News on Health and Nutrition

October 19, 2007

UK fast food peppered with salt

A probe into the culinary offerings of the UK's favourite fast food restaurants has found "shockingly high levels of salt in some family, individual, and children's meal options", which in many cases could result in kids receiving well over ...

October 19, 2007

Wild promotes diacetyl-free flavors on industry concerns

Flavor firm Wild reports seeing a surge in interest for its diacetyl-free butter flavors, following rekindled concerns in recent months surrounding the safety of the ingredient.The group, which originally launched its flavors around four years ago, sai...

October 18, 2007

First NYC restaurants fined for trans fat violations

Four Queens restaurants were recently slapped with fines for trans fat violations during routine inspections, placing them among the first establishments to be punished under new laws that require city eateries to switch to alternative oils, margarin...

October 14, 2007

UK considering Trans fat ban

The food industry faces a government inquiry into its role in Britain’s surging obesity and heart disease rates with ministers considering a ban on trans fats as the first decisive step. The inquiry, ordered by Alan Johnson, the health secretary, fo...

October 12, 2007

New legislation would protect popcorn workers

Workers exposed to the butter-flavoring chemical, diacetyl, may get a reprieve. Exposure to diacetyl has been linked to a severe, potentially lethal form of lung disease, bronchiolitis obliterans. Despite calls for action by unions, health-care provide...

October 10, 2007

El consumo excesivo de frituras ocasiona daños a la salud

Saborear unas humeantes, doradas, saladitas y crujientes papas fritas es una tentación que pocos logran resistir (...) ¿Pero qué tan recomendable o sano es comerlas? (...) (un) factor de riesgo para la salud es que muchas veces las papas son freídas en...

October 01, 2007

How Frito-Lay is re-engineering its munchies to make healthier snacks

Perhaps no company has more at stake than chip-giant Frito-Lay, the world's biggest producer of snack foods, with $10 billion-plus in annual sales. Home of Doritos, Fritos, Cheetos and Tostitos, Frito-Lay represents 36 percent of parent company Pepsi...

September 27, 2007

US Authorities divided over popcorn lung regulations

A proposed bill that calls for emergency regulatory action to protect workers from diacetyl, a chemical linked to lung disease, has met with resistance from the Bush administration.The bill, submitted to the House of Representatives, would require the ...

September 26, 2007

Fast Food chains in Australia urged to reduce unhealthy fats

Fast food chains in Australia have cut down on the use of unhealthy trans fats amid threats of regulation, and have agreed to reduce saturated fats following pressure from health groups. Major chains including McDonald's, KFC, Hungry Jacks and Pizza ...

September 26, 2007

Kraft Introduces New Butter Flavor Containing Diacetyl, The 'Popcorn Lung' Ingredient

Recently, after numerous complaints of serious illness from popcorn workers and one complaint of illness from a consumer, ConAgra and Pop Weaver removed diacetyl from its microwave popcorn and now proudly announce to their customers that their product ...

September 26, 2007

House approves regulating popcorn lung chemical diacetyl

Exposure to a microwave popcorn additive linked to a deadly lung disease would be swiftly regulated under a bill passed on Wednesday by the U.S. House of Representatives, defying a White House veto threat. The bill would order quick action by the Occu...

September 24, 2007

Common food additives may cut acrylamide formation in potato chips

Common food additives like calcium chloride and l-cysteine could reduce the formation of acrylamide in potato chips by about 85 per cent, according to a new study."This research presents a technology to inhibit acrylamide formation in fried potat...

September 20, 2007

Se subestiman las calorías del menú en restaurantes "saludables"

Las personas que optan por comer en un restaurante "saludable"suelen consumir más calorías de las que ingerirían si concurren a un lugar de comida rápida sin proclamas de salud, indicó un estudio. Investigadores hallaron que las personas sub...

September 13, 2007

Goldin on Burger King Healthy Kids Food Initiative: 'Better late than never' (Audio)

Bob Goldin, executive vice president and food industry analyst at Technomic says he can "only applaud"Burger King's healthy kids food initiative, but says it is "long over due"with its healthy kids food initiative. He tells Steve P...

September 12, 2007

100 calorie snack packs continue to thrive

In an attempt to assuage public concern about the obesity problem, major snack brands like Kraft, Kellogs and Frito-lay are responding with 100-calorie packs of their most popular varieties. According to Tom Vierhile, director of Productscan Online, ...

September 11, 2007

California Legislature Passes Menu Labeling Bill for fast food restaurants

Last night the California Assembly passed a bill requiring calories on fast-food menu boards and additional nutrition information on chain-restaurants’ printed menus. Later today, the state’s Senate will consider separate legislation that would requir...

September 10, 2007

McDonald's Worker Jailed for Serving Salty Burger

A 20-year-old McDonald's employee spent a night in jail and is facing criminal charges after a police officer complained that the burger she prepared with too much salt made him sick. Kendra Bull was charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct and arre...

September 07, 2007

Potatoes Chock Full of Phytochemicals

Americans love their spuds, consuming 130 pounds per person annually. Now that culinary love affair could grow even more passionate with Agricultural Research Service (ARS) findings that some potato varieties are packed with health-promoting compounds...