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Read this magazine and burn off at least 20 kcalories! FOODFOODThe MAGAZINEMAGAZINE Campaigning for safer, healthier food for all

Published by The Food Commission Issue 65 N April/June 2004 N £4.95

Is this the most MoDMoD warnswarns ofof expensive fruit juice in the UK? burgerburger threatthreat Are you are a fan of Robinson’s Fruit Shoot Juice Drink? It is a product nder the banner ‘Who Dares Slims’ the Brigadier Little recognised that he would available with children’s U UK Ministry of Defence has announ- be facing a difficult task. “The UK Armed meals around the country. ced plans to tackle what it calls ‘the Forces have traditionally fed soldiers very But did you know that, at modern four horsemen of the apocalypse – well, but even though many are happy to the price charged for obesity, heart disease, diabetes and the regularly stock up on steak and chips, we this Robinson’s product, cheeseburger’. Yes, it seems that the MoD have a duty to provide meals that combine you would need to pay now regards the cheeseburger as a major taste with a healthy diet.” He added that with £22.60 to purchase a threat to public health. a budget of £120m, compared with national litre of pure, undiluted The MoD’s Defence Logistics Organisation food purchases in excess of £70bn, the MoD fruit? That’s equivalent has launched a programme to examine its “needed to be realistic in its targets”. to 33 bottles, each catering and nutrition requirements. ‘The Nonetheless, the military can take the lead containing only 10% intention is to develop menus that optimise in changing the UK’s diet, he believed. fruit. And no, this is not physical and mental performance and address “Generating the cultural change required for a the most expensive the growing problems in society of obesity and generation brought up on cheeseburgers and juice. over reliance on junk food and their impact on TV dinners will be considerably more challen- military personnel’s health and fitness.’ ging and no-one expects immediate results. See pages 12 to 13 for Moves already underway include However, if the MoD can be seen to deliver the true cost of juice in increased provision of salads and fruit improvements, I believe other parts of society juice drinks. alongside the ‘less healthy’ chips and sticky can learn and benefit from our experience.” puddings, said the Director of the Defence Catering Group, Brigadier Jeff Little. Brigadier Little also took a brisk view about Parents Jury fixes Bob the Builder unnecessary additives such as colourings: “There’s very little highly coloured in ration Bob the Builder’s agents have been in touch types of foods they will allow Bob to promote packs. There are some boiled sweets, but with the Food Commission, eager to find out to pre-school children. However, in a that’s about all. There’s nothing in there that what they can do to avoid bad publicity for telephone conversation with the Food would contain these type of additives.” Bob the Builder branded foods. Commission in April, a HIT representative said The services recruit up to 18,000 young The move follows widespread media that they would be starting talks with Heinz adults each year but, with rising rates of child coverage of a new nutrition policy from BBC and HP about reducing the salt in their canned and adolescent obesity, their fitness for duty is Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC. pasta. Currently, HIT characters appear on in doubt. Serving personnel also have to pass The policy commits the BBC to nutritional Heinz and HP products that would take a pre- annual fitness tests. standards for the kinds of foods that can be school child over their recommended salt While civilian politicians might allow promoted by characters such as the intake for a whole day – in a single market forces to determine the nation’s eating Teletubbies, Tweenies and Fimbles. portion. habits, the military cannot afford such Bob the Builder foods were criticised in Bob’s famous theme tune complacency. The move to improve soldiers’ many of the newspaper stories, with the springs to mind, but with new diets is reminiscent of the concern faced by Food Commission and Parents Jury words: ‘Parents Jury, can the British army during the Boer War, when calling on Bob to do they fix it? Parents Jury, 40-60% of men presenting for service were more for toddlers’ yes they can!’ See page 3 found to be too malnourished to be recruited. health. for details. The potential disaster for British colonial Bob the ambitions led to various measures to improve Builder’s agent, HIT diets both within the services and throughout Entertainment has, as yet, society, including the development of the made no detailed commitment on the school meals service. Get the facts with the Food Magazine FM65_MH.qxd 11/11/08 10:01 Page 2

editorial contents

News Choosing not to choose MoD warns of burger threat 1 Parent Power works 1, 3 The Food Magazine is published quar- anufacturers love the word ‘choice’, which has the Checkout campaign update 4 terly by The Food Commission, a national double implication that (a) marketeers can throw Obesity is a marketing opportunity 4 non-profit organisation campaigning for World Health Assembly in row 6 the right to safe, wholesome food. We M anything at us and tell us it increases our choice, and Pesticides: right to know 6 rely entirely on our supporters, allowing us (b) pass full responsibility on to us if we make wrong choices. International action on junk ads 9 to be completely independent, taking no Even our government lives by the mantra of choice, offering subsidy from the government, the food Juice: what are you paying for? 12-13 industry or advertising. We aim to provide notional choice in education, health services, pensions and independently researched information on train companies. Health the food we eat to ensure good quality Choice in the food market can be equally barren of Nestlé and Nutricia target mums 5 food for all. meaning. Take McDonald’s. Can we choose a salad at Boots re-labels baby water 5 Aspartame faces lawsuits 6 McDonald’s? Yes, but with 13 grams fat in a crispy chicken The Food Commission Research Charity Children’s food as salty as ever 7 aims to relieve ill health and advance salad (with no dressing!), the ‘healthy’ choice is fattier than a Krispy Kreme: ‘calorie colonialism’ 8 public education through research, regular burger (under 8 grams fat) or even a cheeseburger Obesity top US killer 9 education and the promotion of better quality food. (around 11 grams fat). It’s not a choice at all: like political Costs of obesity 11 parties, you get a bad outcome whatever you choose. Glycaemic Index explained 16 Director: Tim Lobstein And does McDonald’s serve fresh fruit? Not quite fresh, as Policy Officer: Kath Dalmeny GM Nutritionist and Campaigns Officer: the pieces of apple are ready cut and pre-packed in cute blue GM found in organic soya 6 Annie Seeley bags emblazoned with Ronald McDonald’s face. Each bag Office & Subscriptions Manager: costs £0.59, more than the price of a can of cola or a bag of Advertising Ian Tokelove sweets at the newsagent next door, and equivalent to paying Latest rulings on advertising 10 Administrative Officer: Graham Hood £2.50 for a pound of apples. Not even Harrods charges that! Information Officer: Mary Whiting Environment Assistant Research Officers: A recent survey nicely exposed the problem of ‘choice’. The price of meat 14-15 Margaret May, Kate Millington, When it comes to goods and services, consumers said they Marion O’Brien, Helen Sandwell, Marjon Willers did not want meaningless choices between, say, different Science hospitals. They would rather have no choice at all if they could What the doctor reads 17 Cartoons: Ben Nash be sure of a good, high quality service. Trustees and Advisors: With food, too, we don’t want empty choices. We just want Marketplace Joanna Blythman, Dr Eric Brunner Books, posters, subscriptions 18 Tracey Clunies-Ross, Peta Cottee, Prof the best. Michael Crawford, Derek Cooper, Sue Dibb, Farming Alan Gear, Vicki Hird, Dr Mike Joffe, Robin What’s the beef? 19 Jenkins, Prof Tim Lang, Iona Lidington, Dr How do we do it? CAP short-changes fruit farmers 21 Alan Long, Jeanette Longfield, Diane Our budget is often in the red. Our rent has just been McCrae, Dr Erik Millstone, Dr Melanie increased. And the battle for healthy food is becoming more Miller, Charlotte Mitchell, Dr Mike Nelson, Books Dr Mike Rayner, Prof Aubrey Sheiham, and more intense... Yet the Food Commission survives. Reviews of books and reports 20 Colin Tudge, Hugh Warwick, Simon Wright. How? By being as frugal as possible with our resources. By creative campaigning. By paying ourselves low wages. By Feedback I Issue 65 of the Food Magazine April - A dip into our mailbag 22-23 June 2004. ISSN 0953-5047. using volunteer and student help when we can. I Typesetting and design by Ian Tokelove And by asking our readers to help us. And help us you have: Backbites of the Food Commission. our January appeal raised over £5,000, and thanks to Gift Aid I On the lighter side… 24 Printed on recycled paper by Rap/Spider claims we can add another £1,000 to that figure. Web, Oldham OL9 7LY. I Retail distribution by Central Books, 99 And it isn’t just the cash. It means a great deal to us when Wallis Road, London E9 5LN. we open the letters and read your words of support, your good I Unless otherwise indicated all items are wishes and your encouragement. copyright © The Food Commission (UK) Badvertisements! Ltd 2003 and are not to be reproduced That, in the end, is our reason for continuing to build the This magazine takes no without written permission. I The views Food Commission and its campaigns. Your support is what advertising for food products. expressed in this magazine are not means most to us, and for that we are always grateful. We believe that food necessarily those of The Food Commission. companies already promote their products too much. The Food Commission (UK) Ltd 94 White Lion Street But we do like to expose London N1 9PF food companies’ deceptive Telephone: 020 7837 2250 descriptions, silly statements Fax: 020 7837 1141 Advertising Policy. The Food Magazine does not accept and loopy labels. email: [email protected] commercial advertising. Loose inserts are accepted subject to So watch out for our ANTI- websites: www.foodcomm.org.uk approval – please contact Ian Tokelove at The Food Commission for ADVERTISEMENTS scattered www.parentsjury.org.uk details. Call 020 7837 2250 or email [email protected] through this magazine!

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news Parent power works! BBC publishes nutrition policy… and Bob the Builder is shamed into action

BC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the Tank Engine appear. They have also worldwide, with final sign-off of any food deals B the BBC, has published its long- agreed to meet with the Food Commission and managed by the Director of Children's awaited food and nutrition policy. This Parents Jury to discuss details of the BBC’s Operations. commits the BBC to use nutritional guidelines nutrition initiative. The Food Commission is delighted that the for the sorts of foods that can be promoted to Other companies owning the licence to BBC, with its public-service role, has children by means of its licensed pre-school familiar characters have also been in touch, understood what an important part it has to characters such as the Teletubbies, Tweenies, and the Food Commission is planning a round- play in improving children’s diets. We hope that Fimbles and Bill & Ben. table meeting to bring these companies the agents for other characters will follow suit, This development is a great victory for the together to discuss their responsibilities in and we will contact them over the coming Food Commission’s Parents Jury. The promoting food to children. weeks. These will include companies such as announcement of the BBC’s new policy follows In summary, BBC Worldwide’s new policy Disney, HIT Entertainment, Warner Bros and pressure from the Food Commission and stipulates that: Mattel, whose internationally recognised Parents Jury, prompted by a Tweenies Happy G There will be no more fast food deals for characters include Winnie the Pooh, Bob the Meals promotion in McDonald’s. Many BBC children's characters – nationally and Builder, Thomas the Tank Engine, Tom & Jerry members of the Parents Jury wrote to BBC internationally. and Barbie – all firm favourites with young Worldwide to express their anger at BBC G There will be no more ‘everyday treat’ foods children. Tweenies characters being used to promote branded with BBC characters, e.g. confec- The BBC’s announcement of a nutrition unhealthy food to toddlers. tionery, lollies and crisps. BBC Worldwide policy has shown, once again, that Parent The Food Magazine followed up the story will continue to allow its children’s charac- Power really works. When we sent out news to last July by exposing all the other unhealthy ters on ‘occasional treat foods for special the Parents Jury, we received many comments products that the BBC was allowing Tweenies occasions’, e.g. Easter eggs. in response, typified by this from a Parents to promote. G Foods carrying BBC characters will con- Jury member: "It was good to hear that the As a result, BBC Worldwide agreed to meet form to salt, fat and sugar guidelines drawn parts we played all helped achieve this. with the Food Commission, to discuss the up in partnership with the Food Standards Fantastic – and a big thank you to the Food development of a BBC nutrition policy. Agency. Commission for pulling all the parent power Embarrassed by the media attention that G The BBC will seek to use its children’s char- together!" the BBC’s announcement stirred up this acters to promote healthy staple foods, sup- March, Bob the Builder’s agents (HIT porting foods from the major food groups. I Visit the Parents Jury website at: Entertainment) contacted the G Additive use (e.g. colourings and preserva- www.parentsjury.org.uk Food Commission. The tives) will be reviewed, with the aim of agents assured us excluding those that may be linked to they will be hyperactivity, asthma or unhealthy reac- There are still plenty of products promoted by negotiating with tions. other children’s characters that would be Heinz and HP G Foods carrying BBC children’s characters unlikely to comply with the BBC’s new to reduce salt will have clearer and less misleading nutrition policy. These high salt cans of pasta in children's labelling. BBC Worldwide research with are promoted using Tom and Jerry (Turner pasta shapes over 1,000 parents found that Entertainment Co) and Barbie (Mattel, Inc) on which Bob they were unhappy with the Builder being given the impression and Thomas that a food was healthy from information on the front of The Food the label, only to find that the Commission first ingredients list revealed challenged BBC unhealthy levels of sugar or Worldwide when we fat. found its Tweenies characters being used to promote this high salt, high saturated fat and The nutritional standards will be high sugar McDonald’s Happy Meal communicated to BBC agents

