After repeatedly delaying the requirement that restaurants post calorie counts and other nutritional information on their menus — and after being sued by groups alleging that these delays are against the law — the Food and Drug Administration has finally agreed to start enforcing the menu labeling rule, beginning in May 2018. [More]
center for science in the public interest
FDA Decides To Delay New Nutrition Labels Until Some Vague Point In The Future
By 6.13.17
Only weeks after food industry lobbyists asked the Food and Drug Administration to delay the starting date for revised Nutrition Facts labels, their wish has been granted. The FDA has announced it plans to kick this can down the road by extending these deadlines — possibly by as much as three years. [More]
Dunkin’ Donuts, Baskin Robbins To Eliminate Artificial Colors From Products By 2018
By 3.2.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins on Thursday became the latest chains to join the growing list of restaurants and food producers promising to remove artificial flavors and dyes from its menus. [More]
Makers Of Peeps, Lemonheads, Jelly Belly, Others Promise Not To Advertise To Kids
By 3.16.16
For years many companies have abided by self-regulation programs that outline how they can and should market their products to children. Today, six candy companies took a step to ensure they also responsibly advertise to often-impressionable — and sweet-toothed — kiddos by creating a new self-regulatory initiative. [More]
IHOP, Applebee’s Remove Sugary Drinks From Children’s Menu
By 12.1.15
Two national full-service restaurants are joining the slew of fast food establishments like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King and Dairy Queen in dumping sugary drinks from the kid’s menu: Applebee’s and IHOP are the latest eateries to embrace the soda-less trend. [More]
Cheerios Protein Has Slightly More Protein, More Sugar Than Regular Cheerios
By 11.10.15
If you follow current food trends, you know that Americans are losing interest in breakfast cereal, but can’t get enough protein. Cereal companies see those trends, and are ready to respond with new products to entice customers back to their aisle. For example, General Mills started a line called Cheerios Protein to supplement their classic Cheerios. The problem: while Cheerios Protein has more protein per serving, it also has a lot more sugar. [More]
Group Suing FDA For Failing To Cut Excess Sodium In The Food Supply
By 10.8.15
A nonprofit food safety and nutrition watchdog group is taking the Food and Drug Administration to federal court, claiming the agency hasn’t reduced sodium in packaged and other foods. This puts Americans at risk for stroke, heart disease and other health problems, the lawsuit claims. [More]
Dairy Queen To Remove Soda From Kids’ Menu By Sept. 1
By 5.14.15
Taking the lead from other fast food restaurants like McDonalds, Wendy’s and Burger King, Dairy Queen has reportedly decided to nix sugary drinks from the kids’ menu. [More]
Study Finds Produce, Restaurants Most Likely To Give Consumers Foodborne Illnesses
By 4.8.14
There’s now another compelling reason to eat at home rather than going out. And if you’re preparing a meal at home make sure you wash your produce. A new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest finds that consumers are twice as likely to get food poisoning from food prepared at a restaurant than food prepared at home, and illnesses at home are most often linked to our love of all things produce. [More]
With 2 Weeks’ Worth Of Trans Fat, Long John Silver’s ‘Big Catch’ Dubbed Worst Restaurant Meal In America
By 7.2.13
It hasn’t even been seven months since the Center for Science in the Public Interest unveiled its annual list of most calorific, fat-fortified meals, but the CSPI was apparently so grossed out by a new menu item from Long John Silver’s that it couldn’t wait to include in next year’s round-up and has awarded it the title of Worst Restaurant Meal in America. [More]
Class-Action Lawsuit Claims Fruit Roll-Ups Are Unhealthy, Contain Little Fruit
By 10.19.11
Do phrases like “low fat,” “gluten-free,” “made with real fruit” and “good source of vitamin C” on the package of a processed fruit snack product make you think that the product is a healthy food? These phrases have all been on the packaging of fruit-like snack substances from General Mills: Froot by the Foot, Fruit Roll-Ups, and Gushers. Marketing copy on the front of a box is no substitute for taking a moment to read nutrition information and ingredients. But that hasn’t stopped the Center for Science in the Public Interest from filing a class-action lawsuit alleging that the company tried to make consumers believe that their products were wholesome and fruit-based, not full of trans fats, preservatives, and food coloring. [More]
A Medium Starbucks Coffee Has Over Four Times The Caffeine Of Red Bull, And Three More Caffeine Facts
By 8.13.08
The New York Times has a study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest on the health effects of caffeine. The study analyzes various claims made about caffeine, and it also offers a useful chart listing the caffeine content in typical drinks and foods. For instance, at 320 milligrams per 16 ounces, a Starbucks grande coffee has over four times the 80 milligrams of caffeine of a Red Bull.
