FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 1

The low-carb, high-protein solution for smooth skin and advanced brain power! The FOODFOOD MAGAZINEMAGAZINE Campaigning for safer, healthier for all

Published by The Food Commission Issue 73  Apr/Jun 2006  £4.95 OfcomOfcom renegesreneges onon childchild healthhealth fcom, the broadcasting regulator, has given a chance to support this under Ofcom's Alliance, reports that an earlier coalition against reneged on a government commitment flimsy set of options. junk food advertising was involved with a lobby O to protecting children from junk food This breath-taking omission comes at a time of Ofcom's predecessor, the Independent advertising, flouting the wishes of the majority of when in other food sectors, momentum is Television Commission, back in the 1990s. parents; snubbing the consensus opinion of beginning to grow for improved nutrition and Momentum and public concern built over the professionals; wasting countless protection of children from other forms of following decade until, at the time of Ofcom's hours of parliamentary and civil servant time; and unhealthy marketing. commission to review advertising options in broken apparent promises by government to 2003, children's nutrition was rarely out of the regulate junk food advertising to children. Decades of debate papers. The Food Commission's Parents Jury Under its regulatory principles, Ofcom says Vast amounts of parliamentary time and public was passing its judgements on junk food and that it 'will intervene where there is a specific effort had already been put into investigating the junk marketing practices. The Children's Food Bill statutory duty to work towards a public policy effects of advertising on children's attitudes to campaign was getting in full swing. The House of goal which markets alone cannot achieve'. In food and food choices. The debates have run for Commons Select Committee on Obesity was 2003, it was charged with investigating how to nigh on 20 years. Jeanette Longfield of Sustain, hearing incredible protestations of innocence achieve the public policy goal of improving formerly coordinator of the National Food from junk food manufacturers and marketers. children's diets and attitudes towards food 2003 also saw publication of the seminal choices, in an area in which it is quite clear that 'Hastings Review', the first systematic unregulated markets alone cannot achieve public review of evidence for the effects of objectives: junk food advertising. The review was marketing on children's diets and put forward amongst a suite of measures by the food preferences. Department of Health (many of them reported in Yet despite its stated aim 'to further this issue of the Food Magazine, with happier the interests of citizens in relation to results), to promote healthier food and to curb communications matters', Ofcom has the influence of unhealthy food promotion. Speci- decided to side with the industry. We have fically, Ofcom was asked to look into options for complained. Our colleagues in the Children's how food advertising could be regulated to Food Bill have complained. As we go to press, a protect children from unhealthy messages. legal challenge to Ofcom's decision to exclude Media headlines at the time reassured parents the 9pm watershed option from the consultation and concerned health professionals: 'Junk food is being considered by the National Heart Forum ads banned to fight fat epidemic'. on behalf of public health professionals. Ofcom’s Over two years after being given this task, initial response has been to say that it believes it and extensive consultation (which we contend has followed all necessary procedures. has been shown to be a charade), Ofcom has at One thing is certain. Ofcom will have a fight on last published its options. But the one option that its hands if it thinks it can get away with watered had backing from the vast majority of public down options for the future of children's health. health organisations is not even on the table for discussion. The broad coalition of support for a ban on junk food advertising for children has See pages 12 and 13 for further analysis stated quite clearly: The only option that they of Ofcom's options. To add your voice to would support is a ban on junk food advertising “We have deep pockets gentlemen, the call for Ofcom to review its position, up to the 9pm watershed. But they will not be and Ofcom's in one of them!” see: www.childrensfoodbill.org.uk

Get the facts with the Food Magazine FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 2

editorial contents

Government suspends health lifeline News Ofcom reneges on child health 1 The ethics of sausages and soap 5 he growing crisis in NHS budgets has made national headlines, with Methyl bromide still in use 7 The Food Magazine is published quarterly cuts in staff and threatened hospital closures around the country. Neurotoxic additives challenged 7 by The Food Commission, a national not- T These are outward warnings of a need for a tightening of belts, and School Food Trust challenged 9 for-profit organisation campaigning for the restrictions in what the NHS can deliver for patients. Lean times are ahead. right to safe, wholesome food. We rely The financial crisis has also sent ominous ripples through the network Nutrition entirely on our supporters, allowing us to of not-for-profit organisations that increasingly provide primary services, Disney fails to ban junk food 3 be completely independent, taking no disease-prevention activities and public information campaigns to improve FSA retreats from battle 4 subsidy from the government, the food the nation’s health. Uniquely, they provide a friendly and trustworthy route Nutrigenomics gets personal 4 industry or advertising. We aim to provide to raising public awareness and changing behaviour – seemingly impossible WH Smith pushes calories 13 independently researched information on challenges for government. Many of these organisations receive contracts Confectioners opt for GDA logo 14 the food we eat to ensure good quality and grants from the Department of Health; some rely on this funding. food for all. Such publicly funded activities are feeling the aftershock of the NHS GM financial crisis. Over 300 health organisations have been waiting since the Unlabelled GM soya in 3 The Food Commission Research Charity beginning of January to find out if funding bids to the Department of Health Poland rejects GM 3 aims to relieve ill health and advance have been successful. As we go to press, there is some indication that public education through research, standing commitments will be honoured; but decisions on future Section education and the promotion of better Tackling in drinks 18-19 64 Grants have been delayed, with no indication of when the situation quality food. How climate change increases might change. The language may seem obscure, but the meaning is all too food poisoning risk 6 real. Disease prevention activities funded by the public purse should now, Director: Tim Lobstein test for regulators 8 officially, be put on hold. Section 64 is a Department of Health grants Policy Officer: Kath Dalmeny programme introduced in 1968 ‘to help voluntary organisations whose Office Manager: Ian Tokelove Marketing Administrative Officer: Graham Hood work supports the Government’s health and social care goals’. Legal, decent, honest and true? 10 Cartoons: Ben Nash As well as providing health services and public information, the job of ASA fails to defend fruit 11 the not-for-profit, non-governmental health sector is also to keep up Regulator bows to industry 12-13 Trustees and Advisors: Joanna Blythman, pressure on government and industry to ensure that positive steps are Manipulated desire 15 Dr Eric Brunner, Peta Cottee, Prof Michael taken to improve public health and environmental policy. Such work involves Crawford, Sue Dibb, Alan Gear, Vicki Hird, monitoring, advocacy, work with journalists and the media, drafting policy Science Dr Mike Joffe, Robin Jenkins, Jane Landon, proposals, innovative research, national and international networking and Is science for sale? 16-17 Prof Tim Lang, Iona Lidington, Dr Alan Long, alliance-building, and even direct creation of public policy, such as drafting What the doctor reads 20-21 Jeanette Longfield, Diane McCrae, Prof Erik legislation and drumming up political support to see it through into law. Millstone, Dr Mike Nelson, Dr Mike Rayner, Sadly, it is all too easy for funders to feel that food and health are Books Prof Aubrey Sheiham, Sue Todd, Colin matters of individual choice, and therefore not worthy of public or Recommended reads 21 Tudge, Hugh Warwick, Simon Wright. charitable money spent trying to change the system. Yet support for such activities is vital, especially in light of an all-too-apparent government bias Feedback  Issue 73 of the Food Magazine towards deregulation and ‘voluntary codes of practice’. A dip into our mailbag 22-23 April/June 2006. ISSN 0953-5047 The Food Commission does not accept money from government for its  Typesetting and design by Ian Tokelove campaigns and policy work (and neither from the ). But still, Marketplace of the Food Commission. Subscriptions and posters 23 we are already feeling the tremors of the NHS budget crisis. Cutbacks  Printed on recycled paper by RapSpider mean not only fewer hospital beds. Suspension of Section 64 grants will web, Oldham OL9 7LY. Backbites remove a foundation stone from public health campaign work.  Retail distribution (sale or return) by On the lighter side... 24 Whilst the Food Commission will not lose out directly to suspended or Central Books, 99 Wallis Road, London reduced funds from the Department of Health, many of our close E9 5LN. 0845 458 9911. NEW! Sign up for emails  Unless otherwise indicated all items are associates will – the people and organisations who provide the backbone to health campaign work in the UK. (We should pause to say, once again The Food Commission sends out copyright © The Food Commission (UK) occasional news and information by that we thank you, our readers, for supporting our work through your Ltd 2006 and are not to be reproduced email. To receive such emails, subscription to the Food Magazine and kind donations). without written permission. please send your name to:  Lean times will have more profound effects on public policy. The Food The views expressed in this magazine [email protected] are not necessarily those of The Food Commission has been approached several times by senior civil servants in We will not pass your name or email address Commission. recent years, specifically to urge that the non-governmental sector make to any other person or organisation. ‘more noise’ so that progressive policy can be driven through by forward- The Food Commission (UK) Ltd thinking policy-makers. Some express frustration that current government Advertising policy 94 White Lion Street, London N1 9PF direction has created an environment in which it is all but impossible to Telephone: 020 7837 2250 challenge the food, farming, retail and industries to do their The Food Magazine does not accept Fax: 020 7837 1141 bit to improve public health, especially for children. commercial advertising. Loose email: [email protected] The Department of Health might wish to see a strong public voice inserts are accepted subject to website: www.foodcomm.org.uk represented at the negotiating table, to help them stand up to the food approval – please contact Ian industry. But without support for campaign activities that focus on Tokelove at The Food Commission removing the root causes of disease in our industrialised food system, NHS for details. Call 020 7837 2250 or costs of treating the diseases will continue to spiral out of control. email [email protected]

Food Magazine 73 2 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 3

news

Unlabelled GM soya discovered in Disney hesitates over junk-food ban a wide variety of foods In May, the national press hinted that Disney might cease to associate its popular children’s Foods made with soya mince The survey focused on soya flour, soya characters with junk food, after the entertainment or TVP are more likely than protein, soya mince and textured vegetable company ended its 10-year partnership with protein, which are used as binders and bulking McDonald’s. A change of heart? We fear not. not to contain traces of agents in meat products and as meat substitutes It is over two years since the Food genetically modified soya. in vegetarian savoury products, as well as being Commission’s Parents Jury shamed the BBC into used in a range of other foods including bread withdrawing Teletubbies and Tweenies from A survey of soya-based ingredients used in a improvers and bakery mixes. promoting junk food. Not only did Disney fail to wide range of vegetarian and meat products as The survey results for the six samples with attend a special meeting that we set up with the well as bread and biscuits has found the majority quantifiable GM soya are shown below. BBC, and leading of samples to contain traces of Monsanto's Other companies trading in soya products character-licensing companies to discuss genetically modified Roundup-Ready soya. with lower levels of GM (below the quantifiable concerns about the nutritional value of children’s Levels were below the legal amount that threshold) included: food promoted with children’s characters, they would require labelling, but above the minimum  All & All Ingredients have also been busy arranging for Disney level detectable in laboratory tests.  Arkady Craigmillar characters to appear on sugary confectionery The survey, conducted by the government’s  Baco Northern Area and snacks aimed at young children. Food Standards Agency (FSA), looked at 60  BakeMark Cartoon confectionery is a regular item samples collected from manufacturing  BFP Wholesale in Disney Stores; Winnie the Pooh companies by inspectors in 14 local authorities  Community Foods biscuits and cakes are available in around the UK. Thirty-eight samples were  East EBLQ Foods many mainstream supermarkets such positive for GM soya, but the amounts were too  Food Ingredient Technology as Asda and Tesco; and in recent years, small to be reliably quantified.  Hider Food Imports the company’s cartoon characters have A further six samples – one in ten –  J&R Dalziell been regular give-away toys with fast food. contained GM soya at levels that were high  Kallo Foods Animation companies such as Disney enough to be quantified, averaging around 0.1%.  National Food Ingredients make millions of pounds from This is below the level required for on-label  Perfecta Winnie the Pooh continues ‘character licensing’; payments to declaration under EU regulations (set at 0.9% to  Suma Foods to help promote cakes and allow their copyright characters to allow for 'adventitious' contamination).  Zee Tandia biscuits to little children appear on children’s products, and Disney is one of the major players in Manufacturer Ingredient Origin of ingredient the character-licensing field. Disney Consumer Products is the business Sleaford Quality Foods Textured soya mince Brazil department of the Walt Disney Company (or Cargill Foods TVP Netherlands rather, empire) that extends the Disney brand to merchandise ranging from clothing, toys, home Solae Group Soya protein isolate Belgium décor and books to games, food and drinks, Solae Group Soya protein isolate USA stationery and electronics. Marketing is ratcheted up by Disney’s subsidiary businesses: Disney Solae Group TVP USA Toys, Disney Softlines, Disney Hardlines, Disney Kerry Ingredients Soya flour – TVP Brazil Home, Disney Publishing, Buena Vista Games, Baby Einstein, the Muppets Holding Company and Disney Shopping’s catalogue and website. McDonald’s and Disney both denied that the Poland rejects genetically modified crops end of their deal related to health concerns, and Disney said that the two companies may work The Polish government has stated its opposition In February the World Trade Organisation together again in the future. A McDonald’s to the development of genetically modified (GM) ruled that Europe had violated international trade spokeswoman revealed more by announcing: crops in Poland, although it will not prevent GM rules by banning GM food imports between 1999 ‘The only thing that's changing is that it's no produce being imported into the country. A and 2003, a ruling welcomed by the US food longer an exclusive arrangement.’ recent poll by Greenpeace found that 76% of industry that claimed the EU ban has cost them Parents should therefore resign themselves to Polish consumers are opposed to GM crops. some $300 million a year in lost sales. continued arguments with toddlers nagging for The Polish government said that it is opposed However, the EU has consistently denied the sugary snacks featuring popular Disney characters. to the cultivation of genetically modified maize, existence of a moratorium, citing that no official rape, , beet, potatoes and soya. ‘Poland communication to this effect has ever been made. Disney has not yet should be in principle a country free of Undeterred by international wrangling, several followed the BBC’s genetically modified organisms,’ the Polish local councils in Britain (e.g. Cornwall) have lead by banning cabinet said in a statement. declared themselves GM-Free areas. They advise junk-food However, the cabinet also said that it will farm tenants of the Council's anti-GM position; promotions allow GM food to be imported ‘on condition it is ban GM food from local food services such as associated clearly marked, and providing there is no school meals and residential homes; and aim to with pre-school possibility it is transformed’ into other products. be excluded from growing certain GM crops. characters

