CSPI Newsroom
Come to CSPI's Newsroom for the latest information about the on-going fight for safe, healthy food.
Walmart Announces "Great For You" Labeling Program
February 7, 2012
Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
Walmart's Great For You labeling program is an interesting way to identify many healthier foods. The symbol should help many shoppers choose healthier foods and should encourage some companies, starting with Walmart, to improve their products.
Administration Misses Major Deadlines for Food Safety Reform
February 7, 2012
Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal
Juice Gone Wild!
February 1, 2012
Nutrition Action Healthletter Unpacks “Confusion in Aisle 10”
Minute Maid Help Nourish Your Brain 100% Fruit Juice Blend fairly typifies the new-fangled products in the juice aisle. It’s mostly apple and grape juice—two of the cheapest, least nutritious juices—though its label uses big print to highlight smaller amounts of pomegranate and blueberry juice. Its labels also bear highly misleading non-sequiturs related to brain health, including “Vitamin C is highly concentrated in brain nerve endings.” But according to a review of juices in the current issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter, people worried about memory or brain development needn’t waste their money on this Coca-Cola product.
FDA Urged to Require Sodium Reduction in Food Supply
January 30, 2012
71 Percent of Americans Believe Industry Should Lower Salt
New USDA School Meal Nutrition Standards Praised
January 25, 2012
“One of the Most Important Advancements in Nutrition in Decades” says CSPI
USDA, US Department of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture, school lunch, nutrition standards, school lunches, school lunch nutrition standards, CSPI, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act,
USDA's Poultry Proposal: Proceed, but Cautiously
January 20, 2012
CSPI says changes must lead to lower rates of Salmonella and Campylobacter
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposal for revamping poultry inspection would be the first major overhaul in over 50 years. Part of the proposal would have all poultry facilities monitor for pathogens both before and after chilling the poultry, which would give companies a real-time view of conditions in their facilities.
Artificial Trans Fat Still in Supermarkets Despite Heart Risks
January 10, 2012
Sara Lee, Pepperidge Farm, and General Mills Among Holdouts
Marie Callender’s pies, Pop Secret’s microwave popcorns, and Long John Silver’s Breaded Clam Strips all share a little secret: they are among many products that still contain high levels of artificial trans fat.
FDA Prohibition on Cephalosporin Small Step Forward
January 4, 2012
Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal
FDA's action is a small step forward on the path to preventing foodborne outbreaks from antibiotic-resistant pathogens. The order prohibiting certain uses of cephalosporin in many food-producing animals is clearly warranted, though it may be too little, and it is definitely too late. CSPI has identified at least five foodborne outbreaks since 2001 linked to cephalosporin-resistant Salmonella, which resulted in at least 200 illnesses and one death.
Food Safety Working Group's Report Praised
December 21, 2011
Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal
Newest ABR Salmonella Outbreak Highlights Public Health Urgency
December 20, 2011
Statement of CSPI Food Safety Staff Attorney Sarah Klein
At least 14 consumers are sick—including 7 who have been hospitalized—from another outbreak of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella in ground beef.
Congress Again Puts Food Industry Ahead of Children
December 16, 2011
Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan
First Congress declares pizza a vegetable; now it defends companies’ ability to market Froot Loops as healthy for children. This Congress has quite the nutrition track record. Too bad kids don’t have their own PAC, or $37 million in lobbying clout.
Victims of Quorn Poisoning Appeal to FDA Commissioner
December 13, 2011
"I broke out in hives and could feel my throat swelling and breathing was getting hard," wrote one woman.
A spokesperson for the Food and Drug Administration recently told the Wall Street Journal that the agency had heard from just seven consumers who had adverse reactions to Quorn, the line of meat substitutes made from vat-grown soil mold. That small number was puzzling to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, since the food safety watchdog group had forwarded hundreds of such adverse reaction reports to the FDA over the years—reports that typically included some combination of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hives, or difficulty breathing.
