UN probes sugar industry claims

A United Nations agency has launched an investigation into claims that a key consultation into how much sugar we should be eating was secretly funded by the sugar industry.

Read full article at BBC News

The Ties that Bind

From The Omnivore

The financial influences behind the diet and health advice issued by 'impartial' health authorities.

Anthony Colpo,
August 2, 2004.

A major driving theme here at TheOmnivore.com is that much of the health and nutrition information that fills the popular media today is erroneous hogwash. One of the primary reasons for this is that such 'objective' information actually comes from sources that are about as impartial as a British soccer hooligan rooting for his favorite team.

The sad reality is that both private and governmental health organizations have major financial ties with companies from the food and drug industries; these authorities then dispense what is supposed to be unbiased and truthful information about the products emanating from these very same manufacturers.

Their ability to remain impartial whilst being lavished with industry money is extremely suspect, especially when one considers some of the highly questionable advice these authorities spew forth.
Are health authorities prostituting themselves for corporate
money? You be the judge...

Industry lobbying versus public health

Surprisingly few people are aware that the main function of the United States Department of Agriculture is not to boost the health of Americans, but to further the commercial interests of US agriculture. This might help explain the Department's abominable food pyramid, which places cereal grain products ahead of all other food groups, including far more nutrient-dense staples like meats, fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

Late last year, it was reported that hundreds of employees from the National Institutes of Health, the government's leading medical research bureau, were (and still are, according to more recent reports) receiving 'consultation fees' from companies whose products were being researched by the Institute!

It's not just governmental agencies that prefer 'Crony Capitalism' to the laissez-faire brand that the Founding Fathers had in mind; private health agencies also appear to be quite fond of dipping into the very deep pockets of vested financial interests.

A recent report entitled Lift the Veil (1) reveals that:

-The American Dietetic Association, which has never met a low-fat processed food it didn't like, is the official association for America's dietitians. It has received financial contributions from, among others, the National Soft Drink Association, ConAgra, Grocery Manufacturers of America, Monsanto, Proctor and Gamble, Potato Board, National Pasta Association, American Soy Products, National Dairy Council, and the National Cattleman's Beef Association.

The ADA issues 'fact sheets' that provide information on various nutrition and health topics. Most of these are underwritten by companies whose products are discussed in the fact sheets. Manufacturers that have given at least $100,000 towards the production of these sheets include Coca-Cola, Kellogg, Kraft Foods, Weight Watchers International, Campbell Soup, National Dairy Council, Nestle USA, General Mills, Monsanto, Nabisco, Procter and Gamble, Ross Products, Wyeth-Ayerst Labs, and Uncle Ben's.

-The American Heart Association operates a food endorsement program in which the Association's 'heart check' label is awarded to foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol. In order to receive the AHA's heart-check, manufacturers must pay the AHA $7,500 per product for 1-9 products, $6,750 for 10-24 products, and $5,940 for 25-99 products in the initial year. The cost for subsequent years is $4,500, $4,050, and $3,570, respectively. With over 630 products certified, it is estimated that the AHA earned over $2 million from its certification program in 2002.

Among the 'wholesome' foods that the AHA has deemed worthy of its heart-check are(2):

· General Mills Cheerios, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, Corn Chex, and Count Chocula;

· Healthy Choice Low Fat Ice Creams,

· Chocolate Moose Milk Chocolate Drinks;

· Malt-O-Meal Frosted Mini Spooners, Honey Graham Squares, and Honey Nut Toasty O's;

· Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats Big Bite;

· Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars;

· Pop-Secret 94% Fat Free Butter Microwave Premium Popcorn.

Pharmaceutical giant Merck, which manufactures the cholesterol-lowering drugs Mevacor and Zocor, is spending $400,000 to finance an AHA program inculcating 40,000 doctors with treatment cholesterol guidelines (these guidelines, by the way, are written by researchers with financial ties to cholesterol-lowering drug manufacturers like Merck(3)). Other lipid-lowering drug manufacturers that contribute to the AHA include Pfizer, Astra-Zeneca, and Bristol-Myers-Squibb.

- The American Diabetes Association is America's premiere diabetic organization which, for some bizarre reason, insists that the country's carbohydrate-intolerant diabetics should eat more carbohydrates. Drug companies and manufacturers of fat-free carbohydrate-rich foods are among the companies that stand to benefit from the ADA's regrettable advice and, lo and behold, can also be found on its sponsor sheet.

Among the companies that donated between $100,000-750,000 to the ADA in 2002 are (partial list):

($750,000)
Abbott Laboratories
Aventis Pharmaceuticals
BD Consumer Healthcare
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
Eli Lilly and Company
GlaxoSmithKline
Merck & Co., Inc.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals
Pfizer Inc
Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.

($500,000+)
Bayer Corporation
Kraft Foods
Roche Diagnostics Corporation

(250,000+)
Abbott Laboratories, Ross Product Division (Glucerna)
AstraZeneca
Merisant U.S., Inc. (Equal Sweetener)
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals

($100,000+)
Archway Cookies, LLC
Coolbrands International, Inc. (Eskimo Pie)
CVS/pharmacy
General Mills, Inc. (Fiber One)
Good Neighbor Pharmacy
KOS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Murray Sugar Free Cookies
Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.
Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc.
Rite Aid Pharmacy
Roche Pharmaceuticals
Schering Plough Healthcare Products, Inc.
Specialty Brands of America (Cary's Sugar Free Cookies)
The Procter & Gamble Company
Voortman Cookies Limited

-The list of financial contributors to the American Psychiatric Association includes AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Company, Pfizer, Inc., Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Abbott Laboratories, Forest Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline, Alza Pharmaceuticals, and Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories.

-The Washington DC-based Society for Nutrition Education says it is "dedicated to promoting healthy, sustainable food choices and has a vision of healthy people in healthy communities." Its sponsors include the National Soft Drink Association, National Food Processors Association, Monsanto, Proctor and Gamble, Nestle, California Dairy Council, and Dairy Council of Wisconsin.

-Among the Canadian Food Information Council's members are Coca-Cola Ltd., General Mills Canada, Inc., H. J. Heinz Company of Canada Ltd., Kellogg Canada Inc., Kraft Canada Inc., Monsanto Canada, Nestlé Canada Inc., Parmalat Canada Limited, Procter & Gamble Inc., Syngenta Seeds Canada, Inc., Quaker Tropicana Gatorade - Canada, and Unilever Canada Limited.

CFIC patrons are Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors, Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, Refreshments Canada, and CropLife Canada.

-The International Life Sciences Institute was founded in 1978 "to work toward a safer, healthier world. ILSI is a worldwide foundation that is making a difference in public health by advancing the understanding of scientific issues related to nutrition, food safety, toxicology, and the environment."

