Do You ReallyKnow What You’re Eating? Do You Really Know What You’re Eating? Tina M. Covey CA 2050 Effective Comm. UCol BACP Fall 2012

Grocery Items Available in the Average U.S. Supermarket  3,000 in 1940  5,800 in the late 1950’s  Over 10,000 by 1970  Almost 39,000 by 2010

Where we’ve come from

Where we went

1906 Pure Food Act  First federal law to regulate interstate commerce  Targeted truth in sizing and ingredients  Did not address labeling ‘claims’

 Regulation of health claims in food labeling of ‘functional foods’.  Nutrition and ingredient information  Food labeling of raw foods remains strictly voluntary

The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of 1990 "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."

“Functional” or “Processed”  Foods that have been altered or added to  Afford the food industry the opportunity to improve upon existing food products  Can actually include “organic” foods

“Health” Foods  A broad term to include “organic”, “whole” and “natural” foods  In contrast to what is commonly referred to as “junk” food  regarding food associated with claims of improvement in health and nutrition  Not necessarily evaluated by any governmental agencies

“Healthy” Food Terms  Raw  Whole  Organic  Natural  Free-range

Organic vs. Conventional  Organic foods: 40% > conventional foods  Conventional food sales: + 2-3% annually  Organic food sales: % annually  Organic: fastest growing market in the U.S.

What’s NOT on a Food Label  Less than 1g of a macronutrient, can list as 0g  Packaging contents that can seep into foods  Pesticides or GMO status  Environmental toxins  Hormones and antibiotics fed to animals

CONSUMERS Food Industry Growers Producers Manufacturers Processors Distributers Retailers

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Questions?

References  Pomeranz, Jennifer L Front-Of-Package Food And Beverage Labeling. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine 40 (3):  Kimberly Atkins Vague FDA Regs Spur Food Labeling Suits. Lawyers USA2012.  Eden, Sally Food Labels As Boundary Objects: How Consumers Make Sense Of Organic And Functional Foods. Public Understanding Of Science 20 (2):

References  Snyder, Kimberly, “Don't Be Fooled by These Tricks While Reading Food Labels”, November 8, 2012  Warner, Melanie. "What Is Organic? Powerful Players Want a Say". New York Times: Nov. 1,  Greene, Catherine; Dimitri, Carolyn (2003). "Organic Agriculture: Gaining Ground". USDA Economic Research Service. Retrieved

References  "Industry Statistics and Projected Growth". Organic Trade Association. June Retrieved  Anonymous Snake Oil in the Supermarket. Scientific American 303 (3): 30-  Wikipedia.com  Youtube.com  Google.com/Images  CDC.gov