Every year, consumer groups and public relations companies put together “Top 10” lists of the most popular and significant stories. Hunter Public Relations has an annual survey about the most significant food stories of the year. This year, food safety topped the list.
The top 10 stories are:
1. Twenty-nine deaths caused by a Listeria outbreak in cantaloupe. The outbreak began in August and was declared ended by the CDC on December 9.
2. First lady Michelle Obama replaces Food Pyramid with MyPlate. Mrs. Obama has launched a campaign against obesity and poor diet choices, in an effort to address dietary health concerns in this country. The plate is a visual reminder to eat more fruits and vegetables, in an easy-to-understand format. The USDA worked with the White House to develop the concept.
3. Global food prices reach record high. The United Nations food body said that the Food and Agriculture Organization price index rose by 2.2% in February, the highest amount since the agency created the index in 1990.
4. Millions of pounds of ground turkey recalled. In September, Cargill Inc. issued a recall of its ground turkey after a multi-drug-resistant strain of Salmonella Heidelberg was discovered at its Springdale, Arkansas plant. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) established that the contaminated turkey originated from the same plant.
5. Restaurant Menu Labeling to become law in 2012. The law was included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which passed Congress in March 2010. This law preempts state and local menu labeling laws and sets a national standard. Information on the label will include calorie counts for each food along with suggested daily caloric intake.
6. Food safety bill passes. This bill actually passed Congress in 2010, but was signed into law in January 2011. In the bill, the FDA has increased power over food recalls, will set quality standards for imported foods, and lets the agency require food producers to file safety plans. A Pritzker client Randy Napier lobbied for this law after his mother died in the 2009 peanut butter salmonella outbreak.
7. Nutrition labels move to front of food packages. The food industry announced a program called Nutrition Keys that puts nutrition information front and center on packages of processed food. Critics claimed that the industry is trying to preempt an FDA plan currently being developed. The Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute said the voluntary program will promote healthier lifestyles.
8. Doctors argue that government can put obese children in foster care. Two doctors, Lindsey Murtagh and David Ludwig, wrote an editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) arguing that the government should be able to remove severely obese children from their homes and place them in foster care. JAMA issued a statement saying that the piece “did not reflect the institution’s view”.
9. General Mills sued for marketing fruit snacks as “healthy”. In October 2011, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) sued General Mills, claiming they are misleading consumers about the nutrition of Fruit Roll-ups. CSPI says that the Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups contain no strawberries and actually contain trans fat, added sugar, and artificial food dyes.
10. USDA lowers pork cooking temperatures. In May 2011, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) lowered the recommended final cooking temperature of whole pork products to 145 degrees F from 160 degrees F, along with a recommended three-minute rest time to let the temperature climb to 150 degrees F. For more information, please see USDA Pork Fact Sheet.
