CSPI: fruit rollups a misnomer

General Mills Facing Class Action Lawsuit Over “Fruit Snacks” Full of
Sugars, Partially Hydrogenated Oil, & Dyes

Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit by the Foot, and Fruit Gushers Make
Misleading Claims of Healthfulness, Says CSPI


WASHINGTON—Something is mostly missing from Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit by the Foot, and Fruit Gushers, according to a complaint filed today in federal court in California: fruit.

Labels state those General Mills snacks are “fruit flavored,” “naturally flavored,” a “good source of vitamin C,” and low in calories, fat, and gluten, according to the complaint filed on behalf of a California mother by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest and the consumer protection law firm Reese Richman LLP. But obscured on labels is the fact that the so-called fruit snacks are mostly sugars (some from fruit concentrate and some from corn syrup), artificial additives, and potentially harmful artificial dyes.

Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups are made from pears from concentrate, corn syrup, dried corn syrup, sugar, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, citric acid, acetylated monoglycerides, fruit pectin, dextrose, malic acid, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), unspecified “natural flavor,” and Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Blue 1. Even with the pear ingredient, the product provides little of the beneficial fiber or nutrients associated with real strawberries. While labels tout the naturalness of the added flavorings, CSPI says that many of the ingredients are artificial by anyone’s definition, including the partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil and the acetylated monoglycerides. The side panels on some General Mills “fruit” candies read “Made With Real Fruit.” At least one variety of Fruit Roll-Ups has pictures of strawberries and oranges on the box. But despite the names of the products, there are no strawberries in Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups, nor watermelon in Fruit Gushers Watermelon Blast. The bright colors of those products come from synthetic, petroleum-based dyes that can impair some children’s behavior.

“General Mills is basically dressing up a very cheap candy as if it were fruit and charging a premium for it,” said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. “General Mills is giving consumers the false impression that these products are somehow more wholesome, and charging more. It’s an elaborate hoax on parents who are trying to do right by their kids.”

According to the complaint, filed in United States District Court in the Northern District of California, the presence of partially hydrogenated oil in “fruit” snacks marketed as healthy and wholesome is deceptive. The artificial trans fat in partially hydrogenated oil lowers HDL, or “good” cholesterol, raises LDL, or “bad” cholesterol. CSPI states that the amounts of trans fat are small, but that they have no place in a product marketed as if it were healthful and a source of fruit.

“Defendant is conveying an overall message of a healthful snack product to parents when, in fact, the Products contain dangerous, non-nutritious, unhealthy partially hydrogenated oil, large amounts of sugar, and potentially harmful artificial dyes,” the complaint states.

The complaint contends that the labeling of fruit-flavored snacks violates various state laws, including Minnesota’s Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and several California laws governing misleading and deceptive advertising and fraudulent business practices. General Mills is based in Golden Valley, Minnesota.

General Mills has a habit of skirting the truth with its marketing and advertising, according to CSPI. In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration took enforcement action against the company for making misleading cholesterol-lowering and cancer-prevention claims on Cheerios packages. Before resorting to litigation, CSPI had privately urged General Mills to change its “fruit” snacks labels, but without success.