Food Magazine 72 3 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 4

news

FSA retreats from Food gets personal How can the food industry grow? There's a limit to the amount people can eat, so food companies must look to new ways to make more money. battle with salt sellers Nutrigenomics, 'personalised nutrition', is touted as the way forward. The UK Food Standards Agency's long-awaited became Head of Food and Health, and should Genetic scientists claim that they will be able to recommendations for reduced salt consumption know more than most how to keep the industry on analyse an individual's genetic material (DNA), then revealed a retreat from their previous proposals track. However, the FSA acknowledged it had held pinpoint the precise nutrition plan for optimal health. which set tough limits on the sodium content of 'consultations with more than 250 organisations Dr Ben van Ommen of the Centre for Human popular processed foods. together with a range of consumer groups, public Nutrigenomics, NuGO, explains: 'The long-term goal The FSA's original proposals, published in health bodies and independent food is to provide everyone with scientifically sound 2005, set tough targets for a range of products, technologists' – which rather implies that the 250 information on what they should eat so as to but these have now been relaxed for 85 food were mostly from the commercial sector, an maintain or improve their health and prevent types. For example, under the original proposals astounding number of 'consultations' and diseases associated with ageing.' His centre has the amount of salt allowed in 100g of potato suggesting a fierce onslaught upon the Agency. been awarded 17.3m Euros (approx £12 million) to crisps was set at 1.4g but this has now jumped to drive forward this area of research. 3.4g. In sausages the maximum was 1.4g salt per Over-processed, over- Is this type of work likely to alleviate diet- 100g but this has jumped up to 1.8g salt. cooked and over- related disease in Europe? Will expensive Professor Graham MacGregor, chairman of compensated with a genetically analysed personalised diets help the campaign group Consensus Action on Salt hefty dose of salt – the poorest people, most likely to get diet- and Health (www.hyp.ac.uk/cash/) said 'The what is it with related disease? Will such publicly funded power of the food industry is once again in chicken research programmes avoid focusing on evidence and the purely commercial interests of dishes? These economic growth for the food sector, and food companies have been allowed to prevail. products all avoid helping only affluent people who There are no reasons why salt content of foods boast 2g salt probably eat pretty well already? cannot be reduced much further.' in a single A new report from GeneWatch UK The FSA's Director of Consumer Choice and portion. suggests not. Entitled Your diet tailored to your Dietary Health, Gill Fine, said she was 'pleased genes: Preventing diseases or misleading with the work done by many parts of the industry Indeed this Iceland marketing?, it is a far-reaching review of the to enable us all to reduce our salt intake' and said Cantonese Chicken science, economics and politics of the new guidance was the next step in the FSA's provides an incredible 5.8g salt. With only nutrigenomics. programme for salt reduction. The original five small pieces of ‘battered chicken’ in the The report's conclusion is compelling: 'The food proposals had been aimed at reducing average UK tray this meal appears to be meant for one. and biotechnology industries, and many of the salt consumption to under 6g per day. In an We hope that scientists they fund, have acknowledgement that the new targets may fail to people who widely promoted the idea reach this goal, Fine said the FSA would 'review rely on ready that the ultimate goal of the targets in 2008 to ensure that progress meals have nutritional research should continues to be made'. good life be 'personalised nutrition', Ms Fine worked for nine years as a nutritionist insurance! involving individual diets at supermarket chain Sainsbury's where she based on a person's genes and, perhaps in the longer term, on other biological The FSA's current guidelines specify that foods should be considered high, medium or low measurements and continual in salt according to the following: monitoring. However, the Salt / 100g Sodium / 100g scientific evidence does not support the conclusion that High 1.25g or more 0.5g or more such an approach will benefit Medium Between 0.25 and 1.25g Between 0.1 and 0.5g health. For most diet-related diseases in most Low 0.25g or less 0.1g or less people, the key to prevention lies not in individual biological differences but in tackling the 'politics of Population-based recommended daily intake is no more than: food' and issues such as food industry marketing Babies 1g salt a day (0.4g sodium) practices, socio-economic deprivation, health inequalities, transport and the lack of sports 1 to 3 years 2g salt a day (0.8g sodium) facilities in schools.' 4 to 6 years 3g salt a day (1.2g sodium) How else could £12m of public money be spent, rather than expensive research to help the 7 to 10 years 5g salt a day (2g sodium) wealthy few? Training for caterers? Seed grants 11 and over 6g salt a day (2.4g sodium) for co-ops to supply schools with fresh food? The European research agenda seems every Even the 6g target is above what adults actually need: 95% of the adult population need less than bit as skewed as European diets. 4g salt (1.6g sodium) for normal biological functioning. The minimum recommended daily intake is  See: www.genewatch.org/HumanGen/ 1.5g salt (0.6g sodium) which is considered sufficient for only 5% of the adult population. GenesAndHealth.htm

Food Magazine 73 4 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 5

news

Under-5s to get better nutrition Sausages and soap The Pre-school Learning Alliance (PLA) has launched a nutritional training scheme for early years practitioners to help them plan menus and promote healthy eating for young children – the face ethical boycott first of its kind in the UK. The PLA is working with the children’s Committed Nestlé boycotters have been May, rumours spread that the vegetarian food cookery writer Annabel Karmel to produce struggling in recent months with the ethical company Tivall looks set to purchase Linda recipes for parents and a cook-book for childcare conundrum of whether to continue buying McCartney Foods. Whilst the business website practitioners, to be published in the autumn. cosmetics and toiletries at the Body Shop, after just-food.com reports that neither Tivall nor Nutritional Guidance for Early Years is also it was bought out in March by L'Oréal, of which Linda McCartney Foods would confirm or deny the subject of a new publication from the Nestlé owns a significant share. This followed the rumour, one fact did emerge; that Nestlé Scottish Executive, providing healthy eating the knotty problem of whether or not to buy owns 50.1% of Tivall. Could we see a boycott advice for children aged one to five and 10-day certified Fairtrade Nestlé coffee whilst questions of Linda McCartney sausages? Whatever next?! menu plans for meals and snacks. remain about the trading practices for the rest We thought that a little ethical clarity might Meanwhile, the National Day Nurseries of Nestlé's coffee operations. be needed, and spoke to colleagues and Association has joined forces with the Stop the Does a buy-out or certification mark signify advisors of the Food Magazine. Whilst Rot dental health campaign, urging the UK’s an encouraging move towards ethical acknowledging that Nestlé's forays into ethical 13,000 nurseries to sign up to three Smile practices? Or is it simply feel-good window businesses might seem encouraging, and even Promises – sack the sugar; beat the sweets; and dressing and an attempt to cash in on the signify a step in the right direction by the food eat, drink and brush. lucrative niche ethical market, with no behind- giant, most of the people we spoke to fell on the-scenes strategy to overhaul the the 'window dressing' side of the argument.  Scottish Executive guidance is at: fundamental ethics of the business? Without Nestlé having made a publicly stated www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/Recent The questions remain unanswered, and aspiration to achieving 100% ethical and  The ‘Stop the Rot’ campaign website is at: Nestlé remains the target of a long-running sustainable products and practices, consumers www.stop-the-rot.co.uk boycott for continuing to flout international should continue to press hard for more baby formula milk marketing rules. fundamental reform. Targets and timetables for Demonstrations have been organised outside achieving these ambitious aims would also go a Veggies welcome definitions Body Shop outlets around the UK. As Anita long way to reassuring consumers that the Roddick, founder of the Body Shop who sold leopard really has changed its spots. The Vegetarian Society has welcomed moves to her shares to Nestlé, stated in a letter to the And of course, complete compliance with define the terms ‘vegetarian’ and ‘vegan’, to Nestlé Boycott campaign coordinators, ‘If you the International Code of Marketing would be a ensure that food manufacturers really mean what have to bloody boycott – then boycott. Boycott foundation stone for any return to favour. they say. The Food Standards Agency will all the products that Nestlé own 100%… But As a reminder to Nestlé of some of the champion the new definitions at an international for goodness’ sake strengthen the arm of prerequisite ethical principles they would need level, in negotiations at Codex Alimentarius – the anyone who sees an opportunity of changing to sign up to, to build permanent consumer international standards-setting process that the black hole of the corporate world.’ confidence in the company's ethical stance, we underpins world trade. Even if their ethical strategy is ambiguous, reproduce the Nestlé Boycott campaign’s 4- The Vegetarian Society has pointed out that Nestlé's acquisitions strategy is all too clear. In point plan below. there is a need for technical guidance in this area, as it has collected many reports of manufacturers wrongly claiming that non- Baby Milk Action’s four-point plan Nestlé’s response. The company: vegetarian foods are vegetarian. A few recent examples include: 1. Nestlé must state in writing that it accepts 1. Does not accept that the Code applies to all  A large supermarket’s consumer magazine that the International Code and the subsequent countries, only those on a list of its own proudly promoting its new Tuna Niçoise Salad relevant World Health Assembly Resolutions invention and even then, Nestlé follows its own complete with the chain’s own vegetarian are minimum requirements for every country. weaker Charter rather than the Code. Nestlé (green ‘v’) logo. refuses to recognise that the subsequent  A jelly made with large amounts of gelatine 2. Nestlé must state in writing that it will make Resolutions have equal status to the Code. the required changes to bring its baby food (an animal-derived ingredient – usually made marketing policy and practice into line with the 2. Continues to dispute any wrong-doing even from the bones or skin of pigs or cows) International Code and Resolutions (i.e. end its when faced by documentary evidence of mal- clearly displaying the manufacturer’s own strategy of denial and deception). practice, fines, convictions and rulings against it. ‘suitable for vegetarians’ logo.  A large supermarket recently selling a noodle 3. Baby Milk Action will take the statements to 3. Has not provided the necessary statements. stir-fry dish in its produce section. The pack the International Nestlé Boycott Committee and featured the supermarket’s own ‘suitable for 4. Continues to violate the Code and suggest that representatives meet with Nestlé vegetarians’ logo but the accompanying Resolutions in a systematic manner. to discuss its timetable for making the sauce sachet contained fish. required changes. The Vegetarian Society has urged the FSA to  Campaign aims and Nestlé statements champion the vegetarians’ cause in international 4. If the International Baby Food Action Network are reproduced from the Baby Milk Action negotiations over labelling and food standards. (IBFAN) monitoring finds no Nestlé violations website, www.babymilkaction.org, which for 18 months, the boycott will be called off. reminds readers that every day, 4,000  Further details of the Vegetarian babies die from unsafe bottle feeding. Society’s campaign activities can be found at: www.vegsoc.org/political/

Food Magazine 73 5 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 6

food safety

Where in the food chain Climate change: the does food poisoning occur?

risk of food poisoning The correlation between prevailing temperatures and reported food poisoning Among the many problems on prevailing temperatures in East Kilbride, incidence is often interpreted as being a that climate change may bring Scotland). If temperatures rise by 4°C then the problem caused by neglectful consumers. figures for winter months leap again. Local authorities and national agencies to the British Isles is a rise in A contributing factor may be an increase in put out leaflets and advertising telling us all the risk of food poisoning, the fly and blowfly populations, which typically to be sure to keep chilled food in the fridge, especially during the winter breed at temperatures above 10°C. Larvae can to throw away out-of-date products, and to months. Tim Lobstein reports develop at temperatures as low as 3.5°C. The wash our hands. Messages are also sent to result of milder winters could mean greater caterers reminding them of the need to problems of food contamination with insect- monitor their and food ith alarming regularity, the media tells mediated enterobacteria and enteroviruses. preparation activities, and to refresh their us of the likely rise in temperatures Day-night temperature changes may also be hygiene training. Wwe will face over the coming century important. Milder night-time temperatures can However, Bentham and Langford's if action is not taken to curb greenhouse gas increase the proliferation of micro-organisms in research found that the incidence of food emissions. In April, the government’s Chief food left in ambient temperature, and increase poisoning was most strongly associated Scientific Officer Sir David King projected a likely the numbers of insects that transmit disease. with the temperature prevailing during the rise in global temperature of at least 3°C. But Warming seas may mean that some month prior to the month when the food what effect will this have on food safety? biotoxins associated with warmer weathers, poisoning outbreak occurred.1 Temperatures Prevailing climate has a significant effect on such as the fish-borne that causes in the earlier month accounted for more of the risk of getting food poisoning. Currently, the Ciguatera sickness, may extend their range to the variation in food poisoning incidence number of food poisoning cases increases in higher latitudes, raising the risk of poisoning for and implied that conditions earlier in the summer and decreases in winter, and there is a people eating fish and shellfish. food production process posed a more correlation between prevailing temperatures and There may also be an increase in the significant food poisoning risk than those reported food poisoning incidence. occurrence of toxic algal blooms which have just prior to consumption. A 1995 study by Bentham and Langford complex relationships with human poisoning and The authors suggest that attention showed that above a threshold of around 7.5°C are ecologically and economically damaging. should be paid to problems occurring early the rate of food poisoning rises strongly with the Increased humidity can encourage fungal in the food chain, such as the condition of prevailing temperature (see ref 1 in box, right). growth, raising the risk of fungal-based contamin- animals prior to slaughter and the likelihood On this basis the authors estimated food ation of food (e.g. with ochratoxin and ). that they may be harbouring infection. Such poisoning incidence if global temperatures were Further, periods of drought encourage mice and infection may be associated with to rise. On the basis of a 2°C rise, the figures rats to seek sources of food in human houses, contaminated feedstocks, water or other suggest that food poisoning incidence could which raises the risk of spreading rodent-borne inputs. Contamination levels may be higher, increase by as much as 20%. diseases, as well as affecting food security. or the disease spread more rapidly through In the UK the highest increase in incidence Sir David King warned that 10% of the world's herds and flocks, during warmer months. may occur for the period from autumn though to population face as climate change threat- Bacteria may also survive for longer in spring, when global warming will increasingly ens agricultural production. But we must also warmer conditions through the transport, raise the prevailing temperature above the 7.5°C face up to the fact that what food is available will slaughter and cutting processes. The threshold (this is illustrated in the graph, based increasingly be at risk of contamination. authors therefore suggest that slaughterhouse procedures should also be improved, a finding echoed in several Number of days each month in which mean daily temperature rises above 7.5°C investigations into the causes of recent food Temperature data for East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, 1995 (adapted from UK Meteorological Office, 2001) poisoning outbreaks.2,3

1. Bentham G and Langford A H, Climate change and the incidence of food poisoning in England and Wales, Int J Biometeorol, 39, 81- 86, 1995.

2. House of Commons, in eggs: First report, House of Commons Agriculture Committee, February and December, HMSO, London 1989.

3. Pennington H, Report on the circumstances leading to the 1996 outbreak of infection with E.coli 0157 in Central Scotland, the implications for food safety and the lessons to be learned, The Scottish Office, Edinburgh, 1997.

