Taylor Swift Urged to “Shake Off" Aspartame

CSPI Urges Singer to Drop Diet Coke Endorsement Considering Cancer Concerns Around Aspartame


WASHINGTON--The Center for Science in the Public Interest is asking Grammy-award-winning singer Taylor Swift to drop her endorsement of Diet Coke, which contains aspartame, the artificial sweetener that has caused cancer in animals.  In an open letter to Swift, the food safety watchdog group told the singer that endorsing Diet Coke is better than endorsing full-calorie Coke, which promotes diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, but that diet sodas sweetened with aspartame pose their own risks.  

“Your endorsement carries great weight with your millions of young fans,” wrote CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson, who praised Swift’s considerable philanthropy, including her support of several prominent cancer-related charities.  “To the extent that your endorsement encourages them to begin drinking Diet Coke, or to drink more, your endorsement is likely increasing your fans’ risk of cancer.  Even if the increase in risk is small, we question whether you would want to lend your name, image, and reputation to any product linked to any increased risk of cancer.”

Aspartame, a synthetic chemical combination of two amino acids and methanol, caused lymphomas, leukemias, kidney tumors, and breast cancer in two studies on rats.  In a mouse study, aspartame caused liver and lung cancer.  Scientists generally accept that if a chemical causes cancer in animals it likely increases the risk of cancer in humans.  CSPI recommends that consumers avoid aspartame and has urged food manufacturers not to use it.

"As the public face of Diet Coke, Taylor Swift is the public face of aspartame," Jacobson said. "She might be doing more to promote aspartame consumption than anyone on Earth."

Taylor Swift began her tenure as a program ambassador for Diet Coke in January 2013, when she announced the partnership in a video message on YouTube.  In the video she asked her fans to “like” Diet Coke’s Facebook page.  In October 2014, Diet Coke released an ad featuring Swift and dozens of kittens including Swift’s cat Olivia Benson.  Swift Tweeted a link to the ad to her Twitter followers, who now number 50 million.  According to social media market research firm Demographics Pro, more than a third of those followers are age 16 or younger.  

Also in October, movie-theater chain Regal Entertainment Group put Taylor Swift’s image on “exclusive Diet Coke concession cups and popcorn bags.”  [Editor’s note to dieters:  A medium popcorn at Regal has 720 calories and as much saturated fat as a stick of butter.]

Cancer, not cats, is the concern posed by the artificial sweetener aspartame, found in Diet Coke and other low- or no-calorie products.


“Celebrities are free to endorse whatever they want, but celebrities at Swift’s level can afford to be choosy and have high standards,” Jacobson said.  “They shouldn’t use their influence, especially their influence over children, to market junk foods.”

CSPI is using the Twitter hashtag #ShakeOffAspartame to publicize its concern over the singer's endorsement. Swift's song "Shake it Off" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in September. The video has more than 470 million views on YouTube.

CSPI previously has criticized other artists and athletes who endorse non-diet soda, including Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Macklemore, Shaquille O’Neal, and Michelle Kwan.

While acknowledging that diet soda is less harmful than regular soda, CSPI recommends that consumers drink water, seltzer water, or other safe, non-caloric beverages.

Online Payday Lending Companies to Pay $21 Million to Settle Federal Trade Commission Charges that They Deceived Consumers Nationwide

Lender Will Waive $285 Million in Other Charges
Two payday lending companies have settled Federal Trade Commission charges that they violated the law by charging consumers undisclosed and inflated fees. Under the proposed settlement, AMG Services, Inc. and MNE Services, Inc. will pay $21 million – the largest FTC recovery in a payday lending case – and will waive another $285 million in charges that were assessed but not collected.
“The settlement requires these companies to turn over millions of dollars that they took from financially-distressed consumers, and waive hundreds of millions in other charges,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection. “It should be self-evident that payday lenders may not describe their loans as having a certain cost and then turn around and charge consumers substantially more.”
The FTC filed its complaint in federal district court in Nevada against AMG and MNE Services and several other co-defendants, in April 2012, alleging that the defendants violated the FTC Act by misrepresenting to consumers how much loans would cost them. For example, the defendants’ contract stated that a $300 loan would cost $390 to repay, but the defendants then charged consumers $975 to repay the loan.
The FTC also charged the defendants with violating the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) by failing to accurately disclose the annual percentage rate and other loan terms and making preauthorized debits from consumers’ bank accounts a condition of the loans, in violation of the Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA). MNE Services lent to consumers under the trade names Ameriloan, United Cash Loans, US Fast Cash, Advantage Cash Services, and Star Cash Processing. AMG serviced the loans.
In May 2014, a U.S. district court judge held that the defendants’ loan documents were deceptive and violated TILA, as the FTC had charged in its complaint.
In addition to the $21 million payment and estimated $285 million in waived charges, the settlement also contains broad prohibitions barring the defendants from misrepresenting the terms of any loan product, including the loan’s payment schedule, the total amount the consumer will owe, the interest rate, annual percentage rates or finance charges, and any other material facts. The settlement order prohibits the defendants from violating TILA and EFTA.
The Commission vote approving the proposed stipulated final order was 5-0. It was filed in the U.S. Court for the District of Nevada on January 15, 2015. The FTC’s action remains in litigation as to defendants SFS, Inc., Red Cedar Services, Inc., AMG Capital Management, LLC, Level 5 Motorsports, LLC, LeadFlash Consulting, LLC, Black Creek Capital Corporation, Broadmoor Capital Partners, LLC, Scott A. Tucker, the estate of Blaine A. Tucker, Don E. Brady, and Robert D. Campbell, and relief defendants Park 269, LLC and Kim C. Tucker.
NOTE: Stipulated orders have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge.
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.