Coalition: dried fruit worthy for snack program

October 14, 2011
Honorable Thomas Harkin
731 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Harkin:
The California Dried Fruit Coalition acknowledges your long-standing passion to
ensure that children have access to nutritious food. We would like to clarify common misperceptions about dried fruits as concentrated sources of sugar. We have looked for the government report expressing concern about the “sugar boost” dried fruit gives children — mentioned in an article in The Produce News Oct. 5 covering your presentation to United Fresh Produce Association's Washington Public Policy Conference — but have not been able to locate it. We are, however, aware of dried fruits’ role in a nutritious and health promoting diet advocated by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 (U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services www.dietaryguidelines.gov).
These Guidelines focus on lowering the risk of obesity, diabetes and other diet-related chronic diseases and aid policy makers in designing and implementing Federal nutrition assistance and education programs to improve our nation’s health. Several dietary components identified as consumed in excess included sodium, solid fats, cholesterol, added sugars (emphasis), refined grains and alcohol. Dried fruits do not fit this profile as they are very low in sodium and fat, contain no cholesterol, and no added sugars. Dried fruits are not among the top 25 sources of calories for children and adolescents (Table 2-2 www.dietaryguidelines.gov) suggesting they are not contributing excess calories for growing children. To balance calories and manage weight, the Guidelines also recommend physical activity. However, some children may be too tired to play or cannot eat much at meals making snacks including dried fruit an important part of their daily food choices. Adolescent snackers, compared with nonsnackers, were found to be less likely to be overweight or obese and less likely to have abdominal obesity. Research has found that dried fruit consumption is associated not only with improved nutrient intake, but lower body weight and obesity in U.S. adults. Federal nutrition guidelines recommend fruits for nutrient adequacy and disease prevention. The USDA Food Patterns describe fruits as “All fresh, frozen, canned and dried fruits and fruit juices: for example, oranges and orange juice, apples, apple juice, bananas, grapes, melons, berries, raisins.” The DASH eating plan, also advocated by the Guidelines, includes 3-6 servings of fruits depending on caloric needs as important sources of potassium, magnesium and fiber. The DASH plan identifies dates and raisins as examples in the ‘fruits’ group.]
The drying process removes water and thus concentrates the naturally occurring sugars in the fruit. However, a smaller recommended serving size (e.g. 40 g or ¼ cup for raisins versus 126 g for grapes, NLEA) results in total sugar and energy values similar between dried and fresh fruit. Several examples follow in Table 1 below. Another misconception is that dried fruits cause what is sometimes described as a sugar rush resulting in a rapid rise in blood glucose levels. However, studies indicate that dried fruits have a low to moderate glycemic and insulin index (Table 2 below) and a glycemic and insulin response comparable to fresh fruits 1 2 3 4 due perhaps to the presence of fiber, polyphenols, phenols and tannins that can modify the response. 5 6 7 8 Foods with a low glycemic index may help to decrease the risk of diabetes and are useful in the management of the established condition We hope you find this information helpful when considering the role of dried fruit in various nutrition programs including the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program and when commenting on their role in a healthful diet.

Sincerely,
Richard L. Peterson, Executive Director

United Fresh Welcomes Free Trade Agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea

United Fresh Welcomes Free Trade Agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea



Bipartisan Agreements Increase Competitiveness, Strengthen Global Marketplace



WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United Fresh Produce Association welcomes the passage of three free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South America. Passed with broad support from both parties Wednesday evening, the South Korean trade agreement allows for immediate elimination of tariffs on American-grown asparagus and certain kinds of tomatoes, the Panama agreement will lead to the elimination of tariffs on almost all fruit products and the Columbia agreement will do away with most barriers to trade for U.S. products. These agreements will have a direct impact on key regions in the fruit and vegetable industry. United Fresh Senior Vice President Robert Guenther offers the following statement on the passage of the agreements:



“This key development in trade policy represents a win for agriculture across the board with up to $2.5 billion in new agricultural exports and support for up to 22,500 jobs involved. Increasing opportunities for those who grow and ship fresh produce is the foundation for the future success of the industry. Making foreign markets more accessible to American producers is one critical way to making sure that the produce industry retains the vitality and diversity necessary to keep growing. The fresh produce industry is an increasingly global one, reaching and impacting all corners of the world. The trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, collectively offer a significant opportunity for U.S. agricultural exporters. Through the bipartisan efforts of Congress and the administration, these new trade agreements will help to foster trade with these important markets, create jobs and support continued growth of the fresh produce industry in the United States.”

NASS Reduces Agricultural Estimation Programs

NASS Reduces Agricultural Estimation Programs

Issued October 17, 2011 by the Agricultural Statistics Board of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics
Service (NASS). For more information, contact
Sue duPont, 202-690-8122.