Food Magazine 73 6 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 7

environment

Government challenged to ban Methyl bromide passes its sell-by date ‘neurotoxic’ additives More than 5,000 farms and organisations joined By 2003 about 56 countries that had The Soil Association has called for several forces with the United Nations Environment previously used methyl bromide in the past no common food additives to be banned, following Programme (UNEP) in April to reinvigorate the longer used it, and others appeared to be well on publication of a three-year study of synergistic phase-out of an agricultural fumigant that track to meet the scheduled phase-out date. Use effects of certain additives consumed in damages the ozone layer. Two UK supermarket of methyl bromide reduced from over 56,000 combination. We reported on a draft of the study chains were specifically highlighted in the UNEP tonnes in 1991 to about 14,500 tonnes in 2003 in the previous edition of the Food Magazine. publicity for taking a lead role – Marks & in industrialised countries (a 74% reduction). The The study, conducted at the University of Spencer and the Co-op. UK reduced consumption from about 630 tonnes Liverpool, shows that when the nerve cells were Methyl bromide is a toxic gas and , in 1991 to about 167 tonnes in 2003 (73% exposed to MSG (E621, a flavour enhancer) with used since the 1940s to kill insects and rodents reduction). Former methyl bromide users have Brilliant Blue (E133, an azo-dye colouring) or in some mills and food factories. It is also used adopted other successful pest control methods. Aspartame (E951, an artificial sweetener, see to kill a wide spectrum of pests in soil before However, some mills, food companies and pages 8 and 9) with Quinoline Yellow (E104, farmers plant out strawberries or other high- farmers in Europe and the US did not want to another azo-dye colouring), the additives value crops prone to pest damage. stop using methyl bromide. Manufacturers and stopped the nerve cells from normal growth and When the ozone layer thins, living systems food industry/agriculture groups claimed that no interfered with proper signalling systems. are increasingly exposed to damaging ultraviolet technically and economically feasible substitutes Aspartame is one of the commonest artificial radiation. Scientists have noted the rapid rise in were available, despite growing evidence of the sweeteners, used in an estimated 6,000 food incidence of skin cancer in Europe. Cancers negative impact of the chemcial’s use on human products, and widely used in pharmaceuticals. related to sun and ultraviolet exposure are health were emerging. As a result some Soil Association Policy Director Peter predicted to double in parts of northern Europe exemptions were granted by governments. In the Melchett joined the sponsor of the study, Lizzie by 2015 – partly due to sunbathing habits, and UK in 2006, Methyl Bromide is still permitted for: Vann from Organix Brands, delivering a challenge partly due to a thinner ozone layer. Higher  Some treatment of buildings – mills (e.g. to Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt. They called ultraviolet exposure (UV-B) also disrupts the flour mills), factories on government to ban the suspect additives from timing and growth of certain types of crops and (producing products such as biscuits, all food. These additives are already prohibited in forest trees, and can reduce fish stocks. cereals, snack foods, spice ingredients) and organic food and drink products. As well as methyl bromide, ozone-damaging cheese stores; chemicals also include CFCs (used in older  Some treatment of food items such as nuts, Peter Melchett fridges and air-conditioning) and halons (used in dried fruit, herbs, spices and rice; (Soil Association) fire extinguishers).  Some soil treatments for strawberries, and Lizzie Vann Methyl bromide was added to the official raspberries and ornamental tree nurseries. (Organix Brands) international list of ozone-damaging chemicals in The Association of Cereal Food Manufacturers deliver a 1992 and subsequently all governments agreed and other food companies have applied to extend challenge on to phase it out, under an agreement called the exemptions in future years. Methyl bromide users ‘neurotoxic’ Montreal Protocol. All industrialised countries, claim that their own individual use is so small additives to the including the UK, were scheduled to phase out that it cannot do any significant harm the earth’s Department of methyl bromide by January 2005. protective shield, neglecting to take into account Health the cumulative environmental effect. The farms and companies that have joined UNEP’s partnership have Tesco redefines seasonality already stopped using methyl To help prevent unnecessary use of transport bromide or will pledge to halt its use fuel and electricity for heated greenhouses, we by September 2007. As noted above, are all urged to choose more local and seasonal the partnership includes two UK food. Great advice, but what does ‘seasonal’ supermarkets – Marks & Spencer really mean? Don’t take the lead from Tesco – and the Co-op – but has yet to attract one of its latest own-brand products to be support from the likes of Tesco, described as ‘seasonal’ is long-life muffins with Sainsbury's or Asda. vaguely strawberryish pieces, bought by one of Although the quantity of methyl our Food Magazine researchers in a Tesco Metro bromide detected in the atmosphere during March. Strawberries are not in season in has fallen significantly since 1998, the UK at this UNEP says that ‘scientists have time, unless warned against complacency – many they are grown small, remaining uses of methyl in energy- bromide risk negating the gains intensive achieved to date’. UNEP also warns greenhouses or that ‘the ozone layer will not recover if poly-tunnels. Continued application worldwide: An operator the Montreal Protocol phase-out com- And can from an Indonesian pest-control company mitments are not implemented in full’. anyone tell us prepares to fumigate with the ozone-damaging The reality is that many small uses what is the pesticide methyl bromide. According to the add up to a big problem for the ozone growing season company website, clients include hotels, layer – and that could lead to a very big for long shelf-life supermarkets and food manufacturers. problem for all of us. muffins?

Food Magazine 73 7 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 8

sweeteners Aspartame: the litmus t the FSA and EFSA

Erik Flagyl and Aldactone, that the Chief Lawyer at brain tumour, called glioblastomas, in the US.2 Millstone, the Food and Drug Administration wrote in April His argument was reinforced by evidence that Professor of 1976 to the Federal Attorney (FA) in Chicago the tumour type had also been conspicuous in (Searle's HQ was in Illinois) instructing him to one of the previous, though flawed, animal Science convene a Grand Jury to indict, then prosecute studies and by biochemical evidence indicating a Policy at the Searle. Shortly thereafter, the Chicago FA was mechanism through which aspartame could University of invited to join the law firm Sidley & Austin that exert a carcinogenic effect. Predictably, the FDA represented Searle. He accepted and the Searle and the US food industry discounted his Sussex, legal process was suspended until a new FA analysis. In the UK and Europe it was officially warns that came into post. He too was invited to join Sidley discounted because similar patterns had not recent & Austin, and the process was delayed again. emerged in the data, but that is probably research into the artificial This continued until the Statute of Limitations because the age-profile of people consuming expired, so no effective legal action was taken. artificially sweetened products differs between sweetener aspartame is being Public pressure from scientists and the US and this side of the Atlantic. In the UK ignored by food regulators. campaigners forced the FDA to experiment with and continental Europe, artificially sweetened what was called a Public Board of Inquiry (PBoI) products are predominantly consumed by spartame (often called by its brand to adjudicate on at least some of the facts younger people rather than by ‘senior citizens’, name Nutrasweet) has not only been concerning the possibility that aspartame might and it was the latter group that Olney argued A one of the most controversial food cause brain cancer. The inquiry concluded in were especially at risk. additives in the history of the industry, it has also 1980 that it was not satisfied that aspartame I and others have repeatedly called for a been one of the most profitable. In autumn 2005 was acceptably safe, and that judgement was repetition of the pivotal chronic toxicity tests on the controversy intensified with the publication of endorsed by at least five senior FDA aspartame by independent scientists. Morando the results of a long-term feeding study of toxicologists. Despite this, aspartame was Soffritti and his colleagues at the Ramazzini aspartame conducted by the Ramazzini licensed in the US by the new head of the FDA, Foundation in Italy have not just repeated the Foundation in Italy, indicating that aspartame under the incoming Reagan Administration, who flawed tests, using the protocol preferred by the caused a dose-related and statistically significant shortly thereafter left the FDA and went to work chemical industry. They have substantially increase in the incidence of several types of for Nutrasweet's PR company. The sweetener improved upon it. The Italian study, published in tumour.1 The significance of these results can was approved in the UK on the advice of the 2005, did not use 400 rats, they used 900. only be appreciated if they are seen against the Committee on Toxicity, whose chairman had his Instead of testing the compound at three dose bizarre context of the aspartame saga. laboratory indirectly funded by Searle, and was levels (plus a control group) they tested it at five In the early 1970s, when the company approved in Europe and by the World Health dose levels (plus controls). Instead of killing the seeking to market aspartame (G D Searle – and Organisation with the involvement of scientists rats before they reached the ends of their its subcontractor) was testing it for safety and/or with undeclared commercial links to Nutrasweet. average natural lives, the rats lived longer so that toxicity, serious failings occurred in the conduct After products containing aspartame reached long-term effects could be studied. In these and of those tests. There is, for example, evidence of the market, some consumers began reporting many other ways, the Ramazzini study was rats dying during the course of the experiment, that they felt acute adverse effects. No-one more thorough, sensitive, reliable and relevant to but instead of being dissected in a search for knows the frequency with which such problems human exposure than those conducted in evidence that the test compound might have occur, but I estimate between 1% and 10% of accordance with conventional protocols. been responsible, they were discarded and consumers experience some adverse effects The safety of aspartame is officially 'under replaced with other rats. The test material was after ingesting aspartame. The most common review'. Provisional comments from the Food not accurately characterised, and was not symptoms are severe headaches and blurred Standards Agency (FSA), its Committee on always properly mixed with the feed, so that vision, while, thankfully, epileptic-type seizures Carcinogenicity and the European Food Safety some of the animals ate the basic diet but are rare. That evidence has repeatedly been Authority (EFSA) have emphasised possible avoided the lumps of test compound. Serious dismissed officially as ‘anecdotal’, although the reasons for discounting the results of the shortcomings occurred in all 15 of the pivotal sufferers often report that occasionally symptoms Ramazzini study, which had indicated that chronic (i.e. long-term) toxicology studies. Instead recur. And when they do, they discover that aspartame causes statistically significant of acknowledging the mistakes and starting inadvertently they had consumed aspartame. increases in the incidence of several types of again, Searle submitted the data from the flawed In 1996 John Olney of Washington University cancers, as if they were a 'false positive', while studies. The errors were revealed by the diligent St Louis, a noble veteran of the aspartame they remained blind to the evidence that all the efforts of an heroic scientist, Adrian Gross at the debate, published a paper reporting evidence that previous studies on which they have been relying US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). the introduction of aspartame had been are almost certainly false negatives. Aspartame So much of Searle's scientific evidence was responsible for an abrupt increase in the represents a powerful litmus test for both the flawed, including that on two drug products incidence of a particularly aggressive type of FSA and for the EFSA, but current indications

Food Magazine 73 8 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 9

sweeteners test for School Food Trust permits sweeteners in milk drinks

o-and-fro debates about government drinks should not be seen as an answer to plans for school food have shown, once obesity concerns at the expense of other possible T again, that independent scrutiny is crucial health disbenefits to children from consuming so that industry influence will not win the day. artificial sweeteners. The support group encour- suggest that they are likely to fail the test. Both In March, the School Food Trust, set up by ages parents to exclude artificial sweeteners as the FSA and EFSA were created to end the the Department for Education and Skills, part of a programme to improve children’s well- subordination of food safety policy-making to published its long-awaited recommendations to being and behaviour. The HACSG has therefore industrial and commercial concerns, and instead government for nutritional standards for two expressed dismay that some artificially to put consumers first and to do so in a aspects of school food other than lunch. These sweetened products will still be allowed. transparent and accountable fashion. In the cover mid-morning break services, breakfast and Meanwhile, the National Federation of meantime, the chair of EFSA's expert advisory after-school meals, tuck shops and the thorny Women’s Institutes (NFWI) kept up the pressure committee is a paid consultant to the International question of vending machines. for environmental considerations to be built in. Life Sciences Institute, which is a pseudo- The Trust’s advice is that the following During the consultation process, they pointed out scientific front organisation for the major food mandatory standards should apply to all food that free filtered tap water should be preferred to and chemical companies. If, despite the evidence sold in schools throughout the day: bottled water. It would be all too easy for schools from Soffritti et al, and all the earlier evidence of  No confectionery should be sold in schools; to slip into the trap of relying on income from the inadequacies of all the previous studies,  No bagged savoury snacks other than nuts bottled water, excluding the poorer children and aspartame remains on the market, consumers and seeds (without added salt or sugar) contributing to more packaging waste. will know that the FSA and EFSA are failures and should be sold in schools; Whilst the NFWI’s concerns over water are that more radical reforms will be necessary.  A variety of fruit and vegetables should be reflected in the final document, further points on available in all school food outlets, including local and seasonal fruit and vegetables were not 1 M Soffritti et al, 'Aspartame induces lymphomas fresh, dried, frozen, canned and juiced; considered. This is despite work from the and leukaemias in rats', European Journal of  Pupils must have easy access at all times to government’s own Sustainable Development Oncology, vol. 10, No 2, pp. 107-116, 2005 free, fresh, preferably chilled, water in Commission (SDC) who were keen to ensure the www.ramazzini.it/fondazione/docs/AspartameGEO2 schools so that children do not have to opportunity for major overhaul in the school food 005.pdf; M Soffritti et al, 'First experimental depend on going to the toilets for tap water; system should set school caterers on a path to demonstration of the multipotenial carcinogenic  effects of aspartame administered in the feed to The only other drinks available should be sustainability as well as better nutrition. As they Sprague-Dawley rats' Environmental Health bottled water (still or sparkling), skimmed or point out, food is responsible for around a third Perspectives, 2005, Vol. 114, No. 3, March 2006 semi-skimmed milk, pure fruit juices, yogurt of our ‘ecological footprint’, and around 30% of pp. 379-385 available at and milk drinks (with less than 5% added greenhouse gas emissions. Such concerns were www.ehponline.org/docs/2006/114-3/toc.html sugar), drinks made from combinations of not considered to be within the remit of the 2 Olney J. W. et al, 'Increasing brain tumor rates: is these (e.g. smoothies), low-calorie hot School Food Trust, so caterers can look forward there a link to aspartame?', Journal of chocolate, tea and coffee. Artificial sweeten- to yet more reviews when government finally Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology, Vol. ers could be used in yogurt and milk drinks; starts to take food sustainability more seriously. 55, No 11, November 1996  Every school should have a whole school The proof of government resolve will now be food and nutrition policy, preferably reflected in the support, funding and freedom that it gives Latest news on aspartame in its single School Plan. to the implementation programme. There are The standards, which the School Food Trust already signs that restrictions on Lottery funds On 5 May 2006, EFSA announced the findings believes that all schools should be achieving by will mean that the School Food Trust will have of its review of the Ramazzini cancer study, early 2007, have been broadly welcomed by less budget than originally planned. But money concluding it considers aspartame to be ‘safe’. health campaigners, especially the ban on junky must be made available for training school staff EFSA acknowledged improvements in snacks. Responses from health organisations to deliver on the fine words and principles. The design of the scientific study. However, it generally echo the chair of the School Food Trust, ‘proof of the pudding’ will require an inspection questioned the link between a slight increase in Suzi Leather, who said: ‘New food standards system which, as the British Heart Foundation incidence of cancers (lymphomas and cannot succeed if pupils are surrounded with (among many others) points out, should be leukemias) in treated rats, saying that they felt chocolate, crisps and drinks that fill them up regulated by regular Ofsted inspections, with this was attributable to a high background with sugar and fat during the school day. It’s not meaningful sanctions and subsequent support incidence of inflammatory changes in the lung in children’s best interests to have unlimited for schools who fail to meet the new standards. in both treated and untreated rats, and access to these products, and they replace the associated with high doses of a number of consumption of more nourishing foods.’  For details of the School Food Trust, see: different types of chemicals tested on animals. However, the level of detailed scrutiny applied www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk However, as Erik Millstone points out, an by health organisations and charities shows just  The SDC report on school food and sustain- anomaly remains that rats fed no aspartame how important these recommendations are for ability is at: www.sd-commission.org.uk/ did suffer with lung inflammations, but they did the future health and wellbeing of children. The pages/191205.html not get cancer. EFSA did not address this point. Hyperactive Children’s Support Group, for For EFSA’s response, visit: www.efsa.eu.int/ example, has been hot on the heels of the  See also: ‘Soil Association calls for press_room/media_events/1460_en.html School Food Trust to ensure that ‘low-calorie’ additive ban’, page 7.

