Carrot & Stick - Brief Article

Vegetarian Times, March, 2000 by Abigail Chipley

A carrot to Vegetarian Legal Action Network (VLAN) for taking the FDA to task over so-called "natural flavors." VLAN, founded by six students at George Washington University Law School last August, petitioned the FDA to require food processors to do the unimaginable: tell us exactly what's in our food. Currently, manufacturers can mask a variety of products--including derivatives of meat, poultry, seafood and dairy products--under the catch-all term "natural flavoring." VLAN argues that many religious groups and vegetarians may be unwittingly violating their moral codes by consuming these mystery ingredients--not to mention the fact that many "flavors" can be fatal to people with food allergies. Under the current law, not one of the eight most common allergens (peanuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, nuts, fish and shellfish)is required to be listed if used as a "flavoring agent." The petition can be found at www.enviroweb.org/vlan. To voice your support for truth in labeling, call the FDA at (888) INFO-FDA.

A stick to the federal advisory committee assigned to revise the Dietary Guidelines for putting industry concerns before the nation's health. An investigation by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) found that six of the 11 committee members have received large sums of research money from the dairy, meat and egg industries--among them the National Dairy Council and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. As if these ties weren't questionable enough, PCRM is concerned that the committee may be turning a blind eye toward the health needs of minorities. Research shows that many groups can't stomach milk--literally. Seventy percent of African-Americans, 90 percent of Asian-Americans and more than 50 percent of Hispanic-Americans are lactose-intolerant, yet the government continues to promote dairy products as an integral part of good health. PCRM has responded by suing the U.S. departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, charging them with violating the law that bans undue influence on federal advisory committees and with promoting dietary guidelines that undermine minority health. The group has also demanded that the government make dairy products optional in the 2000 version of the Guidelines. We'd like to add another demand: that the integrity of federal committee members not be optional.

A carrot to the new mayor of Philadelphia, John F. Street, for urging a makeover of the city's famed artery-clogging sandwich, the Philly cheese steak. In response to Men's Fitness magazine recently voting Philadelphia the fattest city in America, the mayor held a press conference to announce his plan to make healthy living and physical fitness a major focus of his administration. To the shock of many citizens, he bit into a vegan Philly cheese steak, a whole-wheat roll loaded with peppers, onions, marinated seitan and soy mayonnaise. Street, who himself dropped more than 60 pounds 30 years ago, can't remember the last time he ate a meaty cheese steak. We're hoping the mayor's fellow citizens will follow his "enlitened" example.

A carrot to vegetarian food manufacturer Lightlife Foods for banning all genetically modified (GMO)ingredients from its products. The company has sought out (and tested) the products of suppliers who sell non-GMO versions of foods like soy, tomatoes, potatoes and corn. By April 30, the entire line of Lightlife convenience items, including veggie burgers and chili mixes, will be free of adulterated ingredients. It's sure nice to see that someone has seen the light (and not the blinding light of radiation).