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news

More support for Market specialists highlight Chuck Snacks obesity as a profit opportunity

Seven local public health organisations have The Food Commission has been invited several Magazine readers: increased regulation, added their support to our call to Chuck times over the past year to address audiences advertising bans, fat taxes... Snacks of the Checkout, including district food of marketing executives from national and And the opportunities? One of the main networks, community dental services and multinational food companies. These are often areas in which TNS operates is voluntary child-care organisations. organised by public relations (PR) companies pharmaceuticals and healthcare products. With many of these supporters working in or specialists in ‘market information’. The TNS PowerPoint presentation suggests communities to improve health, they see first Perhaps naively, we have been happy to that healthcare product manufacturers hand how children’s food choices are oblige, feeling we should brave the lion’s den calculate the profit opportunities that obesity influenced by the foods promoted to them. in order to contribute to positive change. But can offer. The calculation goes like this: One supporter, Bolton Primary Care Trust, we must admit to a growing sense of unease. If your female customer weighs a healthy undertook 22 checkout surveys, finding that One such invitation arrived this month from 8st 7lbs, her skin area will be 1.6m2. But if she ‘many stores had confectionery and snacks at the international market information company becomes obese and weighs, say, 18st, her every or nearly all checkouts (e.g. Asda and TNS (formerly Taylor Nelson-Sofres). TNS skin area will be 2.3m2. That’s 44% more skin. Morrisons) whilst only three had no displays. describes itself as having ‘extensive global ‘Should we target the overweight?’ asks TNS. As one Bolton parent commented, "I totally reach, operating out of 70 countries But of course! ‘They have the potential to use disagree with sweets at the checkouts. At the worldwide’ and helping clients ‘develop 44% more product.’ end of a busy shopping trip I don’t want an effective business strategies and argument with a tired toddler. There are communications’. sweets in the main aisles – why do we need An enlightening PowerPoint them again at the exit?" presentation (a page is Julie Holt, Food Strategy Co-ordinator at reproduced right) provided on Bolton PCT, told us, "It’s really difficult for the TNS website helped us to parents, they are under so much pressure to crystallise the cause of our buy these sorts of products for their children. discomfort. Entitled Path to It’s particularly stressful for parents who are growth or road to perdition?, the on a low income. At least if the products are in presentation sets out what TNS the aisles, parents can choose whether they sees as the threats and want to buy them for their children.” opportunities for companies in the face of a global obesity I Email: [email protected], or epidemic. The threats are write to: Annie Seeley, Food Commission familiar territory to Food (CSOC), Freepost KE7564, London N1 9BR McDonald’s uses local press to target children

McDonald’s has received a lot of good Meanwhile, another member of the publicity over the past few weeks for its Parents Jury, Tracy Hayden, reports that her revised menu, offering plain milk and pre-cut local McDonald’s has persisted in a promotion apple pieces to children. These healthier to reward children aged six months to five options will be offered alongside the regular years with a year’s supply of Happy Meals if fare of burgers, fries, carbonated drinks and they win the Bonny Baby competition. This is a shakes. joint promotion by McDonald’s and the This might seem like a sea-change in Maldon and Burnham Standard. attitude were it not for the fact that the less In January, the Food Magazine reported healthy options are still receiving that McDonald’s, embarrassed to hear its considerable marketing support, as Bonny Baby scheme criticised by the Food demonstrated by McDonald’s marketing Commission in front of a meeting of MPs, had partnerships with local newspapers. hurried off to scrap the scheme. But never Member of the Parents Jury, Mrs Penny trust the promises of a marketeer! Tracy Shadbolt, sent us this cutting from the Epsom Hayden tells us that the scheme went ahead, & Sutton Post newspaper showing its kids and Burnham bonny babies were duly club promotion sponsored by McDonald’s. photographed in McDonald’s receiving their She reports that she has written to the local prize. paper to protest that by offering free It will take a lot more than cut-up apple to hamburgers to children, it is "contributing to convince parents that McDonald’s has really the escalating rise in childhood obesity and changed its spots! junk food related health problems".

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babies

Nestlé and Nutricia target vulnerable families

Food companies continue to or utensils which may promote the use of Because promote inappropriate food breastmilk substitutes or bottle feeding’ America does (Article 5.4). to vulnerable babies from not enforce The International Code was adopted by the international low-income families, World Health Assembly in 1981 as a ‘minimum rules on baby-milk marketing, many US ignoring an international requirement’ for all governments in order to hospitals distribute free samples of products code drawn up to protect protect infant health. Its goal is to protect and such as Enfamil to the mothers of newborn promote breastfeeding and to curb marketing babies, undermining the advice that ‘breast is infant health. of breastmilk substitutes. The World Health best’. Such marketing is outlawed in most Organisation (WHO) estimates that 1.5 million other countries and enforced through A new marketing campaign from Dutch baby- infants die around the world every year surveillance, fines and prosecutions. food company Nutricia has prompted because they are not breastfed. international outrage from organisations Nutricia is not alone in persisting with working to protect child health. promotion of such products. This February, In the US, Nestlé is unlikely to be chastised The International Baby Food Action Nestlé launched a marketing campaign to for its activities, since America is one of the Network (IBFAN) exposed Nutricia’s plans to promote formula milk to young Hispanic few countries to have failed to enact laws to give away free CDs to Chinese mothers if they mothers in America, just as the US enforce the International Code of Marketing of buy Nutricia baby food. Over 20,000,000 babies government was poised to launch the first Breastmilk Substitutes and protect its are born in China annually, which Nutricia campaign in a century to encourage newborn children. The US government director Marc de Rouw described in a breastfeeding among low-income mothers estimates that between only 8 percent and 15 television interview in February as an from ethnic minorities. The potential benefits percent of American women breastfeed their opportunity for the company to “have gold in for Nestlé of ignoring the International Code babies exclusively for 6 months, whilst the our hands”. are apparent: 38 million Hispanic people live in formula industry’s annual revenue is around Nutricia has been lobbied by individuals the US, in a population with higher birth rates $4 billion in the US. and organisations from around the world, than other ethnic groups. Hispanic people are calling on the company to drop the campaign. likely to account for 20% of the US population I For the full text of International Code of IBFAN points out that in its enthusiasm to by 2020. Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, see: make money, Nutricia would violate the The new Nestlé campaign includes www.ibfan.org/english/resource/who/ International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk posters, leaflets and free samples targeted at fullcode.html Substitutes, which clearly states: the Hispanic community, and new product ‘Manufacturers and distributors should not labels that proclaim the benefits of the I To find out more about campaigns to stop distribute to pregnant women or mothers of products in Spanish. the marketing of breastmilk substitutes, see: infants and young children any gifts of articles www.babymilkaction.org

Boots re-labels water for newborns Soya formula confirmed as unsuitable for babies Following a Food Magazine exposé, Boots has their newborn and substitute water for re-labelled its flavoured baby water, by breastmilk. They may be especially likely to The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) has confirmed withdrawing the advice that it was suitable believe this if the advice comes from a advice that soya-based infant formula should ‘from 4 weeks’. reputable company such as Boots. not be used as the first choice for feeding Just like formula milk, water marketed for We reported on this product in the babies with intolerance to cows’ milk. consumption by babies can also contravene previous issue of the Food Magazine, The CMO warns that soya-based formula the International Code of reminding Boots that World Health products have a high phytoestrogen content, Marketing of Organisation advice is that nutritious "which could pose a risk to the long-term Breastmilk breastmilk should be the sole source of fluid reproductive health of infants". Substitutes (see for newborn babies – preferably up to the age The government’s Scientific Advisory story above), of six months. Not expensive water containing Committee on Nutrition has also advised GPs since parents flavouring and citric acid. and health visitors that soya-based formula may believe We’re delighted to see that Boots has should be used only in exceptional that a product acknowledged the problem and changed its circumstances, e.g. for babies of vegan is suitable for label. But still, is this product really suitable parents who are not breastfeeding, or babies for babies as young as four months old? who find alternatives unacceptable. At least two soya-based infant formula Boot’s ‘purified’, flavoured water. First targeted at babies just products are currently on the market – one month old the product is now aimed at infants of four available in high-street shops – SMA’s Wysoy months, but still carries the vastly inflated price tag of £5 a litre and Cow & Gate’s Infasoy.

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news

Pesticide campaigners call for Heinz scraps controversial right to know Campaigners at the Pesticides Action Network five a day claims are backing proposals for people to have a legal right to know what pesticides are used in After months of criticism, This Heinz tomato the local environment, or on fields where there Heinz has finally admitted soup claims to contain are public rights of way. that many of its products four portions of fruit If implemented, legislation would allow are too salty to carry the and veg in a single public access to spray records. Advance ‘five a day’ message that is can and to be a notification of spraying would be required, intended to encourage healthy choice, yet each can also contains 4g with signs in fields near houses and footpaths. people to eat more of salt. Adults should eat no more than 6g of To support the campaign, contact your MP healthily. salt a day. at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA In 2003, an advert for and ask them to sign Early Day Motion 776. Heinz baked beans showed a branded beans label wrapped salty Heinz Bob the Builder canned pasta and I Contact: Pesticide Action Network UK. Tel: around fresh beans and tomatoes, in support mini sausages, Heinz baked beans and Heinz 020 7274 8895; email: [email protected] of the ‘five a day’ message. The Food cream of tomato soup. In a single serving Commission submitted several complaints (200g), the tomato soup contains 0.8g of about such marketing to the Advertising sodium, equating to 2g of salt. But Heinz Row brews at World Health Standards authority, the Food Standards claimed that this could contribute two portions Assembly Agency and regional trading standards of fruit & veg ‘the healthy way’. Consumer and public health groups are gearing officers. On average, people in the UK eat twice as up for a confrontation at the World Health Instead of using the Department of Health’s much salt as they need, with implications for Assembly in mid-May, fearing that a strongly- official ‘five a day’ logo, Heinz invented its own long-term health. worded resolution on combating obesity and logo, which appeared on products such as heart disease through diet will be watered down by food industry interest acting through the USA and fellow country delegations. The Assembly, the annual meeting of the Lawsuits accuse aspartame of members of the UN’s World Health Organization, is facing a rough ride for its poisoning the public ‘Global strategy on diet, physical activity and health’ which, campaigners fear, will no Lawsuits have been filed in three California Aspartame was approved in 1983, for use longer have references to the need for courts against twelve companies who either in carbonated drinks. Today it is found in over advertising controls, or legal or fiscal manufacture the artificial sweetener 5,000 foods, drinks and medicines. Critics say instruments, and will break its link to an expert aspartame or use it in products for human that consumption of aspartame is linked to document published earlier this year setting consumption. conditions such as migraine, vision loss, quantified targets for dietary improvements. The suits, filed in April, allege that the food multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue. There are also concerns that the Assembly companies committed ‘fraud and breach of News of the aspartame lawsuits was will require WHO staff to ‘cooperate’ with warranty’ by adding aspartame to products welcomed by the Additives Survivors' industry despite the conflicts of interest this such as diet Coke, diet Pepsi, sugar-free Network UK. Its chair, Geoff Brewer, said could give rise to. chewing gum, children’s vitamin supplements, "European manufacturers, retailers and sweetened yogurt and medicines ‘in the full suppliers of aspartame will need to look I The key document is number A57/9 at: knowledge that aspartame is neurotoxic’. The cautiously into their future," and called the www.who.int/gb/ebwha/e/e_wha57.html lawsuits are supported by the US campaign legal action "a wakeup call for these organisation The Natural Justice League. companies – together with government Defendants include Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, agencies and regulatory bodies – to address GM in organic soya foods Bayer Corp., Dannon, Wrigley’s, ConAgra, the aspartame problem effectively". Soya foods from health-food stores tested Wyeth, NutraSweet, and Altria (parent positive for GM ingredients in a survey company of Kraft Foods and Philip Morris). I To contact Additives Survivors Network conducted by Glamorgan University, published Plaintiffs have asked for an injunction to stop UK, email: [email protected] in February. Ten out of 25 products tested companies from producing, manufacturing, website: www.additivesout.org.uk gave positive results, although at levels lower processing, selling or using aspartame. than required for a label declaration. However, eight of the ten positive samples were labelled ‘organic’ or ‘GM-free’, which might mislead France and Denmark ban Red Bull consumers. The Soil Association standards require products to have less than 0.1% GM if French and Danish moves to ban the The French said the drink presented a they are to be accredited organic, but several stimulant drink Red Bull have been upheld by hazard due to its high caffeine level along products contained more than this amount. the European Court of Justice, which ruled with concerns over two other ingredients: that of member states can ban products on taurine and glucuronolactone. I Glamorgan University press office: 01443 health grounds, even if the European French and Danish moves to ban foods 483362. Commission believes the products to be safe. containing added vitamins, such as breakfast cereals, were not upheld by the Court.