Foods with Color Additives Deceive Consumers, Says CSPI
December 8, 2011
Group Urges FDA to Require Front-Label Disclosure of Artificial Colorings
Tropicana Twister Cherry Berry Blast has no cherry juice. Nor does it have any berry juice. Despite the pictures of cherries and berries on the label, this drink gets much of its dark red color from the controversial dye, Red 40. The Center for Science in the Public Interest says that’s deceptive. And today, the nonprofit nutrition and food safety watchdog group is urging the Food and Drug Administration to require food companies to disclose on the front of food labels whether a product is artificially colored.
Quorn's "Mycoprotein" Not Safe, CSPI Tells FDA, Again
December 1, 2011
Fake Fungal "Chik'n" Causes Anaphylaxis, Severe Vomiting, Hives
The vat-grown mold used to make the Quorn line of meat substitutes causes gastrointestinal distress and in some cases, life-threatening anaphylactic reactions, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. The nutrition and food safety watchdog group has again urged the Food and Drug Administration to revoke its "Generally Recognized as Safe," or GRAS, designation for the controversial fermented fungus. If the agency does intend to allow Quorn's "mycoprotein" to remain on store shelves, it should at least require a prominent warning label, the group says.
McDonald's Seeks to Circumvent San Francisco Law on Fast-Food Toys
November 30, 2011
Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan
McDonald’s decision to start charging 10 cents to have toys added to Happy Meals in San Francisco is a brazen and cynical attempt to circumvent the city’s law to encourage healthier children’s meals. It’s duplicitous for McDonald’s to claim that the toy was ever free—the cost of the toy has always been built into the cost of the meal.
NAS Recognition of the Consumer "Right to Know" is a Victory for Food Safety
November 30, 2011
Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal
Congress Protects Pizza as a Vegetable in School Lunches
November 15, 2011
Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan
It's a shame that Congress seems more interested in protecting industry than protecting children's health.
Warning Label Urged for St. John's Wort
November 10, 2011
Supplement Taken for Depression May Counteract Antidepressants, Contraceptives, and Other Drugs
Dietary supplements containing St. John’s wort may interfere with birth control, antidepressants, blood thinners, and other prescription and over-the-counter drugs. For that reason, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest has called on the Food and Drug Administration to require a warning label on those products.
FDA Turns Down Petitions to Withdraw Medically Important Antibiotics from Animal Agriculture
November 9, 2011
Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
We are disappointed that, after 12 long years, the FDA rejected our petition and a more recent petition to ban non-medical uses of antibiotics in animals. The industry's irresponsible use of antibiotics in livestock increases the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, and those germs can cause infections in humans that are difficult or impossible to treat. The industry has long failed to cooperate voluntarily, and the FDA should take binding action. Consumers cannot afford another decade of delay.
Mayors' Group Urged to Ditch Deal with Soda Industry
November 3, 2011
CSPI Says Beverage Lobby Wants to Undermine Mayors' Efforts to Reduce Soda Consumption
The United States Conference of Mayors should withdraw from a $3 million deal it forged with the soft drink industry’s lobbying arm, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The nonprofit health watchdog group says the American Beverage Association is more interested in undermining many mayors’ efforts to reduce soda consumption than in reducing childhood obesity, the ostensible purpose of the program.
Public Health Group Calls for Reducing Sodium in Food Supply by 75 Percent
November 1, 2011
APHA Cites Deaths Due to Heart Disease and Stroke
The largest organization of public health professionals in the world is calling on the Food and Drug Administration to begin regulating the amounts of salt and other sodium-containing ingredients used in processed foods with an eye toward reducing sodium in the food supply by 75 percent. In a resolution passed unanimously today at the American Public Health Association’s 139th annual meeting, the group called on the FDA to “remove or modify” salt’s official status as a Generally Recognized as Safe (or GRAS) food ingredient—a status that allows unlimited amounts of sodium in foods. The resolution calls on the FDA to begin regulating sodium in the food supply within one year and to establish a timetable for gradually reducing sodium in the food supply by 75 percent within ten years. The resolution also recommends that all Americans consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium daily.