ILSI has received funding from the alcoholic beverage industry, and it's 1996 N.Y. Academy of Science conference on fat substitutes was funded in part by Olestra manufacturer Procter & Gamble.

ILSI's 1998 Board of Trustees included representatives from Kraft Foods, Inc., Kellogg Company, Nestle Ltd., Switzerland, Monsanto Company, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo, Inc.

Members of ILSI North America include:

Archer Daniels Midland Company
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Burger King
Campbell Soup Company
Cargill,
Coca-Cola
Corn Products International, Inc.
General Mills, Inc.
H.J. Heinz
Hershey Foods Corporation
Kellogg Company
Kraft Foods, Inc.
Mead Johnson Nutritionals
Monsanto
National Starch and Chemical Company,
Nestlé USA,
The NutraSweet Company,
Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.,
The Pepsi-Cola Company,
Pfizer, Proctor & Gamble,
Red Bull, Ross Products,
Taco Bell,
Unilever,
Wyeth Nutritionals,

-In March of 2003, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry received a $1 million grant from the Coca-Cola Foundation.

The Lift the Veil report was put together by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). While it has certainly done an admirable job of compiling the financial connections of many of our most prestigious and supposedly unbiased health organizations, the CSPI itself is not exactly guilt-free when it comes to handing out shonky nutrition advice.

In the late eighties, the CSPI joined the soybean industry and billionaire Phil Sokoloff in launching all-out war on tropical oils. These oils have never been linked to any health problem in humans--in fact, research tentatively suggests that the medium-chain fatty acids contained in these oils may help protect against pathogenic microbes, heart disease, and, when consumed as part of a ketogenic diet, cancer. Researchers have documented the outstanding health of tropical populations consuming high amounts of fat-rich coconut products.(4,5)

More recently, the CSPI has been protesting the inclusion of high-fat milk products on school menus, claiming that their saturated fat content "clogs kids' arteries."

Milk fat has never been shown to clog kids'--nor adults'--arteries. To the contrary, a recent review of prospective epidemiological studies examining milk consumption suggests that high-fat milk may offer modest protection against heart disease and stroke.(6)

CSPI co-founder and current executive director Michael Jacobson, is a vegetarian who reportedly sits on the advisory board of the "Great American Meatout," an annual event operated by the vegan and animal rights group Farm Animal Reform Movement (FARM).(7)

The CSPI did not include itself in the Lift the Veil report.

---

Anthony Colpo is an independent researcher with no financial conflicts of interests--except maybe for that one time when he received a couple of free marrow bones after spending several hundred dollars at his local butcher…

References

1) http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/lift_the_veil_guts_fnl.pdf

2) http://216.185.112.90/productlist.aspx

3) http://www.citizens.org/docUploads....

4) Lindeberg S, Lundh B. Apparent absence of stroke and ischaemic heart disease in a traditional Melanesian island: a clinical study in Kitava. Journal of Internal Medicine, 1993 Mar; 233 (3): 269-275.

5) Prior IA, et al. Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: the Pukapuka and Tokelau island studies. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1981 Aug; 34 (8): 1552-1561.

6) Elwood PC, et al. Milk drinking, ischaemic heart disease and ischaemic stroke II. Evidence from cohort studies. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May, 2004; 58 (5): 718-724.

7) http://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/13

© Anthony Colpo 2004. Copyright information:

Any articles on this website authored by Anthony Colpo may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only, providing full credit is given to the author, and that the website name www.theomnivore.com is cited. A hyperlink would also be greatly appreciated. Those wishing to reproduce articles for commercial purposes should e-mail: contact@theomnivore.com

Atkins: here to stay

From The Times Online

by ELIZABETH JUDGE
THE Atkins revolution is not just about waistlines — it is also about bottom lines. With about three million people experimenting with the diet, the UK food industry has been forced to act to feed the demand and exploit the obvious business opportunity.

Products, marketing strategies and even packaging have been influenced by the advent of Atkins. High street stores, including Boots, Asda and Superdrug, now stock Atkins branded products, while smaller players like Benjys, the sandwich retailer, have introduced their own-brand low-carbohydrate offerings. Earlier this month Nestlé Rowntree launched “low carbohydrate” versions of two of its biggest selling sweets, Kit Kat and Rolo.

The UK’s hotels have not been immune. The Bentley, in West London, is marketing its restaurant, 1880, as an “Atkins friendly” zone with a guarantee from the executive chef, Andrew Turner, that customers will have a “98 per cent carbohydrate-free meal”.

The “Atkins effect” has extended well beyond new product offerings. Tesco, the UK’s biggest supermarket, is poised to introduce a new labelling system clearly indicating carbohydrate and protein content for the time-pushed Atkins devotee.

But is it just a fad? The experts think not.

“Not least because of the Government’s drive to get people to watch what they eat, Atkins is here to stay, ” says Amanda Afiya, the chef’s editor at Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine.

Camilla Palmer, the author of a recent report into dieting by Datamonitor, the research group, agrees: “In five to ten years’ time there will be as many low-carbohydrate products as low-fat ones on the shelves.” Retailers ignore this trend at their peril, she says. In the US, 6,000 job cuts at Kraft Foods Inc were linked to its failure to pick up on the trend. And Unilever has blamed poor sales of its Slim-Fast diet drinks on Atkins.

The Times Online

The Way We Eat Now

From the Harvard Magazine

Although flawed in places (e.g. the footnote 'Inner Wisdom'), this is a great summary of what went wrong over the latter part of the last century:

The Way We Eat Now

LOW-CARB RIPOFFS

From Second Opinions

The overweight and obese have always provided a very lucrative and ready market for food companies to exploit with expensive, nutrient-poor, highly-processed, slimming 'foods' and diet products. Some of these, the liquid powders you made into a drink, were made largely from skim milk powder, with added chemicals and artificial flavours. The ingredients were very cheap for the manufacturers to buy (skim milk powder is almost given away), but were very expensive for the dieter to buy. Others included inert fillers which contained no food at all.

I had hoped that when the new low-carb way of eating caught on, these rip-off merchants would be unable to sell their products and go into liquidation.

How naïve I was!

The current low-carb 'fad' has allowed the food companies to widen their net to ensnare even more people with even more rip-offs, which are even more expensive. Here are some examples on sale to the 'low-carb diet' market (I have written comments in blue below each one):

Read the full article here: Second Opinions

Pasteurization

Pasteurization is a process of heat treating milk to kill bacteria. Although Louis Pasteur developed this technique for preserving beer and wine, he was not responsible for applying it to milk. That was done at the end of the 1800s as a temporary solution until filthy urban dairies could find a way to produce cleaner milk. But instead of cleaning up milk production, dairies used pasteurization as a way to cover up dirty milk. As milk became more mass produced, pasteurization became necessary for large dairies to increase their profits. So the public then had to be convinced that pasteurized milk was safer than raw milk. Soon raw milk consumption was blamed for all sorts of diseases and outbreaks until the public was finally convinced that pasteurized milk was superior to milk in its natural state.