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salt

Children’s food as salty as ever A year after the FSA Calculating the salt content provide a 3-year-old child with more than their issued salt guidelines, recommended maximum salt intake in just one Many manufacturers and retailers list only snack (2.25g and 2.5g of salt per portion). little has changed. the sodium content per 100g of product. To Marks & Spencer had also improved its calculate the salt, multiply the sodium con- product, reducing the salt content in its n May 2003, the Food Standards Agency tent by 2.5, then by the portion size in rela- Tweenies Meal for One from 1.1g of salt per (FSA) announced guidelines on maximum tion to 100g, and then compare the result to portion to 0.83g per portion, a 25% reduction. I the recommended salt intake. recommended salt intakes for children. At The Food Magazine survey found that all of the time, the Food Commission warned that the food labels declared their sodium content, with so much hidden salt in children’s food, it Alternatively, government guidelines state but only one in five of the products surveyed would be hard for parents to achieve the that any product containing 0.5g or more of translated the sodium into the salt equivalent. targets without a significant reduction of salt sodium per 100g contains ‘a lot’ of salt, and The FSA has recently suggested that all in processed food. any product which contains 0.1g of sodium labelling should declare the salt content (as The Food and Drink Federation (FDF, or less per 100g contains ‘a little’ salt. well as sodium). It is also exploring the use of representing the food industry) responded Age Grams of salt ‘descriptors’ for fat, sugar and salt, so product with a statement that avoided commenting on labelling would clearly state whether a 0-12 mths less than 1 the salt content of children’s food. Instead, the product is high, medium or low in salt. This FDF announced that it would work with its 7-12 mths 1 would help parents make healthier choices for industry members to reduce salt content in 1-3 yrs 2 their children. The recommended intakes for soups and sauces by 10%. children are shown in the table. The Food Magazine can confirm that it has 4-6 yrs 3 However, with the industry’s FDF unwilling found some reductions in ketchup and soup 7-10 yrs 5 to accept such labelling recommendations salt levels, and this is welcomed. However, and slow to take action on reducing salt levels the FSA guidelines related to children’s diets, 11 yrs and over 6 in children’s food, where can the government so how is the food industry tackling high salt go apart from regulation? levels in children’s foods? ncreased by 12%. Full details of products’ salt The Food Magazine will take part in an FSA In a survey of 20 children’s foods cond- levels are at: www.foodcomm.org.uk consultation on its action plan on children’s ucted one year after the FDF’s commitment to Three manufacturers have reduced salt food promotions and will support the FSA’s salt reductions, few products have reduced content in their products. For two, the recommendation that all products are labelled salt content. Three quarters of the children’s reduction followed criticism from the Parents as high, low or medium salt – perhaps using a foods retained the same high salt levels. Jury and the Food Magazine: Dairylea traffic-light colour coded system. We also Barney pasta shapes in tomato sauce, for Lunchables Ham Stack’ems and Cheestring believe that such labelling should be extended example, would still provide a 3-year-old with Attack-a-Snak Cheestring and chicken wrap, to fat, saturated fat and added sugar. 2.75g of salt – almost one and a half times reduced by about 10% and 50% respectively.* their recommended intake in just one serving. These products are still very high in salt, * Golden Vale has told us that the sodium Of all the crisps surveyed, none showed a however: Lunchable’s Yummy Ham Stack’ems content of the Cheestrings Attack-a-Snak was reduction in salt since 2003 despite industry and Cheesestring Attack a Snack would previously ‘mislabelled’. ‘co-operation’ with the FSA. A recent Mintel report on savoury snacks targeted at or popular among young people Badvertisement aged under 16 ("typified by … Wotsit, Monster Munch and Skips") found that UK sales had Medicine resolves salt information increased by a massive 26% in the four years Medicines designed to settle stomach upsets refuse to tell their customers: ‘This may be between 1998 and 2002. The same survey often contain sodium bicarbonate, and may harmful if you’re on a low sodium diet.’ reported that 60% of children between 7-16 contain other sources of sodium too, such as years snacked on crisps after school. Hardly sodium lauryl sulphate or the artificial Medicines such as this are generally surprising when £31.4 million was spent on sweetener sodium consumed on an advertising crisps and snacks in 2002. saccharin. occasional basis, The FSA has issued a public consultation whereas food must including the proposal that any foods Containing all of be consumed daily. marketed at children should not be high in these ingredients, So why is there no salt, sugar and fat. The FSA has said it will this packet of declaration on food publish nutrition criteria by March 2005. Resolve Extra products to let Following the government salt guidelines, helpfully states customers know that aimed at encouraging a reduction in children’s that each sachet their food is high in salt intakes, two manufacturers have contains 0.45g of salt? Heinz Baked managed to increase the salt content in their sodium. Beans contain over children’s products! The salt content of 0.8g of sodium in a Iceland Kids Crew cheese and tomato flavour Manufacturer Seton Products then adds the serving, nearly twice as much as a single pizza has increased by 15%, and the salt level information that most food manufacturers sachet of Resolve. in Tidgy Toads (toad in the hole) has also i

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marketing Krispy Kremes pushes ‘calorie colonialism’ on UK consumers

U.S. doughnut marketing resemble a calorie-laden juggernaut bearing may appear charitable, down on the ‘everyday’ food market. As Don Hershall, managing director of Krispy Kremes but it’s also a highly in the UK explains, "Krispy Kremes are not persuasive way to get meant as a meal replacement but as a treat, say, once a day." Can a doughnut once a day us to eat America’s really be classed as an occasional treat? Recent Krispy Kremes promotions also include excess calories, argues the opportunity to win ‘a year’s supply of Krispy Kath Dalmeny. Kremes’ – 24 doughnuts every week for a year. The Food Magazine has reported on other ways in which Krispy Kremes are attempting ho could fail to feel a warm glow to position themselves as an everyday part of W when they see newspaper reports the UK diet. The company is already infiltrating Krispy Kremes latched onto National Dough- of giant-sized cheques presented cash-strapped UK schools with money-making nut Week as an easy source of feel-good to needy children by local businesses? Raising opportunities, and has approached nurseries publicity. The occasional doughnut can be a money for charity through special events and and disability charities, advising that they can treat for adults and children alike, but Krispy sponsored activities has become something of raise funds by selling the fat- and sugar-laden Kremes would like the UK public to eat one of a national pastime for companies and local products at school events. their doughnuts every day. This is equivalent voluntary groups. Krispy Kremes tactics are spreading as far to eating a lump of sugar-coated fat every Ten years ago, Mr Freeman, who runs afield as Australia, where Save the Children week, weighing over a quarter of a kilo! Dunn’s bakery in Crouch End, North London, announced in March that over 19 dozen Krispy set up National Doughnut Week, in which Kreme doughnuts were sold per minute at a bakers give a donation of up to 20p to the Save fundraising event in Sydney. A recent study by percent increase in sales, Krispy Kremes the Children Fund for every doughnut sold. the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare offloads approximately: This April, Mr Freeman received a certificate revealed that at least 42 per cent of men and G 18 million additional kilograms of fat (over from Save the Children, to say thank you for 25 per cent of women are classified as one quarter of which is saturated fat) the £400,000 raised through doughnut sales. overweight, and probably not in need of extra G 358 billion additional kcalories This year, for the first time, the 1,000 high- doughnuts. G 25 million additional kilograms of sugar. street bakers participating in National The marketing tactics of food All this does little to support local Doughnut Week were joined by US doughnut manufacturers such as Krispy Kremes have economies and local bakers; and too much for giant Krispy Kremes, no doubt tempted by the been described by the US food policy children’s waistlines. opportunity to gain free local press coverage commentator Marion Nestle as a form of at a time when they are pushing for increased ‘calorie colonialism’, exporting American-style market share in the UK. eating habits to the rest of the world. She Badvertisement Whilst the occasional doughnut can be a estimates that around 1,700 excess calories Safeway s-s-s-s-s- treat for children and their families, Krispy per US citizen are produced in America every Kremes marketing tactics are beginning to day, so new overseas markets are stretches the truth hungrily sought by US food corporations. "We overproduce food in this country, Safeway is the latest and we have to sell it somewhere, so any supermarket to launch a large company with multi-national range of own-brand interests is going to be trying to get its foods for children. Its food sold overseas," explains Marion Parental Promise is that Nestle. "Our food supply makes 3,900 ‘this range has been calories available per person per day. specially designed to That’s nearly twice what people eat, so deliver good value, it’s got to go some place." healthier products for you Of course, the EU practises similar and your children’. calorie colonialism by off-loading Sounds great. But can surplus agricultural product, such as anyone tell us how these sugar, onto the developing world at a Stretchy Strawberry subsidised price. Snakes could possibly be This job ad appeared in the Enfield Advertiser In February, Krispy Kremes announced a described as healthier than any other in February boasting that Krispy Kremes plans 25.6 per cent jump in total sales for the final jelly sweets? We’re told it’s because the to open 24 stores in the UK in the next five quarter of its financial year. Using US colourings are natural, not artificial. Is years. Does the UK really have a doughnut- nutritional figures for Krispy Kremes, the Food this really sufficient reason for sweets to shaped hole in its diet that Krispy Kremes Commission estimates that for everyone gain a ‘healthy’ marketing tag? needs to fill?

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international

Irish regulators get firm with US chief medic opposes advertising advertising to children restrictions…

Regulators in Eire have taken action to protect product. The Irish code adds that adverts US Surgeon General Dr Richard Carmona, in a children from the effects of advertising of aimed at children must not undermine the speech to the American Association of unhealthy foods. The Broadcasting authority, responsibility or judgement of Advertising Agencies, has appealed to the indus- Commission of Ireland (BCI) has published a parents or carers, such as using plot lines that try for help in fighting the nation's obesity crisis. draft code of practice containing measures show children manipulating their parents. Referring to the problem as "the terror that exceed the restrictions placed on food However, the new code does not place any within", Carmona asked advertisers to help advertising to children in the UK. restriction on the types of foods that can be improve food labelling, educate consumers Under the new code, no ‘children’s advertised to children, nor the frequency with and avoid misleading information in advertising’ for food or drink can use which ads can be shown. It does little to advertising. celebrities, sports stars or children’s heroes, address the enormous imbalance towards Carmona gave his speech at a time when a unless the advertisement is part of a public unhealthy foods currently represented among new study commissioned by the American health or education campaign. children’s food adverts. Two minor conces- government has warned that obesity is likely to This restriction extends to the use of sions are that adverts for fast food outlets become the country's biggest preventable programme characters to endorse and must display an on-screen message that this killer within the next few years. advertise products because of ‘the potential type of food should be eaten in moderation, as The research, by the US government’s for this practice to exploit the loyalty or part of a balanced diet. And advertising for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emotional attachment that a child has for a sweets, cakes, biscuits and confectionery will found that poor diet and lack of exercise character or presenter from a children’s have to show a toothbrush symbol. caused 400,000 deaths in the US in the year programme and the potential for this practice The Irish government’s Food Safety 2000. This represents a 33% rise since 1990. to increase pester power’. Promotion organisation, SafeFood, has If current trends continue, obesity will soon In explanatory notes, the BCI admits that ‘It welcomed the code of practice in a overtake smoking as the single biggest has been recognised by all that advertising is document entitled A Children’s cause of preventable deaths in one influence [on obesity] and therefore Advertising Code. the US. Two-thirds of American advertising regulations have a role to play.’ The code is due to come into adults and nine million Such an admittance stands in strong force in the summer, with a review American children are either contrast to slow-moving OFCOM, the UK’s promised one year after its overweight or obese. However, advertising regulator. Despite being urged by introduction. The BCI says that the Carmona reassured advertisers the Food Standards Agency to take action, purpose of the review will be to that regulation was not on the OFCOM has instead commissioned further assess ‘how the type of measures government's agenda. “The food research – no doubt hoping to come up with outlined above have worked, and industry has come a long way,” findings that are more favourable to the how the industry has responded he said. “We don't want to advertising industry. to their implementation’. impede capitalism." The Irish code of practice is in line with Judging by our calculations new European laws on unfair commercial I Summaries of the 540 shown on page 11 (‘How much practices – due to be enforced by summer submissions received from adults and does obesity cost?’), Mr Carmona may find that 2005 – stating that adverts cannot imply that a children to the BCI’s consultation are capitalism becomes impeded anyway, by the child will be more popular by buying a available on the website: www.bci.ie effects of obesity on productivity, lost work hours, medical costs and social care. US legislators try to squash fast-food lawsuits ...while US campaigners call

