FDA Moves to Effectively Ban Artificial Trans Fats
he US Food and Drug Administration has proposed a regulatory change that would all but eliminate artificial trans fats by ruling them no longer generally recognized as safe.
Breakfast Key for Nutrients-But Many Skip It
More Americans are skipping breakfast or grabbing it on the go, with only about 6 in 10 eating breakfast at home. Thats one finding from a new National Dairy Council analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
Herbal Remedies Often Missing the Herbs
What are Americans getting for the $5 billion spent annually on unproven herbal supplements? Many of the pills may contain fillers such as powdered soybean, wheat, rice and even weeds, instead of the promised herbal remedies, according to a new DNA analysis published in BMC Medicine.
Nutrition Star Ratings Shift Sales
Nutrition ratings using gold stars next to price labels on grocery shelves might lead to modest but measurable improvements in consumer choices, says a new study. Published in the journal Food Policy, its the most rigorous independent analysis of point-of-purchase nutrition labeling. Because of the availability of data, researchers focused on the Guiding Stars system introduced in 2006 by the Hannaford supermarket chain and now licensed for use in more than 1,800 stores. Compared to…
Organic Appeal Narrow But Deep
In a new survey that has organic marketers seeing opportunity, fewer than 20% of consumers were found to account for almost half of all organic food purchases. Information Resources Inc. and SPINS surveyed 5,000 consumers and identified two small segments-totaling just 18% of the population-responsible for 46% of all organic and so-called natural food sales.
FDA: Little Risk from Arsenic in Rice
After testing more than 1,300 types of rice and rice products, the US Food and Drug Administration has concluded that arsenic levels in rice pose no immediate health risk to consumers.
Lost in That Show? Watch the Snacking
The more immersed you are in a TV program or video game, the more youre likely to snack, according to a new study. University of North Carolina researchers tested the snacking behavior of 120 men and women, ages 18-35, while watching different TV programs or playing video games.
Courts Weigh Natural Claims for GMO Foods
Can a food labeled all-natural nonetheless contain genetically modified (GMO) ingredients? The answer to that question became even more tangled recently as judges across the country have issued conflicting rulings.
Obesity Rates Plateau in 49 States
While US obesity rates remain at historic highs, only Arkansas has seen an increase in the percentage of adults who are obese, while the other 49 states hit pause in a three-decade trend of ever-fatter populations.
Do Fortified Snacks Mislead Consumers?
The FDA is planning an online survey of 7,500 adult consumers to test whether fortifying snack foods with vitamins or other nutrients-and boasting about it on packaging-leads people to make unwise choices.