Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us (58 page)

320
President Abraham Lincoln created
Wayne D. Rasmussen, “Lincoln’s Agricultural Legacy,” Agricultural History Branch, USDA.

321
two buildings that form
National Registry of Historic Places.

322
$90 billion trade in snack foods
In keeping with the theme of this chapter, a good place to learn more about the snack trade is a white paper prepared by Dairy Management, an entity overseen by the Secretary of Agriculture whose goal is to increase consumption of cheese and other dairy products. “Snacking: Identifying a World of Opportunity for Diary,” Dairy Management Inc., April 2010.

323
center’s annual budget
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion correspondence with author.

324
policies on nutrition
“Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, USDA. Oversight of the panel of experts chosen to develop the guidelines every five years alternates between the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services.

325
kids between one to three years
Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee,
Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010
(Washington, D.C.: U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, 2010), D2–12.

326
Topping the list
Ibid, pages D3–13.

327
blunt in urging people
Walter Willett to author. The Harvard School of Medicine has developed its own versions of the food pyramid and My Plate graphics that differ in significant ways. The protein portion of Harvard’s ideal meal, for instance, advises, “Choose fish, poultry, beans and nuts; limit red meat; avoid bacon, cold cuts and other processed meats.” And instead of encouraging people to drink milk, the Harvard nutrition scientists emphasize water, with limited milk and juice: “Avoid sugary drinks.”

328
buried the information
The USDA released an abridged version of the expert panel’s report, which put the sources of saturated fat on page 25 of this 59-page summary.

329
“If you really want people”
The Diane Rehm Show
, February 1, 2011.

330
“The idea isn’t to eliminate”
Ibid.

331
finding it in the grocery store
R. Post et al., “A Guide to Federal Food Labeling Requirements for Meat and Poultry Products,” Labeling and Consumer Protection Staff, USDA, August 2007.

332
USDA required this information
“Nutrition Labeling of Single Ingredient Products and Ground or Chopped Meat and Poultry Products,” Food and Safety Inspection Service, USDA.

333
“to include expertise”
Craig Henry, Grocery Manufacturers Association, letter to Carole Davis, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, USDA, May 23, 2008.

334
consumer’s view was voiced
This and other comments submitted on the dietary guidelines are available through a database created by the USDA, which can be found at the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion’s website.

335
“I am concerned”
Transcript, Conference Report on the Food Security Act of 1985, U.S. Senate, December 18, 1985.

336
It created two marketing programs
“Federally Authorized Commodity Research and Promotion Programs,” U.S. General Accounting Office (now called the U.S. Government Accountability Office), December 1993; “Federal Farm Promotion (‘Check-Off’) Programs,” Congressional Research Service, October 20, 2008; “Understanding Your Beef Checkoff Program,” Cattlemen’s Beef Board.

337
yearly consumption of red meat
Carrie Daniel et al., “Trends in Meat Consumption in the United States,”
Public Health Nutrition
14, no. 4 (2011): 575–583. Consumer worries about fat are cited as a reason for decreased consumption in the beef-industry supported study “U.S. Beef Demand Drivers and Enhancement Opportunities,” Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, June 2009.

338
“I thought it was a dumb idea”
Mark Thomas to author.

339
“We’ve done a lot of research”
Steve Wald, director of new product development, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, in video released by the association, January 8, 2008.

340
promote more fast food sales
For a summary of some of these product innovations, see “Cattlemen’s Beef Board Introduces New Staff, Snack,” Cattlemen’s Beef Board, February 25, 2008.

341
Twenty-nine cuts of beef
At my request, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association examined national retail data and found that while a mere 20% of ground beef being sold was lean or leaner, two-thirds of the whole muscle cuts sold in 2012 were of the lean variety.

342
Worries have arisen
“Background Information for Letter to Secretary Vilsack on Mechanically Tenderized (MT) Beef Products,” Safe Food Coalition, June 12, 2009. For a critical perspective on tenderized meat, I’m grateful to Carol Tucker-Forman, a former assistant secretary of agriculture and now a fellow with the Consumer Federation of America.

343
“lean finely textured beef”
The term has changed over the years, with producers and the USDA arguing for various permutations. For a basic description of the product, see H. Ying and J. G. Sebranek, “Finely Textured Lean Beef as an Ingredient for Processed Meats,” Iowa State University, 1997.