Food Day Message Reaches Millions!
October 26, 2011
Mayors, Governors Use Occasion to Accelerate Progress for Healthier Diets and Smarter Food Policies
From Times Square to Tucson, Food Day events across the country brought hundreds of thousands of Americans together at more than 2,300 events in all 50 states—representing the largest grassroots mobilization for improved food policies in history. Mayors, governors, legislators, and health officials observed Food Day by issuing proclamations, announcing new food policies, attending gleaning events on farms, and distributing free apples to commuters.
America Celebrates Food Day with More than 2,000 Events in 50 States
October 24, 2011
Observations Include an “Eat In” in Times Square; a Festival in Savannah, GA; an Open House at the National Archives; and Events in Schools, Churches, Campuses, and Homes
Today a diverse range of organizations, public officials, and Americans from all walks of life are celebrating Food Day—a nationwide grassroots mobilization that encourages Americans to eat healthy, delicious food grown in a sustainable and humane way and to advocate for smarter food policies. Spearheaded by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Food Day is being observed in all 50 states with more than 2,000 events from coast to coast.
Institute of Medicine Proposes Consumer-Friendly, Front-of-Package Nutrition Labeling
October 20, 2011
Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
The Institute of Medicine’s proposal is eminently sensible—and will probably be roundly condemned by food manufacturers. A simple icon with 3, 2, 1, or zero check marks would give shoppers at-a-glance information about nutritional booby traps lurking inside packaged foods.
General Mills Facing Class Action Lawsuit Over "Fruit Snacks" Full of Sugars, Partially Hydrogenated Oil, & Dyes
October 14, 2011
Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit by the Foot, and Fruit Gushers Make Misleading Claims of Healthfulness, Says CSPI
Coca-Cola, Froot Loops, Ethanol Subsidies Among "Terrible Ten" Things Impairing Americans' Diets, Health, and Environment
October 13, 2011
"Terrific 10" and "Terrible 10" Lists Symbolize Hopes and Concerns of Food Day
Organizers of Food Day have named the “Terrible Ten” factors impairing Americans’ diets, health, and environment and that exemplify much of what the grassroots movement is trying to address when it culminates on October 24.
Congress Needn't Rescue Junk-Food Marketers from Voluntary Government Nutrition Guidelines
October 12, 2011
Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan
What an unseemly spectacle it is to see panicked junk-food advertisers running to Congress for help fending off the innocuous, voluntary guidelines for food marketed to children proposed by the Interagency Working Group.
"Eat Real" Recipes Available for Food Day Events
October 4, 2011
Batali, Bayless, Krieger and Other Chefs Give Ideas for Healthy, Sustainable, and Delicious Meals
Food Day, taking place on October 24, is a grassroots mobilization for improved food policy—perhaps the largest ever. Center for Science in the Public Interest is offering a free Food Day recipe booklet featuring recipes from Mario Batali, Rick Bayless, Ellie Krieger, Nina Simonds, and other top chefs and cooking authorities.
Deadly Outbreak is a Reminder That Produce Standards are Urgently Needed
September 27, 2011
Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal
The tragic deaths from Listeria monocytogenes that are linked to tainted Colorado-grown cantaloupes is an urgent reminder that consumers are waiting for the Food and Drug Administration to release guidelines and regulations to help keep pathogens out of produce. Since 1990, melons have caused at least 36 outbreaks, although this one is the first attributed to Listeria. This pathogen is super-virulent for older or immune-compromised consumers, with a hospitalization rate of over 90 percent. It has a high mortality rate of 16 percent and can also cause miscarriages when pregnant women are exposed.
President Urged Not to Retreat on Kids' Food Marketing
September 27, 2011
Scientists Support Work of Administration’s Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children
The Obama Administration should resist the food and advertising industries’ pressure to torpedo voluntary nutrition guidelines for foods marketed to kids, according to academic experts. In a letter today to President Barack Obama, 75 physicians, psychologists, nutritionists, and marketing experts from universities around the country urged the President to ensure that the Interagency Working Group (IWG) on Food Marketed to Children completes its work and finalizes the congressionally requested marketing guidelines.