Today if you mention raw milk, many people gasp and utter ridiculous statements like, You can die from drinking raw milk!" But the truth is that there are far more risks from drinking pasteurized milk than unpasteurized milk. Raw milk naturally contains healthy bacteria that inhibit the growth of undesirable and dangerous organisms. Without these friendly bacteria, pasteurized milk is more susceptible to contamination. Furthermore, modern equipment, such as milking machines, stainless steel tanks and refrigerated trucks, make it entirely possible to bring clean, raw milk to the market anywhere in the US.

Not only does pasteurization kill the friendly bacteria, it also greatly diminishes the nutrient content of the milk. Pasteurized milk has up to a 66 percent loss of vitamins A, D and E. Vitamin C loss usually exceeds 50 percent. Heat affects water soluble vitamins and can make them 38 percent to 80 percent less effective. Vitamins B6 and B12 are completely destroyed during pasteurization. Pasteurization also destroys beneficial enzymes, antibodies and hormones. Pasteurization destroys lipase (an enzyme that breaksdown fat), which impairs fat metabolism and the ability to properly absorb fat soluble vitamins A and D. (The dairy industry is aware of the diminished vitamin D content in commercial milk, so they fortify it with a form of this vitamin.)

We have all been led to believe that milk is a wonderful source of calcium, when in fact, pasteurization makes calcium and other minerals less available. Complete destruction of phosphatase is one method of testing to see if milk has been adequately pasteurized. Phosphatase is essential for the absorption of calcium.

From: Weston A. Price

'Bunless burger' heads for Britain

By Frances Booth | The Independent

11 April 2004

The late Dr Robert Atkins achieved fame and fortune with his revolutionary diet, selling 15 million books.

Now it seems he has redefined one of the world's most popular institutions: the McDonald's burger.

With millions of customers now sticking to the low-carbohydrate Atkins diet, McDonald's has announced the launch of the bun-free burger. The meal will be wrapped in lettuce leaves instead of bread, and come with a knife and fork.

A "bunless revolution" is now sweeping the United States, where McDonald's said last week it would offer burgers without buns in all 13,600 of its restaurants. The new-style burger will be offered for all beef, fish or chicken sandwiches sold in the US from next month.

And Britain could soon follow suit. Thanks to the endorsement of stars such as Renée Zelwegger and Geri Halliwell, more than three million Atkins books have been sold in Britain and Atkins-branded meals are now on offer in supermarkets.

McDonald's has been struggling with falling sales in Britain and has already tried to attract new customers by offering healthier options such as salads, Quorn sandwiches, organic semi-skimmed milk and fruit. The bunless burger could help turn its fortunes around.

A spokesman said: "We are a customer-led business, we listen to what our customers want. A bunless burger is something we would consider in the future if consumers wanted it."

Cereals don't deserve to be called food

By Marika Sboros

How healthy are your ready-to-eat breakfast cereals?

Manufacturers say their products are high in carbohydrates, low in fat, with added vitamins and minerals. Health benefits, they say, include high-energy boosts for peak mental and physical performance, weight loss, and reduced risk of heart disease.

Market leader Bokomo even advertises its Pro Nutro as "the most nutritious family cereal in South Africa" - a claim contested by competitors, but sanctioned by the Advertising Standards Authority.

But, medical specialists say if you eat the cereals at all, you'd be wise not to do so regularly, and you shouldn't let your children eat them everyday.

'You'd be wise not to do so regularly'
They say we are being hoodwinked into believing the cereals are a healthy way to start the day. It's a common perception with particular appeal for harassed parents with picky mouths to feed on the run.

Concerns focus on refined, processed, sugared, salted products, especially brightly coloured ones. Experts say the nature of the cereals - high-carb, low fat content - creates conditions for the development of health problems they are supposed to prevent.

One vocal cereal antagonist is Dr Sterna Franzsen, a Pretoria general practitioner and gynaecologist who practises complementary medicine calls the cereals, including "natural" muesli products, "rubbish" and "windkos". She says they don't deserve to be called food, so far removed are they from their natural state.

Dr John Briffa is another. He is a medical doctor and one of Britain's foremost nutritional experts. He says the cereals "peddle fodder as food". The notion that we should eat them every day is driven "by the food industry, not science and our experience".

Far from helping us to slim, refined cereals can actually make us fat, Briffa says. Their high-carb content stimulates the body to manufacture fat, and reduces its fat-burning potential. A high-carb diet may also lead to higher-than-ideal levels of the hormone insulin in the body, which can lead to high blood pressure, raised levels of unhealthy blood fats and increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

'The greatest scam in medicine's history'
Of course not all packaged cereals are equal, and some, such as 100 percent rolled oats (not instant), are less refined. But concerns make sense when you look at ingredient lists of ready-to-eat cereals, with sugar high up. Many start off with natural rice or corn, strip its nutritional value by refining and processing, and then claim to put back all the goodness by adding vitamins and minerals.

Is this purely to create demand and a longer shelf life? And what is the rationale justifying these products?

Kellogg's and Bokomo say it's not about shelf life, but about food safety, nutritional availability, variety and convenience. They say their products are based on sound nutritional science, that shows carbohydrates are essential, and the best source of energy.

Briffa and others say the cereals depend on myth, misinformation and ignorance about biochemistry and nutrition, and the power of vested interests. They depend on the lipid (fat) hypothesis, introduced by researchers to explain a disturbing increase in heart disease, cancer and obesity rates.

The hypothesis fingered cholesterol and saturated fats in animal foods such as butter, eggs and red meat as causing problems. Yet these were in the diet for years before the rising incidence of life-threatening diseases, says Briffa.

Researchers chose to ignore unusual changes in diets, especially the introduction of highly refined, processed carbohydrates, such as sugar, white bread, flour, pasta, and lifestyle habits of smoking and reduced physical activity.

Studies appeared to confirm the hypothesis, and doctors began to pronounce confidently that "it is convincingly clear that saturated animal fat is the dietary risk factor in raising cholesterol concentrations". Many still do so today.

The hypothesis spawned the notion that high-carb, low-fat foods promote health.

"They don't," says Briffa, "and the evidence is there for anyone willing to see it. "For instance, studies show that in the long-term, low-fat diets do not lead to weight loss. The totality of the evidence shows saturated fat is very unlikely to be the true villain of the health piece."