Republican legislators in Washington have Republicans argued that exposing the US for global ad ban pushed a bill through the US House of food industry – which employs almost 12 mil- Meanwhile, the US campaign group Representatives that, if enacted, will prevent lion people – to lawsuits like those used Commercial Alert is coordinating support for people from filing lawsuits against food com- against the tobacco industry could wreck the an international ban on junk food advertising to panies and advertisers. economy and increase the price of eating out. children. The campaign statement has been The proposed legislation, entitled the Opponents said that the proposed legisla- endorsed by 140 organisations, 86 health ‘Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption tion sent a signal to the food industry that it experts and children’s advocates, and 24 Act,’ states that food companies should no did not have to worry about the public health. elected officials from 19 different countries. longer be held accountable for ‘claims of Before becoming law, the bill will need to They are calling on the World Health Organis- injury relating to a person’s weight gain, obe- be passed in the Senate and signed by the ation to incorporate the marketing ban into its sity or health condition associated with President, who has already stated that he global anti-obesity initiative, or to enact the weight gain or obesity’. believes obesity has more to do with declin- ban through international health regulations. The bill, nicknamed the Cheeseburger Bill, ing rates of physical exercise than the National health ministers from around the was sponsored by Republican Ric Keller in amount of food people eat. However, the world will meet in May, at the World Health March, to defend the food industry from law- Senate has often blocked measures passed Assembly, to discuss the proposals. suits claiming damages for diseases caused by the House of Representatives that would by junk food consumption. put a cap on legal damages or protect cer- I See: www.commercialalert.org/ tain industries from lawsuits. junkfoodstatement.pdf

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advertising Legal, decent,

honest and true? Red Devil told to  remove sex references The activities of the advertising industry raise many important Britvic was criticised by the ASA for questions for nutrition and health. Here we report on complaints promoting its caffeine drink Red Devil with the phrase: ‘He was going so fast he went for the against food and drink companies adjudicated by the advertising wrong entrance’. Although Britvic contended authorities in recent months. that the advertising campaign was ‘playful and cheeky’, the ASA considered that the posters Sunny D fails to delight regulators referred to anal sex and were likely to cause widespread offence. Britvic was told not to  Our old friends Procter & Gamble, the advert depicted Max Wilde as a strange repeat the advertisements. makers of Sunny Delight, have come boy with no friends and was detrimental to under fire once again for promotion of its low- health promotion messages that encourage juice juice drink. They narrowly escaped children to eat more fruit and vegetables. The Kellogg’s misleads over censure from the Advertising Standards ASA did not uphold the complaint.  weight loss Authority (ASA) for a print advertisement However, the Radio Authority* upheld a A ruling was confirmed by OFCOM* showing three boys Food Commission complaint against a similar against claims for the Kellogg’s cereal drooling over Sunny D promotion. Aired on pop music Kickstart. The Kellogg’s advert described how sweets in a stations, the advert claimed a 200ml glass of people wanting to lose weight could eat sweet shop, Sunny D contained less sugar than two bowls Kickstart cereal for breakfast, substitute it for whilst geeky of spinach. The Radio Authority agreed that it lunch or dinner, eat a balanced third meal and Max Wilde licks is nutritionally misleading to compare the lose up to 6lbs in two weeks. OFCOM his lips outside sugar in a soft drink to naturally-occurring expressed concern that the advertisement did a greengrocer. sugar in leafy vegetables, and that a ‘bowl’ not make it clear that participants should only The strapline was a variable and unhelpful measure. Sunny follow the diet for two weeks, and that simply stated, D was told not to use such advertising again. putting this information on the Kellogg’s ‘Because no website was insufficient. Note: We hear that Procter & Gamble has child’s like Kellogg’s was advised by OFCOM that finally found a buyer for its lack-lustre brand Max Wilde, current medical opinion is that a safe rate of Sunny D, which they have been trying to weight loss is no more than 1-2lbs per week, there’s Sunny offload for nearly a year. A private equity firm and that the Kellogg’s claims were excessive. D’. The based in Cincinnati has agreed to purchase OFCOM also expressed concern that the complainant the Sunny Delight Beverages Company for an actresses appearing in the advert were objected that undisclosed sum. already slim, and might encourage those who do not need to lose weight to adopt an Beer-maker told: drop the health claims unbalanced diet. Kellogg's said that it would review its choice of models in future.  Following a complaint from the Food claims that food or drink can prevent disease Commission, the ASA told leading are illegal in the UK. Coors said drinking beer brewer Coors, maker of Carling, Grolsch, could ‘slow down the deposition of fat on * OFCOM is the new regulator for broadcast Caffrey's and Worthingtons beers, to stop artery walls’ and ‘protect against heart advertising, and is now the one-stop shop for using misleading health claims. disease by combating narrowing of arteries complaints against TV, radio and other The claims appeared in this promotional and blood clotting’. broadcast advertisements. It replaces five leaflet sent out in the trade magazine, The The ASA upheld our complaints and Coors former regulators – the Broadcasting Grocer. Coors said that consuming beer can agreed it should not use Standards Commission, the Independent protect drinkers against heart disease. the claims again. However, Television Commission, Oftel, the Radio The leaflet also compared the calorie we were concerned to Authority and the Radiocommunications content of 100ml of beer with the same learn that when a national Agency. The separate Advertising Standards amount of gin, rum, whisky, cognac and wine, broadsheet newspaper Authority continues to be responsible for giving the impression that beer was a lower- phoned Coors for comment, regulating print advertisements. Write to: calorie alternative. Coors blamed ‘late-night Coors reportedly said that OFCOM Contact Centre, Riverside House, 2a kebabs and curries’ for beer bellies. the medicinal claims were Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HA. The Food Commission pointed out that true, but were simply not beer is rarely consumed in quantities as small permitted under UK law. The If you see food and drink advertisements as 100ml (one pint is 568ml), and said that this journalist told us that he that you think are misleading or was an unrealistic comparison. We also took this to be additional contentious, send us a copy. If we think it is questioned the validity of medical research marketing spin, and did not a good case, we will be pleased to submit cited in the leaflet and reminded the ASA that re-publish the illegal claims. a complaint on your behalf.

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society How much does obesity cost? In 2001 the government’s National Audit Office suggested that the cost of obesity Putting a cash value to the cost of the the commonest causes of days off work. We was up to £3bn, but the figure is outdated and obesity epidemic helps to make an suggest a total figure of £1bn for care is a is a serious underestimate. economic case for government action. reasonable estimate (see box). The National Audit Office suggests a In its report, the NAO also made estimates of And to all these costs should be added the figure of £0.5bn medical costs, and up the costs due to lost productivity as a result of costs of childhood obesity and childhood to £2.1bn in costs to the economy – sickness and premature death – and these the overweight. We will not estimate a figure for but, says Tim Lobstein, this figure could NAO estimated at £2.1bn for England, in 1998. lost productivity, although parents and carers be a small fraction of the real costs. Again, we can update the figure for inflation and may have to take days off work to care for ill for increased obesity levels, and expand it to children, and the children themselves will lose n an unusual move by the National Audit include the rest of Britain, giving over £3.4bn later earning power if they miss significant I Office (NAO), it agreed in 1999 to step out of (see box). amounts of formal education. its normal role of looking at government Medical costs for childhood obesity and departmental costs, service charges, public overweight have not been properly estimated procurements, contract compliance and the Obesity costs although one US report suggests that ailments like, and to tackle a health issue: obesity. Our estimate for the UK in 2005 £bn related to childhood obesity, including asthma, In 2001, the NAO published its findings, sleep apnoea, diabetes and gall-bladder Medical costs for including an estimate that obesity was costing problems, accounted for some 1.7% of US obesity-related ailments 2.3 – 7.1 the health services at least £0.5bn a year hospital costs. There are some 800,000 obese treating the ailments that obesity gives rise to. Social care costs for children in the UK, and a further 1.7m overweight This figure, the NAO acknowledged, was a obesity-related ailments 1.0 children, a total of 25% of British children. This is conservative estimate, citing international a lower prevalence rate than found in the USA, Indirect costs through lost studies suggesting that obesity-related ill-health but it would not be unreasonable to add a further productivity 3.4 costs a country’s medical services some 2 to 6 £1bn to the medical and care costs to the total percent of the national medical bill. In England Medical, social and indirect estimate (see box). that would give a figure of £0.7bn – 2.1bn, based costs for overweight 3.4 – 5.7 The grand total at this point lies between on 1998 NHS costs. Childhood overweight and £11bn and over £18bn. By 2005, NHS expenditure for Britain (not just obesity 1.0 These figures could be raised further if it England) is expected to be £87bn, and private was possible to put a cost to the social and medical costs add a further £15bn. Taking the Total 11.1 – 18.2 psychological effects of being obese. Excess international estimates of 2 to 6 percent of bodyweight is linked to a lower likelihood of national medical expenditure, the 2005 figure for The estimates that have given rise to these being married, of finding work and of being the medical costs of obesity-related ailments figures are based on the definition of adult promoted. Overweight people are likely to be on can be estimated at £2bn-£6bn. But by 2005 the obesity, i.e. adults with BMIs above 30 kg/m2. It lower earnings, live in poorer housing and have prevalence of obesity will have increased by has become increasingly clear over the last few poorer access to healthier foods and a safe some 15% of its 1998 figure, giving an adjusted years that people with weights in the environment. Psychological disorders, cost of £2.3bn – 7.1bn (see box). ‘overweight’ range (BMI 25 – 30) are also at an especially depression, are the largest cause of The NAO looked only at the medical costs, increased risk of many of the same ailments as lost days of health, using up primary care and did not include the social care costs for those who are obese. Typically, overweight resources and losing days of productive work. looking after ill people, e.g. stroke victims and people are at raised risk of ill-health compared In economic terms they could add several more angina patients etc, at home or in social care with non-overweight people, but not to the billions of pounds to the estimates already institutions. It acknowledged that some 18m degree of fully-obese people: typically their made. days of certified incapacity were attributable to illness and early death rates are about a quarter The possible links between psycho-social obesity but gave no figure for non-certified sick to a third of those over BMI 30. problems and obesity beg questions about leave, or for certified days for which no benefits This would imply that we can add a further cause and effect, but they deserve proper were claimed. 25% to some of the costs noted for obese research and careful costing, if only to prompt If half these days of incapacity require care people. But there are far more overweight more concerted action to solve the problem. outside of hospital, and if the costs of care – people than obese people – about three And then there is the slimming industry. borne by both the social services and the family overweight people for every obese person in Whether the money spent on products sold for – are valued at, say £50 per day, and if the days Britain – so that the costs for this group could weight loss should be considered a cost to the of non-certified or non-claimant sick-leave add be nearly as high in total as those already economy or a boost to the gross national a further 50% to the certified days (probably an estimated for obese people. To err on the product is debatable. At any one time over 12 underestimate), then the care costs come to conservative side, we suggest here that million Britons are ‘on a diet’ and they buy some £0.7bn. These figures are for England, so for the ‘overweight’ as a condition contributes a further £2bn–worth of slimming products annually. UK would be over £0.8bn. The figures also 50% of the costs which we have noted for If these psychological and diet-seeking excluded days of incapacity due to back pain – obesity (see box). factors were added to the obesity bill, it is a problem closely linked to obesity and one of unlikely we would get much change from £20bn.

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survey You’d like a litre of juice? That will be £20!

oca-Cola made an expensive mistake earlier this year when it launched its Juice drinks (by the litre) C Product name (one-litre cartons) % juice Equivalent price new Dasani bottled water. The over- juice per litre sold product treated with ‘reverse osmosis’ turned out to be ordinary mains-water from Consumers Pride Exotic Tropical Juice Drink with 12% £12.50 Sidcup. The media loved the story. Questions added vitamins A, C &E in parliament and a volley of newspaper Sunpride Tropical Juice Drink 10% £6.90 headlines, followed by the embarrassing discovery of bromate contamination in Dasani Princes Refreshingly Tropical Juice Drink 11% £6.27 tap-water, led to Coca-Cola withdrawing the Suncrest Tropical Fruit Drink 16% £5.56 product in March. Coca-Cola got its come-uppance for trying Del Monte Fruit Burst Tropical Refreshing Juice Drink 13.6% £5.07 to dress up tap-water as an expensive with Added Vitamins A, B6, C & E designer drink. But what about all the other ASDA Extra Special Freshly Squeezed Orange, 10% £4.80 companies that get away with this trick on an Lemon and Lime Crush everyday basis? Most squashes and juice drinks are mainly Pure Heaven Out of this World Tropical Fruit Juice Drink 31% £3.19 water and sugar, with a dash of juice to make Rubicon Sun Exotic Tropical Fruit Juice Drink With 25% £3.16 them seem like a healthy choice – often A, C & E Added Vitamins pumped up with additives to make them seem more fruity. Do you know what you are really Cape Tropical Juice Drink Experience 30% £2.63 getting for your money? We bought 10 squash Tesco Tropical Juice Drink 40% £2.73 products, 10 juice drinks (sold by the litre), and 10 single-serving juice drinks aimed at children. What’s the difference between pure tropical fruit For comparison, we also juice blends and the tropical juice blends found in bought 10 pure juice juice drinks? Our survey found that the latter are products (sold by the litre). much more likely to burn a hole in your pocket. Leaving aside the water, sugar and additives, we Pride Exotic Tropical Juice Drink costs an calculated how much astonishing £12.50 equivalent per customers are being litre of pure juice, with Princes charged per litre for the real Refreshingly Tropical Juice Drink juice content, and must not far behind at £6.27 per litre. admit to being amazed as the prices quickly mounted up…

Squash Product (one-litre bottles) Would you pay £7.79 for % juice Equivalent price a litre of fruit juice for as bought juice per litre your child? That’s the Noddy Smooth Style Orange Squash 10% £9.90 equivalent you would pay for the juice Kia Ora Mixed Fruit Squash 14% £7.79 contained in Kia-Ora Londis Apple & Blackcurrant Squash 10% £6.90 Mixed Fruit Squash. Budgens Whole Orange Squash 10% £6.50 Kia-Ora contains more Kwik Save Orange Squash 10% £6.30 sugar than real fruit juice, as well as two Sainsbury's Mixed Fruits Squash 10% £6.20 artificial sweeteners, Morrisons Apple & Blackcurrant Squash 11% £5.90 two preservatives, Pataya Apple & Blackcurrant Squash 10% £4.50 flavourings and other additives. Tesco Orange, Lemon & Pineapple Squash 13% £4.46 Princes Geebee Orange Squash ‘Contains Real Fruit’ 10% £4.00

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survey e? That will be £20!