VA Locavores Join National Food Day Coalition
September 22, 2011
Farm Store (re)Startup Celebrates Local Food and Farming
Olive Garden, Red Lobster to Cut Calories, Sodium
September 15, 2011
Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan
Momentum for Food Day Builds as October 24 Nears
September 13, 2011
Thousands of Events Will Celebrate Healthy, Affordable, Sustainable Food
Food Day, the nationwide grassroots mobilization for healthier diets and improved food policies, is gaining momentum as organizers plan thousands of events big and small on October 24. As the project moves into the home stretch, it has picked up some important national partners, including the Cooking Channel, Epicurious.com, and Change.org, all of which will be publicizing Food Day in the coming weeks and participating in events on the day itself.
CSPI Urges Testing for Antibiotic Resistant Salmonella as Well as New E. Coli Strains
September 13, 2011
Statement by CSPI Staff Attorney Sarah Klein
Today’s announcement by USDA that it will expand its E. coli testing program for beef beyond O157:H7 to search for six other potentially deadly strains of E. coli is welcome news for consumers who expect and deserve to eat food without risk of illness.
Del Monte Should Fight Contamination, Not FDA, Says CSPI
August 31, 2011
Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal
Most responsible food companies would be horrified to learn that customers who purchased their products became sickened with Salmonella. But after 20 people in 10 states fell ill after purchasing Del Monte cantaloupes traced back to one particular farm in Guatemala, Del Monte is instead lashing out against the Food and Drug Administration and food safety officials in Oregon. Rather than redoubling its efforts to prevent contamination, Del Monte filed a lawsuit to prevent the FDA from exercising its responsibility to protect the public’s health.
Cities, CSPI, & Health Groups Announce Major New Campaign to Reduce Soda Consumption
August 31, 2011
"Life's Sweeter with Fewer Sugary Drinks," Say Health Officials
The campaign, Life’s Sweeter with Fewer Sugary Drinks, will seek to decrease average consumption of sugary drinks to roughly 3 cans per person per week by 2020. Health officials in Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Antonio, and Seattle say that reducing soda consumption is one of their top strategies for reducing rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems. All of those cities, plus 110 local and national health organizations, have embraced the Life’s Sweeter campaign.
New Food Day Curriculum Aims to Help Youth "Eat Real"
August 25, 2011
Teachers Invited to Observe Food Day with Healthy Lessons
Organizers of Food Day today published a curriculum for teachers to use on and around Food Day, a nationwide grassroots campaign on October 24 to encourage Americans to “eat real” and support healthy, affordable food grown in a sustainable, humane way.
Restaurants Invited to Celebrate Food Day with Positive Steps
August 9, 2011
Buying Local, Adding Whole Grains Among the Possibilities
Prominent chefs, nutritionists, and food activists are inviting the nation’s restaurants to celebrate Food Day on October 24 by announcing improvements to menus and sourcing policies that advance health and the environment.
CSPI Urges Review into Government's Handling of Salmonella Outbreak
August 4, 2011
Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal
The Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak shows a troubling lapse in coordination between federal agencies that are duty bound to protect the public.
Death Results from Outbreak of Antibiotic-Resistant Salmonella
August 4, 2011
Statement of CSPI Staff Attorney Sarah Klein
Nearly 80 consumers are sick and one has died from a dangerous strain of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella Heidelberg thought to be linked to ground turkey products. These strains of Salmonella increase the risk that consumers will face life-threatening illnesses. Infected individuals face longer illnesses, hospitalizations, and more severe consequences.
Unrealistic Serving Sizes Understate Calories, Sodium, Saturated Fat, Says CSPI
August 2, 2011
Labels for Soup & Ice Cream Among Worst Offenders
Labels for canned soup, ice cream, coffee creamer, and aerosol non-stick cooking sprays understate the calories, sodium, and saturated fat consumers are likely to get from those products, since the declared serving sizes are much smaller than actual serving sizes, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In a recent letter to Food and Drug Administration chief Margaret Hamburg, the nonprofit consumer group again urged the agency to revise its serving-size regulations.
