I don't know that you need a megaphone, but it's time again to talk to the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA recently decided that trans-fats, the former darlings of highly processed foods, cannot be "generally recognized as safe". They are proposing a ban on the use of trans-fats in foods manufactured and sold in the United States. This seems reasonable for a substance that isn't recognized as safe. Or as actual food.
But, of course, Big Food and Big Ag are likely to fight this new rule and they have lots of money to bring to the fight. So the FDA needs to hear from citizens-who-are-not-corporations. The public comment period for this rule change lasts for 60 days from the announcement, which came early last week. The Center for Science in the Public Interest is providing a template for those wanting to lodge a comment on the regulation.
You can learn more about trans-fat and the proposed ban on the FDA's website.
As we mentioned yesterday, Food Day is viewed by its founders as a year-long effort to improve our food systems, locally and globally. In that spirit, we will continue to post news and information following Food Day's four-word tagline: Healthy. Sustainable. Affordable. Fair.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest is the main driver behind Food Day and also works year-round to push for better access to healthy foods. They regularly call for consumers to take action on specific issues.
This week, McDonald's announced that they will remove soda from their kids' menus, after an earlier false start. They join a few other national chains including Subway and Chipotle who no longer directly market soda to children. This is a big step, given how directly soda consumption has been tied to childhood obesity.
But there's more work to do. Most national chains still offer soda as an option in kids menu meal packages. The Center for Science in the Public Interest is asking consumers to take action by sending a message to the CEOs of other national chains asking them to follow suit. You can make a difference: follow the previous link to send your own message.
