gobiggergoredder Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 If this starts to pay off for them guess who will pick up the tab....us. NYTimes Link More than a dozen lawyers who took on the tobacco companies have filed 25 cases against industry players like ConAgra Foods, PepsiCo, Heinz, General Mills and Chobani that stock pantry shelves and refrigerators across America. A federal judge in California in 2009 dismissed a case against PepsiCo, which accused the company of false advertising because Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries cereal does not contain real berries. Link to comment
knapplc Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Lauded poet and lyricist, Mojo Nixon, said it best: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8ERGn0pClY Link to comment
krill Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I am unsure about this, on one hand sharing the distaste for lawyers and plaintiffs looking for nothing more than a big payday, while on the other hand "big food" (that needs a new name) has been engaged in the same sort of consumer deception that the tobacco companies were. It seems particularly problematic when obesity, heart disease, and diabetes have become epidemic because of poor dietary choices. Some people are trying to make better choices, but are often presented with products that claim to be healthier that really are not. The Greek yogurt example is an interesting one because I eat a lot of it and have noticed that many of the traditional yogurt brands now offer a Greek style loaded up with sugar just like their regular yogurt. Since there is no regulatory definition for Greek yogurt, is that just tough luck if you keep eating the same junk without studying the ingredients, or deceptive? A reasonable expectation is to look at the nutritional information and ingredients, but you can't spend 4 hours at the grocery store studying every package either. Link to comment
knapplc Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I'm with you there, krill. I think a lot of "food" producers in America need to shape up their ways. The majority of food in a grocery store is pretty bad for you, and it's bizarre considering that we live in the most prosperous nation ever. We shouldn't have food this bad, and its mostly our own laziness that got us here. At the same time, lawyers suck, especially those just out to make a buck. Link to comment
beanman Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I am unsure about this, on one hand sharing the distaste for lawyers and plaintiffs looking for nothing more than a big payday, while on the other hand "big food" (that needs a new name) has been engaged in the same sort of consumer deception that the tobacco companies were. It seems particularly problematic when obesity, heart disease, and diabetes have become epidemic because of poor dietary choices. Some people are trying to make better choices, but are often presented with products that claim to be healthier that really are not. The Greek yogurt example is an interesting one because I eat a lot of it and have noticed that many of the traditional yogurt brands now offer a Greek style loaded up with sugar just like their regular yogurt. Since there is no regulatory definition for Greek yogurt, is that just tough luck if you keep eating the same junk without studying the ingredients, or deceptive? A reasonable expectation is to look at the nutritional information and ingredients, but you can't spend 4 hours at the grocery store studying every package either. You have to do what I do, and assemble a master grocery list with brand ratings for each specific food. I utilize this to avoid a lot of stuff without having to read labels constantly. This is a good resource to start with. I also watch sugar levels in almost everything so I adjust their ratings based on my own family needs. http://www.foodfacts.com/ I have a 3 page spreadsheet, when I need to go shopping I highlight what I need and I have everything color-coded by store so I know where to buy it the cheapest. Folks shouldn't have to do this to eat healthier, but unfortunately as Knapp said, food producers need to shape up their ways and I don't see that happening any time soon. You don't have to buy a bunch of expensive organic stuff to eat healthier, just need to be more selective on what breads you buy, etc. to avoid some undesireable stuff. And you have to sift through the bs on the internet when investigating ingredients to make a determination if you really need to avoid some of those ingredients or if it's just some uninformed blowhards making claims of them causing cancer. Link to comment
knapplc Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I've done the spreadsheet thing, too - but mine only got to one page. Three pages is some real dedication! I stopped using mine after a few trials, though. Carrying a clipboard through the grocery store got to be a hassle. I have a little notepad, maybe 5x10 or so, that I write my list on and go from there. A lot of people espouse the "shop the perimeter" method of grocery shopping - basically, the meat, dairy, produce and bakeries in grocery stores are typically on the perimeter, while the pre-processed, packaged crap is in the aisles. I get about 2/3 of my stuff from the produce dept, buy meat, some dairy (we go through a lot of milk at our house), and then the occasional ingredient stuff from the aisles. Flour, sugar and your typical baking ingredients are in the aisles, along with sauces and stuff, but anymore I'm trying to make all my own sauces, too. Since we've been planning meals and buying specific ingredients we've slashed our grocery spending and we've begun eating a lot healthier. For the most part we don't eat anything out of a box, and I cook most everything we eat from raw ingredients. It's better food, it's safer, and it tastes better. Link to comment
Moiraine Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I shop at a store that doesn't have anything with corn syrup in it. Still have to look at yogurt labels though. I hate that yogurt is marketed as a healthy food, because it seems that only 1 out of 100 brands is actually healthy. The healthiest way to eat it is get plain yogurt without any additives and them blend it with real fruit. Link to comment
knapplc Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I shop at a store that doesn't have anything with corn syrup in it Does this store have a name? Link to comment
Moiraine Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I shop at a store that doesn't have anything with corn syrup in it Does this store have a name? Open Harvest Co-op. 16th and South They're about the same size as Trader Joe's but better because they're local and get all of their eggs and about 1/3 of their produce from a 50 mile radius. They also have cheese and flour from Nebraska Link to comment
knapplc Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I get my bulk spices from Open Harvest. Best, cheapest spices in town. Link to comment
Moiraine Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I get my bulk spices from Open Harvest. Best, cheapest spices in town. So, knapp, what do you look like? Are you a member? Link to comment
knapplc Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I'm not a member, but I got membership info when I was there on Saturday getting basil, oregano and cumin - you know, the staples. I look like a regular schmoe, I suppose. Link to comment
strigori Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I've done the spreadsheet thing, too - but mine only got to one page. Three pages is some real dedication! I stopped using mine after a few trials, though. Carrying a clipboard through the grocery store got to be a hassle. I have a little notepad, maybe 5x10 or so, that I write my list on and go from there. A lot of people espouse the "shop the perimeter" method of grocery shopping - basically, the meat, dairy, produce and bakeries in grocery stores are typically on the perimeter, while the pre-processed, packaged crap is in the aisles. I get about 2/3 of my stuff from the produce dept, buy meat, some dairy (we go through a lot of milk at our house), and then the occasional ingredient stuff from the aisles. Flour, sugar and your typical baking ingredients are in the aisles, along with sauces and stuff, but anymore I'm trying to make all my own sauces, too. Since we've been planning meals and buying specific ingredients we've slashed our grocery spending and we've begun eating a lot healthier. For the most part we don't eat anything out of a box, and I cook most everything we eat from raw ingredients. It's better food, it's safer, and it tastes better. Sauces are something I got real picky on over the last year or two. Next to everything has corn syrup as a top 3 ingredient. And something like BBQ sauce, should never have that in it. Last time I looked I found exactly two brands in the whole BBQ set that did not have corn syrup. It would astonish most people how much corn syrup is in everything. Honestly killing the subsidies on corn would go a long way to getting corn syrup out of everything. Link to comment
carlfense Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I trust that none of you will ever use or need an attorney. 1 Link to comment
strigori Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 A separate added thought. Run away from anything with artificial sweetener. The couple extra calories from sugar are less bad for you than the chemicals simulating 'sweet' Link to comment
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