This is still disputed in medical circles. The South African Heart Foundation has moved from the low-fat stance, but still recommends decreasing fat and a good carb intake.

Others say the effects of the lipid hypothesis have been insidious. Amercican heart researcher Dr George Mann called it "the greatest scam in medicine's history", used to "convince millions of healthy people they are sick and need expensive drugs with serious side effects".

Briffa says we should look at the many traditional societies who eat high levels of animal food and saturated fat but remain free of heart disease. One of them is the Masai cattle-herding people in Africa who eat meat, blood and rich milk, yet their heart disease rates remain refreshingly low.

Eggs have had undeservedly bad press. Studies in rural communities show that high egg consumption does not increase heart disease risk.

The most likely cause is inactivity coupled with pervasive changes to our diets, says Briffa.

"Increasingly, we have been eating a diet denuded of much of its nutritional value, at the same time tainted with potentially hazardous components including trans-fatty acids, salt, refined sugar and artificial additives."

He says the healthiest diet is that of our ancestors which was varied, with flesh foods, fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and small amounts of unrefined carbs.

Our diets are too high in carbohydrates from grains, refined or unrefined, says Briffa. "Genetically, we are similar to our ancestors of 10 000 years ago, which means we are best adapted to the diet we ate before grains were used."

Today there is a lot of hype about high or low GI (glycaemic index) foods. The index rates the speed with which foods release their sugar content into the bloodstream.

"Cereal manufacturers have leapt on to the GI bandwagon," says Briffa. "They try to give the impression that their products have low GIs, but the reality is most cereals release sugar quickly."

Eaten in excess, refined carbohydrates may have "significant hazards for our health".

How cereal is made:

Kellogg's Corn Flakes:

A non-genetically modified variety of corn grown for about 180 days.

The hybrid corn is harvested, stored in silos and sorted at the mill.

The milling process includes cleaning. Only split kernel of a specific size is used, with a formula of malt flavour, salt and sugar.

Flavoured grits are funnelled into stainless-steel cookers. Heat-stable vitamins and iron are added. The grits are dried and put through rollers to form flakes.

The flakes are tumble-toasted in an oven.

Contents are weighed into moisture-resistant liners, sealed to form bags, and packed into sealed, date-coded cartons.

Sub-standard wet or dry waste is sold for animal feed. No food or ingredient is deliberately prepared for animal feed. - Source: Kellogg's

Source: http://www.iol.co.za

USA: Low carb diets appeal to over half the population

Over half of all Americans have tried a low carb diet, are currently following a reduced or low carb diet or are considering trying such a diet, according to new research.

Low carb diets such as Atkins, The Zone, and The South Beach Diet have swept the US. With constant news regarding Americans' struggle with obesity, low carb diets appeal by including high fat products that before were considered taboo.

Mintel's report on low carb foods (which will be published in May 2004) finds that over 50% of Americans have tried the diet in the past, are currently on the diet or are cutting back carbs, or would try it in the future. The reach of low carb dieting affects all aspects of the food industry, from the declining sales of potatoes, refrigerated orange juice and instant rice, to the repositioning of classics such as beef jerky, to the battle in the beer cooler over whose product is lowest in carbohydrates.

A healthier way to eat?

Mintel's exclusive research on low carbohydrate diets also reveals that low carb dieters follow the strict regimen for reasons other than just weight loss. Surprisingly, of those who are on a low carb diet, 75% cut back on carbs because they believe it is a healthier way to eat. Nearly two-thirds of low carb dieters say that they follow the diet in order to lose weight. These results show that the low carb phenomenon may well be a movement in attitudes toward food and eating. In addition, three out of every five low carb dieters say that they plan to limit their carbohydrate intake for life. One of the difficulties, however, with low carb diets is that the strict eating plan is hard to maintain - 40% of low carb dieters say that it's hard to stay on a low carb diet for more than a few months at a time. There are also the special occasions where 67% of low carb dieters don't limit the carbs they consume.

Low carb dieters have the luxury of eating foods that are higher in fat, but there are certain foods that they have to omit such as pastas and breads. Over half of those on low carb diets have either totally stopped eating or are eating less bread and/or pasta. However, other foods such as meat, poultry and seafood, nuts, and meat snacks have benefited from this diet trend. One-third of these dieters report eating more meat, poultry and seafood and one-third report eating more nuts. The nuts and dried fruits market grew 7.9% from 2002 to 2003, and the meat snacks market grew a whopping 147% from 1997 to 2002.

"Americans' infatuation with low carb dieting does not mean the death of bread. The diet does allow certain carbohydrates after the initial 'Induction' phase, and this is why we are seeing sales of wheat and specialty breads increase to a degree," says Dr. Marla Commons, senior research analyst for Mintel. "This diet craze has many facets which appeal to consumers in the short term, but the real question is if they stick to it long term."

America leads the way

While experts are still debating the long-term effects of these types of diets, consumers' short-term success at losing weight has created enough of a wave of dieters that many food manufacturers and restaurants are responding to consumer demand with Atkins-acceptable meals. Low carbohydrate foods could potentially change the face of new product introductions and the entire food industry. Consumers want low carb food options and 42% of those on the diet say that they are worth paying extra for, and one out of five of those not currently on the low carb diet agree.

According to Mintel's Global New Products Database, there are 930 new products bearing low carb claims which were introduced in the last five years, with most of the growth coming in 2003 and 2004. The US has seen 375 new products with low carb claims this year. This is substantial in comparison to the 289 products in all of 2003 that were introduced with low carb claims. By far, the US leads the way in the low carb arena in terms of new product introductions. Second to the US is Canada, with 37 low carb products year to date in 2004. From a global perspective, only five countries have products in this category: US, Canada, UK, South Africa, and Israel. Of the low carb products introduced, 98% have been in North America and those outside North America have been, almost exclusively, imported from the United States.

Source: just-food.com

UK food agonises over Atkins

Source: Telegraph

American food groups have gone low-carb crazy. So why arent British suppliers jumping on the bandwagon? Janet Bush reports

The craze for low carbohydrate eating, popularised by the Atkins diet, shows no sign of fading. But, as yet, the response of the British food industry has been resistance and even hostility. This is about to change. In an era of prohibitively tight margins, the Atkins market is growing too fast to ignore.

More than 3m Britons have bought the late Dr Robert Atkins' diet books. And research by the think-tank IGD finds that 23 per cent of women aged 25 to 33 are cutting down on the amount of carbohydrate they eat.

Those few retailers who sell low-carb products - many of them on the internet - report exponential demand. Joyce Edmonds runs Carblife Food. In July 2003, when the Atkins phenomenon was raging in the media, her website received 1.6m hits.