344
It was 15 percent cheaper
From various USDA and industry records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and sources. Michael Moss, “The Burger That Shattered Her Life,”
The New York Times
, October 4, 2009.

345
The largest producer
Michael Moss, “Company Record on Treatment of Beef Called into Question,”
The New York Times
, December 31, 2009.

346
“It was frozen”
Charles Tant to author.

347
“I do not consider the stuff”
Gerald Zirnstein in USDA memo, obtained by author. Additionally, I am grateful to him for discussing this memo and his dealings on the product with me.

348
first published
Moss, “Company Record on Treatment.”

349
“That’s one of the reasons”
Video of press conference, Des Moines, Iowa, March 28, 2012.

350
“a staple of the school lunch program”
I am indebted to various officials of the USDA school lunch program for sharing their memos, data, and experiences on this matter with me. See also Moss, “Company Record on Treatment.”

351
“I think we are going”
James Haggerty, “ ‘Pink Slime’ Spurs Beef Backlash,” (Scranton, Penn.)
Times-Tribune
, April 15, 2012.

352
studies offered “convincing” evidence
“Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective,” World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research, 2007, 121, 123.

353
it called the “Cancer Team”
For an internal analysis of the beef checkoff campaign’s work on the cancer report, see “Project Evaluation Audit: World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute of Cancer Research Report,” Sound Governance, June 13, 2008.

354
also retained the services
Starting on April 10, 2007, the expenditure of these funds was authorized by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, with approval from the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, according to records released by the USDA to author. Exponent provides case studies of its work products on its website.

355
Exponent conducted its own
Dominik D. Alexander et al., “Red Meat and Processed Meat Consumption and Cancer,” National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, 2010.

356
“an emotional and frightening issue”
“Project Evaluation Audit: World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute of Cancer Research Report.”

357
“Cancer risk is not about diet alone”
Ibid.

358
“Overall, beef checkoff messages”
Ibid.

359
“The Secretary of Agriculture”
Opinion of the Court, in
Johanns v. Livestock Marketing Association
, U.S. Supreme Court, May 23, 2005. For an analysis of the case by a former FDA official, see Daniel E. Troy, “Do We Have a Beef with the Court? Compelled Commercial Speech Upheld, But It Could Have Been Worse,”
Cato Supreme Court Review
, The Cato Institute.

360
“I resist ranking”
Ruth Bader Ginsburg in separate opinion concurring in the judgment, in
Johanns v. Livestock Marketing Association
, U.S. Supreme Court, May 23, 2005. I am indebted to a former USDA economist, Parke Wilde, for being generous with his time in discussing his own, similarly critical analysis of the checkoff programs. See, for example, Parke E. Wilde, “Federal Communication About Obesity in the Dietary Guidelines and Checkoff Programs,” Discussion Paper No. 27, Tufts University, 2005.

361
less cheese-laden pizza
A 2006 brochure produced by the USDA, “Your Personal Health: Steps to a Healthier You,” has this suggestion for people when they get the urge to eat pizza: “Ask for whole-wheat crust and half the cheese.”

362
“The partnership sells more cheese”
Tom Gallagher, “Checkoff Is Working Hard for You!”
Western Dairy Business
, September 2009.

363
“In Mexico, a joint promotion with Domino’s”
“Report to Congress on the National Dairy Promotion and Research,” USDA, July 1, 2002.

364
“The council will give Kraft”
“Kraft Foods Announces 10 Members of Worldwide Health and Wellness Advisory Council,”
Business Wire
, September 3, 2003.

365
“Both my boys were appalled”
Ellen Wartella to author.

366
The session started out
I am grateful to various Kraft officials for discussion of the panel’s confidential work with me.

367
“I pointed this out”
Ellen Wartella to author.

368
sought to refute
Andrea Carlson and Elizabeth Frazao, “Are Health Foods Really More Expensive? It Depends on How You Measure the Price,” Economic Information Bulletin No. EIB-96, Economic Research Service, USDA, May 2012.

369
“Build and defend”
Kraft to Philip Morris Corporate Products Committee, June 24, 1996, in LT.

370
“We were trying”
Kathleen Spear to author.

371
“We’re a food business”
Ibid.

372
an advertisement began appearing
Amanda Amos and Margaretha Haglund, “From Social Taboo to ‘Torch of Freedom’: The Marketing of Cigarettes to Women,”
Tobacco Control
9 (2000): 3–8.

