They were founded in 1971 and since the late 1970s they have been focused on issues of nutrition and the safety of food products. The group is funded both by private donors and through the sale of their newsletter, Nutrition Action Health Letter (Bennett & DiLorenzo 1998)
Lynn Chalfin, Denise Elliott, Tom Gegax, Mark Ingram, Michael Jacobson, David Kessler, Sushma Palmer, Rudy Ruiz, Robin Sheekey, Penn Staples, James Sullivan, Deborah Szekly, and Sheila Weidenfeld. While I believe the organization is well-intentioned, I have found enough evidence that the group uses biased information in many of its reports in order to further their agenda (Warner 2005)
Sufficient technology exists to prevent harmful genetic material from entering the food supply unknowingly. According to the USDA economic research service, technology is able to detect even minute quantities of GM material in non-GM products and the chances of undetected cross pollination are negligible (Fernandez-Cornejo)
So the PLU code for a GM banana would be 84011 (Owen, 1998). A labeling system for GMOs already exists, but yet, some continue to push for more conspicuous labeling (Gertsberg)
GM crops have an 8 in front of the PLU code. So the PLU code for a GM banana would be 84011 (Owen, 1998)
Proponents of labeling claim that consumers have a right to know what is in the foods they consume. One concern about genetically modified foods is the potential for introduction of genes from food stuffs that are culprits in common allergies into foods that are normally considered safe for sensitive people (Schneider and Schneider)
Food producers have often attempted to alter foods in an effort to obtain the same price for diluted and even dangerous goods. "For instance, water has often been added to wine, the cream skimmed from milk, and chalk added to bread" (Law, 2004)
) and health claims be consistent with agency regulations" ("Guide to Nutrition Labeling," 1994, FDA). In contrast to the 1906 and 1938 regulations, nutritionists and public health advocates rather than food producers were at the forefront of this legislative act, and one dietician remarked: "This significant and far-reaching law brings about the most fundamental revision of food labels in the more than 50 years since the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act was passed" (Wilkening, 1993:1)
Research by Booth & Shepherd (1988) revealed the importance of sensory input too, in the making of consumer food choices. In fact, sensory input was shown to be linked more closely to actual changes in behavior than intellectual knowledge alone (Booth & Shepherd, 1988)
When the media offers regular segments on nutrition, the public has greater access to information related to understanding the food labels they read. Countries like Brazil have reported tremendous success with media collaboration programs designed to promote public health (Coitinho, Montiero & Popkin, 2002)
It is also crucial to create measures of behavior change such as the Healthy Eating Index (Kennedy, Ohls, Carlson & Fleming, 1995). One model of creating behavioral change with regards to nutrition is rooted in the work of Michel Foucault, who framed health promotion as an ethical duty (Coveney, 1997)
Another important drawback with a top-down approach is that it does not necessarily account for differences in demographic responses to food knowledge campaigns, food labeling programs, or nutritional promotion. Poverty, for example, is strongly correlated with a number of preventable health problems that are related to poor nutrition and diet (Haddad, 2002)
Evidence that social marketing is already working may not be available in Australia, but it is in Europe. For instance, "societal pressure" has led to significant reduction of trans-fat content of fast foods (Katan, 2006)
A bottom-up approach may be more appropriate when targeting specific populations or health issues. The British government is well aware of the domestic public health issues related to poverty and has implemented community action programs specifically targeted at low-income neighborhoods (Kennedy, 2001)
A bottom-up approach may be more appropriate when targeting specific populations or health issues. The British government is well aware of the domestic public health issues related to poverty and has implemented community action programs specifically targeted at low-income neighborhoods (Kennedy, 2001)
Social factors such as norms of behavior and stigmas against eating unhealthy food are also critical components of behavioral change. The social marketing process combines environmental with social and psychological factors, using commercial marketing techniques in ways that create measurable behavioral change ("Key Theories, Models, and Processes Relevant to Nutrition Education," n
Yet trans-fats are not recommended as part of a healthy diet. The city of New York went so far as to ban trans-fats completely (Okie, 2007)
The diversity of Great Britain and the United States at least highlights some of the ways that heterogeneous societies can promote change in a results-oriented nutritional awareness campaign. American researchers have been distinguishing "between dietary guidance and nutrition promotion," (Sutton, S