In light of funding reductions in fiscal year (FY) 2011 and the
likelihood of additional reductions in FY 2012, NASS conducted
deliberate reviews of all programs against mission- and user-based
criteria, aimed at finding cost savings and forward-thinking
business efficiencies so that key timely, accurate and useful data
remains available in service to agriculture. As a result, the
agency is discontinuing or reducing a wide range of agricultural
survey programs. The decision to eliminate or reduce these reports
was not made lightly, but it was nevertheless necessary, given the
funding situation. Because of the timing of the agency's survey
work during the coming year, these decisions are necessary now.

These programs are:
- Annual Reports on Farm Numbers, Land in Farms and Livestock
Operations - Eliminate
- Catfish and Trout Reports - Eliminate all
- Annual Floriculture Report - Eliminate
- January Sheep and Goat Report - Eliminate
- Chemical Use Reports - Reduce frequency of commodity coverage
- July Cattle Report - Eliminate
- Distiller Co-Products for Feed Survey - Cancel
- Annual Bee and Honey Report - Eliminate
- Annual Hops Production Report - Eliminate
- Monthly Potato Stocks Report - Reduce from monthly to quarterly
- Annual Mink Report - Eliminate
- Fruit and Vegetable in-season forecast and estimates- Reduce from
monthly and quarterly to annual report
- Nursery Report - Eliminate
- Rice Stocks June and September reports - Eliminate but continue
January, March and August reports

Recognizing the importance of NASS's data products and services to
U.S. agriculture, NASS will make available similar data either less
frequently or within the every 5-year Census of Agriculture. The
next census will be conducted beginning January 2013 to reflect
activities in the 2012 calendar year.

A Federal Register notice announcing the program changes will
be forthcoming.

FRESHCONEX 2012: The fresh convenience industry meets in Berlin

FRESHCONEX 2012: The fresh convenience industry meets in Berlin

Berlin, 18 October 2011 – FRESHCONEX, Europe's only business and information platform for fresh produce convenience, presents a broad overview of products and services in this dynamic growth market from 8 to 10 February 2012 in Berlin. For the first time, FRESHCONEX 2012 will feature dedicated exhibition halls for fresh produce convenience (Hall 7.2c) and technology (Hall 7.2b) sectors respectively. This ensures a focused market overview of each segment and a more efficient target group approach for trade visitors. Furthermore FRESHCONEX 2012 is integrated into the visitor circuit for the FRUIT LOGISTICA 2012 trade fair taking place at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds on the same dates.

The FRESHCONEX 2012 exhibition segments cover the entire sector, from fresh convenience products and processing technologies, to specialised product packaging, quality and safety.

Exhibitors from 13 countries have already registered for the event. The "Fresh Convenience Products & Ingredients" segment includes the companies Kellermann.ch ag (Switzerland), Fructofresh (Poland), mirontell fein + frisch AG (Germany), Alphacom Italia S.r.l. (Italy), Agrolito S.L. (Spain) and Smit's Uien BV (Netherlands). The following companies will be present in the "Product Packaging and Fresh Convenience Processing Technology" segment: Visys NV Sorting Systems (Belgium), Cellpack Packaging (France), Concept Engineers BV (Netherlands), ABL S.r.l. (Italy), Zumoval S.L. (Spain) and Paper Pak Industries (USA). The "Quality and Safety" segment includes AgriCoat (Great Britain), FOOD Freshly AFC (Germany) and Baltimore Innovations Ltd. (Great Britain).

The FRESHCONEX Business Forum is a top-notch information and discussion platform focusing on the latest industry issues. Topics range from "New opportunities in marketing for fresh produce convenience"
(8 Feb.) and "Food Safety" (9 Feb.), to “Technology and new product development" (10 Feb.). Over the course of three days, the Business Forum offers opportunities for a comprehensive exchange of ideas and opinions between guest speakers and international industry representatives.