Food Magazine 73 9 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 10

advertising

the UK, objected that the advert implied that all the pigmeat Vion imported conformed to UK animal welfare regulations. Vion argued that it was not practical for a meat processor to adhere to the standards in each individual European Legal, decent, country because they differed so much. However, the complaint was upheld. Chickens do suffer 'Millions of chickens suffer terribly honest and true? before being slaughtered' was the claim that drew a complaint regarding a London The activities of the advertising industry raise many important questions Underground poster published by the campaign for nutrition and health. Here we report on activities and rulings of the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in recent months.

Bread riddle solved Organics defended Warburtons was criticised by the ASA for Several aspects of a an ad headlined 'What's the healthiest complaint against an packed lunch you've never made?' 'New organic juice manufacturer were Warburtons All-In-One Riddlers are bread rolls rejected by the ASA. A rival fruit ready-filled with either cheese or ham flavour grower and the Crop Protection cheese spread. Kids love them, and so will you, Association (pesticide trade body) as Riddlers provide wholemeal goodness in a objected to an ad from The Organic white roll, and they supply over 28% of a child's Juice Co that spoke of the risk of RDA of calcium. A healthy lunch that kids love.' consuming 'a cocktail of chemical “What a relief to hear that the ASA is The complainant objected that the ad implied the pesticide residues' in conventionally ‘satisfied’ that our suffering exists!” product was a complete healthy lunch. produced fruit products. Although the Whilst the ASA accepted the manufacturer's pesticide trade body felt this portrayed plea that that they had not intended to imply the pesticide-treated fruit 'in a negative light', the Animals (PETA). The group said that 800 million product provided a healthy lunch on its own, but ASA ruled against the The Organic Juice Co only chickens were raised and slaughtered each year that it could form part of an overall healthy lunch, for appearing to imply that pesticide-free food in the UK, with a number of studies documenting the complaint was upheld. might taste different. ill treatment during the farming, transportation and slaughter of chickens. A study by FSA censured on salt Welfare rules not practical? Compassion in World Farming showed that nine Unusually, the ASA ruled on a public The British Pig Executive (BPEX) objected out of 100 chickens slaughtered were conscious health advertisement. The Food to a trade magazine ad for a food during the process, totally some 7.2 million birds Standards Agency had issued the ad as part of company Vion. The text of the advertisement annually in the UK. The ASA said it was 'satisfied its reduce salt campaign. The ASA criticised the stated that 'We consider it our duty to use only that the evidence indicated that welfare issues FSA for exaggerating health benefits of cutting meat from healthy animals treated according to that affected the suffering of millions of broiler back on salt for a named family that featured in the latest animal welfare regulations and chickens existed' and dismissed the complaint. the advertisement. The complainant also said therefore ensure the highest quality along the that the 'Ready Sorted!' ad misleadingly implied entire supply chain.'  An analysis of complaints and ASA rulings that most salt came from snacks, but the ASA BPEX, who believed only 21% of pig meat regarding food advertisements that have did not uphold the complaint on this point. imported from the Netherlands complied with compared processed food products to fruit are animal welfare regulations equivalent to those in shown on the following page. Seductive ads rejected Two advertisements for alcohol were deemed to link sexual pleasure and ASA ignores the weight of public concern social success with alcohol – implications explicitly discouraged by the voluntary code of Of the adverts that attract public concern, most Perhaps unsurprisingly, another food advertising practice. A cinema ad for the attract only one or two complaints. However, product that made it into the top 10 for 'most alcoholic drink Disaronno was deemed to be the ASA has revealed that one advertisement complained about advertisements in 2005'. 'irresponsible' by the ASA because an image of a provoked a record-breaking 1,671 complaints Once again, an woman touching a barman's arm and placing an in 2005 – an ad featuring call-centre workers offensive advert, ice cube to her mouth 'conveyed seduction and singing with their mouths full of KFC fried this time for Pot strong sexual overtones'. First Drinks Brands chicken. Most complainants objected to the ad Noodle, attracted were advised to adopt a different approach in because they said it encouraged bad manners 620 complaints. future. Meanwhile, Young and Co's Brewery were in children. The case is especially interesting as But once again, censured for showing a ram (the brewery's it neatly illustrates the ASA's apparent two- despite public symbol) dressed as a man and enjoying social fingered attitude to public concern. The ASA concern, the success linked to alcohol consumption and ruled against the record-breaking number of ASA failed to being a likely 'target for seduction'. Young's was public complaints and defended KFC for censure the advised by the ASA to withdraw the posters. showing disgusting behaviour. advertisers.

Food Magazine 73 10 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 11

advertising

the amount of sugar as a bottle of Panda Pops' implied misleadingly that Panda Pops were healthier than juice. The ASA told the ASA fails to advertiser to amend the copy. Volvic flavoured water compared to apples In 2001, the ASA upheld a complaint from the Food Commission against Danone Waters for an advertisement claiming for Volvic 'Touch of Fruit' bottled water that ‘A 33cl bottle contains 15% defend fruit fewer calories than an average apple’. The same claim appeared on thousands of Volvic bottles. Simply ticking off a few food brussel sprouts. The implication was that jammy The ASA ruled that the claim was misleading. companies isn’t nearly biscuits are associated with a cheeky break from parental pressure to eat healthy foods. Tetley antioxidants compared to fruit and veg enough to convince health Earlier this year, the ASA also ruled against a In October 2002, the ASA upheld a complaint campaigners that the ASA is complaint from the Food Commission about an from the Food Commission against Tetley Tea, a champion of good nutrition, ad stating that two slices of Kingsmill Wonder for claims that antioxidants in tea could help White bread had twice the fibre of a banana. We prevent coronary heart disease and extend life. argues Kath Dalmeny. believed it was unhelpful for a bread company to On labels Tetley linked these claims to the health imply that eating white bread offered greater benefits of eating fruit and vegetables, almost as hen Advertising Standards Authority health benefits than eating fruit. The ASA did not if antioxidants in fruit and vegetables were their rulings are published, the worst that agree, and rejected the complaint. primary or sole beneficial component. At the W most companies face is a bit of bad It might seem like sour grapes on our part (if time, the Tetley website also stated ‘Tetley Tea – publicity. The ASA likes to give the appearance you’ll pardon the pun) to be concerned about rich in antioxidants! Remember that Tetley Teas of a public body that champions the consumer such rulings, were it not that they seem to mark are high in antioxidants – compounds that can cause. But when it comes to food advertising, a move in favour of processed foods. A few help your body fight against heart disease, cancer, the ASA does little to defend sound and simple examples from our archive of a more pro- and various other conditions associated with nutritional advice – especially advice associated nutrition stance illustrate the point. ageing. Have a cuppa to help you stay healthy!’ with non-branded foods such as fruit and veg. The ASA ruled that Tetley’s claims were based Diets high in fruit and veg are associated with Panda Pops compared to orange juice on shaky evidence and should be withdrawn. lower rates of cancer, heart disease and other In March 2005, the ASA upheld a complaint from conditions such as asthma. Yet food companies the Food Commission against a leaflet for Panda We urge the ASA to defend fruit and vegetables persist in advertising products of questionable Pops. A table compared the from denigration and unfair nutritional value by associating their brands with children’s drinks to pure competitive marketing practices by the health qualities of fresh produce, or by orange juice on the basis of means of disadvantageous denigrating fruit and veg in favour of their own sugar content. The ASA ruling comparative claims, and help to products. Fresh produce is a ‘safe target’, there stated: ‘The drinks in the reserve health claims for foods and being no coordinating body to defend fruit and Popzone range contained less drinks that are genuinely healthy. vegetables from unfair competitive practice. sugar than unsweetened In the past few months, two ASA rulings have orange juice.’ The ASA Panda Pops (left) implied underlined the Authority’s reluctance to champion expressed concern that the its products were healthier public health messages, in marked contrast to statement 'Many parents than orange juice their more proactive stance in earlier years. In choose fruit juice as a March, the ASA rejected a complaint about a 'healthier' option for their kids, cinema advert portraying Jammie Dodger when it actually contains the biscuits releasing a child from having to eat same level of acid and twice

Press releases and websites get round the rules

Other companies have tried the same game, but health advice seeks to limit people's complaints have escaped censure from the ASA because consumption of extrinsic such as those to a trading the medium in which their claims were in frosted cereal – which are sugars released standards Masterfoods (Mars) imagery published is not covered by the ASA. from the cell. Sugars in fruit are intrinsic sugars, department links chocolate to healthy fruit In August 2004, a press release from the PR so it was not an appropriate comparison. Hill & and to the on its Cocoapro website. company Hill & Knowlton compared the sugar Knowlton did not reply. Joint Health content of Frosties Reduced Sugar cereal to that Masterfoods (Mars) has long wanted a piece Claims Initiative resulted in little more than an of bananas – showing Frosties in a favourable of the action with regards claimed antioxidant exchange of letters. The product was renamed light. Since the ASA refuses to adjudicate on health benefits of its chocolate products. In Cocoa Via, and health claims continue to be press releases, we were not able to submit a 2003, Masterfoods compared its Positively made at: www.cocoavia.com formal complaint about this comparison, Healthy Cocoa to the ‘antioxidant power’ of half Masterfoods is also responsible for the despite the fact that it was subsequently a kilo of blueberries; 450g of red grapes; 400g Cocoapro website where images of chocolate reproduced in several national newspapers. We of apples; or 400g of onions. The ASA does not and fruit are almost interchangeable. See: pointed out to the PR company that sound rule on food labelling or websites. Our www.cocoapro.com/resource_cntr/index.jsp

Food Magazine 73 11 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 12

regulation Advertising regulator caves

It has taken the 9pm watershed. This option would, the drink manufacturers who will be able to outbid over two coalition argue, significantly reduce children's smaller manufacturers for the limited advertising years for exposure to junk food adverts and allow time available. As readers of the Food Magazine concerned parents to exercise responsibility over will know from long experience, the larger Ofcom to whether their children see such ads at all. Yet the manufacturers do not necessarily produce the suggest how option has not even been put forward by Ofcom healthiest food and drink products for children! it might for public consideration. This is choice editing at (4) Ofcom's fourth option is, amazingly, an its most extreme. Instead, Ofcom’s options are: open invitation to industry to come up with their regulate (1) Junk food ads be limited during children’s own package of measures. junk food television and a few other times. For some Despite admitting that the health benefits ads aimed at children. Quite reason, Ofcom has defined ‘children’ for this flowing from a pre-watershed ban would save frankly, it wasn’t worth the purpose as aged four to nine. See the box on the the nation up to four times the amount of money right for how the Food Magazine reacts to this it would lose TV companies, Ofcom described wait, says Richard Watts of the proposal. Given that the commercial TV this option as ‘disproportionate’. Translating Children’s Food Bill campaign. programmes most watched by children (aged up government-speak, this means that they think to 16) are in the key early evening slot (such as industry will lose out if stricter measures are ack in 2003 concerns were mounting Coronation Street and The Bill) this is likely implemented. In this case, introducing the notion over and childhood obesity, simply to cause a shift in the way junk foods are of 'proportionality' means a trade-off between B and an extensive House of Commons advertised, with advertisements moving from children's health and TV company profit. select committee enquiry on obesity concluded 5pm to 7.30pm. Ofcom has also ruled out pre-watershed that junk food marketing should be controlled to (2) Ofcom's second option rather bizarrely controls because it claims parents are against it. prevent chronic diet-related diseases. The Food proposes the same regulation on the timing of However even its own poll shows twice as many Commission’s Parents Jury had made its mark, adverts as above but for healthy food as well as parents support this idea as oppose it. spotlighting unhealthy children’s food products junk food. When pushed, Ofcom has admitted Neither of Ofcom's reasons to rule out the and marketing practices. The Government bowed that they included this option under pressure pre-watershed ban hold water and yet the to public pressure and asked the communication from the junk food industry who still refuse to regulator has ruled out the only effective way of regulator Ofcom to look at options to restrict junk admit there is such a thing as a 'good' or 'bad' protecting children from junk food adverts. But food advertising aimed at children. food. One out, all out, the junk food maybe Ofcom aren't really an independent A mere two and a half years later, and manufacturers want us to say. Yet health regulator at all. We placed a Freedom of Ofcom has finally published its consultation organisations have always argued for healthy Information request, which showed that Ofcom document. It wasn't worth the wait. foods to be given the clear benefit of being able consulted industry groups 29 times when it Ofcom has suggested four options to protect to be marketed to children, to help redress drew-up its proposals, compared to just four children from junk food TV adverts but have dietary balance. A balanced option is not on offer meetings with health and consumer groups. completely ruled out the one option that all from Ofcom here. Until now, Ofcom's way of doing business health, consumer and food groups have called (3) The third option also includes ‘good’ food has been to do cosy deals with broadcasters for in one of the most coordinated and far- advertising and suggests that food can only be behind closed doors. This style of regulation reaching public campaign coalitions in decades. advertised for set amounts of time every hour means they are umbilically linked with industry. What over 100 national health organisations (e.g. for two minutes every hour). This option still Health, food and consumer campaigners had to agreed upon was that the regulator should allows junk food to be advertised during children's fight even to meet Ofcom in the first place and it protect children from junk food ads right up to TV and will inevitably favour the largest food and is clear their views have been ignored as Ofcom formulated its proposals. For Ofcom, Badvertisement consultation is a sham. Despite Ofcom's weak recommendations Cupcakes? How refreshing! Sustain’s Chidren’s Food Bill will continue to campaign to ensure children are protected from At the Food Commission we have often junk food advertising. pointed out that descriptions that imply With the recent announcement that one in ‘fresh’ or ‘fruity’ qualities should be treated three UK children is now obese or overweight with suspicion. Indeed, we have found in there is still a very great deal at stake. recent surveys that the word ‘refreshing’ applied to juice drinks should usually be  Richard Watts is the new campaign taken to mean ‘with lots of added water’. coordinator for the Children's Food Bill. People need to learn a new language to Contact: Sustain, 94 White Lion Street, understand food labels. In the case of these Lipsmacking Lemon and Rip- London N1 9PF; www.childrensfoodbill.org.uk Refreshers cupcakes, ‘refreshment’ associated Roaring Raspberry. Inevitably, the ingredients  Charlie Powell, former Children’s Food with sherbert sweets and a fizzing sensation. list shows not a hint of fruitiness. Hydrogenated Bill campaign coordinator, has moved on to But the fruitiness? The different flavours of vegetable oil and several types of sugar do, become a trade campaigner for Oxfam, and these gaudily coloured pink and yellow buns are however, put in star appearances. we wish him well in his new work.

