also, I don't suggest weighing yourself more than once a week. Those daily fluctuations will drive you crazy and depress you at times. I weigh myself every Sunday morning at the same time and that is how I chart my progress.
Obesity among adults in the United States has doubled since 1980, and tripled among adolescents, according to the U.S. surgeon general.Isn't that also about the time that the fedgov came out with its high-carb, low-fat pyramid?Redefining the definition of "obesity" had something to do with this.
Obesity among adults in the United States has doubled since 1980, and tripled among adolescents, according to the U.S. surgeon general.Isn't that also about the time that the fedgov came out with its high-carb, low-fat pyramid?Redefining the definition of "obesity" had something to do with this.
< sarcasm >
They've bypassed the bother of rewriting the Ten Commandments by banning them. Didn't you know?
< /sarcasm >
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