Feet to the Fire

FDA Action Needed to Address Diet Coke’s Blatant & Unlawful Use of Heart Health Claims

Feet to the Fire, Food/Beverage Marketing, Legal Filings /

The Public Health Advocacy Institute is asking the FDA to investigate and take enforcement action against The Coca-Cola Company’s unlawful use of heart health claims on cans of Diet Coke.  In February of 2010, 2011 and 2012, The Coca-Cola Company has released Diet Coke cans labeled with a large red heart symbol, the National Heart […]

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General Mills Uses Whole Grain Claims to Distract from Sugar Content

2 Comments / Feet to the Fire, Food/Beverage Marketing /

By Cara Wilking, Staff Attorney Like a good mother, General Mills loves all of her “Big G” cereals the same. Consumers, however, should not. The company has chosen to market all of its Big G cereals as containing “More Whole Grain Than Any Other Ingredient*” (the asterisk takes you to the disclaimer “*as compared to

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The Cost of McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys

2 Comments / Feet to the Fire, Food/Beverage Marketing, Uncategorized /

By Cara Wilking, Staff Attorney The passage of San Francisco’s Healthy Food Incentives Ordinance and McDonald’s recent decision to “comply” with the law by charging 10 cents in order to be able to include toys with meals that do not meet minimal nutritional criteria has engendered a lot of public debate. The following table summarizes information

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McDonald’s Happy Meals with Soda & Fries Still the “Most Popular” Meal Combinations

Feet to the Fire, Uncategorized /

  by Cara Wilking, J.D. The National Restaurant Association announced last week  that a number of chain restaurants will be offering healthier children’s meal menu options. McDonald’s has opted not to participate in the initiative.  Likely it will point to the fact that it already offers apple slices and milk and that it only advertises

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Organizations that Care About Health Should Play No Part in the Soft Drink Industry’s Effort to Rehabilitate Its Public Image

1 Comment / Feet to the Fire, Food/Beverage Marketing /

by Cara Wilking, J.D. CLICK HERE DOWNLOAD THIS POST AS A PDF INTRODUCTION The United States has the highest per capita rate of carbonated soft drink consumption in the world at 736 eight-ounce servings or 46 gallons per person in 2009.[1] The soft drink industry is dominated by three major companies: The Coca-Cola Company (“Coke”),

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State Laws Prevent Local Control Over Much More Than Just Happy Meal Toys

Feet to the Fire, Food/Beverage Marketing /

Prepared by Cara Wilking, J.D., Staff Attorney Santa Clara County, CA and the City and County of San Francisco, CA enacted ordinances requiring restaurants to meet nutrition criteria for children’s meals that use incentive items such as toys to drive child consumer demand. Neither law bans the use of toys or other incentive items, and

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Unclear on calories: GMA & FMI’s front-of-package “Nutrition Keys” omit key calorie information

Feet to the Fire, Food/Beverage Marketing /

Today the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), the packaged food and beverage industry’s trade association, and Food Marketing Institute (FMI), the food retailer’s trade assocation, revealed a front of package labeling scheme designed to “complement the Clear on Calories labeling system developed by the American Beverage Association,” the non-alcoholic beverage industry’s trade association. It seems GMA

Unclear on calories: GMA & FMI’s front-of-package “Nutrition Keys” omit key calorie information Read More »