Children’s juice drinks Product name % juice Equivalent price of juice per litre Ribena Blackcurrant Juice Drink 6% £34.67 Twist 'n' Squeeze Juice Drink Orange with sugar 5% £25.00 and sweetener Robinsons Fruit Shoot Orange and Peach with added 10% £22.60 vitamin power (fruit and puree) Calypso Organic Forest Fruits Flavour Juice Drink 10% £13.20 Tom & Jerry Apple & Blackcurrant juice drink 8% £12.50 Florida Style Sunny D original 15% £10.27 Children’s juice drinks were the most expensive Tesco Kids 'It's very refreshing!' Orange & Peach 20.5% £9.56 of all the juices we purchased. We calculate that Juice Drink Ribena costs the equivalent of £34.67 per litre of ASDA More for Kids No Added Sugar Apple & Pear 10% £9.20 fruit juice, and Robinson’s Fruit Shoot isn’t far Juice Drink behind at £22.60 per litre. Both of these products use added vitamin C or ‘Vitamin Power’ to Thomas & Friends Juice Drink Apple and Blackcurrant 15% £6.60 encourage mums to consider them healthy, and No added sugar Enriched with Vitamin C both rely on enormous advertising budgets to Disney Winnie the Pooh Roo Juice Winterberry 55% £3.53 increase demand.

Selling us water Pure juice blends in cartons (for comparison) Product name (one-litre containers of 100% juice) Price per Manufacturers rely on many tricks to make us litre of juice part with our cash, even when we are not getting much juice for our money. Without a Tropicana Tropics Orange Pineapple Mango £2.69 calculator, it is hard work to make meaningful Liquifruit Breakfast Punch £2.49 comparisons about the quality of the products. During our survey, we noticed that many Santal 100% Exotic £2.35 cartons of juice drinks boast of the fruitiness Marks & Spencer Pressed Pineapple, Peach & Passionfruit Juice £1.99 of the products, with prominent fruity imagery and descriptions such as ‘pure heaven’ and Safeway Pressed Apple With Mango £1.79 ‘fruit burst’. Such claims seem to be used by Tesco Pressed Apple & Mango Juice £1.59 manufacturers as a licence to print money, with cartons of juice drinks sold at a price Fruit Passion Fair Trade Juice Pure Breakfast Juice £1.49 equivalent to between £6.00 and £12.50 per Waitrose Orange and Passion Fruit Juice from concentrate £1.09 litre for the fruit content. ASDA Multivitamin Tropical Breakfast Juice with added fibre £0.88 We also noticed that many descriptions can be used to give the impression of Sainsbury's Pure Tropical Juice £0.75 fruitiness. Watch out, for instance, for the word ‘refreshing’. It is often used to denote ‘lots of added water’, but you won’t find this explained on the pack. Adding vitamins to children’s products is another favourite ploy to make them appeal to Pure juice blends like those listed above reflect the more parents. Vitamin powder added to a juice drink expensive range of 100% juices available on the market. costs just a few pence. But such ploys are also used to hike the price of fruit ingredients You don’t have to spend this much to enjoy the nutritional – to an astonishing equivalent of £34.67 per benefits of pure fruit juice. Economy orange juices can be litre in the case of Ribena. The message to purchased from most of the major supermarkets. parents? If you want watered-down juice, why not do it yourself? For the same nutritional They may not come in snazzy packaging, but they are just as value, it will be a whole lot cheaper. healthy as pure juices, and aren’t adulterated with sugar or additives like most juice drinks. This litre pack of Sainsbury’s Orange Juice costs just 38p.

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environment The price of meat

How long can the world sustain a love for eating meat? Not for much longer, according to the Intensive beef production in Spain. The increasing growth in meat production around figures. Tim Lobstein reports. the world is not ecologically sustainable. (Image courtesy of Compassion in World Farming)

hree quarters of EU agricultural land is population is situated. For example, T devoted to animal production: grazing Italy’s ecological footprint is land and feed-crop production. In estimated to be approximately eight addition, several million hectares of land times larger than the entire country. outside the EU are used to provide animal- If the global population increases to feed imports, amounting to 14m tonnes of 9-10 billion, it would need two or cassava, 17m tonnes of soybeans and 22m three extra Earth-like planets if it tonnes of soya cake (EU figures for 1999). wanted to maintain ‘Western’ lifestyles. Europe has a well-established habit for In terms of agriculture, the eating meat, with a typical supply of 92kg per ecological footprint of meat is person per year. By comparison, the USA has significantly larger than it is for plant a supply of 122kg. China, whose large foods. population is demanding increasing quantities of meat, consumes some 51kg per person according to latest data, but the total quantity Protein per acre of from different foods has rapidly accelerated, from an amount Kilograms of usable protein similar to that eaten in the UK in the 1960s, to an amount matching that of both the USA and EU combined in the last few years.

Food supplies: Meat millions of metric tonnes USA UK EU* China World 1961 17 4 17 3 70 1971 23 4 24 9 103 1981 24 4 29 15 137 1991 29 4 32 33 181 2001 35 5 35 66 234

* the 15 member states of the EU in 2001 Energy requirements for food production Meat is not an ‘efficient’ food. The use of M Joules input per kilogram of food produced resources such as land, energy and water is very high for meat production compared with the production of plant-based foods. Ecological footprints Trade globalisation serves to increase the separation of people from the ecological impact of their lifestyles, making continued growth and consumption patterns appear sustainable when they are not. The ecological ‘footprint’ of an industrialised population – the amount of land needed to supply all the resources they consume – is typically several times the larger than the area in which that

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environment of meat

Based on these figures, we can estimate the Ecological footprint per tonne of With a third of ecological footprint required to support the foodstuff the world’s UK’s current food consumption patterns. hectares grain crops Based on 1999 figures, the agricultural area being used for animal feed, is it time to Vegetables 0.7 required for our current diet is over 120m reconsider our priorities? Compassion in hectares. The actual agricultural land area of Fruit 0.8 World Farming’s latest report gives a the UK is 18.6m hectares, less than one sixth definite ‘yes’ – not just for the sake of the Milk 1.5 of the land we need. Either we continue to use environment but for our dietary health and other people’s land or we change our dietary Cereal foods 2.1 for the welfare of the animals themselves. patterns. Pulses 4.0 Details from www.ciwf.org Meat 10.5 Environment and health If ever a case were needed for bringing There is a close concordance of the environmental, animal welfare and public Food supply footprint for the UK, environmentalist’s views of sustainable health interests together, this is surely it. 1999 consumption agriculture, and the nutritionist’s views of I hectares healthy diets: both seek a switch from meat to Sources vegetable production. UN Food and Agricultural Organization, Food Vegetables 8m In a study looking at the implications of Balance Sheets (www.apps.fao.org/faostat, Fruit 4m reducing land requirements, energy demands accessed April 2004). and fertiliser inputs, researchers compared D Pimental, L Westra, FN Reed. Ecological Integrity: Milk 21m Sweden’s current dietary patterns with a Integrating Environment, Conservation and Cereal foods 13m pattern of diet that would be more Health. Washington, Island Press, 2000. ecologically sustainable. The results showed The Global Benefits of Eating Less Meat, Pulses 2m that reducing the ecological impact of food Compassion in World Farming, 2004. Meat 54m production would require changes to diets W Rees, Global Change and Ecological Integrity: that are in close accordance with the World Quantifying the Limits to Growth, WHO European Sugar, oils, beer, wine, coffee >18m Health Organization’s recommendations for Centre for Environmental Health, Rome, 1999. Total >120m healthier diets. A sustainable food supply chain 2001. Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, 2001 Changes to diet can benefit the environment and health: the case of Sweden

Current daily intake Reduced ecological Change Recommended by in Sweden, g/day impact, g/day WHO dietary guidelines Bread 100 200 Increase Increase Cereal 15 45 Increase Increase Potato 140 270 Increase Increase Vegetables 150 190 Increase Increase Root vegetables 25 100 Increase Increase Dried legumes 5 50 Increase Increase Snacks/sweets 200 140 Reduce Reduce Soft drinks 150 80 Reduce Reduce Margarine, butter, oil 50 50 Same Reduce Milk products 400 300 Reduce nr (reduce) Cheese 45 20 Reduce nr (reduce) Egg 25 10 Reduce nr (reduce) Meat, poultry, sausage 145 35 Reduce nr (reduce) Fish 30 30 Same Same or increase nr (reduce) = no specific recommendation except to lower consumption of animal fats

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health GI explained

The food industry is turning to Glycaemic Index values to try and sell processed foods as healthy, but very few people understand what the Glycaemic Index means. We have received many enquiries about this over the past few months. Here, we answer some of your questions.

What are Glycaemic Index The release of glucose into the bloodstream is affected by the presence of ‘Steady Energy Release’ claims the latest values? dietary fibre, protein and fat in the food, so product from Slim-Fast, hoping to cash in on The glycaemic index is based on how rapidly that healthy foods may have high GI values: the idea that low GI foods can help us lose blood glucose levels rise after eating different for example ripe fruit can have higher GI index weight. Although boasting that these meals foods, in which a rank of 100 is given to the values than sweet biscuits or cakes. can help reduce weight, and that ‘all Slim- fastest-acting food, pure glucose. The theory Furthermore, the GI values are based on 50 Fast products are low GI’ the packet does not is that a more slowly released carbohydrate is grams of carbohydrate in a food, which is the state the meal’s actual GI rating. The largest more satisfying to the appetite and hence amount found in two slices of white bread, in single ingredient in this meal is white reduces one’s craving for more food. nearly a pound of potatoes and in over two Basmati rice (35%), a medium GI food.

