Marion Nestle, April 6, 2010
In the latest issue of the American Journal of Public Health, Derek Yach and his colleagues at PepsiCo in Purchase, NY, say yes, it can, in answer to the question they pose in their article, “Can the food industry help tackle the growing global burden of undernutrition?”
If we are to successfully combat global undernutrition, efforts must be sustained by multiple stakeholders from various sectors. We believe that trust is built through industry’s demonstration of practical actions that improve health, and recognition of these actions by governments …

Los Angeles Times, Karen Kaplan, April 27, 2010
In Santa Clara County, one out of every four kids is either overweight or obese. Among 2- to 5-year-olds from low-income families, the rate is one in three. The county health system spends millions of dollars a year treating kids for health problems related to obesity, and the tab is growing.
On Tuesday, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors took action by prohibiting fast-food restaurants from using toys to lure kids into buying unhealthy meals. The vote was 3-2.
In order to combine trinkets …

CNN, Kat Kinsman, April 28, 2010
Can chicken breasts help beat breast cancer? KFC officials are hoping customers will flock to help the chicken chain make a record-breaking donation of $8.5 million.
But some critics are calling foul on the company’s mixed message, especially in light of the recent, heavily publicized addition of the aggressively fat-and-sodium laden Double Down sandwich to their menu.
KFC’s “Buckets for the Cure” initiative boasts a bright pink website, packed with breast cancer facts, survivor stories and a pledge to donate 50 cents from each specially branded pink …

CNN, Sarah Klein, April 15, 2010
The fast-food industry has long been under fire for selling high-fat, high-calorie meals that have been linked to weight gain and diabetes, but the financial health of the industry continues to attract investors — including some of the leading insurance companies in the U.S., a new study reports.
According to Harvard Medical School researchers, 11 large companies that offer life, disability, or health insurance owned about $1.9 billion in stock in the five largest fast-food companies as of June 2009.
The fast-food companies included McDonald’s, Burger King, …

Associated Press, April 10, 2010
First came boneless wings. Now KFC wants you to chow down on a sandwich that uses (what else?) chicken for the bun.
The KFC Double Down, which launches Monday, is essentially a sandwich with two chicken filets taking the place of bread slices. In between are two pieces of bacon, melted slices of Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack cheese and a zesty sauce.
How much will it cost? About $5 and 540 calories (460 for the grilled version), putting it on caloric par with fast-food standards like the …

The Boston Globe, February 13, 2010
WHEN SODA companies applaud the latest campaign to fight obesity, you know there is much more to the story.

In launching a new White House initiative against obesity called “Let’s Move,’’ First Lady Michelle Obama this week said, “Our kids didn’t do this to themselves. Our kids don’t decide what’s served to them at school or whether there’s time for gym or recess. Our kids don’t choose to make food products with tons of sugar and sodium in super-sized portions, and then to have those products …

Los Angeles Times, Tom Hamburger and Kim Geiger, February 7, 2010
Employing a broad-based lobbying effort, the soft drink industry has smothered a plan to tax sugared beverages — a plan advocates said would have reduced obesity and helped finance healthcare reform.
Only months ago, public health advocates thought the tax would be a natural for congressional Democrats looking for revenue to fund expanded health insurance coverage. The soaring costs of treating ailments related to excess weight — including diabetes and heart disease — added urgency to the issue.
But the White House …

Food Navigator, Jess Halliday, 23 October 2009
Italians are unswayed by healthy messages and images on foods, whereas the Finnish respond to medical pictures and British consumers are more likely to buy foods making even a weak health claim, indicates new research.
The new European health claims regulation governs the format and content of claims made on products in the EU. But the authors of the new study, which has been accepted for publication in the journal Food Quality and Preference, note that food companies can still choose what claims to focus …

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, October 26, 2009
Researchers find that children’s cereals have 85 percent more sugar, 65 percent less fiber and 60 percent more sodium than cereals marketed to adults. In addition, companies are spending more than $156 million dollars a year to market these cereals directly to kids.
These findings are part of an extensive analysis of children’s cereals conducted by researchers at the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity as part of the RWJF-funded Cereal FACTS (Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score) project. The results of …

New vending machine contracts expected to be approved on Wednesday could mean less junk food — and less money for schools — as the Education Department tries to promote healthier choices for students.
One contract would give exclusive drink machine rights to CC Vending, a Bronx company that plans to sell Pepsi products. It would require drinks sold in elementary and middle schools to have fewer than 10 calories per eight ounces. In high schools, the limit would be fewer than 25 calories per eight ounces. No artificially sweetened drinks or …