WASHINGTON, 3 July 2003 — First, McDonald’s Corp. paid more than $15 million in “it’s-your-fault-I’m-fat lawsuits;” now Kraft Foods, the world’s largest food manufacturer, announced late Tuesday it would reduce fat and shrink portion sizes — say, from gigantic to large — to fight global obesity and, oh yes, a pile of obesity-related litigations.
The maker of Oreo cookies and Ritz crackers said it will reduce single-serving and vending machine portion sizes, print more nutritional information on its packets, and end all in-school marketing, which includes promotional events and giveaways.
“First and foremost, we did this because it’s the right thing to do for our customers,” Kraft Foods spokesman Michael Mudd told skeptical journalists. “Now if these steps discourage a plaintiff or attorney from future litigation against our products, then so much the better.”
Kraft’s virtuous spin is viewed by many as an effort to deflect rising lawsuits by folks who can’t help eating their products and gaining weight. And trial lawyers filing obesity-related lawsuits against fast-food companies aren’t impressed with Kraft’s decision either. They say manufacturers are doing too little to inform the public about healthier eating habits.
Kraft Foods, which is owned by Philip Morris, recently changed its corporate name to Altria Group Inc. This may be due to the negative correlation some have construed in buying fatty foods from one of the world’s leading tobacco manufacturers.
Kraft Foods became the center of world attention last May when California lawyer Stephen Joseph sued Kraft for not disclosing amounts of trans fatty acids, TFAs, in Oreo cookies. TFA’s are nonessential to the body, and viewed as harmful.
And lawyers who successfully sued tobacco firms have made it clear that their next targets include food manufacturers.
“It’s great to see a food company trying to make healthy changes with their foods,” said Brie Turner-McGrievey, M.S., R.D., at the Washington-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. “Kraft may limit, or take out the trans-fats; but you’re still going to be eating an Oreo cookie, and it will still have all the fat,” she said.
She said Kraft is also launching a new line called ‘Fun Fuel Luncheons.’ “So instead of ham and cheese on crackers, you’ll have chicken and cheese on pita bread. It’s a small improvement, but definitely not the solution when 30 percent of American kids are obese.”
What Kraft needs instead, said Turner-McGrievey, are more vegetarian options. “Kids don’t have cheese or chicken deficiencies, what’s lacking in their diets are fruit and vegetables.”
“PCRM definitely thinks this is a step in the right direction, but we recommend that people stay away from the processed foods, which are the type of food that Kraft makes,” said the registered dietician. “Reducing the portion size of Kraft’s macaroni and cheese is not going to help you in long run.”