Food Magazine 73 12 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 13

regulation

WH Smith es in to industry pushes calories on customers Ofcom redefines a ‘child’, but what do the experts say? Earlier this year, WH Smith became the latest Ofcom made the bizarre decision to suggest 16. Unlike Ofcom, NS&I seems to think that target for David Cameron MP, who slammed the that junk food ads might be regulated only for young people need special guidance and newsagent for displays of snacks at the checkout children under the age of nine. Why nine? It is controls to help them make the best decisions as contributing to excessive calories. apparently an age randomly picked out of the for their future well-being. The leader of the Tory party singled out the air, and hardly an effective basis for regulation. When it comes to smoking, the government retail chain for promoting half-price chocolate We decided to consult with some experts; is all too clear. Under 16s are children, and they oranges at its checkouts rather than real oranges, but who would know the appropriate age when cannot buy cigarettes. In April, Scottish minis- saying this was less than helpful in the face of an young people can still be considered to be ters began to consider whether to raise the age obesity crisis. He criticised marketing techniques children and worthy of special protection? limit to 18 to protect young people from adopt- pushing unhealthy snacks on customers. We called Great Ormond Street children’s ing unhealthy habits. Note that they are not A spokesperson for WH hospital. They treat children up to the age of 16. considering dropping the age limit to nine. Smith responded by saying In scientific research programmes on data from Who else could we ask? We racked our that some of its stores now child subjects, they often use data from young brains. Ah yes! Why not Ofcom itself? The sold bananas and apples, people up to 18 years old. Unlike Ofcom, they Ofcom Broadcasting Code has a special but oranges were not recognise that young people’s bodies and chapter entitled ‘Protecting the under-18s’. practical. ‘Oranges are not minds are still growing and need special care. In the first section, Ofcom helpfully gives its that easy and our Similarly, special protection is afforded to meaning of the word children. Ofcom’s customers don't want young people through the NHS, which offers definition is exactly as follows: ‘Children are them,’ they added. certain free medical, health and advice services people under the age of fifteen years.’ Over the past weeks to children up to the age of 16. It’s plain that Ofcom cannot even follow our intrepid researchers We also looked at what the government its own advice, let alone the huge swell of have been out to see if thinks of as a ‘child’ when it comes to making public opinion that is set against its biased WH Smith has continued independent decisions about their money and choice of options for protecting children from their less-than-healthy future well-being. National Savings and junk food marketing. marketing practices, visiting several outlets in Investments (NS&I) is the government-backed stations and high-streets around London. organisation providing tax-efficient financial  To see Ofcom’s true definition of a When purchasing a newspaper, surveyors products including Children Bonus Bonds – child, visit: www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/ifi/codes/ reported that the usual experience was that the five-year fixed-rate bonds that can be taken out bcode/protectingu18/ cashier explicitly pointed out a special offer on by adults on behalf of children up to the age of large-sized bars of chocolate. On a couple of occasions, the product was prompted more than once, and the surveyor had to make a special effort to say no, they really couldn’t stomach the Campaign calls for public product or the extra calories. pressure on Ofcom Two surveyor anecdotes are especially worth recounting. One surveyor said, ‘As in other stores A new campaign leaflet from the Children’s the half-price offer on large chocolate bars was Food Bill campaign shows a child drip-fed on pointed out. I explained that since I was buying a food advertising. The leaflet includes two tear- newspaper at a railway station, I was likely to be off campaign postcards – one to be sent to spending the next couple of hours sitting down Lord Currie, Chair of Ofcom, expressing in a train and not wearing off the calories. The disappointment at Ofcom having caved in to cashier laughed and said, “Well, what do you industry pressure and coming up with ‘weak want instead, a free GP with your newspaper?!”’ proposals that will not protect children’. Another surveyor said, ‘I was pleased to see The second postcard is for MPs, who can a display of fruit by the counter. As usual, I was still bring pressure to bear on behalf of parents, offered a half-price chocolate bar, so I asked if I to call for a ban on junk food advertising right could have a half-price apple instead (they were up to the 9pm watershed. 49p each). The cashier seemed embarrassed To sign a petition, criticising Ofcom for when she told me they weren't on promotion. having put the interests of junk food When I suggested they could be promoting the advertisers before the interests of child fruit rather than the chocolate, she told me a lot health, visit the website: of other people had pointed this out too.’ www.childrensfoodbill.org.uk or write On no occasion were surveyors offered the directly to Lord Currie, Ofcom Chairman, opportunity to inform WH Smith head office they Riverside House, 2a Southwark Bridge Road, to them by name at: did not want to be prompted to eat extra calories. London SE1 9HA. To find out how to contact House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.  Special thanks to reader Annie Oram for your MP, visit www.writetothem.com or write helping out with this survey.

Food Magazine 73 13 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 14

product watch

‘Perfect’ – but Peanuts to Sainsbury’s for whom? Nuts are usually on the list of 'good' foods, and Our copy of the Concise Oxford Dictionary So you have this choice, see, between two a portion can be counted towards your five-a- defines peanut butter as 'a paste of ground, strawberry yogurts. One is 'Seriously Fruity', but day fruit 'n' veg. Rich in protein, vitamins, roasted peanuts'. With over 30% of the contents the other is just as seriously 'Perfectly Balanced', minerals and fibre, they have only one drawback: unrelated to peanuts, we believe that calling this so it must be better for you, right? they contain a lot of fat. The oils are generally product 'peanut butter' may also be a misleading And while 'Seriously Fruity' costs you 35p good ones, but you get a hefty dose – about description. The prohibits 'Perfectly Balanced' costs 41p for the same size 50% by weight – which means their calorie- the sale of any food 'that is not of the nature, pot – a 17% premium. count tends to be high. substance or quality demanded by the Both products are low in fat, although So when we saw that Sainsbury’s were purchaser'; and makes it an offence to 'describe, 'Perfectly Balanced' is about 1 gram per pot offering a peanut butter with 33% less fat, we present or advertise food in a way that is false or lower. More concerning is that both of these thought we were onto a winner. likely to mislead the consumer'. yogurts provide a very unbalanced 21.5g of How have they done it? Did they use a We would mount a legal challenge – but the sugar in every pot – substantially more than the centrifuge to spin some oil off the surface, cost would be more than… well… peanuts. same volume of Coca-Cola or Pepsi and perhaps, or did they use a solvent to remove oil amounting to 30-40% of your recommended from the raw peanuts? * We looked at all of the peanut butters sold by daily maximum. We took a look at their regular peanut butter Sainsbury's online. The product with 10% sugar Both yogurts contain added flavouring, and their reduced fat version. We expected to is an American product with the brand name modified maize starch and acidity regulators. find a hefty reduction in the calorie count if the Skippy. Besides the sugar content, we were The biggest difference we could spot is that fat had been cut, but we found the calories only intrigued by Skippy's claim that it was 'made the cheaper 'Seriously Fruity' contains 20% more 10% less – and then we twigged. from 100% prime American peanuts' when it fruit, while the 'Perfectly Balanced' has two This wasn't peanut butter with some of the fat actually contains only unique ingredients not found in the fruity one… taken out. This was peanut butter with peanut 90% peanuts, plus added colouring and added water! butter taken out, and a dose of glucose syrup put the sugar and So it appears that 'Perfectly Balanced' means in its place. Plus a pinch of soya protein and some partially less fruit, added water and colour, a heap of some maltodextrin. As a result, the sugar content hydrogenated sugar – and a premium price! climbs from under 4% in regular peanut butter to oil. 'Made from Article 2 of European Directive 2000/13/EC over 27% in this product. 100%...' is an requires that the labelling, advertising and We believe the '33% less fat' claim is highly ambiguous presentation of a food must not be such as could misleading, given the extraordinary sugar levels phrase here, mislead a purchaser to a material degree, that are there instead. The sweetest normal implying that the including suggesting the food possesses special peanut butter we could find comes in at 10% whole product is characteristics when in fact all similar foods sugar (see note on the right). pure peanuts. possess such characteristics. Furthermore, four years ago the Food Standards Agency criticised companies who Sainsbury’s ‘33% less fat’ Peanut Butter contains less fat used empty marketing terms like 'fresh' and because it contains less peanuts. Dollops of sugar (dried glucose 'pure'. Similar complaints had been made by the syrup), soya protein and palm oil have been added, along with government's Food Advisory Committee in the salt and maltodextrin – making this a highly adulterated product. 1980s and 1990s. Waitrose is deliberately sticking two fingers up at these recommendations with a Confectioners join forces to avoid a red light meaningless and possibly misleading use of 'perfect' and 'balanced' – or else they have been Don’t ever believe a food manufacturer if they tell (Mars) and the UK confectionery trade body the very poorly advised by their nutritionists. you they can’t fit vital information onto a food Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery label due to lack of space. In their latest bid to Association. It is described as ‘a major consumer avoid regulation, confectioners have found room education initiative that will help people for a brand new logo to tell you a snack’s understand better how treats such as nutritional value in relation to Guideline Daily chocolates and sweets can be enjoyed as Amounts (GDAs). The logo forms part of part of a balanced diet and lifestyle’. Treatwise, an initiative launched this February by The logo deftly ignores the option to denote Cadbury Trebor Bassett, ‘high fat’ or ‘high sugar’ on products. This is the Masterfoods recommended approach in the Food Standards Agency traffic light scheme now being adopted by several supermarkets and manufacturers. We were amused to see that the logo features a magnifying glass. Perhaps this will help consumers to find the Now snack saturated fat and sugar information per companies insist that you 100g, which is still missing from many should be Treatwise – confectionery labels. the onus is all on you.

Food Magazine 73 14 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 15

news Manipulated desire ot so long ago, an American journalist movement, music, familiar characters with a long-standing interest in human and recognisable logos. N behaviour wanted to find out what a The leading users of this new curious-sounding body, the Institute of technology made no secret of their Motivational Research in up-state New York, intentions. Packard quotes the president of was getting up to. He began collecting material the Public Relations Society of America published by this organisation and by other who said in a speech to his members 'The researchers into human motivations, and the stuff with which we work is the fabric of men's results alarmed him. minds'. “It’s not just a crisp, Sharon, The researchers, he found, were not just Similarly, an advertising executive cited it’s alpha-male street cred!” dispassionate scientists analysing our psychoanalytical research to explain why women evolutionary and socially-determined would pay ten times as much for skin cream motivations but were developing methods for than for soap. Soap, he said, only promises to clothes dirty. The most effective detergent, the applying their science to the manipulation of make them clean, whereas skin cream promises users said, was in a mixed blue and yellow box. individuals' motivations, desires and behaviour. to make them beautiful. ‘The women are buying Men were just as irrational when it came to their A technology for marketing was being a promise. Cosmetic manufacturers are not views on the quality of cars. developed, and there were no controls on its selling lanolin, they are selling hope… We no Advertising appeals not to our conscious use. The journalist, named Vance Packard, longer buy oranges, we buy vitality. We don’t thoughts but to our subconscious – our needs compiled a manuscript containing his findings buy an auto (car), we buy prestige.’ and fears, our childhood fantasies, our sexual and submitted it for publication as a book fifty The need to manipulate people's motivation desires. It uses colour and movement and years ago this summer, in 1956. has been recognised by political and religious humour and familiarity and surprise. By working The book, The Hidden Persuaders, became a leaders for many millennia, but the past century at this level of brain activity, they bypass routine best-seller in the US and was published in the has seen a specific application of the techniques controls. Their appeal is largely beneath the level UK by Penguin in 1957. The publishers of persuasion for commercial purposes. Packard of words and language, and this puts them described it as 'An introduction to the recognised this, and noted that the commercial beyond logical resistance or contradiction. techniques of mass-persuasion through the sector has 'more billions of dollars immediately This is the flaw with contemporary unconscious' and the book emphasised the at stake' and have poured resources into the 'educational' programmes like MediaSmart extent to which the efforts of advertisers and marketing effort accordingly. (www.mediasmart.org.uk) which are proposed marketers 'take place beneath the level of The development of the science of by the advertising industry, and gaining political awareness so that the appeals which move are, influencing choice recognises three currency, as a means of explaining to children in a sense, “hidden”'. fundamentals, said Packard. Firstly, people may how advertising works. MediaSmart may teach From the outset, Packard was clear that the not know what they want. They may tell pollsters us a lot about the way industry likes to portray manipulation of desires and choices occurred and surveyors about their intentions, but these itself, but it does nothing to protect us from through several strands simultaneously: product are not closely related to their actual behaviour. commercial exploitation of our subconscious. design, packaging, and display were as Secondly, people may not tell you the truth about Like stealth bombers, the advertising, important as advertisements. The snap and their motivations even if they are aware of them. packaging, shelf-positioning and other tricks of crackle and pop of a cereal or the colour of a They will only tell you what they want you to the trade get to us beneath our radar. However, cherry-flavoured soda was as important in know, or what they think you want to hear. much of our social discourse operates at a appealing to children's tastes as the cartoon Asking your customers what they want or like is, similar level, of course, and it would be a dull characters on the package or the shape of the says one consultant, 'the least reliable index' for world indeed if we had to justify all our actions bottle, its display at child height on the shelf, or a manufacturer wanting to win new customers. on a rational basis. the offer of a Lastly, people do not behave rationally. Tests But to use these direct pathways for free toy – and in the 1950s by the Colour Research Institute commercial exploitation is deeply immoral, these acted in asked housewives to test three new detergents, argues Packard. ‘I prefer being non-logical by conjunction all of which were in fact identical in content and my own free will and impulse,’ he declares, with TV function. After the trial period the housewives ‘rather than to find myself manipulated into such commercials reported that the detergent in a yellow box was acts. The most serious offence many of the using bright considered too strong, and even ruined clothes, depth manipulators commit is that they try to colours, while that in a blue box was too weak and left the invade the privacy of our minds.’ The words echo as strongly now as they did when first published. Marketeers continue to 50 years of exposure: Vance Packard's seminal book persuade us to buy products we don't really want revealed the methods used by advertisers to make us buy and which undermine our health, using methods products – from cigarettes to cars, from religion to beer – of deep manipulation that are just as well hidden whether we think that we want them or not. now as they were 50 years ago.

