McLabeling.McDonald's made big news in October when it announced plans to put Nutrition Facts labels The nutrition facts label (also known as the nutrition information panel, and various other slight variations) is a label required on most pre-packaged foods in North America, United Kingdom and other countries. on most of its boxes and wrappers In data mining and treatment learning, wrappers were used by Ron Kohavi and George John. Their idea was to wrap their treatments learners in a preprocessor that would search to make subsets from the current set of attributes. . Needless to say, that's good news for consumers. I hope other companies follow the leader. Of course, it's not as though nutrition labels are a brand new idea. We first urged McDonald's and other fast-food chains to label their foods in the 1980s. But the company had plenty of excuses. In 1975, McDonald's told the Food and Drug Administration not to require labels because it was "impractical and unpredictable. ... immediately upon opening the packaging, the printed portion is face down, and the food is eaten from the inside (or blank) side of the box." Then in 1990, McDonald's began displaying (virtually indecipherable) posters with ingredients and nutrients. Why not slap labels on the wrappers or boxes? "Putting this information on our packages would require that customers buy the product before they read about it," claimed the fast-food giant. "McDonald's wants customers to have complete nutrition and ingredient information BEFORE they make their purchases." What has changed since then? McDonald's has been under siege for fueling the U.S. obesity epidemic. The movie Super Size Me lampooned the company, and a lawsuit filed by overweight teens scared its lawyers. In retaliation RETALIATION. The act by which a nation or individual treats another in the same manner that the latter has treated them. For example, if a nation should lay a very heavy tariff on American goods, the United States would be justified in return in laying heavy duties on the manufactures and , the restaurant industry has won passage of laws in 21 states that forbid people from suing a restaurant or food manufacturer for causing obesity or a related health problem like heart disease or diabetes. In many states, restaurant associations have been busy trying to kill proposed laws that would require nutrition information next to each item on menus and menu boards. Restaurants oppose those laws because they fear (probably correctly) that consumers would buy fewer foods or smaller burgers, fries, and drinks--trimming not just waistlines, but profits. McDonald's is taking a decidedly higher road by providing Nutrition Facts. It needs to do still more. Here's what restaurants could do to show that they're serious about protecting the public's health, not just undercutting legislation and lawsuits: * Voluntarily put calories on menu boards. Table-service restaurants should provide calories, saturated and trans fat trans fat n. 1. A trans fatty acid. 2. Trans fatty acids considered as a group. trans fat A fat containing trans fatty acids. , and sodium on printed menus. (If you'd like to help fight for a labeling law in your city or state, contact Nancy Hailpern at bettermenus@cspinet.org or at CSPI CSPI Center for Science in the Public Interest CSPI Corporate Service Price Index CSPI Cumulative Schedule Performance Index , Suite 300, 1875 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009. For more information, see www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy.) * Offer good-tasting, convenient, and more healthful health·ful adj. 1. Conducive to good health; salutary. 2. Healthy. health  ful·ness n. new foods like
salads and grilled chicken dishes.
* Use lower-fat beef, cut back on salt, include more whole grains, eliminate partially hydrogenated oils, and offer side dishes side dish n. A dish served as an accompaniment to the main course. Noun 1. side dish - a dish that is served with, but is subordinate to, a main course entremets, side order other than French fries French fry n. A thin strip of potato fried in deep fat. Often used in the plural. . Gradual changes that are barely noticed would lead to healthier diets for everyone, not just label readers. Michael F. Jacobson Michael F. Jacobson, who holds a Ph.D. in microbiology, co-founded the Center for Science in the Public Interest in 1971, along with two fellow scientists he met while working at the Center for the Study of Responsive Law. , Ph.D. Executive Director Center for Science in the Public Interest |
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