Big Food
Posted on Wednesday, February 13th, 2013 by Michele Simon
This week, food labor advocate Saru Jayaraman is releasing her new book, Behind the Kitchen Door, which relates heartbreaking stories of just some of the 10 million restaurant workers in the U.S. In a chapter called, Serving While Sick, she tells the disturbing tale of a fast-food worker who had no choice but to come to work with a bad cold since she couldn’t afford to go unpaid. When this worker tried to explain to her manager how perhaps handling food while coughing and sneezing was not such a good idea, she was laughed at. She later wondered how many customers she got sick that day because she couldn’t leave the counter every time she needed to wipe her nose.
Continue reading →
Posted in Big Food, Food Policy, Food Safety, Industry Tactics, Public Health | Tagged: food safety, labor, lobbying, Restaurant Opportunities Center, workers rights | Michele on Google+ | View/Add Comments (5) |
Posted on Tuesday, February 12th, 2013 by Michele Simon
Michelle Obama speaking to the National Restaurant Association in September 2010
As I explained yesterday, I am writing one post per day this week to being attention to the new book by food labor rights advocate Saru Jayaraman, Behind the Kitchen Door. The book brings much-needed attention to the 10 million restaurant workers who toil everyday over our meals, often for slave wages. The National Restaurant Association (the other NRA) is largely responsible for lobbying to keep the federal tipped minimum wage at a paltry $2.13 an hour. Unfortunately, the topic of worker rights never came up in the speech the first lady gave to the NRA in September of 2010.
Continue reading →
Posted in Big Food, Child Nutrition, Food Policy, Industry Tactics | Tagged: labor, Obama, school food policy, workers rights | Michele on Google+ | View/Add Comments (0) |
Posted on Monday, February 11th, 2013 by Michele Simon
This week, Saru Jayaraman, an amazing advocate for food workers as co-founder of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United and now director of the Food Labor Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley is releasing her new book, Behind the Kitchen Door.
Continue reading →
Posted in Big Food, Food Policy, Industry Tactics, Public Health | Tagged: Burger King, Kellogg, labor, lobbying, workers rights | Michele on Google+ | View/Add Comments (1) |
Posted on Saturday, February 9th, 2013 by Michele Simon
In the first few days after my report on the conflicted corporate sponsorship of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Academy’s response was to make vague accusations about “factual inaccuracies” contained in my report. After I complained about AND’s failure to be specific, they posted this list entitled, “Addressing Inaccuracies of the ‘And Now a Word from Our Sponsors’ Report.” It sure looks impressive, with 14 items I supposedly got wrong. However, upon closer inspection, it’s just more of the same public relations spin from a desperate organization.
Continue reading →
Posted in Big Food, Food Policy, Industry Tactics, Public Health | Tagged: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Kellogg, public relations, trade groups | Michele on Google+ | View/Add Comments (1) |
Posted on Saturday, February 9th, 2013 by Michele Simon
A colleague sent me the following email message that went out to members of the Missouri Dietetics Association (MDA). I think it pretty much speaks for itself. See note at the end, which includes: “Do not reply to this message, as this is not a discussion forum.” Obviously not. Continue reading →
Posted in Big Food, Food Policy, Public Health | Tagged: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Kellogg, McDonald's, public relations, targeted marketing, trade groups | Michele on Google+ | View/Add Comments (1) |
Posted on Thursday, February 7th, 2013 by Michele Simon
My mother, Florence Peloquin, still lives in the same (wonderful) apartment where I grew up in New York City in Peter Cooper Village. She sent me the following recent email exchange with the office of her local representative, Council Member Daniel R. Garodnick, in response to this New York Times article exposing Coke and Pepsi political donations. (See if you can spot the resemblance.)
Continue reading →
Posted in Big Food, Food Policy, Industry Tactics, Public Health | Tagged: Coca-Cola, lobbying, PepsiCo | Michele on Google+ | View/Add Comments (0) |
Posted on Wednesday, February 6th, 2013 by Michele Simon
I am pleased to take part in this panel on March 7 and the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim.
GMO Labeling: Where Are We Now?
Washington State, the National FDA Just Label It Effort, and Lessons Learned from Prop 37
Thursday, March 7, 2013, 8:30 – 9:30 a.m, Anaheim Marriott Hotel, Platinum Ballroom 1
After submitting 350,000 signatures, GMO labeling advocates are rallying to support I-522, the People’s Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act, in Washington State. I-522, one of a handful of state initiatives calling for GMO labeling, is considered one of the best chances for GMO labeling in 2013.
Learn how you can support this effort, along with lessons learned from California’s Prop 37 and what’s happening on a national level to require labeling of genetically engineered foods, from a panel of speakers and industry leaders deeply involved in these efforts.
Speakers
- Trudy Bialic, Director of Public Affairs, PCC Natural Markets, I-522 Steering Committee
- Gary Hirshberg, Chair, Stonyfield Farm and Co-founder, Just Label It
- Jessica Lundberg, Board of Directors, Lundberg Family Farms
- David Bronner, CEO, Dr. Bronner’s
- Ken Cook, President, Environmental Working Group
- Michele Simon, JD, MPH, Author, Appetite for Profit, President, Eat Drink Politics
Moderator
- Steven Hoffman, Managing Director, Compass Natural, and Staff Member, I-522
For information and to contribute, contact Steve Hoffman, on behalf of The People’s Right to Know campaign. steve@compassnatural.com, tel 303.807.1042. As a grassroots political organization, Label It WA depends on you. Visit www.labelitwa.org.
Posted in Big Food, Food Policy, Food Safety | Tagged: food safety, GMOs, nutrition labeling | Michele on Google+ | View/Add Comments (2) |
Posted on Tuesday, February 5th, 2013 by Michele Simon
A friend sent me the below email response, sent to a colleague of his who inquired about my recent report on corporate sponsorship of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the nation’s trade group for registered dietitians. It contains many similar misdirects and insults, as opposed to addressing the issue at hand. Just more evidence the organization’s leadership is tone-deaf to its own members‘ concerns.
Continue reading →
Posted in Big Food, Food Policy, Industry Tactics, Public Health | Tagged: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, public relations, trade groups | Michele on Google+ | View/Add Comments (4) |
Posted on Monday, February 4th, 2013 by Michele Simon
Recent reports of secret meetings among industry reps and the Food and Drug Adminstration over GMO labeling piqued my interest, mostly because this critical aspect was missing: any effort to label GE foods at the federal level could bring the current grassroots movement to a grinding halt by preventing any stronger local laws from ever being enacted. But I am getting ahead of myself.
Continue reading →
Posted in Big Food, Food Law, Food Policy, Industry Tactics, Public Health | Tagged: FDA, GMO labeling, GMOs, law, lobbying, nutrition labeling | Michele on Google+ | View/Add Comments (30) |
Posted on Thursday, January 24th, 2013 by Michele Simon
McDonald's booth at Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics expo promoting smoothies
In the report I recently released, (covered by the New York Times) “And Now a Word from Our Sponsors,” I described the various ways the food industry influences the largest trade group of nutrition professionals: the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. While other corporations such as Coca-Cola play a more prominent role by being an “Academy Partner,” McDonald’s engaged in its trademark health-washing at the Academy’s annual meeting last fall.
Read rest at Corporate Accountability International…
Posted in Big Food, Child Nutrition, Food Policy, Industry Tactics, Public Health | Tagged: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, co-opting science, Coca-Cola, deceptive health claims, nutrition labeling, trade groups | Michele on Google+ | View/Add Comments (3) |