Food Magazine 73 15 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 16

science Stopping the rot in

Barrie against infection and greatly improve memory and false again? 200 more!’ It is often said that nutrition Margetts, ability to learn, and so delay or even reverse is mostly fad and fashion; a worse charge is that Editor-in- dementia. However, the formulation for the the judgements of too many nutrition scientists are Chief of the supplement used is patented by the scientist and for sale. marketed by a company founded by him or his The governance of nutrition science is in scientific daughter. Another paper by him with similar results question. How is its funding, practice and public- journal appeared in 2002 in the journal he edited. The ation controlled? How can fraud remain Public paper was stated to have been submitted and undisclosed for so long, and what does this imply accepted on the same day. A supportive paper by for other misconduct? How can anybody now take Health another author was stated to have been submitted the findings of nutrition scientists on trust? Nobody Nutrition, examines the issue on that same day and accepted the next. can say 'this is an isolated case'. It can't be said of commercially motivated In 2005, not having had sight of any original that 'nobody suspected' because some people and sometime fraudulent data and because of the accumulated evidence of knew a decade ago, and the whole issue has been implausibility, Nutrition retracted the paper it had in the public domain for three years. nutrition research. published in 2001. The British Medical Journal decided this was a prima facie case of fraud and n 2005, huge media attention surrounded the wondered if other published papers by the scientist Fabrication and ghosts revelation that a leading researcher, Hwang also included fabricated data. Indeed, we can't say 'this won't happen again' IWoo-Suk from , had fabricated At the end of January this year the Canadian because it will, and it does. In his early life Robert scientific data. Hwang published fraudulent Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) broadcast a three- Clive pillaged vast areas of India. Later in the 18th research results in the peer-reviewed journal part investigation. This disclosed attempts to 'blow Century, as governor of Bengal, he audaciously Science claiming that his team had cloned the the whistle' on the scientist beginning in the early observed: 'It is no wonder that corruption should world’s first human embryonic stem cells tailored 1990s. CBC found that his university took no action find its way to a spot so well prepared to receive it'. to match the DNA of individual patients on the findings of a committee of enquiry that Fraud in research science is not rare, particularly Nutrition scientists reacted to the publicity with agreed with the whistle-blower, concluding that the when patentable substances, such as drugs, and a sense not so much of outrage, as of 'There but scientist had fabricated data. Certainly since July also nutrition supplements, branded foods and for the grace of God goes nutrition'. 2002 he has been styled at scientific and other drinks, food formulae and genetically manipulated We have reason to feel uneasy. Beginning in meetings as Provost and Vice-Chancellor of the foodstuffs, are involved. 2002, letters in Nutrition and the Lancet, a news Université International des Sciences de la Santé, An informal survey published in 1988 carried story followed by correspondence in the British based in the ski resort of Crans-sur-Sierre in out by Stephen Lock, a former editor of the British Medical Journal questioned the veracity of papers Switzerland which, as far as the CBC investigation Medical Journal, of 80 senior UK research published in two of those journals and elsewhere. could tell, is a PO box. scientists, found that half knew of studies they In response the author pointed out some mistakes The evidence presented indicated he had indeed believed to be fraudulent, of which over half had in the criticisms and made a case for his results. fabricated more data, for another study published in been published. Of these, only six cases had led to He said he could not provide his data for new the British Medical Journal as well as his and any form of retraction. The Committee on analysis because he had left his university for another journal, concluding that some types of Publication Ethics (COPE) was set up in 1997 by a another country, data were in store and some had baby formula are less likely to cause allergic group of journal editors. By 2000 COPE had been mislaid. conditions such as eczema and asthma. The study examined 103 cases of alleged misconduct by The individual whose work was questioned is was funded by manufacturers to test their brands researchers of published papers, of which 80 not an ordinary nutrition scientist. Since the early of 'hypoallergenic' formula. Later he published a showed evidence of misconduct: of these, 15 1970s he has been exceptionally productive. In paper in his own journal whose conclusions involved falsification and eight fabrication. 1974 his papers began to be published in the supported his own study. Another form of fraud is research using phoney respected medical journal the Lancet which, in authors. In 2003 an investigation carried out by a 1983, asked him to summarise knowledge in his UK newspaper guesstimated that up to half of all field. He has also been powerful. Between 1980 and Epidemic misconduct papers published in medical journals on drugs are December 2003 he was chief editor of an So the 'rough justice' of a media investigation has ghost-written, often with minimal contributions international nutrition journal. From 1991 to 1994 he exposed a major case of fraud in nutrition science. from the ‘authors’. The response from Richard was founding head of a WHO Centre for Nutritional Here the matter begins. The scientist’s name is Smith, Stephen Lock's successor as editor of the Immunology. In 1997 he was president of the 16th Professor Ranjit Chandra, but this is not a story British Medical Journal, was: 'We are being International Congress on Nutrition in Montréal, about an individual. It is about a system and a hoodwinked by the drug companies'. Canada. In 1999 he advised the US government culture that makes the thought of misconduct too After leaving the British Medical Journal Richard how to improve the nutrition and immune function tempting and actual misconduct too easy. Smith went further. In 2005 he said that between of combat soldiers. He has been said to have been In the 17th Century, Samuel Butler mocked the two-thirds and three-quarters of all clinical trials of twice recommended for a Nobel Prize. pomp of the founders of the Royal Society in his drugs are funded by industry; that industry is able The papers identified as troublesome are also satirical poem Hudibras. He wrote: ‘What makes all to manipulate the questions asked by such trials extraordinary. They conclude that nutritional doctrines plain and clear? About 200 pounds a and their study designs so as to produce results supplementation can, for elderly people, protect year. And that which was prov'd true before, prov’d favourable to the drug; that one-third of such trials

Food Magazine 73 16 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 17

science nutrition science

published in the British Medical Journal are so (known as the 'rent-a-prof' phenomenon) is well- when science was completely independent never funded, and that medical journals are 'an extension known in the public health field; as is systematic existed. The most we can do is to help make of the marketing arm of pharmaceutical funding of research in sensitive areas by interested honesty the best policy. companies'. Richard Horton, editor of the Lancet, parties, the dependence of congresses on support As editor of the journal Public Health Nutrition, said the previous year: 'Journals have devolved into from transnational food manufacturers, and the my conclusion is that the opportunities for venality, information laundering operations for the influence of not-for-profit entities mainly funded corruption and fraud in nutrition science are now pharmaceutical industry'. This February, the New and controlled by food, drink, agrochemical and/or too manifest, and the guards against them too York Times reported that journalists are now more pharmaceutical companies. These are reasons casual. To repeat, the indictment is less of sceptical of findings published in scientific journals. why nutrition science is not taken as seriously as individuals, more of a culture that puts much we would wish, either by people in the know or by temptation in the way of researchers who, seeing government, the media or the public. the rewards of greed all around, think of cooking Rent-a-profs, industry fronts, their books, padding their bank accounts or conflicts of interest modifying their opinions, do so once and have What is to be done? reason to believe that the risk of discovery or even Many scientists see no problem with accepting The funders, administrators, practitioners and of criticism is slight. money from commercially or ideologically publishers of nutrition science have a duty to make As the former President of Harvard has pointed interested parties, whether or not disclosed, and our profession candid. We can start by accepting out, there is a limit to what any one university or some are prepared to 'speak for the product'. In that we are human. There is no reason to believe research centre can do in a climate of pressure to either case, if questioned, they are likely to say that that scientists are by background or training any support industry, and also government, with useful their integrity is not in question and their judgement more or less likely to be corrupt or become research results. Individual journal editors can is not affected. Such competing or conflicting corrupted than members of any other profession. tighten up review systems, and lay media editors interests may be considered so common as not to We should also accept that nothing can stop all can tell reporters to insist on being told the source of be worth mentioning. Observers are likely to think fraud. In business, cases like Enron in the US, funding of scientific findings, but there is a limit to differently; to quote an old saying: 'Whose bread I Robert Maxwell in the UK and Parmalat in Italy will what even those with substantial salaries and staff eat, his song I sing'. In courts of law, evidence is happen again. The same is so in science. The most can do. The only effective action will be concerted. given less or even no weight when a witness is we can do is to help make fraud rare. Also, action known to have an emotional, financial or other designed to prevent outrage can, in treating one  This article is a condensed version of an interest in the case. The same applies, or should disease, cause others. Laws designed to prevent editorial first published in Public Health apply, in science. terrorism that have reduced civil liberties have Nutrition in April 2006, published by CABI A remarkable example of conflicted interest proved to be troublesome. Publishing. The article remains the copyright exposed in the UK press in February is that of the Nor can we realistically expect science to be of the author 2006. A fully referenced copy Association for Research into the Science of free from influence by ideologically and of the full article is available at Enjoyment (ARISE). Founded in 1988, ARISE is commercially interested parties. The good old days www.foodcomm.org.uk/margetts.htm described as 'a worldwide association of eminent scientists', with a mission to show that 'everyday pleasures such as eating chocolate, Science policy for sale? smoking, drinking tea, coffee and alcohol contribute to the quality of life' and that It is often enlightening to look to America to see routinely about possible conflicts of interest deprivation of such pleasures, also including where a ‘free market’ approach can lead. In the and to provide this information to the public. consumption of cream cheese, butter, cakes, ice US a sister organisation to the Food Commission Another US campaign called The Revolving cream and red meat, could cause a series of runs a campaign to expose industry influence Door also tracks how corporate interests ailments, even brain damage. on scientific research. influence government decision-making. The media enjoyed this hedonistic message: Entitled Integrity in Science, the campaign In light of concerns raised by Professor it seems that 195 print and broadcast stories is run by the Center for Science in the Public Barrie Margetts and Professor Erik Millstone appeared between September 1993 and March Interest (CSPI). Campaign investigations (see page 8), the Food Commission believes 1994, and continued certainly until 2004. Details conclude that there is strong evidence that that just such a campaign is needed in the UK. of ARISE emerged as documents were disclosed researchers’ financial ties to chemical, If Food Magazine readers know of anyone who after legal actions. These show that in 1994-95 pharmaceutical or tobacco manufacturers might be interested in financing or contributing its proposed budget was $773,750, almost all directly influence their published positions in to an investigation and campaign to secure the from cigarette manufacturers, with small supporting the benefit, or downplaying the scientific independence and integrity in UK amounts from food and drink companies. harm, of the manufacturer’s product. food, agriculture and nutrition policy, please get Originally the Association for Research in Integrity in Science advocates full in touch with the Food Commission. Substance Enjoyment, ARISE is also a front for disclosure of funding sources, with information  CSPI’s website is at: www.cspinet.org/ Big Tobacco and its food and drink interests. published in a way that can be scrutinised (e.g. integrity/about.html Undisclosed hiring of the facilities; knowledge websites); a review of who sits on government  The Revolving Door website is at: and reputations of universities, research institutes, advisory committees; and for journalists to ask www.revolvingdoor.info scientific departments and of individual scientists

Food Magazine 73 17 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 18

news Two ways to tackl

While American lawyers (FDA) revealed it had found several soft drinks be minimal.’ The FSA continued: ‘In more than products with benzene above the 5 parts per two thirds (107 out of 150) of the samples prepare to take soft billion (ppb) limit permitted for US drinking water. tested, the levels of benzene were undetectable. drinks companies to Lawyer Tim Howard, a veteran of litigation A total of 38 samples had levels of benzene against tobacco companies, said: 'Parents have between 1 and 10 ppb below the guideline level court over the presence a legal right to know if benzene is present in set by the WHO for water of 10 ppb.’ of benzene in their their children's drinks. Responsible corporations ‘People would need to drink more than 20 must act to remove these lethal .' litres of a drink containing benzene at 10 ppb to products, the measures Consumer anger over the finding of benzene equal the amount of benzene you would breathe taken in the UK tell a in popular drinks mounted when the FDA from city air in a day.’ admitted they had first known about the problem However, when we investigated this casual different story. 15 years ago, and had agreed with the soft reference to benzene from air , we found drinks industry at the time that they would not that you would have to spend around two make a public announcement provided that the months camped on the pavements of inner he Boston-based legal firm McRoberts, industry re-formulated their products to reduce London to absorb the amount you would get Roberts & Rainer is to file class action the contamination. from 20 litres of 10ppb benzene-laced drinks T law suits against Zone Brands, the makers The American Beverage Association, whose (see column on the right). of Bellywashers drinks, and a second chairman is also head of Polar Beverages, stated We also challenge the FSA's casual use of the manufacturer, Polar Beverages, after that the levels of benzene were safe. The World Health Organisation’s definition of independent laboratory tests found benzene in association said that people got more benzene contamination of drinking water, which several soft drinks on supermarket shelves. from breathing the air around them every day. recommends levels below 10ppb. This Benzene is a potent and apparently lenient level is set by the WHO in its neurotoxin, inducing headaches, dizziness and document Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality sleepiness in small doses. It is believed to form And in the UK? 3rd edition (current) 2004, which makes it clear in soft drinks that are on shop shelves for long Matters are rather different in the UK, where our that this level is far from risk-free. periods, and is generated from acids, such as own Food Standards Agency sampled benzene In the footnote to the table specifying the ascorbic acid (E300, ), acting on levels in 150 samples of soft drinks, and found 10ppb limit, the WHO guidelines state that this benzoate , such as the sodium 41 to be contaminated with benzene, including value ‘… is the concentration in drinking-water benzoate (E211). nine samples that showed benzene levels above associated with an upperbound excess lifetime The private legal action comes after the US the 5ppb American threshold. We name the cancer risk of 10(-5) (one additional cancer per government’s Food and Drug Administration products in the table shown opposite. 100,000 of the population ingesting drinking However, here in the UK, we do not expect water containing the substance at the a class action lawsuit against any of the guideline value for 70 years).’ The trouble with benzene companies concerned. And we do not expect In other words, this level would be prosecutions from the FSA. likely to lead to as many as 600 cancer The effects of chronic exposure to low levels Indeed the FSA released a cases in a population the size of the UK. of benzene is not well-documented for statement to the press that But much more alarming is that the humans. Epidemiological evidence suggest could have been written by FSA was comparing products to a WHO that the most sensitive responses to benzene the American Beverage guideline rather than to the UK's own are those related to the blood-forming organs. Association, stating: ‘People legislation, which has much stricter In laboratory animals the exposure levels tend should not be alarmed if they requirements for drinking water. The to be higher for shorter periods of time, and have drunk these products. UK adopted the European controlled tests suggest there are risks of: Levels of benzene reported in this survey will only  decreased immune responses make a negligible impact  bone marrow damage on people's overall  leukaemia exposure to benzene and  other cancers so any additional risk to  reduced birth weights health is therefore likely to  damage to foetal DNA  damage to sperm DNA Traces of benzene were found in several soft Source: Prioritization of toxic air contaminants – drinks tested in late enforcement of the Children's Environmental Health 2005. Manufacturers Protection Act 2001, Benzene. Office of say that they will now Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, re-formulate although , 2004. http://www.oehha.ca.gov/air/ many have known of toxic_contaminants/pdf_zip/benzene_final.pdf the problem since 1990.

