How Big Business can be hazardous to your health

Sarabeth Matilsky
July 24, 2002

"Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health," by Marion Nestle ("NES-sel"), was published this year by the University of California Press. Eating Well magazine recently interviewed Nestle, who shared her opinions about how our culture's eating habits are manipulated by corporate food interests.

One of her main points is that food industry lobbyists radically influence public policy, by "informing" politicians. The lobbyists work hard (and spend lots of money), says Nestle, to prove "That the science behind a message like 'eat less meat' or 'drink fewer sodas' isn't strong enough...Well, the science is never strong enough," since people at the Salt Institute or the Egg Association are constantly churning out "research" that's favorable to their product. Nestle says that an industry, such as the sugar industry, "Is able to go to the Department of Agriculture and say, 'The scientific evidence doesn't support what your expert committee said should be a recommendation to limit sugar, and we want to you take the word limit out of there.' And the Department of Agriculture, which has conflicting interests because it represents the food industry as well as the public, says, 'Eh, who cares about a word? We'll change limit to moderate. What difference does it make?' And then the guideline becomes 'Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars.' Well, what does that mean? [It's so euphemistic that] nobody knows..."

Nestle's down-to-earth analysis and muckraking can arm you with the skepticism you need when confronted with the news stories like: "Beef—why red meat and saturated fats are good for you."