Higher GI Lower GI pounds of carrots. This means that if a food Maltose 110 Wholemeal bread or bread with bran 50 has a relatively high GI (over 70) but is eaten in Glucose 100 Wholegrain rice 50 small amounts carbohydrate-wise, such as carrots, then the GI value is not really an Baked potatoes 95 Peas 50 issue. But if a medium ranking GI food (55-70) Mashed potatoes 90 Wholegrain cereals without sugar 50 like a soft drink, or even a low GI food (under 55) such as pasta, is eaten in large amounts, Honey 90 Fresh oranges 43 then blood glucose will still rise rapidly. Cooked carrots 85 Fresh fruit juice (without sugar) 40 Cooking, mashing or juicing a food will Cornflakes 85 Wholemeal rye bread 40 increase its GI value. Sugar (sucrose) 75 Wholewheat pasta 40 Is a low GI diet healthy? Chocolate bars 70 Red kidney beans 40 Generally, lower GI foods are more nutritious White sliced bread, bagels 70 Fish fingers 38 than higher GI foods. Whole grains, for Refined cereals with sugar 70 Tomato soup 38 example, provide a wide range of nutrients not found in refined carbohydrate equivalents. Boiled potatoes 70 Fresh apples 35 First, whole grains are concentrated sources Biscuits 70 Dried beans 30 of dietary fibre, resistant starch and oligosaccharides which escape digestion in Corn (maize) 70 Lentils 30 the small intestine and are White rice 70 Chickpeas 30 Mars bar 68 Dried apricots 30 Australian Brown bread 65 Sausages 28 products can Beetroot 65 Fresh plums 24 now bear a GI symbol and state Bananas 60 Fruit preserve (no sugar) 25 their GI value, Long grain rice, Basmati 58 Dark chocolate (>60% cocoa) 22 but the scheme bans foods which Orange juice 57 Fresh cherries 22 may be unhealthy in Jam 55 Green vegetables, tomatoes, mushrooms <15 other respects: e.g. be high in salt or fat. See White and coloured pasta 55 Peanuts <15 www.gisymbol.com.au/pages/index.asp

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science

What the doctor reads The latest research from the medical journals fermented in the gut, producing short- chain fatty acids that in turn lower colonic pH and provide immune protection beyond the gut. Second, whole grains are rich Poor schooling linked to Knitting versus emailing in antioxidants, including trace minerals and phenolic compounds, and these compounds poor diet have been linked to disease prevention. Following our ‘What the Doctor Reads’ report Additionally, whole grains mediate insulin and In an investigation into the factors affecting in FM64, giving a listing of calorie expenditure glucose responses. nutritional status of a growing foetus, for different physical activities, we received Finally, whole grains contain many other researchers analysed the diets of over 6,000 several letters requesting information on compounds that may protect against chronic young women in Southampton, UK. calorie use for more sedentary behaviour. disease: phytate, phyto-oestrogens such as The results showed a clear split between Some teachers, for instance, wrote to say that lignan, plant stanols and sterols, and vitamins dietary preferences in those favouring a they would find information about sedentary and minerals. cluster of healthy foods (fruit, veg, wholemeal activities useful, to help children make the bread, pasta, yogurt, cereals) and less healthy comparison between playing sport and foods (chips and roast potatoes, sugar, white watching sport. bread, meat and full fat dairy products). Another reader commented that we were a The study also found that educational bit old-fashioned in our choice of activities attainment was the strongest social factor such as knitting and waltzing, so we have associated with the poorer diets. Smoking, come up with some modern alternatives to watching TV, lack of exercise and living with add to the list. children were also linked to poorer diets. The table below gives the energy you would expend above your basal level I SM Robinson et al, Eur J Clin Nutr March 2004. (measured asleep). As you will see, some of the ‘activities’ burn so few calories they are hardly worth Milk, not meat, speeds recording. A sign of the times, perhaps. growth rate We have been unable to find a definitive figure for swimming, but estimate that Do GI diets improve weight Diets rich in protein are associated with between 140 and 200 kcals are used every 20 maximum growth rates in animals and humans minutes, depending on the stroke. loss? alike. Recent research suggests that milk proteins boost growth more efficiently than Energy expenditure and Long-term studies have not been performed. meat proteins: high intakes of milk, but not Short-term studies have shown success, but meat, were linked to raised levels of the activity not reliably. A systematic review comparing growth hormones IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in a kcal the effects of high- and low-GI foods or diets study of 24 eight-year-old Danish boys. on appetite, food intake, energy expenditure Using TV remote control <1 I et al, Eur J Clin Nutr and body weight showed inconclusive results. C Hoppe March 2004. Getting up to change TV channel 3 In a review of 31 short-term studies, low-GI foods were associated with greater satiety or Collagen ages with Sitting, talking on the phone, 30 min 4 reduced hunger in 15 studies, whereas Letting dog out of the back door 2 reduced satiety or no differences were seen in increased bodyweight 16 other studies. Low-GI foods reduced total Walking the dog, 30 minutes 125 food intake in seven studies, but not in eight Collagen, the proteins forming flexible tissue Using pre-cut vegetables 0 other studies. In 20 longer-term studies (up to in tendons, cartilage, bone and skin, ages over 6 months), weight loss on a low-GI diet was the human lifespan and shows increasing Washing, cutting vegetables, 15 min 12 seen in four and on a high-GI diet in two, with stiffness and weakness. Using auto car wash 18 no difference recorded in 14. The average A review of research shows that restricted Washing and waxing car, 1 hour 300 weight loss was 1.5 kg on a low-GI diet and 1.6 diets prolong collagen’s life, while overweight kg on a high-GI diet. There have been no long- is linked to more rapid collagen deterioration. Using a lift, 3 floors <1 term studies comparing unrestricted diets This may help explain the increased risk for Walking up 3 floors 15 differing in GI. overweight people of failure in collagen- containing tissues such as heart ventricle and Sending email to colleague, 4 min 2 I For more details, see: arterial walls. Walking and talking to colleague, 4 min 6 www.healthyeatingclub.com/info/ articles/diseases/GIsymbol.htm I J Frey, Clin Chem Lab Med Jan 2004. Shopping on-line, 1 hour 30 and check your own diet at: Shopping, pushing trolley, 1 hour 200 www.glycemicindex.com I Source: Mayo Clinic Proceedings (77) 2002

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marketplace

The Atlas of Food Dump the Junk! The subtitle of this book is ‘who eats what, where and why.’ Containing over 300 expert tips for how to encourage your Clearly presented with colour maps, diagrams and simple children to eat healthy food and dump the junk, and with statistics this book demonstrates how the world attempts to lots of tasty recipes, this is an essential guide for parents. Illustrated with feed itself, examining different markets, environmental impact, entertaining cartoons by the Food Magazine’s Ben Nash. £7.99 health, politics and new technologies. This extremely useful, comprehensive publication is an ideal resource for anyone who The Chips are Down wants a quick yet detailed overview of food production and its This is an excellent guide to the planning and promotion of effect on our lives and livelihoods. £11.99 healthy eating in schools, full of nitty-gritty guidance, such as how to gain support from teachers, parents, health Kids’ Food for Fitness You don’t have to be the par- workers and, most importantly, pupils. £15.00 ent of an aspiring athlete to benefit from the great everyday advice in this excellent book, which includes: The latest Children’s Nutrition Action Plan nutritional guidelines for active children aged 5–16; Clear The Food Commission’s action plan details what UK chil- practical advice on nutrition and exercise; Tips on eating and drink- dren are eating and health problems likely to arise as a ing for sporty kids; Smart advice for overweight children; result. The action plan maps measures advocated by gov- Healthy menu plans, tasty recipes and snack ideas. £12.99 ernmental and non-governmental organisations to bring about change, and highlights The Food Our Children Eat – 2nd edition key policies that could make a difference to children’s health. £10.00 Award-winning author Joanna Blythman’s book is an inspiring Fast Food Nation guide for parents. From weaning a baby to influencing a teenag- Eric Schlosser’s bestseller lifts the lid on the fast food industry. He er, she explains how to bring children up to enjoy a healthy wide- explores how fake smells and tastes are created, talks to workers at range of foods. No more tantrums, fights and refusals: her strate- abattoirs and explains how the fast food industry is transforming not gies are relaxed, low-effort – and they work. £8.99 only our diet but our landscape, economy, workforce and culture. Broadcasting Bad Health Essential reading. £7.99 Packed with illustrations, case studies and statis- Posters: GM Foods; Food Additives, tics on trends in health and food advertising Children’s Food; Food Labelling around the world, this report sets out the case for Packed with essential information to help you and why food marketing to children needs to be con- your family eat healthy, safe food these posters trolled. Available free of charge in pdf format on explain problems with GM technology; give useful the website (see below) or in print for £10.00 tips on getting children to eat a healthy diet; Back issues of the Food Magazine explain how to understand nutrition labelling; help Back issues usually cost £3.50 each but we’re you see through deceptive packaging and market- selling a full set of available issues (approx. ing claims and examine the contentious issue of eighteen issues from 1996 to 2004) for £30.00. food additives. Each poster is A2 in size and costs Stocks are limited and many issues are £2.50 order form already out-of-stock.

publications all prices include postage & packing payments / donations The Atlas of Food £11.99 H Please tick items required and send payment by cheque, postal order or credit card. Kids’ Food for Fitness £12.99 H Overseas purchasers should send payment in £ sterling, and add £1.50 per book for airmail delivery. H Payment Dump the Junk! £7.99 www.foodcomm.org.uk The Food Our Children Eat – 2nd edition £8.99 H Donation Visit our website for a full list of our Fast Food Nation £7.99 H Total publications, posters and reports Full set of available back issues of the Food Magazine £30.00 H I have enclosed a cheque or postal order made payable to The Food Commission The Chips are Down £15.00 H Children’s Nutrition Action Plan £10.00 H Please debit my Visa , Mastercard or Visa Debit card Broadcasting Bad Health £10.00 H My credit card number is: Poster – Genetically Modified Foods £2.50 H Card expiry date: Poster – Children’s Food £2.50 H Poster – Food Labelling £2.50 H Signature: Poster – Food Additives £2.50 H List of available back issues free H Name: subscriptions Address: Individuals, schools, public libraries £22.50 H OVERSEAS individuals, schools, libraries £30.00 H Postcode: Date: Organisations, companies £46.00 H Send your order to: Publications Department, The Food Commission, 94 White OVERSEAS organisations, companies £54.00 H Lion Street, London N1 9PF. Tel: 020 7837 2250. Fax: 020 7837 1141. The Food Magazine is published four times a year. Email: [email protected] Your subscription will start with our next published issue. Delivery will usually take place within 14 days.

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opinion What’s the beef?

In our pursuit of economic ‘efficiency’ in modern agriculture we have lost sight of the natural efficiency of old ways of farming. Stanley Challenger Graham laments our fall from wisdom.

n the days when my beard was black and prizes at the winter fatstock sales but the I I was driving a flat wagon which modern economic reason they were on the farm was truckers would laugh at, a 90hp engine, 4 as part of the farm machinery. They ate grass, gears and a legal payload of 10 tons, I used to turnips and barley and trod straw to make make a regular trip across to Sherburn in manure for the crops. This input maintained Elmet in East Yorkshire to pick up ten tons of the condition and fertility of his land and barley for Cyril Richardson at Little Stainton resulted in a surplus of barley which provided who mixed his own cattle food. The name of the profit. A side benefit of the system was the farmer I went to was Mr Bramley and I low stress and disease levels in the herd, the always used to enjoy visiting him because he straw bed fermenting under the cattle kept Stanley Challenger Graham (right) and was an able man, treated me with respect them warm and killed off bacteria. He colleagues showing a prize-winning heifer at and I always learned from him. admitted that the main benefit to him was that the Gargrave Agricultural Show in 1972. The sharpest memory I have of the farm is he loved going out and watching prime quality the day Mrs Bramley asked me to come into contented beasts kept in the best conditions interviewer visited farms in Yorkshire where the kitchen after we had loaded the 80 railway he could provide them with. Here we had a this technology is being adopted and the hire sacks each weighing 280lb and sheeted happy man making a profit out of producing conclusion was that this was another nail in them down. She gave me a pint of tea and top quality beef and grain with the added the coffin of the small scale traditional asked me if I’d like a beef sandwich. When I benefit that he was improving his land in the grazing farm. said yes, she asked me what sort, Angus or process. My conclusion is that I must be some kind Hereford? I had to admit that I didn’t know Fifty years on it sounds like some Utopian of a dinosaur. I bitterly regret the loss of the there was any difference; as far as I was dream. So what brought on this attack of old style mixed farm which gave a good life to concerned beef was beef, full stop. She gave nostalgia? I was listening to Farming Today on both the farmers and the stock. Apart from the me some of each and I sat there and the BBC this morning and they were purely agricultural considerations this is an advanced my education. The thing that strikes describing the moves in the USA to break erosion of a management system which has me now is that they were so enthusiastic away from traditional line breeding of cattle served us well for hundreds of years, about beef on that farm that they always had to a system where the selection of the preserved a landscape and nurtured a way of at least two joints on the go from different breeding stock was based simply on life which has made an enormous breeds. performance. The resulting animals are contribution to our social system. It seems to Mr Bramley ran Home Farm on the same finished on feed lots that can hold upwards of me we are losing out all round here and I cropping system that his father and 100,000 cattle and rely heavily on hormonal wonder if considerations like these ever cross grandfather had used. There were three and other chemical additives to raise growth the minds of the people making the changes. rotated field crops, barley, turnips and grass. rates and keep down disease levels. The He kept Hereford beef cattle which grazed in summer and in winter were fed on barley, Badvertisement chopped turnips and straw in covered straw yards. The cash flow came from sales of finished beef cattle and surplus barley. The beef cattle were bought as stores in The figures don’t add up! Ireland and shipped across to Birkenhead. A quantitative ingredients If a customer believed either Jim Bramley and his mates used to go to declaration (QUID) on a food the ‘made from 100% beef’ Ireland for the sales in the spring and buy the label is a percentage figure flash on the pack front, or the best cattle they could obtain. Back in the telling you how much chicken ‘200% beef’ declaration in the 1960s they were paying £400 and £500 apiece there is in your chicken pie or ingredients list on Jack Link’s for the beasts. I asked him how they could how much juice in your juice Beef Jerky they could be make any profit and he surprised me by drink. forgiven for thinking that they saying that they couldn’t, they always made a were buying an extremely pure small loss so I pressed him further, I knew What should we make, then, product. In fact, the Beef Jerky there had to be an explanation. of products that claim to be contains 13 extra ingredients He explained that the cattle were never made up of more than 100% including salt, monosodium intended to be profitable. The reason he of an ingredient? glutamate and two types of farmed them was two-fold; he liked cattle, sugar. enjoyed rearing them and competing for