FRESHCONEX is organised by Messe Berlin GmbH in cooperation with Fresh Convenience Magazine (London).

This press release is also available on the Internet: www.freshconex.com / Press Service / Press Releases.

Worldwatch: Increase in the Labor Force Can Be an Engine for Development

Increase in the Labor Force Can Be an Engine for Development

New Worldwatch research assesses the growth of the world's labor force and the challenges and opportunities that it brings
Washington, D.C.----The rising size of the global workforce presents an opportunity to drive economic expansion and increase gross domestic product (GDP), but it also presents many challenges, according to new research by the Worldwatch Institute for Vital Signs Online. About two-thirds of the world's population, or 4.6 billion people in total, are of working age in 2011, the highest share in the last 60 years. The United Nations projects that the potential labor force will continue to grow through the second half of the century.

"This development will have important implications for the world economy," said Elizabeth Leahy Madsen, an independent consultant who conducted the research for Worldwatch. "Many developing countries will face the challenge of expanding their labor markets to provide jobs for a growing workforce. Meanwhile, industrialized countries will face important policy decisions about productivity in an aging workforce and about their openness to migration."

Industrialized countries are home to only some 16 percent of the world's potential labor force, but they produce more than two-thirds of global GDP, according to Madsen. Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of the world's potential labor force lives in South Asia, yet that region's share of the global economy is a little over 3 percent. The potential labor force in developing countries is projected to grow by an average of 39 percent within the next 40 years.

"A vital labor force is an asset, but when its proportion is too high relative to the rest of the population, low wages and unemployment become a risk," said Robert Engelman, President of Worldwatch. "Innovative governments and societies can mitigate that risk by fostering sustainable jobs that offer good wages and working conditions. This is easier to accomplish where rights-based population policies encourage balanced age distributions, and where sound health and education policies improve employment potential."

In 2010, the number of unemployed people in the world reached 205 million, a global unemployment rate of about 6 percent. Poor job prospects in developing countries often trigger migration among rapidly growing working-age populations as people search for work in other countries. International migrants account for 10 percent of the total population of industrial countries, which have seen a 55 percent increase in the number of migrants since 1990.

The age structure of a country's labor force depends primarily on the fertility rate followed by the rate of migration. While the decline in fertility rates is leading to an aging population in industrial countries, inward migration can have a mitigating effect on this development. Madsen analyzes the different patterns of change in the potential work force for different countries as follows:

• China: About 1 billion people are of working age, and 74 percent of all adults are active in the labor force. The potential labor force has doubled in size since the early 1970s but will decline in the future due to a rapid fall in the fertility rate from nearly three children per woman in 1980 to 1.6 children today. Even if fertility rates increase slightly, China's economy will be powered by a potential labor force that is nearly 20 percent smaller by 2050.

• India: The world's second largest country will surpass China as the world's largest population in about 10 years, with a fertility rate of more than 2.5 children per woman, although fertility rates are falling. Some 800 million people, 64 percent of the population, are of working age, a number that is likely to increase and may push economic growth. India's labor force participation rate is low at 58 percent, however, due to the fact that just one-third of women work outside the home.

• United States: If U.S. fertility rates stay at replacement level, the potential labor force is projected to grow slightly. The fact that the country is home to the highest number of international migrants in the world also has an impact on this development. Similar patterns of change in the labor force can be observed in other industrialized countries.

• Uganda: With over six children per woman, Uganda has one of the world's highest fertility rates, and nearly half of the population is younger than 15. If these numbers remain high, as they have for decades, the country will need to generate more than 1.5 million new jobs annually by the late 2030s. In 2009, only some 100,000 new jobs were created in Uganda.

Faced with these projections, many policymakers in industrialized countries have expressed alarm about healthcare and pension system costs for an aging workforce. But policies that promote an extension of working years for healthy and productive older adults may help offset the economic consequences of demographic change.
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