Now I'm getting hongry for some lunch, from this smallish chain: 
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)
Yep, those bad lawyers made them lower portions sizes and raise profits. Those evil lawyers got them off the hook on paying for the ads to the schools. Next time maybe we throw them in the briar patch.
Now I'm getting hongry for some lunch, from this smallish chain:
Yikes! Did I type that? That's more of a Freudian slip than a typo.
Do they really still do that? Where? I saw an article in the WSJ over 15 years ago (middle column, front page) that said Coke made the sugar Coke for Passover. I tried to find it around here (Boston) around Passover, but even in stores with a fair-sized Jewish clientele (I couldn't get to a strictly Jewish neighborhood), I just saw signs advising observant Jews that they didn't have to give up Coke for Passover -- just drink Diet Coke! I really wanted to buy some for a friend who's devoted to Coke. I even asked a Coke delivery man, and he said he'd never heard of the Kosher Coke.
(I couldn't prove it because I wasn't paying attention, but I've always suspected that the whole point of the New Coke was to substitute it for real Coke long enough so that when "classic" Coke came back, no one would notice that it now had corn sweeteners instead of sugar.)
Lipton's now puts it in their dehydrated chicken soups. (Anyone who thinks corn syrup is a good ingredient in chicken soup needs to be watched!)
Does that diet really work? .. I'm still trying to lose a few from the last baby
Unfortunately, I think I've reached the age the I need to (gasp) exercise .. groan
It'll be interesting to see how they end up doing this. If all they do is cut fat content, they'll end up causing more obesity, not less. The only way to make low-fat food taste palatable is to jack up the carbs, which is not only what actually ends up adding to your waistline but also what screws with your blood sugar levels and ends up making you crave more food.
Eat regular-fat foods (unless you have a specific medical condition that requires you to do otherwise), and eat it in moderation. If you're gaining weight and don't want to, start monitoring the carbohydrates you're taking in and cutting back on them until your weight stabilizes. Cut back further temporarily if you need to lose. That's really all there is to it.
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