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books

Food Fight

Consuming Kids:Consuming The hostile KD Brownell and KB Horgen, Contemporary course, the close links take-over of childhoodKids: The Books (McGraw Hill), 2004, ISBN 0-07-140250- between commercial 0, £12.32 (e.g. amazon.co.uk) players and politicians). Susan Linn, The Newhostile Press, 2004, ISBN 1 But we are left at the end 56584 783 0, £16.95 hardbacktake-over of Kelly Brownell is a psychology professor at of the final section, with childhood Yale and heads the university’s Center for its hopeful title ‘Taking Starting her career as a ventriloquist, Susan Eating and Weight Disorders – so he can be Decisive Action’, with all-American answers: Linn became fascinatedSusan by theLinn, way The children New expected to understand the social as well as individual behaviour change, working in local play, and how childrenPress, interact 2004, with ISBN imaginary 1 56584 the biological aspects of obesity. communities, lobbying politicians, protesting characters. She used783 her 0, puppetry £16.95 hardback skills in Furthermore, he has a fine record of to companies, urging industry codes of therapy, to help young hospital patients learn collaboration with consumer groups and practice, and ultimately litigation. Startingabout her their career medical as aconditions ventriloquist, and Susanexplore Linn public health organisations. The word ‘regulation’ barely surfaces, and becametheir emotions. fascinated Linn by theis now way an children instructor play, in and For these two reasons, and because this then mainly in terms of the enforcement of howPsychiatry children interactat Harvard with University. imaginary characters. book is sub-titled The Inside Story of the Food long-established controls to protect children, She usedThe hermarketing puppetry culture skills thatin therapy, Linn describes to help Industry, America’s Obesity Crisis, and What or the successful control of smoking. Taxation youngis American, hospital patients so it is easy learn to about find yourself their medical We Can Do About It, the book should offer an is hardly referred to except as an example of conditionsreading andthis bookexplore and their tut-tutting emotions. about Linn how is excellent review of the social and political the tactics used to deter smoking. There is no nowthe an US instructor has allowed in Psychiatry its children at Harvardto become issues concerned with obesity and the alternative view of food production or how to University.such a target for the marketing machine. But production and marketing of food, and how to control the US’s exportation of obesity through becauseThe marketing so many culture of the that examples Linn describes are familiar is get it changed. That is the expectation – and marketing its junk food worldwide. Lower- American,in the UK so (including it is easy anto findespecially yourself resonant reading the book meets this expectation most of the income households may suffer more health thisrant book about and thetut-tutting Teletubbies), about howit soon the becomes US has way, but then flunks the final hurdle. problems, but there is no urgent call to end allowedclear itsthat children Linn is relevantto become to anyonesuch a target bringing for We get the statistics (mostly for USA poverty. Politicians are seen to be corrupt, but theup marketing children machine.in a commercial But because world. so many of populations), and we get the social there is no call to reform the democratic the examplesLinn is especially are familiar critical in the of UK food (including marketers an commentary on the culture that encourages process. The inspiration for social change especiallyfor exploiting resonant natural rant characteristics about the Teletubbies), of it weight gain while pretending it encourages stems from Gandhi – fondly quoted by the soonchildhood becomes in clearorder that to create Linn is a relevant market forto the opposite. We are made fully aware of the authors – rather than Marx or Mandela or anyoneproducts bringing – the up need children for peer in a approval commercial and the pervasive ‘toxic environment’ that induces indeed America’s own revolutionary founding world.desire of children to gain independence. As an obesity. We get a review of marketing to fathers. illustration,Linn is especially she quotes critical ‘strategic of food marketersmarketing for children and we get an analysis of the links This is a fight without a true call to arms. It exploitingand consumer natural insightcharacteristics consultant’ of childhoodLinda in between obesity and low family income along is, though, the nearest we come to such a call orderNeville to create on the a appealmarket offor Dairylea products Lunchables: – the need with low self-esteem. for a while, and is to be welcomed for that. for "Parentspeer approval do not and fully the approve desire –of they’d children rather to The problems arise when it comes to The book is also stuffed with anecdotes, gaintheir independence. child ate a more As an traditional illustration, lunch she – quotes but solutions. To its credit, this book goes further comments and evidence, from product ‘strategicthis adds marketing to the brand’s and consumer appeal among insight than most critiques in its identification of the placement scams to how the tobacco consultant’children becauseLinda Neville it reinforces on the appeal their need of to commercial and political obstacles (and, of campaigns were run. Well worth reading. Dairyleafeel in Lunchables: control." "Parents do not fully approveAs –Linn they’d points rather out, their the marketingchild ate a for more traditionalDairylea lunch Lunchables – but this and adds other to foodsthe brand’s designed Food and health in Europe: A new basis for action appealfor children among childrenis successful because precisely it reinforces because it theirdrives need a to wedge feel in between control." parents and children. Aileen Robertson et al. World Health targets and health DeliberatelyAs Linn points putting out, the parents marketing in the for position Dairylea of Organization Regional Office for Europe, education giving way to a Lunchablessaying "no" and makes other the foods brand designed more attractive for to 2004, $90, www.euro.who.int focus on inequalities and childrenchildren. is successful This is the preciselyroot of pester because power. it drives the controversial role of a wedgeConsuming between Kids parents is a valuableand children. book for all This is an unusual book to come from a food marketing. Deliberatelythose who putting feel disquiet parents about in the the position creeping of sometimes stuffy body like the World Health Over a decade ago, sayingcommercialism "no" makes theof childhood. brand more Linn’s attractive message to Organization (WHO), but all the more reason the WHO took a brave children.is: "You’re This not is the alone!" root Theof pester final chapterpower. is a to take its contents seriously. step by publishing food- callConsuming to action, Kids and is a a reminder valuable ofbook the for need all for The three main sections review nutrition, based dietary guidelines. thosecampaigns who feel such disquiet as the about Food the Commission’s creeping food safety and food production, followed by It is taking two more commercialismParents Jury: of "Marketing childhood. to Linn’s children message is a is: a fourth providing tools for policy-makers. brave steps this year, "You’resocietal not alone!"problem The that final cannot chapter be fixed is a callby one to The authors have made some attempt to firstly by putting food action,individual, and a reminderor even one of theindividual need for advocacy campaigns show how the themes overlap, with the policy onto the World suchgroup, as the working Food Commission’s alone. Its solution Parents lies Jury:in nutrition section referring to food access and Health Assembly agenda "Marketingcollaborative to children efforts is to a influence societal problem public that food production, while food safety affects in May, and secondly by producing a book cannotpolicy." be fixed by one individual, or even one both food production and nutrient intake. such as this, providing background thinking on individual advocacy group, working alone. Its The section on food production is the which sound food policies should be based. solution lies in collaborative efforts to influence most contentious, and the most encouraging, The book is well referenced but sadly un- public policy." taking as its starting point the shift in indexed. Although it is priced at a ridiculous perceptions from the last century to the $90, the entire text can be downloaded at: present, with emphasis on productivity www.euro.who.int/eprise/main/who/Information changing to sustainability; and on dietary Sources/Publications/Catalogue/20040130_8

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farming CAP reforms will short-change fruit farmers

n the 12th February 2004, Secretary Fruit and vegetable O of State for Environment, Food & producers (except for Rural Affairs Margaret Beckett orchard owners) will start announced the "most radical reform of the to see a bit of subsidy for Common Agricultural Policy since its the first time. That’s good inception". Beckett said that, "The link news for the struggling UK between the subsidy paid to farmers and the industry and hopefully good level of production has been broken." news for consumers wanting Farmers will no longer be compelled to to buy more local fruit and produce what the subsidy system dictates; veg. However, uniquely in the what they decide to produce will be driven by EU, Britain has chosen to the market. Farmers will still receive exclude the growers of subsidies, but these will be calculated by apples, pears, plums and acreage and type of farm. cherries from any of the new "I'm grubbing up the old orchard and This de-linking (called ‘decoupling’) of payments. Growers of hops, soft planting St John's Wort instead. subsidy from production may help reduce fruit, asparagus, and willows environmental effects by removing incentives used for fuel will, like other Apparently it's an anti-depressant!" for intensification and over-production, and farmers, receive around £220 by making farmers comply with a range of per hectare per year. Orchard owners will get level as before. They remain concerned that environmental and animal welfare standards nothing – unless by January 1 they have these payments may distort trade just as in order to qualify for new payments. uprooted all their trees, in which case they much as they did before the reform. Decoupling could also reduce the trade- will receive the full £220 per hectare, even if Another confusing aspect of the reforms is distorting nature of the Common Agricultural the ground is left unused. that EU member countries were given some Policy (CAP) by reducing over-production This is a worrying situation, at a time when discretion in how they implement these and preventing food being offloaded on the we are all being encouraged to eat more fruit reforms. A beef farmer across the Channel, world market at less that the cost of and vegetables, and at a time when the for instance, will receive completely different production. Development charities have long Department of Health has finally taken on support from a beef farmer in England. It is protested that this prevented farmers in board environmental concerns and agreed to really no longer a ‘common’ agriculture developing countries, who do not benefit from include some locally grown produce amongst policy. England has chosen completely to a subsidised system, from being able to the fruit and vegetables given away free to decouple the levels of subsidy received from compete in the global market. primary school children. It is ridiculous that levels of production and introduce a flat rate The government’s Department for Food another department of the same government regional payments by 2012. Until this date, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is also keen to point is busy ensuring that less local fruit will be payments will be based on the historic level out that reforms should mean reduced prices available. of payments that farmers received. The rest of for consumer and better marketing of UK Organisations working on behalf of the EU including Wales, Scotland and produce to UK consumers. developing countries are also suspicious that Northern Ireland will implement the reforms That’s the theory, anyway. But whilst many many new-style payments under the reformed differently. of the changes to the current system are to agricultural policy will actually be at the same Meanwhile, farmers producing other crops be welcomed, several anomalies remain. are scratching their heads over the changes and what they should plan to plant next year. Tracing the history of the London loaf It’s clear that nobody really knows how this will affect production and therefore what London’s position as a trading city for over also contains foods will end up in our shops and canteens. two millennia makes it a fascinating focus for interviews with The way in which the payment will be the study of the history of food. home and made is highly complex, but early predictions Bread Street: The British baking bloomer? commercial bakers, are that dairy farming will become ever more is a new report from Sustain: The alliance for giving insights into concentrated, with the result that your daily better food and farming. Commissioned by the lives of an pinta will probably travel further and come London Food Link, it traces the changes to international from an even larger farm. On a positive note, the baking industry over many generations. medley of London the new system is less likely to result in From Roman spelt bread, through 18th bakers, from the surpluses, so at least we’ll see less dairy fat century loaves adulterated with chalk, alum UK, Italy, Somalia, getting into our diets in hidden ways such as and bone ashes, to the dubious delights of Kosovo, India and Poland. the free butter given to nursing homes and modern industrial bread cooked up in vast schools. baking plants using fractionated and The report costs £15 + £1 p&p from Sustain hydrogenated oils – this is a fascinating 94 White Lion Street, London N1 9PF; tel: 020 I Further details from Vicki Hird, tel: 020 account of London’s staple food. The report 7837 1228; email: [email protected] 7837 1228; email: [email protected]