373
Only internally
“New Product Screening,” Philip Morris memo, March 1, 1972, in LT.

374
“High fat diets may”
Ernst Wynder et al., “Association of Dietary Fat and Lung Cancer,” American Health Foundation, New York City, 1986, in LT.

375
“ranks as one of the great”
Philip Morris Trial Counsel Seminar, La Jolla, California, May 9–12, 1990.

376
“As new management”
Kraft General Foods Orientation to Management Meeting, July 11–12, 1990, in LT.

377
“we’re helping busy consumers”
“A Powerful Company, Poised for Growth,” Presentation to Investment Community, New York City, June 28, 1999.

378
the company’s polling identified it
“Issues Management Q3 Omnibus Survey Key Results,” Philip Morris memo, November 7, 2000, in LT.

379
“Obesity is literally an epidemic”
Jay Poole speech to the Agriculture and Applied Economics Association meeting, 1999, in LT.

380
1999 strategy paper
“A New Approach to Our Mission: Lessons from the Tobacco Wars,” in LT.

381
“We’d been through a pretty hard time”
Geoffrey Bible to author.

382
“the right product for consumers”
Ibid.

383
“He talked about why”
John Ruff to author.

384
Bible told his food executives
Ibid.

385
“I used to come home”
Ibid.

386
from its own research
Kraft presentation to FDA, May 14, 2004.

387
officials met with the agency
Ibid.

388
the food industry was discussing
For an analysis of the systems being considered, see Ellen Wartella et al., “Examination of Front-of-Package Nutrition Rating Systems and Symbols,” Phase 1 Report, Institute of Medicine, October 13, 2010.

389
“That was in constant discussion”
John Ruff to author.

390
“In Capri Sun alone”
Marc Firestone to author.

391
managed to wrestle
The effort to cut 1.5 trillion calories is being overseen
by a food industry group and is being monitored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which in 2012 was working to design a system that could verify and track any changes the industry makes. One challenge in performing this chore, foundation officials told me, would be keeping abreast of the constant flux in grocery products, as new items replace the old; another is ensuring the calorie reductions are not undertaken merely in low-selling versions of the mainline products.

392
“Do you think”
Transcript, Kraft earnings conference call, July 16, 2003.

393
Holden gamely replied
Ibid.

394
removed from her job
Dave Carpenter, “Kraft Demotes Co-CEO Betsy Holden amid Product Setbacks,” Associated Press, December 16, 2003.

395
“The ‘Twist, Lick and Dunk’ ritual”
Anand Kripalu, Kraft Foods president for South Asia and Indonesia China,
Campaign India
, April 6, 2011.

396
“A refreshing drink”
Kraft Cadbury announcement, April 14, 2011.

397
“a broad market change”
Daryl Brewster to author.

398
“People who otherwise”
Ibid.

399
The 100-calorie concept
Elaine Wong, “100-Calorie Packs Pack It In,”
Brandweek
, May 26, 2009.

400
found that the small packs
Maura Scott, “The Effects of Reduced Food Size and Package Size on the Consumption Behavior of Restrained and Unrestrained Eaters,”
Journal of Consumer Research
35 (2008): 391–405.

401
But Hershey wasn’t worried
“Hershey Lures Lenny From Kraft,”
Chicago Tribune
, March 13, 2001; “Hershey Foods: It’s Time to Kiss and Make Up,” Mendoza College of Business, University of Notre Dame, March 2003.

402
“Our desire was to be”
Daryl Brewster to author.

403
lineup of Oreo cookies
“Oreo Enters 100th Year Crossing the $2 Billion Mark; Plans to Reach $1 Billion in Developing Markets in 2012,” Kraft announcement, May 3, 2012.

404
Kraft’s big move
“Cadbury was the final piece of the puzzle,” a Kraft vice president, Chris Jakubik, said in a presentation to investors on September 15, 2010, entitled “Hitting Our Sweet Spot.” He described Kraft as “shifting from turnaround to growth” and said that the company was poised to lead the industry globally on snacks, with a leading 10.1% share of the market, far ahead of the second-largest snack seller, PepsiCo, at 7.6%.

405
“My wife saw this”
Comments on Kraft’s website for the cream cheese chocolate product.