Food Magazine 73 18 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 19

news

Are soft drinks kle benzene better than traffic fumes? Commission Drinking Water Directive in 1998 The fact that soft drinks do not have a which stipulated that, by 2003, the benzene in specific regulation on benzene should not be a The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) has our tap water must not exceed 1mcg/litre – just consideration – drinks should surely be as clean parroted the US beverage industry in claiming one part per billion, or a tenth of the WHO limit. as drinking water. But soft drinks companies that the levels of benzene in soft drinks are So why doesn't the FSA mention this in its have been happy to hide behind the lack of negligible compared with city air pollution. But news releases? Would it make some of the soft regulations, with Twinings claiming that drinks when we took a look at the figures, we found that drinks companies look a bit too cavalier with our found to contain traces of benzene ‘comply with the FSA's casual acceptance of benzene in soft health, perhaps? And would the FSA look rather the relevant UK and EU food legislation.’ drinks is based on flawed maths. pathetic in its lackadaisical pursuit of the rogue The FSA claims it would like The FSA’s calculations were based on an EU- companies? Instead the FSA makes its bland benzene levels in soft drinks to be 'all commissioned paper estimating exposure to pronouncements, feeding straight to the public but eliminated' but is it prepared to chemicals in the environment.* Although relations agencies of the soft drinks companies. use the law to get it? A published in 2005, figures are based on air Hence the British Soft Drinks Association happily spokesperson would only say that quality tests conducted in the previous 30 years put out a press statement saying that the Food they were preparing ‘to discuss the in 42 cities around the world, for an average level Standards Agency survey shows ‘that the levels matter with industry representatives’. of 13mcg/m3. The report adjusted this to of benzene that have been found are very low A court case might sharpen account for time spent indoors (9mcg/m3), and and that soft drinks are safe to drink’. their minds considerably. 10% of the day spent inside a car (19mcg/m3) to reach a combined estimate of around Bellyache for Bellywashers? 10mcg/m3 averaged over a day. Yet this is over ten times the amount found Zone Brands is one of the companies collection), or with toys or in routine air-quality monitoring in Lambeth, facing a legal challenge in the US over the puzzles incorporated into the inner London. Figures show levels falling from presence of benzene in some of its lid. Ironically, this is promoted below 2mcg/m3 in the late 1990s to below Bellywashers drinks. as a healthy choice. The Cat in 1mcg/m3 since 2002, with 2004's latest results Bellywasher products come in the Hat version is described on showing annual mean levels of 0.7mcg/m3. collectible toy bottles promoted with the bottle as a ‘100% vitamin C The EU’s report also took no account of popular characters such as Spiderman, the drink’ and the Bellywashers the exhalation of benzene during breathing. Incredible Hulk and Cat in the Hat website boasts ‘2/3 less sugar The Californian Office of Environmental (pictured right, from our product than leading juice drinks’. Health Hazard Assessment states that around 30% of air-borne benzene is absorbed and 70% breathed out again. So each UK soft drinks with benzene levels above 5ppb cubic metre of air inhaled in Lambeth in 2004 would supply about 0.2mcg of benzene into the Drinks containing benzoate salts (E210-E219) Standards Agency survey found 41 soft drinks blood stream. plus ascorbic acid (E300, vitamin C) have been with levels of benzene above the UK drinking Instead, the FSA multiplied 22 cubic metres identified as likely to produce benzene, water maximum level of benzene of 1ppb (part (the amount of air breathed by an adult during a especially if they sit on the shelf a long time per billion, equal to one microgram per litre). The day) by a high figure of 10 mcg/m3 atmospheric exposed to light and warmth. The Food most contaminated products are listed here. level, to get 220 mcg daily exposure. This figure was seized on by Brand Drink Benzene ppb the FSA and re- described Co-op Low calorie bitter lemon-1 28 not as Popstar Sugar-free lemon and lime 17 exposure estimates for Hyberry No added sugar blackcurrant squash concentrate 12 active adults Co-op Low-calorie bitter lemon-2 11 living in the 1980s but as absorption levels for the whole population in cities today. Morrisons No added sugar pineapple and grapefruit crush 11 We calculate that the actual figure should be Twinings Cherry flavoured iced tea 9 around 3 to 5 mcg per day. In contrast, around Twinings Raspberry flavoured iced tea 8 half a litre of some of the soft drinks tested by the FSA would give the same quantity of benzene Lilt Pineapple and grapefruit crush 7 in just a few minutes. Silver Spring Sparkling orange 6 * Bruin YB et al, HEXPOC – Human Exposure Benzene at levels of 1ppb or more were also found in Robinsons Fruit Shoot, Vimto no-added- Characterisation of chemical substances; quantification sugar, and products from other brands (Barr, Boots, C&C, Club, , Mace, Sainsbury’s, of exposure routes, Institute for Health and Consumer Schweppes, Smashers, Tesco, Waitrose and Wellman). Figures are all for 2005. Protection, Italy. EU 21501 EN, European Communities, Luxembourg, 2005.

Food Magazine 73 19 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 20

science

What the doctor reads The latest research from the medical journals

Cutting animal foods for gender and age. The gastric cancer cases participants described healthy eating as had significantly lower education level and consuming all food groups of the national Food may help weight loss mostly resided in villages. After adjustments for Guide to Healthy Eating, with the associated In an on-going survey of vegetarian diets as part other dietary habits and smoking, alcohol notions of moderation and balance. of a European project on diet and cancer, a five- consumption, family history on cancer, Benefits of healthy eating were cited as a year follow-up has shown that people who education level, and residence, a higher risk of healthy weight, good physical appearance, reduce the amounts of animal-based foods are gastric cancer was found for those using salt feeling better, preventing disease, and achieving likely to gain the least weight. additionally to a prepared meal or those who personal satisfaction. Barriers to healthy eating Previous studies have suggested that liked salty food. Intake of salted meat, smoked included lack of time, choice, taste preferences, vegetarians and vegans are leaner than meat and smoked fish was also linked to a and finances. Interestingly, there was some omnivores, but data on changes over time are significant increase in the risk of gastric cancer. discrepancy between what the dietetics students sparse. A study of over 20,000 adults perceived as barriers for clients (such as lack of participating in the Oxford-based study were L Strumylaite et al, Medicina (Kaunas) 42(2):164- information) and the barriers the potential clients surveyed during 1994-1999 and again five years 70, 2006. perceived for themselves (a wide range of later. The mean annual weight gain was 389g in problems including finances, time and taste). men and 398g in women, but weight gain was Making assumptions about the client's reasons somewhat smaller in vegans (284g in men and Dietitians must listen to for not eating a good diet might lead to 303g in women) and fish-eaters (338g women their clients inappropriate advice (e.g. giving them a leaflet on only) compared with meat-eaters. Men and healthy foods) and would not match the clients' women who changed their diet in one or several A Canadian study of what dietetics students perceived barriers to achieving a healthy diet. steps in the direction from meat-eater to fish- believe are their clients' barriers to healthy eating The authors concluded that dietitians should not eater to vegetarian to vegan showed the smallest and what the clients themselves believe showed assume what their clients' barriers are. mean annual weight gain of 242g and 301g, for discrepancies that dietitians should heed. In a men and women respectively. survey involving nine students of dietetics and J House et al, Can J Diet Pract Res. 67(1):14-8, Further details of the EPIC programme are six students of other subjects, all female, 2006. available at www.iarc.fr/epic/. The programme has involved collecting dietary and health data from over 500,000 adults in 23 areas across 10 United Nations’ FAO talks of taxing fat people European countries. To date just over 24,000 cancer cases have been identified in the follow- The United Nation's Food and Agriculture higher part of the consequent costs borne by up period. One of the most important results has Organisation, long regarded as a pro-market, the public health systems’ (tax fat people). been to show a protective effect of high fibre non-interventionist body, has indicated its A second paper, prepared by the FAO's intake and fish consumption against colorectal willingness to discuss fiscal measures to senior researcher Josef Schmidhuber, also cancer, while high consumption of red and change patterns of food consumption towards finishes with this sting in its tail. Stating that processed meat products increase the risk. For healthier diets. raising the prices of energy-dense foods is lung cancer, the first analyses found a protective A paper from the FAO's Global Perspective unlikely to alter the consumption patterns of effect of fruit intake but no association with Studies Unit on the need for populations to those eating those types of foods, the paper vegetable consumption. No association was follow Mediterranean-style diets notes that suggests that an alternative policy would be to observed between vegetables and fruit intake globally people are moving away from diets tax excess bodyweight, using incentives and and the risk of prostate cancer or breast cancer. rich in fruits, vegetables and fish, including penalties in health insurance premiums. populations in the Mediterranean region itself. The author acknowledges the problems with M Rosell et al, Int J Obesit, online 14 March It notes that many developing countries are this idea – not least the assumption that 2006. undergoing dietary transitions towards more individuals can easily make the necessary energy-dense foods. In parallel, many low- changes to their diet and exercise patterns, and income countries are making little progress that some individuals have been genetically Salt raises risk of towards raising food consumption levels pre-set to be overweight – but that other types gastric cancer necessary for good nutrition and food security. of intervention, such as restrictions on The paper continues by suggesting that production or marketing of unhealthy foods, or Among several problems associated with eating possible policy responses to these problems price interventions, would undermine global salty diets, researchers in Lithuania have now include measures to raise awareness of the free-trade policy objectives. identified gastric cancer as specific risk. benefits of healthier diets and/or to ‘change Gastric cancer is a particular health problem relative food prices in favour of such diets’ (by N Alexandratos, Public Health Nutr. 9(1A):111- in Lithuania but there are few studies assessing taxing fattening foods). 7, 2006. the reasons for this. A new report has compared It also suggests that ‘at the extreme, J Schmidthuber, The growing global obesity the dietary histories of 379 gastric cancer cases making individuals who follow ‘bad’ diets, and problem: some policy options to address it, with 1,137 controls that were cancer and gastric thus are prone to associated diseases, bear a 2005, www.fao.org/es/esd/JSobesity.pdf. diseases free. Cases and controls were matched

Food Magazine 73 20 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 21

books

Early weaning predicts Chew On This obesity risk Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson, Puffin Books. refreshing and fascinating A study of formula-fed and mixed-fed infants www.chewonthisbook.co.uk £5.00. overview of fast food, has shown that early weaning increases the ISBN 0 141 31844 9 explaining its origins, its marketing, its production amount of weight gain during the first few and its effect on our health. months and increases later obesity risk. Chew On This is not, despite its title, a If you already own Fast Food Nation, this is a It has been shown in several studies that paperback version of the recently launched Food useful companion book. If you've never read Fast rapid weight gain in infancy and pre-school Commission Chew On This website for children Food Nation, you should read Chew On This now. years predicts later obesity risk. Now a study (see www.chewonthis.org.uk). In a happy following nearly 1,000 babies in the UK (the coincidence, Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson  The book is accompanied by teacher’s ALSPAC study*) has found that energy intake have taken the best-selling Fast Food Nation and notes which can be downloaded from was higher in first-born infants than in have updated it – producing a brand-new book www.chewonthisbook.co.uk subsequent infants, and that energy intake at aimed at both young and older readers. We loved four months was higher in infants given solid Fast Food Nation and we love this book too – it's  Don’t forget to check out our children’s foods earlier. Higher energy intake at four meticulously researched, easy to read and food website at www.chewonthis.org.uk – months predicted greater weight gain between packed with jaw-dropping facts and figures. where children and inquisitive adults are birth to age one, two or three years and larger The book is aimed at readers aged 12 and taken behind the scenes to find out what body weight and BMI at ages one to five years. over, but don't let that put you off, even if your really goes on in today’s food and No significant associations were seen in 300 childhood days are a distant memory. This is a marketing industries. breastfed infants. * ALSPAC is the Avon Longitudinal Study of The Savvy Shopper: All you need to know about the food you buy Parents and Children also known as Children of the ’90s, aiming to identify ways to optimise the Rose Prince. Fourth Estate. £7.99. lists the best producers and health and development of children. See: ISBN 0-00-721993-8 outlets around the UK and www.alspac.bristol.ac.uk also quizzes the major KK Ong et al, Pediatrics. 117(3):e503-8, 2006. Rose Prince writes a regular 'savvy shopper' supermarkets, so that column for the Daily Telegraph in which she those of us without examines topical food issues and delves behind access to artisan outlets Children eat what is the labels of popular food products. This book can also make decisions advertised brings together many of her investigations, about what we buy, and presented as an alphabetical list of different where we buy it. Further evidence that advertising has a direct food and drink products. Typical subjects The Savvy Shopper effect on children's dietary consumption has include 'cherries, chicken, chocolate and cod' is an engaging and been shown in a US study of children living as well as 'pasta, peas, pheasant and pork enlightening read, around the east-coast city of Boston. pies'. providing a wealth of Over 500 students from four communities Several pages are devoted to each product, information for anyone who chooses to think were monitored over a two-year period. Their covering nutritional, environmental and (where about the hidden costs that lie behind our change in total intake and their appropriate) animal welfare issues. The author everyday food and drink. intake of foods commonly advertised on television were compared. The results showed that each hour increase in television viewing Hungry Planet: What the world eats was associated with an additional 167 kcal per day consumption and with an increase in the Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio. Material World demonstrates the food they eat in a typical week specific consumption of foods commonly Books. $40.00. www.menzelphoto.com and describe their favourite family recipes. The advertised on television. ISBN 1-58008-681-0 cost of their weekly food bill is given and The authors conclude that ‘increases in cooking and storage methods are described. television viewing are associated with This astonishing and beautiful photographic Each family is beautifully captured both in increased calorie intake among youth’ and that essay takes us on a global journey, detailing 30 words and pictures – producing an intimate, ‘this association is mediated by increasing families in 24 countries as they prepare 600 ground-level consumption of calorie-dense low-nutrient different meals. portrait of our foods frequently advertised on television’. The authors visit a suburban family in pan-global food Brisbane, Australia; they eat with Sudanese system. A JL Wiecha et al, Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. refuges sheltering in eastern Chad and they fascinating book 160(4):436-42, 2006. break bread with the Batsuuri family of that is well worth Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia. Each family tracking down.