McDonald's Move on Happy Meals an Important Step in the Right Direction
July 26, 2011
Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
The improvements that McDonald’s has announced for its Happy Meals are an important step in the right direction.
Saltwater "Enhanced" Meat and Poultry to Get Better Labels
July 21, 2011
"Enhancing" Pumps Up Sodium Content and Prices, According to CSPI
Eating is Xtreme as Ever at America's Chains
July 19, 2011
"Stacked, Stuffed, and Topped" is the Trend at Applebee's and Elsewhere
Analysis: Government's Proposed Standards for Food Marketing Aimed at Kids Are Far Superior to Industry's Own
July 14, 2011
Industry Hopes to Continue Marketing Cocoa Puffs, Kool-Aid, and Other Junk Foods to Kids
New Campbell Soup CEO to Give Consumers Less Choice on Salt
July 13, 2011
Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
Campbell Soup Co., Campbell Soup Company, Campbells's, Center for Science in the Public Interest, CSPI, sodium, salt, Denise Morrison, Campbell's USA, soup, Campbell's soup
One Healthy Choice Not Enough for Kids' Meals
July 13, 2011
Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan
Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan
Dem Consulting Firm "Should Be Ashamed" for Undermining Obama Administration Efforts on Protecting Kids from Junk Food Marketing
Advocates Call on Obama Administration to Strengthen Menu Labeling Rules
July 5, 2011
Proposal Undercuts Congressional Intent
Broad-based Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue Proposes Tighter Controls of Antimicrobial Use on the Farm
June 29, 2011
Broad-based Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue Proposes Tighter Controls of Antimicrobial Use on the Farm
Fast-Food Chain Drops Toys from Kids' Meals
June 21, 2011
Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan
Fast-Food Chain Drops Toys from Kids' Meals
Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan
We hope that McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Taco Bell are paying attention to Jack in the Box, which has decided to stop using toys to market fast-food meals to children.
CSPI Applauds USDA's New Healthy Eating Plate
June 2, 2011
Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan
Food Day 2011 is Getting Cooking!
May 31, 2011
Thousands of Events on October 24 Will Encourage Americans to ‘Eat Real’
Communities around the country are gearing up for Food Day—a grassroots mobilization aimed at improving America’s food policies. Set for Monday, October 24, 2011, Food Day will see thousands of forums and celebrations from coast to coast aimed at promoting healthy diets and solving local communities’ food problems.
USDA Urged to Prohibit Antibiotic-Resistant Salmonella in Ground Meat and Poultry
May 25, 2011
Dangerous Strains Make Foodborne Illnesses Harder to Treat, Says CSPI
USDA Urged to Prohibit Antibiotic-Resistant Salmonella in Ground Meat and Poultry. Ground meat and poultry found to contain antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella should be recalled from the marketplace or withheld from commerce, according to a regulatory petition filed today by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The nonprofit food safety watchdog group wants the U.S. Department of Agriculture to declare four such Salmonella strains as “adulterants” under federal law, making products that contain them illegal to sell.
Is Your Milk on Drugs?
May 4, 2011
National Conference on Milk Policy Votes to Limit FDA’s Use of Important Test Showing Drug Residues in Veal Calves
Is Your Milk on Drugs?
National Conference on Milk Policy Votes to Limit FDA’s Use of
Important Test Showing Drug Residues in Veal Calves
Consumers’ risk of being exposed to dangerous drugs or antibiotic-resistant bacteria in milk and milk products could increase if the dairy industry succeeds in limiting FDA’s consideration of test results showing drug misuse on dairy farms, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The nonprofit watchdog group is urging the Food and Drug Administration to resist a recommendation from the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS), a little-known policy making body that includes state regulators and dairy industry representatives, which would omit veal from the testing protocol that FDA uses to detect potential problems with drug residues in milk.