Richard Hunt, a butcher based in a farm shop near Stockport, has been making carb-free sausages for many years but was smart enough to label them as Atkins-friendly on his website, www.rickythebutcher.co.uk - sales are up 300 per cent over the past year.

However, both Edmonds and Hunt deride the failure of the British food industry to follow their lead. Edmonds has written repeatedly (without success) to the supermarket majors, urging them to meet the needs of the frustrated customers who visit her website.

She says: "It is a nightmare trying to source the products in this country. I have to import from the States - and that is so expensive for my customers. I have begged the supermarkets here to get their act together."

Hunt charges the food business with "trying to excise Atkins from the public's mind," because it has so much money tied up in highly profitable processed carbohydrates. "There is no margin in healthy food like eggs, fish and meat," he says. "They talk about balanced diets but they make their money from crisps, chocolates and sugar-laden ready meals. It's a huge con on the public."

The larger British food companies and the medical establishment seem united in their lack of of enthusiasm for low-carb. In the autumn of 2003, Dr Susan Jebb, the head of nutrition and health research at the Medical Research Council, dismissed high-fat, low-carbohydrate regimes as "a major health risk" and based on "pseudo-science".

Meanwhile, a typical food industry approach is that of Northern Foods - famous for supplying the supermarkets with ready-made meals - which says it has no plans to go low-carb and supports the Food Standards Agency's position on healthy eating through a balanced diet.

The major UK supermarket chains, none of whom cater specifically for the low-carb customer, routinely issue statements also extolling the virtues of a balanced diet and seem cagey when mention is made of Atkins.

The contrast with the US, where there are about 10m Atkins adherents, is stark. Barely a day goes by without a leading US food group launching a new low-carb product or rebranding its existing confections as in some sense Atkins friendly (KFC recently pulled a television advert which claimed its famous fried chicken was low-carb, after a complaint from the Center for Science in the Public Interest).

In America, low-carb products are offered in some 70,000 stores (and Home Bistro, an online retailer, will post you ready-made low-carb meals). Sales of low-carb products were an estimated $10bn (£5.65bn) last year, a 60 per cent rise from the previous year.

In an era of persistent obesity, figures from Mintel, the market researcher, show healthy sales growth for most weight control products. But Atkins Nutritionals - an offshoot of the Dr Atkins dietary clinic, whose sales are estimated at over $100m (£56.5m) - stands out with a 260 per cent rise between 2000 and 2002. Goldman Sachs and Parthenon Capital recently acquired a majority stake in this business for an estimated $700m.

So why are British retailers and food producers so wary of "Atkinising" their wares? Their caution seems odd, given the growing evidence that consumers are voting with their gullets.

Sales of wrapped and sliced bread have been falling, although John White, the director of the Federation of Bakers, says this is because of people switching to "premium" breads, not because bread is banned by Atkins.

Other losers from Atkins are more upfront about how worried they are. The National Potato Council (potatoes are an Atkins cardinal sin) launched a £1m campaign with the slogan "fab not fad" and held a British Potato to Work Week.

In an Atkins showdown, this coincided with British Egg Week (eggs are Atkins-friendly and sales have been rising by 4 per cent annually recently compared with the more usual 1 per cent growth). The National Fish Fryers' Association attacked the Atkins diet for undermining sales of fish and chips.

Jeffrey Hyman, the head of The Food and Drink Innovation Network, does not subscribe to the view that there is an industry conspiracy against Atkins.

He says that retailer caution is more likely to be based on the sheer cost of embracing new ranges and a genuine concern about whether the diet is healthy. "If we find some years down the line that low-carb dieting causes colon cancer, the supermarkets are going to look very silly indeed," he said. "But I still have no doubt that as soon as one of the majors gets into low carb, the others will follow in droves."

In fact, the British food majors are stealthily embracing Atkins. Heinz, which has launched 1-carb ketchup in the US, insists in its public statements that it has no plans to launch the same product in Britain. However, I understand that the product will be available here. And Heinz has just launched a low-carb version of its Smart Ones frozen meals because Atkins has undermined demand for its low-fat Weight Watchers brand.

As for Unilever, the UK's largest food group (which has admitted that sales of its Slimfast dieting brand have suffered because of Atkins), it has produced its own low-carb line in the US.

Among British supermarkets, the case of bashful Asda is intriguing. The subsidiary of the Wal-Mart colossus is stocking products from Atkins Nutritionals' new UK range in its in-house pharmacies from tomorrow, but did not wish to be cited at the Atkins British launch on December 17.

Wal-Mart is a major stockist of Atkins products in the US, so Asda's trailblazing is predictable. It is likely to expand from a small initial offering in its pharmacies to a broader range later this year.

Tesco is already stocking Michelob's "Ultra" low-carb beer. Although it says that it has no plans to stock a broader range of low-carb products, it has been talking to Atkins behind the scenes. Safeway says that it has no plans to stock "Atkins-specific diet products" but last month it added low-carb to its "less than" group of products.

Tamara Richardson, who is heading Atkins Nutritionals' UK launch (including shakes, bread mixes and breakfast bars), says the company will supply health stores initially - Asda's in-house pharmacies, Boots and Holland and Barrett among them - and only then move into supermarkets more broadly. This is the strategy it employed with spectacular success in the US.

This staged approach, she says, allows the company to "educate" the public about the science behind Atkins (actually, arming consumers against anti-Atkins propaganda) and build up production capacity. In the US, demand initially far outstripped the company's ability to roll out product and Atkins wants to avoid this problem in Britain.

Richardson is cautious about predicting the UK market's response: "It could be a slow burn; but we could see the phenomenal growth we experienced in the US," she says.

Either way, resistance from UK retailers is cracking and the bet must be that UK food producers will want to prevent Atkins building a long-term monopoly position in Britain. Unless they move fast and ambitiously with their own low-carb products, they may be too late.

Source: Telegraph

Atkins, related diets fuel growth in new food industry

Thirty years ago, people laughed at Robert Atkins.

Nutritionists snickered at the high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. The American Medical Association snarled, calling it "potentially dangerous," and "biochemically incorrect." Congress even held hearings.

When Atkins died in April, he had barely had time to enjoy how his once-shunned eating ideas have been embraced by at least 12 million people in the United States and how a new food industry has sprung up around the diet: grocery stores, food manufacturers and restaurants dedicated to low-carb foods.

Read full article:
goerie.com

Parthenon Capital Acquires Majority Interest in Atkins Nutritionals, Inc.

