Today, the FDA fired a great warning shot, but given the thousands of products on store shelves, it's impossible for such a small agency to properly oversee every single product claim. Therefore, FDA can only hope that today's action serves as a deterant to others. It's certainly a big improvement over the do-nothing days of the previous administration, but let's see if the agency follows up with enforcement actions.
With almost every state budget in dire straights these days, what is the state of Missouri doing handing over $390,000 to Kraft Foods, just for a measly 50 jobs, not to mention the extra heart disease from all those Oreos and Lunchables? Here is the article from the Associated Press / Business Week that explains the deal:
Kraft to invest $9 million, 50 jobs in Mo. city
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.
The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce says Kraft Foods Inc. plans to invest $9 million in two new manufacturing lines in the Springfield area.
The company says the investment will bring 50 jobs to the area within the next six to nine months. The jobs will include wages higher than the county average and benefits.
The state has given a Kraft $390,000 tax credit for the investment and new jobs. The credit is part of the Missouri Department of Economic Development’s Enhanced Enterprise Zone program.
Well, this is just sad, when a wine company feels threatened enough by a silly Facebook campaign by ranchers to stop them from donating to a worthy cause.
I was told flat out by the Federal Trade Commission that there is nothing the agency can do about too-sexy alcohol ads. But an ad campaign in Brazil is raising eyebrows there, even with that country’s self-regulatory body.
Another company caught making false marketing claims, this time Dannon Yogurt, claiming its products Activia and DanActive boosted immune systems. Right. Why must it take a class action lawsuit to address false advertising? Where are government regulators? See also the company’s settlement website.
Thanks to fighting 3 antitrust suits, not to mention charges of greenwashing.
I just ordered what looks like an excellent collection of essays that together seek to make the connection among various issues driven by corporate greed. We need more books that are not single issue focused and get people to see the underlying problem: Capitalism run amok. The full book title is: “The Bottom Line or Public Health: Tactics Corporations Use to Influence Health and Health Policy, and What We Can Do to Counter Them,” William H. Wiist.
Coca-Cola has for years maintained an arm’s length relationship with its bottlers, but with this move, the company is following Pepsi’s integrated strategy. (Note the link is to a WSJ article, which requires a subscription.)
Here, the head of the trade group, the Interactive Advertising Bureau sounds the alarm, claiming that, “Up to 70% of interactive display advertising will be regulated,” thanks to “well-organized anti-business and anti-advertising groups have gotten the ear of regulators.” Of course, his response is stepped up calls for self-regulation, what else?
See my earlier post on this. Oh I see, 10 percent of the flour is “ecograin”, well, why didn’t you say so?
I am a public health lawyer whose first book, Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines our Health and How to Fight Back, exposed deceptive marketing and duplicitous lobbying. I also watchdog the alcohol industry, marketing to children, and other acts of corporate greed.