Proposed Federal Standards for Foods Marketed to Children Praised
April 28, 2011
Proposed Federal Standards for Foods Marketed to Children Praised. The Center for Science in the Public Interest praised as “strong and sensible” the nutrition and marketing standards proposed today by the Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children and urged food and entertainment companies to adopt the standards.
CSPI Releases Food Additives Mobile App
April 11, 2011
"Chemical Cuisine" Database Now on Sale in iTunes App Store, Android Market
Food Day Campaign is Launched!
April 4, 2011
Thousands of Events on October 24 Will Encourage Americans to "Eat Real"
CSPI Hails Proposed Menu Labeling Regulations
April 1, 2011
Strong FDA Action on Food Dyes Urged
March 30, 2011
Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
FDA Urged to Prohibit Carcinogenic "Caramel Coloring"
February 16, 2011
CSPI Says Artificial Caramel Coloring is Quite Different from Real Caramel
CSPI Turns 40 in February!
February 3, 2011
Menu Labeling, FDA Reform, and School Foods Victories Cap Year 39 for the Group Sometimes Known as the "Food Police"
WASHINGTON—It was 40 years ago this month that three young scientists who met in Washington decided to create an organization run by people with scientific training to improve public policies and to encourage other Ph.D. scientists to use their training for the public good. And so, in humble, borrowed office space in 1971 the Center for Science in the Public Interest was born. Working at first on trailblazing issues such as asbestos and lead, CSPI soon came to focus on the nutrition, food safety, and health work for which it is known today.
Safeway Sued for Failure to Notify Consumers of Recalled Food
February 2, 2011
Supermarket Could Have Used Bonus Card Data to Contact Individuals Who Purchased Tainted Eggs & Peanut Products, But Didn’t
WASHINGTON—Safeway should have known that Dee Hensley-Maclean purchased peanut butter crackers and Nutter Butter sandwich cookies that were part of a nationwide recall of products tainted with Salmonella.
CSPI Welcomes New Dietary Guidelines for Americans
January 31, 2011
Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan
For 30 years, the Dietary Guidelines has offered basically the same, sensible advice: eat fewer calories; less saturated fat, sodium, and sugar; and more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Only about 10 percent of Americans have followed that advice. The new Dietary Guidelines acknowledges that most people find healthy eating like swimming upstream, given the aggressive marketing and ubiquity of foods laden with calories, saturated fat, salt, white flour, and added sugars.
Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Has Emerged as a Foodborne Hazard, Says CSPI
January 25, 2011
WASHINGTON—Foodborne illnesses due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been occurring since the 1970s, according to a recent study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which signals that antibiotics used on the farm may be causing more serious pathogens in the nation’s food supply. CSPI’s analysis shows a steady increase of such outbreaks in every decade since the 1970s, though that may be due to increased testing and reporting, the group said. In its study of 35 documented outbreaks, raw milk, raw milk cheeses and ground beef appeared to carry the resistant pathogens most frequently.
Landmark Child Nutrition Improvements to Become Law
December 2, 2010
Bill Tackles Hunger and Childhood Obesity by Improving School Meals and Eliminating Junk Food
WASHINGTON—The U.S. House of Representatives passed landmark child nutrition legislation today, providing the biggest increase in funding for the school lunch program in decades. The bill makes it easier for qualified children to receive free school meals, extends after-school meals to more at-risk children, and provides additional technical assistance to local school food service providers. And, when signed into law by President Obama, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act sets the stage for the elimination of soda and other junk foods from schools nationwide.
FDA to Hold Hearing on Food Dyes, Children's Behavior
December 1, 2010
Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
The news that the Food and Drug Administration, in response to CSPI’s 2008 petition, will convene an advisory committee meeting to discuss the link between food dyes and children’s behavior is welcome and overdue. Yellow 5, Red 40, and other commonly used food dyes have long been shown in numerous clinical studies to impair children’s behavior. But for years, FDA—which actually commissioned one of the first controlled studies—dismissed the mounting evidence against the dyes.
