Coca-Cola

[Guest guest]

forwarding

 

 

Several months ago, EWG helped break news of a secret meeting convened at

a fancy private club in Washington, where lobbyists from the chemical

industry and food companies hatched a plot to mislead consumers about the risks

of bisphenol-A (BPA), a toxic chemical used in many food containers.

 

EWG's online community was outraged. We urged you to call two of the

companies represented by name in the memo to denounce this deceptive campaign.

 

 

You did, and one company, Coca-Cola, responded.

 

As for the other company? No word yet from Del Monte on the food and

chemical lobby's anti-consumer campaign. _Help us keep the pressure on Del

Monte

by calling now to demand no more BPA in its products._

(http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2 & c=qToeOZmdQuga63AkH1xVT4RO\

SvDzInlO)

 

 

Coke Disavows Industry **Fear Tactics**

In mid-July, four Coca-Cola executives traveled from Atlanta to EWG*s

Washington headquarters to discuss the BPA issue in a two-hour meeting. They

came to discuss issues I had raised in a June 10 letter to Muhtar Kent,

Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company.

 

 

1. They reiterated what Rhona Applebaum, the company's Vice President

and Chief Scientific and Regulatory Officer, had written in a letter to me

a few weeks earlier:

**The Coca-Cola company wants you to understand that it absolutely

disavows any use of *fear tactics* or any misleading marketing efforts

regarding

BPA, and would not support any effort by others to do so. The Company

believes that consumers should be informed accurately to allow them to make

knowledgeable choices.**

2. While the Coca-Cola executives made clear that they differ with

EWG on the science of BPA and have concluded based on available evidence that

the material is safe as used in packaging for its products, they are

interested in hearing more about our views about emerging research on BPA and

other chemicals used in packaging. Coca-Cola has not found a substitute for

BPA that meets its packaging needs, but will continue to assess alternatives

-- as we*re urging it to do.

3. We agreed to continue our conversation with the company on a range

of issues beyond BPA, including science and policy matters pertaining to

packaging ingredients, bottled water, and ambitious efforts underway within

the company to reduce its energy use, environmental impacts, and carbon

footprint.

We feel the discussion was robust and candid, and we welcome Coca-Cola's

principled stand against consumer deception regarding BPA. We look forward

to further discussions.

 

 

Turn Up the Heat on Del Monte

As you may recall, this internal memo from the secret Industry meeting

suggested the companies use **fear tactics,** like falsely warning new

parents, **Do you want to have access to baby food anymore?** The Industry

representatives discussed **focusing on the impact of BPA bans on minorities

(Hispanic and African American) and poor.** And then there was this brainstorm:

recruit as ** *the 'holy grail* spokesperson a *pregnant young mother who

would be willing to speak around the country about the benefits of BPA*

**'-- a chemical many scientists consider toxic in utero to developing babies.

 

Finally, the lobbyists recommended **befriending people that are able to

manipulate the legislative process,** singling out for attack pending

legislation EWG is sponsoring in California that would restrict BPA in sippy

cups

and infant formula containers.

 

_Keep the pressure on Del Monte to stand up against these outrageous

industry tactics and get BPA out of Del Monte products._

(http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2 & c=i9cxbJw1RAaXoCxNvNV8kIRO\

SvDzInlO)

 

 

Together, we are holding companies accountable and making our voices heard.

 

Thank you for partnering with us.

 

Sincerely,

 

Ken Cook

 

President, Environmental Working Group

 

 

The _Environmental Working Group_

(http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2 & c=8BxuZngj14GkFZjTIBCrpYRO\

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non-profit, non-partisan research organization dedicated to using the power of

information to protect human health and the environment. The EWG Action Fund

is a legislative advocacy organization that uses EWG research to promote

healthy and sustainable policies.

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