Food Magazine 73 21 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 22

feedback letters from our readers

We welcome letters from all of Marks & Spencer gets its Why don’t Shredded our readers but we do sometimes have to shorten them so that we can include as many GDAs in a twist Wheat GDA sums add up? as possible (our apologies to the authors). You can write to The Editor, The Food Magazine, 94 White Lion Reader Bridget Henderson alerted us to confused You may be Street, London N1 9PF or email to labelling on Marks & Spencer yogurts. Why, she interested to see the [email protected] wondered, did one product recommend a daily enclosed side panel intake of 1,400 calories for women and 2,000 from a box of calories for men, when another recommended a Shredded Wheat. higher daily intake of 2,000 calories for women You will see it Free seed? and 2,500 calories for men? She sent us a label claims that a 45g Many thanks for the latest Food Magazine. A that clearly showed this confused advice, serving with 125ml very good read; congratulations. If I may offer a including the reassuring statement that these of semi-skimmed comment on the Terminator story published in daily amounts were ‘recommended by nutrition milk provides, FM72 – saved seed is not free. The farmer professionals for average adults’. among other things, carries the costs of growing it, harvesting and We investigated and found that M&S do 48g of Whole Grain. storing it. The first two incur direct costs, and indeed suggest two different Guideline Daily Presumably at least the third an opportunity cost (the potential Amounts (GDAs). One is for everyday use and 3g of that has to income from selling the seed). These may well the other is described as ‘Guideline Daily come from the milk? be cheaper than buying Terminator seed, but Amounts for Sustainable Weight Loss’. saved seed is certainly not free. Roger Griffin, Cambridge

Ian Grant, by email We’ve seen the humble pinta enriched with omega-3 oils, plant sterols and even higher levels of melatonin (supposedly to aid sleep), but wholegrain milk is a new one to us! Corrections However, further investigation reveals that Our article ‘Nutrition, mental health and GDA labelling is already confusing enough this apparent anomaly is actually due to UK behaviour’ in FM72 should have been credited to without supermarkets introducing different GDAs labelling legislation which requires ingredient Courtney Van de Weyer (not Weyner). In the for different sectors of the market. And what quantities to be declared as ‘put into the mixing same article we neglected to credit the exactly is ‘sustainable weight loss’? Does this bowl’. We understand that it takes 48g of wheat photographer TS Whalen for both of the images mean that slimmers who eat M&S products can to make 45g of Shredded Wheat, as processing we used, for which apologies. sustain continual weight loss forever? That removes roughly 3g of moisture. Hence the sounds like a one-way ticket to us! curious figure of 48g. Nestlé admits that some ingredients are ‘nasties’

I was delighted to see that Nestlé seems to think  ‘Egg Splat’ Fromage Frais Dessert artificial colours, sweeteners and (preservative potassium sorbate); are ‘nasties’ in this advert for Ski yogurt. It’s a  Nesquik Magic Straws (sweetener pity that the company doesn’t recognise the aspartame-acesulfame); unidentified, and presumably artificial ‘flavouring’  Coffee Mate Virtually Fat Free (colouring present in its Ski yogurts as a ‘nasty’ as well: E171 – see ‘sunblock’ story on page 24); especially since, with the addition of a bit more  Vittel Flavoured Waters (sweeteners good quality fruit, doctoring them with acesulfame-K and ); ‘flavouring’ wouldn’t be necessary. Then Nestlé’s  Rowntree (a Nestlé subsidiary) Fruit Pastille yogurts really would be ‘simple’. lollies (containing colourings E104, E124, E110 and E133); Joanna Clarke, Glasgow  And of course, Smarties* (containing several artificial colourings, that include azo It seems Nestlé has no objection to adding dyes: E171, E104, E124, E122, E133 and what it admits to be ‘nasties’ to many of its E110 as well as E120 which can be derived other products. A snap survey found the from insect carcasses). following Nestlé products all contain artificial colourings, sweeteners or preservatives: Needless to say, many of these products also  Sveltesse Yogurt Smoothies (sweeteners contain unknown ‘flavourings’ along with a aspartame and acesulfame-K); variety of thickening agents, stabilisers, acidity  Sveltesse Real Fruit Yogurts (sweeteners regulators, emulsifiers, antioxidants and other aspartame and acesulfame-K and the additives. This from a company that has preservative potassium sorbate); trademarked the phrase ‘keep it simple’!  Aero Minty Bubbles (colouring brilliant blue 2006. The company has said that it will be FCF, which comes from the controversial * Nestlé has just announced it will remove the ploughing £3 million into an advertising range of azo dyes); artificial colourings from Smarties in June campaign to stop declining sales of the brand.

Food Magazine 73 22 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 23

marketplace

And the winners are... Kinsale fines 18th Century water cheats

A big ‘thank you’ to the many hundreds of On a recent visit to Kinsale, in southern Ireland, Thanks Lucy – you’re quite right that the readers who returned the feedback forms sent we saw this text on an antique poster in the old adulteration of food and drink has been a out with the last issue of the Food Magazine. courthouse. The Food Magazine often highlights problem for centuries, as this poster shows. We are working our way through the the widespread practice of pumping food full of As Food Magazine readers will be aware, feedback forms to see how we can improve the water. It is clear that our ancestors were up to unscrupulous processors can now inject Food Magazine, and develop ideas for future the same tricks over 300 years ago! chicken with beef and pork proteins to make the articles, campaigns and product investigations. meat act like a sponge: the more the weight of They make fascinating reading, and just go to Lucy Jackson, Nottingham the water, the bigger the profit. At a meeting in prove that our readers have an enormous range January, to discuss the issue of water of knowledge and experience from right across added to chicken, FSA officials the food system. 1703 Presentment reportedly could see no problem with It was also very heartening for us to find out We find and present that whereas we are describing water-filled meat in that 99% of the readers who responded to the credibly informed that some of the sandwiches as 'chicken', with E-number survey thought that the content is either Inhabitants of this town make a practice of emulsifiers to hold the water in place. ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. Thank you! brewing with Gutter Water which it is to be Just so long as the small print listed all We pulled the names of five lucky readers feared may cause infection or by such nasty of the ingredients. If only the FSA would out of the hat and have sent each of them a take such a modern and enlightened Custom at least bring a filthy Report on the copy of the book Not On The Label (Guardian view as the people of 18th-century investigative journalist Felicity Lawrence’s place: for the future every person discovered Kinsale, and simply fine food cheats for brilliant exposé of UK food production). so offending to pay two shillings six pence. watering down our food! Get the Food Magazine, posters and back issues Use the form below or order online at www.foodcomm.org.uk

Order form Subscriptions If you are not already a subscriber to the Food Magazine here’s your Subscribe – and help support the fight for better food! chance to take out a subscription and have a copy  Individuals, schools, public libraries – £24.50 (Overseas £32.00) of the magazine delivered to your door on a  Organisations, companies – £49.50 (Overseas £59.00) regular basis. As a subscriber you don’t just The Food Magazine is published four times a year. Your subscription will start with the next receive the magazine – you also provide published issue. invaluable support to the Food Commission’s campaign for healthier, safer food. Posters and back issues The Food Commission’s work is dependent  Children’s Food Poster  Food Labelling Poster  Food Additives Poster (all £2.50 each) on subscriptions, donations and the occasional  Set available back issues Food Magazine: £30.00  List of available back issues (free) charitable grant. We do not accept grants or All prices include p&p. Overseas posters cost £3.50 each. Set of back issues to overseas costs advertising from the food industry and we are £40.00. independent of the government. Your support Donations really can make a difference.  I enclose a donation of £ ______to support the Food Commission’s work.

We can supply back issues Payments Back issues  (if available) for £3.50 each (£4.50 overseas) I enclose a cheque for £ ______made payable to the Food Commission (UK) Ltd.  and a complete set of back issues from issue Please debit my Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Switch or Solo card. 50-72 for £30.00 (contains 3-4 photocopied issues, £40.00 to overseas). Card number:

Posters Packed with essential information Expiry date: Start date if shown: Issue No. if shown: to help you and your family eat healthy, safe food these colour posters give useful tips on getting Signature: children to eat a healthy diet; explain how to understand nutrition labelling; help you see Name: through deceptive packaging and Address: marketing claims, and examine the contentious issue of food additives. Each poster is A2 in Postcode: Date: Phone: size and costs £2.50. Send your order to: Tel: 020 7837 2250. Fax: 020 7837 1141. Publications Department Email: [email protected] Visit www.foodcomm.org.uk The Food Commission Delivery usually takes place within 14 days and we promise we will for more information 94 White Lion Street, London N1 9PF not pass your details to any other organisation or marketing agency.

Food Magazine 73 23 Apr/Jun 2006 FM73_8.qxd 12/05/2006 22:40 Page 24

backbites

Biscuits use sunblock as ‘natural’ colouring Is green the colour In a consumer survey published in January, the crystalline form known as anatase. But even with government’s Food Standards Agency found that a mouthful of rutile sand you would not be getting of money? consumers do not generally trust descriptions pure titanium dioxide. To purify the pigment, you A glossy supplement in the magazine Green such as ‘real’, must refine the ore: this Futures, from Jonathon Porritt's group Forum ‘original’ and ‘natural’ means using either a for the Future, is entitled Sausage, Mash and on food labels. No sulphate process, which Sustainability. wonder when products uses sulphuric acid as an It delves into the need to combat obesity, such as these Jammie extraction agent, or a improve school meals, reduce salt in Dodgers (nearly 30% sugar and over 7% chloride process, which uses chlorine. These processed foods and promote local food saturated fat) claim to have ‘No artificial processes were first used for bulk production of supplies, such as beef from Hampshire farms colours’, but list titanium dioxide as a colouring. titanium dioxide less than a century ago. into nearby schools. If it isn't artificial then it must be natural, we With highly reflective properties, titanium All very laudable, but there were some odd assume, but just how natural is it to have a dioxide is widely used in paints, plastics and extra boxes on some pages, extolling the mouthful of titanium dioxide? paper coatings, and as a sunblock ingredient. It virtues of school-meals providers Compass, The answer is that you have to be pretty is also strongly oxidative, and is used for Kraft Foods (makers of Dairylea Lunchables), unlucky. The chemical can be sterilising building materials and is added to anti- and the promoters of British beef, the Meat obtained from a type of beach fouling coatings. On the label, the manufacturer and Livestock Commission. sand (rutile sand) and of these biscuits ask ‘What makes 'em so No sign that these were paid-for sometimes occurs in a different Yummy?’ What indeed? advertisements, just useful information to boost the stories on healthier living, it appeared. Until one got to the back page to find that the whole supplement had been sponsored by Sweets for dummies? – yes – Compass, Kraft and the MLC. What’s this? A baby’s dummy danger of impalement on ‘small parts’. But what And there was a fourth sponsor. You, dear that the manufacturer warns is about the danger to small teeth of prolonged readers, as tax payers, helped promote these unsuitable for babies? What a exposure to a sugary sweet while a child is advertorials with a grant from Defra. strange anomaly. sucking on this amazing object? But there is a nice twist to the story. If you With an internal plastic spike Sadly, UK law seems more concerned with go to the Green Futures website you will be inside this Baby Pop lolly, the preventing accidents than preventing disease, so asked to pay £24 or more to receive the warning is presumably due to the such products can continue to be sold. magazine, including the supplement. But if you go to Defra's website they have reproduced the whole thing for free! Waitrose: where the lights never say ‘go’? See www.defra.gov.uk/FARM/sustain/ procurement/pdf/GFreport05.pdf Our hearty congratulations to the supermarket balance your weekly intake'. It helpfully adds: 'If chain Waitrose for being the first to adopt the you choose a sandwich that is high in government’s approved traffic light scheme for saturated fat one day, you might select one Thirst for knowledge nutrient labelling. which is low or medium the next'. Despite an industry plot to make nutrient But suppose you wanted to eat a healthy The European Commission appeared to be labelling as confusing as possible, with major sandwich every day? We have visited Waitrose caught unawares by the benzene-in-soft-drinks companies launching contradictory schemes, on two occasions to buy a sandwich with all scandal (see pages 18 to 19). According to the using different nutritional criteria and confusing the traffic lights set at green. online trade magazine BeverageDaily.com, a colour coding, bars, stars, wheels and blobs, Alas! We could find not a single sandwich letter dated December 2005 and signed by a the Food Standards Agency has stuck to its able to supply a fully healthy snack. Most of the Commission official stated that the Commission guns and called for a consistent and uniform best ones were let down by excess salt. 'is not aware of any scientific evidence relating approach using a simple set of traffic lights Perhaps this will shame the company into to the formation of benzene' as a result of using based on the FSA's definitions of low, medium reformulating their products. We have long benzoates in soft drinks. It had asked EU member and high levels of the key nutrients (fat, argued that best thing about nutrient labelling is states to send any details in their possession. saturates, salt and sugars). not that it passes responsibility for good health Perhaps the Commission staff should have Waitrose has launched an FSA-approved to the consumer but that it exposes the read an interesting report from the Italian Institute traffic light scheme on its sandwich packs, and practices of the producers. for Health and Consumer Protection. helpfully suggests that this 'can help you How about an all-green sandwich, Waitrose? The report states: ‘Added benzoates and ascorbates might react to form benzene. If either one of the other were removed, the The best available? And the worst? Tesco's sandwich benzene might no longer be formed.’ It goes on A ‘healthy option’ declares a hefty 58g fat – but all fat to list the benzene levels found in various drinks from Waitrose, but levels get the same green light! and juices, helpfully stating whether the samples still not giving us had added benzoates. the green light. The report also declares in large print on the front cover that the research was undertaken for… the European Commission! And the document was placed on the Commission's own research website in 2004.

Food Magazine 73 24 Apr/Jun 2006