Guest guest Posted December 13, 2006 Report Share Posted December 13, 2006 Article Taken from Organic Consumers Lawsuit Against Kraft for Labeling Synthetic Concoction as 'Guacamole' Dip A Los Angeles woman sued Kraft Foods Inc. for fraud and deceptive labeling last week, claiming that its Kraft Dips Guacamole dip -- which contains less than 2 percent avocado -- is misleading consumers. The plaintiff, Brenda Lifsey, said she discovered the miniscule amount of avocado in Kraft's guacamole last year when she made a three-layer dip. " It just didn't taste avocadoey, " Lifsey said. " I looked at the ingredients and found there was almost no avocado in it. " Lifsey's suit asks the Los Angeles County Superior Court to halt Kraft's marketing of the guacamole dip as guacamole -- which traditionally contains mostly avocado, along with smaller amounts of other ingredients such as tomato and onion. She is also seeking attorneys' fees and unspecified punitive damages. Kraft's guacamole -- one of the best-selling avocado dips in the country -- contains mostly starch, large quantities of partially hydrogenated coconut and soybean oils, and blue and yellow food coloring to give it a green color. According to Claire Regan, vice president of Kraft Foods corporate affairs, the company is in the process of re-labeling its guacamole dip to make it more clear to consumers that the dip is merely guacamole-flavored dip. Regan said the change was not associated with Lifsey's lawsuit. " We think consumers understand that [the dip] isn't made from avocado, " Regan said. " All of the ingredients are listed on the label for consumers to reference. " The FDA has no regulation in place for requiring guacamole to contain a minimum amount of avocado. However, the agency does regulate other foods, such as peanut butter, which must contain 90 percent peanuts by law. FDA spokesman Michael Herndon said the agency would need to find Kraft's label misleading in order for the guacamole dip to be considered misbranded. Consumer advocate Mike Adams, author of " Grocery Warning, " said guacamole is one of several grocery store foods that are packaged, positioned and marketed deceptively. " Food manufacturers use artificial colors, hydrogenated oils, flavor additives and dangerous cancer-causing chemicals like sodium nitrite to alter the cosmetics, texture and taste of foods, essentially fooling our eyes and taste buds, " Adams said. " The practice is highly unethical but widespread, and unless more consumers start suing food companies to reverse this trend, the deceptions will continue, " he said. " Government regulators, for example, are doing nothing to prevent this kind of deceptive labeling. " Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, called on the FDA to set standards requiring Kraft and other manufacturers to disclose the amount of avocado in their guacamole dips. Jacobson said Kraft's labeling is " deceptive marketing " and said companies with such labels are " begging to be sued. " Food For Thought!!! Regards Caroline http://alwaysnaturallygreat.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 14, 2006 Report Share Posted December 14, 2006 It might be worthy to understand the foundation of the Kraft company: They are now owned and controlled by the Phillip Morris Company, the largest tobacco conglomerate in the world. As the world of litigation finally started getting a financial grip on the tobacco giant, they simply stayed one jump ahead of us and took their very cunning expertise in forcing our forming of habits with their big money and started shifting it to food companies. In 2001 they started buying up food brands and companies like Kraft, Stouffers, Oreo, Ritz, Life Savers, Oscar Mayer, Post, Philadelphia, Miller making Phillip Morris the 2nd largest FOOD company in the world. (see The Wellness Revolution, by Paul Zane Pilzer) Phillip Morris has grown a very negative reputation from the public because of their tobacco devastation to our health and thus have changed their name to Altria Group most likely to avoid recognition. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altria_Group) Does it surprise you they are trying to be deceptive? We can all vote with our choices in what we buy. Blessings. Stan Crane 1-303-360-0100 stancrane www.TeamGlyco.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 16, 2006 Report Share Posted December 16, 2006 Wow I had no idea, thank you for the valued information. I will definately let others know and will look at my purchases in future. Regards Caroline http://alwaysnaturallygreat.com , " Stan Crane " <stancrane wrote: > > It might be worthy to understand the foundation of the Kraft company: > > > > They are now owned and controlled by the Phillip Morris Company, the largest > tobacco conglomerate in the world. As the world of litigation finally > started getting a financial grip on the tobacco giant, they simply stayed > one jump ahead of us and took their very cunning expertise in forcing our > forming of habits with their big money and started shifting it to food > companies. In 2001 they started buying up food brands and companies like > Kraft, Stouffers, Oreo, Ritz, Life Savers, Oscar Mayer, Post, Philadelphia, > Miller making Phillip Morris the 2nd largest FOOD company in the world. (see > The Wellness Revolution, by Paul Zane Pilzer) > > > > Phillip Morris has grown a very negative reputation from the public because > of their tobacco devastation to our health and thus have changed their name > to Altria Group most likely to avoid recognition. (see > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altria_Group) > > > > Does it surprise you they are trying to be deceptive? > > > > We can all vote with our choices in what we buy. > > > > Blessings. > Stan Crane > > 1-303-360-0100 > > stancrane > > www.TeamGlyco.com > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 17, 2006 Report Share Posted December 17, 2006 Of all of the tobacco companies, Phillip Morris appears to have acted more ethically by being the first to admit the problems with tobacco and the public health, and have been the most public about it. I did not know they had purchased Kraft Foods, Inc., but if they admitted problems with their products, it would only make sense that they were diversifying their holdings in order to minimize the impact of the bad press on tobacco they were helping foster. Although that doesn't exactly wash away their sins, their public acts have been the most encouraging of all the tobacco companies. Kraft supports a lot of families in my home town, so I will probably continue to occasionally purchase their products. Toni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 17, 2006 Report Share Posted December 17, 2006 Great information Stan. I know it is bad, but it turns out to be even worse than you think.... The answer: COOK from SCRATCH! Folks, it is not rocket science! It doesn't take that much more time either, just more planning. For really excellent information on good whole foods, complete with recipes and online cooking lessons, visit http://whfoods.org For people who are new to this, need a helping hand or who are just too darned busy, consider subscribing to " menu mailer " , a service you can find at the website of my guru. http://FlyLady.net You get detailed instructions on healthy meals once a week, complete with a shopping list. People rave about it. It pays for itself in no time. That reminds me. Time to take the (cheap, wild) pink salmon out of the freezer. Ien in the Kootenays http://freegreenliving.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 17, 2006 Report Share Posted December 17, 2006 Actually - Kraft bought Phillip Morris - they are the ones trying to be the largest food company. My husband worked for Nabsico during the buy-out. Phillip Morris needed to sell some of their companies due to court rulings. > I did not know they > had purchased Kraft Foods, Inc., Becky The trouble with being early is that no one is ever there to appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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