Press Release
Source: Atkins Nutritionals, Inc.
Parthenon Capital Acquires Majority Interest in Atkins Nutritionals, Inc.
Wednesday October 29, 5:21 pm ET
ANI Management Remains Intact; Sale to Yield Major Endowment For the Dr. Robert C. Atkins Foundation

BOSTON, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Parthenon Capital, a leading middle-market private equity firm with offices in Boston and San Francisco, announced today that it had acquired a majority interest in Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. (ANI), the category leader in controlled carbohydrate information, food products and nutritional supplements. Goldman Sachs Capital Partners is also a significant co-investor in the transaction. Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Parthenon Capital will have the controlling interest in Atkins Nutritionals in partnership with Goldman Sachs, the senior management of Atkins Nutritionals and Dr. Atkins' Estate. There will be no changes in ANI's management. Paul Wolff and Scott Kabak, ANI's CEO and President respectively, will be members of the Board of Directors with Wolff serving as Chairman.ANI's vision is to change the way the world eats to promote good health. The Atkins Nutritional Approach™ (ANA) has been validated by over 400 published studies in support of the scientific principles behind the ANA and in over 15 studies during the past three years, specifically on its safety, efficacy and health benefits. Today, the ANA is a nutritional plan that is finding increasing acceptance in many nations as people around the world suffer from health conditions resulting from the obesity and Type II diabetes epidemics.

Dr. Atkins' surviving spouse, Veronica Atkins said, "Bob and I, with the support of ANI's management, made the decision to welcome an investment in ANI because we knew that an investment in the company from people who support our vision would provide for a substantial endowment for The Dr. Robert C. Atkins Foundation, which in turn would ensure that funding would be available for scientific research on controlled carbohydrate nutrition. He would have been delighted to be working with Parthenon Capital and Goldman Sachs."

John Rutherford, co-CEO of Parthenon Capital said, "Atkins Nutritionals has a superb management team, the number one brand in the controlled carbohydrate category and a solid strategy for growth and long-term success. Parthenon Capital believes that ANI has an important mission that extends well beyond the financial numbers, and we are committed to continuing the current course and strategy of the company in partnership with the company's current management, employees, customers and suppliers."

"We consider this a very attractive investment opportunity," added Muneer Satter, Managing Director of Goldman Sachs. "Atkins Nutritionals is well-positioned for growth with a new product pipeline that may be one of the strongest and most promising of any food company in today's market."

Paul D. Wolff, Chairman and CEO of Atkins stated that, "The partnership with Parthenon Capital and Goldman Sachs is both essential and exciting. It provides the financial and intellectual resources necessary to drive ANI's vision and Dr. Atkins' dreams to an entirely new level."

Atkins Nutritionals, based in Ronkonkoma, Long Island, was founded by Dr. Robert C. Atkins in 1989. Today, Atkins Nutritionals is a fast-growing international enterprise providing a broad range of convenience foods, supplements, baked goods, snacks, condiments and information products designed to serve the millions of consumers who have adopted the controlled carbohydrate lifestyle. The company's products are sold in the natural, nutritional, food, mass and drug retail channels as well as direct through their catalog and Web site. For more information, please visit www.atkins.com.

Parthenon Capital is a leading middle-market private equity firm that was founded in 1998 and has $1.1 billion of capital currently under management. The firm provides strategic support and financing for recapitalizations, management buyouts, consolidations, privatizations and growth/expansion funding. Parthenon Capital is focused on partnering with middle-market companies with the goal of building them into world-class competitors. They invest in a variety of industry sectors with particular expertise in consumer products, food and beverage, business and financial services, healthcare, and value-added distribution. For more information, please visit www.parthenoncapital.com.

Goldman Sachs is a global leader in corporate equity and mezzanine investing. To date, Goldman Sachs has formed ten investment vehicles aggregating over $17 billion of capital. With $5.25 billion in committed capital, GS Capital Partners 2000 is the current primary investment vehicle for Goldman Sachs to make privately negotiated equity investments. GS Capital Partners seeks long-term capital appreciation by committing equity to high-quality companies with superior management in a variety of situations, including leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, and growth investments to fund acquisition or expansion. The Fund invests across a broad range of industries and creates value through meaningful involvement with portfolio companies' strategic decision-making and operating philosophy. For more information, please visit www.gs.com/pia.

Source: Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. - Yahoo!

Low Carb Shifts Into High Gear

The Fairway supermarket in Plainview is bustling with shoppers on a recent Sunday afternoon. Smack in the middle of the sprawling store are displays of diet foods bulging with low-carbohydrate products of the most unlikely kinds: Bagels, bread mixes, cake mixes, candies, crackers, pancake syrups, salad dressings, cereals -- even chips and beer -- all seemingly forbidden foods for the growing legion of low-carb dieters.

In fact, by one count, there are now more than 800 products that mimic the very foods that dieters are supposed to avoid. Low-carb dieters, who until now have been content to stuff their gullets with steak and bacon and eggs, now can have their cake and avoid it, too...

Read full article: newsday.com

The secret to selling us more junk food

TOM CURTIS HEALTH CORRESPONDENT
tcurtis@scotlandonsunday.com

CHILDREN should be encouraged to buy more sweets, crisps and chocolates by targeting them through their mobile phones, according to a snack industry ‘blueprint’ for increasing sales.

The detailed report on the lucrative "after-school snacking market" provides firms with detailed information on how to get their message to youngsters and protect profits in the face of a dwindling population and growing fears about obesity.

It contains controversial suggestions such as increasing the use of text messaging in snack promotions as a way of bypassing parents, and targeting poorer children aged seven to 10 on the grounds that they spend more on crisps and other treats.

Health groups last night expressed deep concern at the existence of the report, which follows last week’s revelation that one in 10 British six-year-olds is classed as obese.

Read full article: Scotland on Sunday

Eggs v potatoes: The Atkins diet stand-off

This week eggs and potatoes feature in rival campaigns to tempt our taste buds. But their differing fortunes, thanks to changing trends in diets, means that all is not well in the larder...

Read full article: BBC

Farming lobby 'pushed for warnings on Atkins diet'

By Charlotte Edwardes
(Filed: 05/10/2003)

Nutritionists have accused US government health officials of issuing "groundless" warnings against the Atkins diet because they are influenced excessively by the farming lobby.

A high-powered committee of food specialists said that official warnings were driven by farmers who wanted to protect their sales of wheat. The nutritionists told an American Senate hearing last week that the public was being "misled" over what constitutes a healthy diet.

The hearing was called to revise official guidelines on diet. The seven-strong panel of specialists agreed that the principle of eating more protein and fewer carbohydrates - the foundation of the Atkins diet - would reverse the rapid increase in obesity in America and Britain. Two-thirds of Americans and half of Britons are overweight or obese.

The controversy in America follows the disclosure two months ago that a British nutritionist who was one of the diet's fiercest critics was in the pay of the flour lobby.