Food Magazine 65 21 Apr/Jun 2004 FM65_MH.qxd 11/11/08 10:01 Page 22

feedback letters from our readers

Whatever happened to We welcome letters from all of our readers organic wholefood? but we do sometimes have to shorten them so that we can include as many as possible At a recent conference an organic retailer (our apologies to the authors). You can said people should expect to pay higher prices Nestlé targets schools write to The Editor, The Food Magazine, 94 for organic food and customers should be White Lion Street, London N1 9PF or email to educated to think it more expensive. I am relieved to report that Nestlé’s long- [email protected] In our opinion, that’s nonsense and typical running birthday club has finally closed. I health-food industry snobbery; particularly signed up to it to find out what sort of muck since, at the conference, Tesco said the only they were circulating to kids. Their final way to increase sales would be lower prices. It mailing illustrates so many of their techniques, Meals on wheels also said 93% of people that shop at Tesco I thought I should send it to you. Of particular were still not buying organic on any kind of concern is Nestlé’s scheme to ‘win a private Have meals on wheels been investigated in regular basis. Having tasted their version, that’s pop concert at your school’. Isn’t this yet the Food Magazine? Many very vulnerable hardly surprising; manufacturers and another way that schools are being persuaded people are dependent on them including the supermarket own-brands are jumping onto the to help the food industry ruin our children’s elderly, the disabled, people awaiting hospital bandwagon, but what they forget is that organic diets?! admission and people discharged from is not necessarily healthy because equally vital hospital. The problem may be small appetites are ingredients and integrity of product. Emma Plover, Swindon, Wiltshire and loss of weight rather than obesity. Hence For all their hype, supermarkets can’t fat may not be the bogey but desirable! These afford to understand the difference. Asda’s days the service must provide a variety of advert on TV ‘It looks good’ – ‘twixt a Vegetarian cheese: GM menus. My husband and I published a paper programme sponsored by Rennies indigestion on this in 2001, looking at how community food tablets – doesn’t hide the fact much or not? and nutrition services can lower costs by supermarket food is poor quality. If you think I recently wrote to you asking if vegetarian reducing the need for hospital beds, can the average health-food shop a safe haven, chymosin made from GM micro-organisms is reduce waiting lists and can save the lives of then think again. Innumerable so-called health used in organic vegetarian cheeses. You many hospital patients. foods do not stand up to scrutiny, often full of advised me to contact the Soil Association, raw-cane sugar, lactose, sea salt, etc. and I thought that other readers might like to Peggy Wynn, Highgate, London Wholefood organic is nourishing, satisfying and see their reply. (Reducing waiting lists for hospital healthy. We can eat less, extract more energy admission: Community nutrition services and lose weight naturally. So, is organic food Carrie Stebbings, London reduce the need for hospital beds, by more expensive? Not on your life! Margaret Wynn and Arthur Wynn, In 1987 'vegetarian rennet' became available. Nutrition & Health 2001, Vol 15, pp 3-16). Michael and Clio Lever, The Rice Cake This was produced by introduction of the gene health-food shop, Ledbury for chymosin production from pigs into yeast Thank you for the suggestion. In the past, we (i.e. genetic modification). The yeast is then have worked with several local authorities grown in a liquid sugar material and excretes and trading standards departments to assess the chymosin into the liquid. The chymosin is nutritional standards of meals provided by Air miles aren’t all bad! then extracted from the liquid, and purified, so public bodies – for instance, school meals, there is no yeast present. The majority of canteen food and meals-on-wheels services. As a reader/subscriber of many years, I was vegetarian rennet contains chymosin If readers working for local authorities would horrified by your lobbying to stop air-imported produced by this process, so most vegetarian like to commission such research, we would food being labelled organic (FM64). I do cheese is produced with this rennet (as is be pleased to hear from them. We will also look realise the need to lobby for support for more most non vegetarian cheese as this chymosin into this for a future Food Magazine report. organic production in the UK, and to transport is cheaper than calf rennet). food as little as possible. Without air- More recently enzymes similar to freighting would it be possible for us to have a chymosin have been found in some bacteria reasonable range of organic fruit and and fungi which have not been genetically Antibiotics in vegetables throughout the year? modified. These enzymes are now produced Have you looked at what is available now by a similar fermentation and purification agriculture (January - April) in genuinely locally sourced process from these bacteria or fungi and are In response to a reader's letter (FM64) you ask box schemes? Are migrants like me destined used to make 'non GM vegetarian rennet'. whether antibiotics are used in UK and never to have the possibility of eating tropical Organic products must not use GM European fruit and vegetable production. As a produce in England? With everyman and his organisms or their derivatives. This includes lifelong grower I am almost certain that I am brother apparently needing to fly off to enzymes which must be from non GM right when I say that there are no complex holidays overseas (which I rarely do), it does organisms. To ensure that this is the case molecules approved for such use in the EC. I seem grossly unfair that you should be every cheese manufacturer must submit a think that the only sprays allowed for control attempting to block my sources of varied declaration from their 'rennet' supplier that of bacterial diseases are based on copper. organic food. Keep up the good work (apart the material is not derived from a GM form this appalling idea). organism. Nick Reese, Jackdaws' Nursery, Horsham Neville Cramer, by email

Food Magazine 65 22 Apr/Jun 2004 FM65_MH.qxd 11/11/08 10:01 Page 23

feedback letters from our readers

Industry responses Obesity? Look to the Do parents know soya soil milk is sweetened? Starbucks policy on fair I wonder if the rise in obesity is related to the declining quality of soil. I have a theory that My son is four years of age and has eight trade food grown in soil that has been depleted of cavities. Two of which are very bad. This is minerals over the last 50 years of intensive not due to a lack of teeth brushing or too many The Christmas Carol featured in your previous agriculture, and fails to satisfy our nutritional sweets. The orthodontics dentist has told me edition of the Food Magazine claimed that needs for these elements. We then crave more that this is common in children who were Starbucks pays farmers badly for the coffee and more food in order to make up for the drinking soya milk when babies. I was very they supply to us. deficiencies. shocked at this. My youngest child had to Starbucks is committed to helping to Animals will congregate at certain spots have soya because he was intolerant to dairy. improve the quality of life of coffee growers where the soil is rich in minerals, and will use Surely it should be made known to other and ensuring a long-term, sustainable supply their salt-licks to supplement their diets if they parents who use soya milk that there is of high quality coffee – and as such we take a are short of salt. It might follow from this idea possibility that their child will suffer from tooth socially, economically and environmentally that if we all took food supplements we might decay due to the sugar added to the soya milk responsible approach to purchasing coffee stay slim, but I haven’t found a pill that has to make it taste sweeter! beans. helped me yet! I have recently spoken to another mother Starbucks is committed to paying fair who like myself has two children. One child prices for all of its coffee, not just Fair Trade Fiona Train, Brighton was fed soya milk as a baby and the other certified coffee, which currently represents dairy. The child fed on soya has also had lots less than 2% of the world’s coffee farmers. For Tom Stockdale of the McCarrison Society of dental treatment. But the child fed on dairy the vast majority of our coffee purchases, we (www.nutritionhealth.org) comments: Several is fine. My eldest child was also fed dairy and negotiate the price outright so our suppliers elements may be under-supplied nowadays, is fine. know in advance they’ll be paid a fair price for of which selenium is known to be supplied at their quality coffee, regardless of any well below recommended amounts in most Helen Heath, by email downturn in the market. diets. Selenium deficiency adversely affects In financial year 2003, Starbucks bought every tissue in the body. Not only is the Some soya milks, such as Provamel, come in 97% of its coffee at outright, negotiated prices, capacity of the kidney to retain essential both sweetened and unsweetened varieties, for which it paid an average price of $1.20 per elements impaired but a centre in the brain and should declare this on the label. Provamel pound (Fair Trade Coffee guarantees a price of appears to respond to deficiency by sweetened soya milk contains concentrated $1.26 per pound), despite worldwide stimulating appetite. When we are being apple juice, to give a sugar content of about commodity prices for arabica coffee being as properly fed our bodyweight becomes stable – 2.6%. This is not high in sugar, but if your child low as $0.55 per pound. This average price I achieve this by taking a supplement of 200mg drinks a lot and eats other sweet foods too, was more than double the commodity price in daily selenium as selenite. then you need to be aware of this. 2003, and helped farmers cover their costs of production, reinvest in their farms, and provide a decent living for their families. Paying farmers fair prices is essential to their Sainsbury’s sidesteps So much for Tesco’s livelihoods and the long-term sustainability of GM enquiry five-a-day! coffee farming. Scott Keiller Prompted by a Greenpeace campaign, I wrote My children are members of the Tesco Kids CSR Manager, Starbucks Coffee Company to Sainsbury’s to ask whether cows that Club and regularly receive magazines such as (UK) Ltd, www.starbucks.co.uk produce Sainsbury’s milk are fed on the enclosed, but even they were horrified by genetically modified (GM) animal feed. I do not the prize awarded to Erin Morbay on page want to support the market for GM produce, two. She won her five stone in weight of and am angered when valid concerns about sweets! What does Tesco think it is doing? Bagel salt and fat facts GM are ignored by government and the food Certainly not promoting 5-a-day healthy industry. eating. We have also been contacted by The Bagel I’ve just received a letter back from Factory, following a letter in FM64 from Sainsbury’s, but it doesn’t really say anything. Jayne Gates, Bracknell, Berkshire Kathleen Short of Chesterfield. She They tell me that there is no detectable GM complained about the company’s bagels being material in milk – but that’s not what I asked. prominently marketed as ‘low in fat’ and ‘low They also tell me that I have the choice to buy in salt’ without any further explanation. organic, which automatically excludes cows The Bagel Factory told us that their bagels fed on GM feed. They neatly avoid answering are indeed low in fat and low in salt, but my direct question about their own-brand admitted that this was only before the bagels normal milk. It strikes me that GM may be are filled, usually with fatty and salty fillings entering the UK environment by the back door. such as cream cheese or bacon. I feel very frustrated that we are unable to Hmmm – we’re not impressed, and a make the choice to avoid it. complaint is on it’s way to The Bagel Factory’s local trading standards officer. Annabelle Farmer, Suffolk

Food Magazine 65 23 Apr/Jun 2004 FM65_MH.qxd 11/11/08 10:01 Page 24

backbites

Sit down to get more exercise! Mexican munch As options for tackling childhood obesity are The 'It's Your Goal' computer game sets The Mexican health authorities closed batted about by policy-makers and health pupils the challenge of rescuing their favourite their borders to US poultry products at the specialists, people working with football player from the spell of an evil wizard end of February because neighbouring children are seeking ways to who has turned him into a Texas had reported cases of the bird help solve the problem. This couch potato. To win the disease, avian flu. Two weeks later the has spawned a raft of game, children have to Mexicans backed down to pressure from educational tools targeted at explore the wizard’s castle, both the US and their own food processing schools, some of which also select healthy food options and companies, who were claiming that the land in the Food Commission’s encourage the footballer to take ban would push up the prices of their in-tray, sent to us by concerned exercise. sausages and ham by 20%. teachers. Whilst the sentiment is Sausages and ham? One such educational tool laudable, it is hard not to notice Si, señor, said the Mexican Meat caught our attention because it that the only exercise enjoyed Council, adding that 150,000 tonnes of is a computer game that whilst playing the game is mechanically separated poultry and 100,000 claims to promote healthy through repeated clicking tonnes of turkey legs and thighs are eating, exercise and a on the computer mouse imported from the US each year to make healthy lifestyle. That’s button. sausage and ham products. a lot to claim for one Sorry we asked. little CD. Advertisers forced to Don’t risk too much media coverage! admit junk is unhealthy Finding out how government officials that journalists keep revealing more about Like the food industry, the Advertising measure their success can be very the story, and get EFSA a bad name. A single, Association has consistently opposed the revealing. short-lived spike of media coverage is a sign division of foods into ‘healthy’ and ‘less At a recent conference of of success. Journalists report the story once healthy’ categories, knowing that if this parliamentarians and the food industry, the and the story dies away. approach ever became enshrined into Chief Executive of the new European Food Mr Podger’s version of ‘risk management’ legislation, strict regulation of food Safety Authority (EFSA) Geoffrey Podger contained little about managing risks. His advertising to children would surely follow. presented his views on risk management. approach is more about the management of When the Food Commission shared a Readers may remember that before his move public perceptions. platform with the Advertising Association at to European government, a recent conference of the Marketing Geoffrey Podger was Society, the advertising trade body Chief Executive of the Geoffrey Podger, Chief struggled to find a way of describing UK’s Food Standards Executive of the new unhealthy foods. Agency. European Food Safety Faced by evidence of the huge amounts Successful risk Authority, has a novel theory of sugar, salt and fat in products marketed management, said Podger, of risk management during to children, head of the Advertising can be measured on a food scares. Ideally the Association Andrew Brown was forced to graph. Plot the number of media should report a story admit publicly that "We have a problem with media stories about a food once and then forget about it. product here." And despite vehemently scare against time to He considers sustained opposing the use of the term ‘unhealthy gauge how often the story media interest to be a sign of food’, he found himself describing fatty, returns to haunt you. poor risk management. After sugary and salty foods with the phrase A series of peaks, all, you don’t want the public "foods in the more problematic area". explained Podger, shows knowing too much, do you? What a mouthful! Olympic challenge to Coca-Cola? Readers with long memories may recall the Coke’s original formulation included cola "That sponsor 2000 Olympics in Australia, officially spon- for flavour and cocaine leaf extract for its sored by Coca-Cola. It was the occasion stimulant properties. The cocaine has long makes me when security guards were told to ask spec- given way to caffeine, the stimulant found in want to run a tators if they were carrying ‘knives, weapons coffee. However, Olympic Movement regula- or cans of Pepsi’. Spectators who refused to tions stretch further than the soft drink com- mile!!" give up their cans or bottles of Pepsi were pany may realise. Among the prohibited Class refused entry. It’s nearly Olympic time again, A substances which form part of the athletes’ and again it will be a publicity-fest for Coke, Anti-Doping Code, to which they must all the official sponsor. There is, however, one swear allegiance, are listed amphetamines, fly in the ointment. cocaine… and caffeine!

Food Magazine 65 24 Apr/Jun 2004