The nutritionists told the hearing in Washington that "low-fat" diets were devised by people linked to the grain and potato industry in an attempt to drive weightconscious consumers towards their products. In fact, the nutritionists said, these diets make people fatter.

Official guidelines drawn up 10 years ago by America's Department of Agriculture for use in schools and hospitals recommend six to 11 servings of carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta, sugars and potatoes a day (one serving is the equivalent of one slice of bread) and very few saturated fats.

Senator Peter Fitzgerald, who chaired the committee, said: "Putting the Department of Agriculture in charge of dietary guidelines is like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse."

Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, who was also on the committee that met for three hours on Tuesday, added: "Looking at some of the recommendations from the Department of Agriculture gives the idea that they've forgotten that we are feeding people, not horses."

The Atkins diet, which has 15 million followers in the United States and three million in Britain, stipulates a high concentration of protein and fat, such as eggs, meat and cheese, and a reduced intake of carbohydrates.

Among its devotees are Hollywood actors such as Jennifer Aniston, Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta Jones.

The diet has come under fire from officials on both sides of the Atlantic who claim that it can cause the onset of diabetes, cancer, kidney failure, bone disorders, constipation and other health complications.

Two months ago Dr Susan Jebb, one of Britain's leading nutrition experts, condemned the diet, saying that highprotein, high-fat, low-carbohydrate regimes were "a major health risk" and based on "pseudo-science".

She recommended exercise and a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet as the best solution to Britain's obesity crisis.

Later, however, Dr Jebb, who is the head of nutrition and health research at Britain's Medical Research Council (MRC), was found to have accepted a £20,000 grant for the MRC from the Flour Advisory Bureau - the lobbying and consumer arm of the National Association of British and Irish Millers - to conduct its research.

Other lobby groups have been more transparent in their criticism of the regime. Last week the Atkins diet was blamed for a slump in the sales of fish and chips. The National Fish Fryers' Association attacked the diet and called on the public to back traditional food.

A spokesman said: "It would be an absolute tragedy to see one of the UK's most important trademarks slip into a decline because of a shortlived diet fad. Not only are potatoes great for energy, they are low in salt, virtually fat-free, cholesterol-free and provide important vitamins and minerals."

Dr Stuart Lawrence Trager, the clinical assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, who is also a consultant at the Atkins Centre for Complementary Medicine in New York, said that the myth that something "fat-free" was good was part of the problem and that the public needed re-educating. "People have been led to believe that all carbohydrates are good for them and that to eat an unlimited diet of them is healthy. People are told that fat is bad.

"They go home and eat low-fat crisps, cookies and muffins that may have hundreds of calories and be loaded with simple sugars but have very little fat. People think they can have fizzy drinks with tablespoons of sugar and unlimited bread. It's a mixed message and this advice contributes to obesity."

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Low carb, big business

Firms are scrambling to cash in on diet trend

By Mike Ivey
September 25, 2003

Sara Dobbs lifted her small basket of groceries onto the checkout counter at Copps Food Center on Whitney Way.

In it: a dozen eggs, a pound of bacon, several cans of tuna and bottled water.

Low carb? You bet.

"So far it's working for me," said Dobbs, 32, a graduate student at the UW-Madison. "We'll see if I can stick with it."

If it seems like everybody and their sister are on a low-carb kick, it's probably because they are.

More than 80 percent of American adults now claim to follow some sort of low-carbohydrate diet, according to a new survey from the Supermarket Guru, a national grocery service...

Read full article: madison.com

Flour industry bread funds Atkins diet critic

ANDREW MURRAY-WATSON AND TOM CURTIS

WHEN Dr Susan Jebb, one of Britain’s leading nutrition experts, condemned the hugely popular protein-based Atkins diet last week, slimmers began putting bread, potatoes and pasta back on the menu.

But an investigation by Scotland on Sunday has discovered that Jebb, head of nutrition and health research at Britain’s Medical Research Council (MRC), is working on a report into obesity funded by the Flour Advisory Bureau (FAB).

The bureau is the lobbying and consumer arm of the National Association of British and Irish Millers, and this is the second report Jebb has written for it, following an earlier study into obesity in Britain published in 1999. In total, the MRC has been paid around £20,000 to produce the two reports written by Jebb. The first recommended diets "rich in complex carbohydrates and low in fat".

Although FAB paid the MRC for the obesity report, not Jebb, the link to the flour industry has led some to question the scientist’s appraisal of the slimming technique. Her new study, according to FAB, will be looking at the "health benefits associated with eating 55% of energy intake as complex carbohydrates". Jebb denies any conflict of interest.

Last night Dr John Briffa, a London-based independent expert in nutritional medicine, said: "It’s up to other people to decide whether Susan Jebb’s view stems from her links with the flour industry. But if it appears that her scientific view has been skewed by the food industry, that is of enormous concern."

Read full article here: Scotland on Sunday

The Atkins economy

Aug 14th 2003
From The Economist print edition

How to lose weight and make money with low carbohydrate diets

“OF ALL the parasites that reflect humanity, I do not know of, nor can I imagine, any more distressing than that of obesity,” wrote William Banting in what was probably the first guide to following a low-carbohydrate diet. After trying all manner of remedies, in 1862 this London undertaker was horrified that he still tipped the scales at 202 pounds (92 kg). A year later, after following his high-protein diet, he had shed 46 pounds. Today he would probably have been a devotee of the Atkins diet, which is having a huge impact not just on the slimming business—worth over $40 billion in America alone—but on the entire food industry.

Read the full article here: economist.com

Note: About Dr Susan Jebb quoted in above article

Winners and losers in the Atkins phenomenon

By Maxine Frith, Social Affairs Correspondent
02 August 2003

The soaring popularity of the Atkins Diet has seen 2 million Britons declare war on their waistlines. But it is not just flab that is feeling the pinch.

The slimming industry, food manufacturers and beer brewers are all seeing their profits slimmed down as devotees empty their fridges of any product with the cheek to carry a carbohydrate.

Full article: independent.co.uk

Is our daily bread latest victim of Atkins diet?

First it was spuds, now Brits are shunning the humble loaf as low-carb craze sweeps nation
By Jenifer Johnston

"First it was potatoes, then slimming shakes … now bread manufacturers fear they will become the next victims of the Atkins diet craze.

The Federation of Bakers has told the Sunday Herald that the diet, which works on a low- carbohydrate, high-protein formula to promote weight loss, is already affecting sales of bread in the UK. Bread is banned from the earlier stages of the Atkins regime."

Full article: Sunday Herald

Atkins diet tastes good to retailers

But plan's popularity is hard for pasta, bread makers to stomach

Millions of Americans have lost an untold amount of weight by sticking to Dr. Robert Atkins' high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet.

Now, food companies and retailers are hoping for similar happy results by focusing on products that fit the Atkins plan. But some of those sales gains are coming at the expense of companies whose foods aren't Atkins-friendly.

The winners include the makers and sellers of meat snacks such as beef jerky, which have few or no carbohydrates. But bread bakers and the makers of the once-trendy high-carb energy bars are feeling the pinch as more and more Americans turn to the Atkins plan.

Full article: dallasnews.com [registration required]

U.N. sticks to advice to limit sugar intake

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation says it stands by scientific findings advising consumers to limit sugar intake, shrugging off pressure from sugar and soft drinks industry lobbyists to ease off.

The Geneva-based WHO said on Tuesday it received letters from U.S. and European associations representing the industry hotly contesting research recommending that consumers limit sugar to 10 percent of all food and drinks consumed in a day.

"WHO believes that the findings represent the best available science in the world. We stand by it," spokesman Jon Liden said.

Full article: Yahoo!

Bitter battle over sugar findings

THE US sugar industry has been accused of blackmailing the World Health Organisation by threatening to withdraw funding if healthy-eating guidelines, due to be published tomorrow, are not scrapped.

Members of the Sugar Association were incensed by a WHO report, Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases, stating that sugar should account for no more than 10 per cent of a balanced diet.

They have described the findings as dubious and their political muscle-flexing could cost the WHO a staggering $406 million (£260 million). Industry executives have exerted intense pressure on the US Congress to block the organisation’s funding unless the report’s guidelines are retracted.

Full article: The Scotsman

Analysts warn of danger from Easter chocolate binge

It is Easter. In supermarkets and petrol stations across the developed world, consumers face dazzling displays of shiny, crackly, wrapping paper swaddling the traditional chocolate eggs or bunnies. Almost $2bn (£1.2bn) worth of Easter candy will be sold in the US alone this year.

This seasonal chocolate orgy has long been one of the highlights of the year for confectioners. Now, however, food companies are being warned that encouraging consumers to overindulge could prompt a regulatory or legal backlash with serious financial consequences.

Full article: Financial Times

Food for thought... a guide to eating with a clear conscience

Swordfish is the latest to join the list of guilt-inducing foods. So just what can we eat these days? Felicity Lawrence offers a handy cribsheet

Thursday February 20, 2003
The Guardian

Tuna

Environment
All commercially fished species of tuna (above) are endangered. Southern bluefin are critically endangered. Tuna fishing, especially for yellowfin with nets, still commonly results in the death of dolphins. Line-caught tuna is preferable but the Marine Conservation Society puts tuna on its top 20 list of fish to avoid because of overfishing and damage to marine habitats.

Health
Uncontaminated fish oils help,prevent heart disease. Unfortunately, oily fish such as tuna contains traces of mercury, dioxins, PCBs (cancer-causing toxins) and organochlorine pesticides such as DDT. The food standards agency warns pregnant women to eat only one portion of fresh or two tins of tinned a week. Tinned has lower concentrations of contaminants but this is because most of the good oil has been squeezed out for animal feed.

Social impact
As stocks in the ocean dwindle, tuna are being increasingly sea-farmed in in the Mediterranean and Pacific. Independent fishermen who owned their own boats in the past are now dependent on poorly paid labouring jobs on fish farms. The craze for sushi has put particular pressure on bluefin tuna stocks.

Animal health
Farming of migratory fish is condemned by welfare groups such as Compassion in World Farming as cruel and liable to encourage disease and parasites.

Verdict
Avoid all species except skipjack, and make sure it is dolphin-friendly.

Full article: Guardian

Beef vs. Bagels: U.S. Food Firms Take on Dr. Atkins

Tue March 18, 2003 08:47 AM ET
By Carey Gillam

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas (Reuters) - It has been months since Tina Moore last bit into a bagel or a slice of toast.

"Protein is good. Carbs are bad," says 41-year-old Moore, who altered her diet five years ago in a bid to lose weight.

Moore, the owner of a hair salon, is one of an estimated 15 million-plus Americans seen as devoted followers of dieting guru Dr. Robert Atkins, who recommends eating a diet high in protein for those who want to lose weight and keep it off.

"Carbs and sugar...they give you a quick high, then you get really low. You get tired and hungry," said Moore, who sees herself as a reformed "carbohydrate addict."

The hamburger patty is good, the hamburger bun bad, according to the teachings of Atkins, who has turned his philosophies into a dieting revolution, starting with his first book, "Dr Atkins Diet Revolution," in 1972.

Atkins' books -- his latest, "Atkins for Life," was published this year -- routinely top best-seller lists. Atkins companies have racked up millions of dollars in sales of specialty low-carb food products and carb-counting scales.

But the popularity of Atkins's eating advice, now appealing to another generation, is fraying the nerves of some food companies who rely on the consumer appetite for carbohydrate-laden foods such as pastas and pizzas, cakes, cookies and cereals, to add heft to their own bottom lines.

They claim Atkins is falsely disparaging food groups that serve as a foundation for American eating. And that by teaching people to limit severely the use of flour-based products, Atkins is eating into sales of some bread and cereal products in the United States.

"Our industry has to do something, and soon. It is starting to become a mainstream belief that carbohydrates are bad," said Judi Adams, director of the Wheat Foods Council, a consortium of industry players.

Full article: Reuters

A little sugar never hurts, according to Coke execs

BY JOHN DORSCHNER

Things go better with sugar.

That's the message from Coca-Cola as part of its new anti-obesity campaign. No kidding.

While many researchers and journalists are shouting about the dangers of sugar, the $100-billion corporation wants you to know that you can still drink sugar-filled Coke and be healthy and slim -- even if each 12-ounce can packs 140 calories and 39 grams of sugar.

''We are feeling the need to reach out and talk to people directly,'' said Kari Bjorhus, a Coke spokeswoman who came to Miami to deliver this message along with the firm's director of nutrition and health sciences, Maxime E. Buyckx, M.D.

''There is nothing wrong with having sugar in our products,'' Bjorhus said.

Full article: The Miami Herald

Drop in wheat consumption worries US grain trade

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Jan 30 (Reuters) - Farmers, millers and others in the U.S. wheat industry are facing a decline in wheat consumption that jeopardizes sales for everyone from farmers to bagel makers, a wheat expert said Thursday.

"The industry is very worried about this," said Dave Green, director of quality control for Archer Daniels Midland Co.'s (nyse: ADM - news - people) milling unit, who addressed wheat industry leaders meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico this week.

Green said a combination of factors, most notably a trend toward high-protein, low carbohydrate consumption patterns fueled by the popular Atkins Diet, were to blame for the declining consumption.

Full article: Forbes