The consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest has seen some significant successes-including helping to lead the charge that now requires the labeling of trans fat on food packages-yet there are many other concerns, such as cutting salt levels in the American diet, said Michael Jacobson, president and co-founder of the Center, at a talk in Snyder Auditorium on April 24.
Michael Jacobson
Beginning on January 1 of this year, all packaged goods in the U.S. were required to list unhealthy trans fat amounts on its labels. This accomplishment was 13 years in the making, noted Jacobson, and involved the work of scientists such as Walter Willett, chair of the HSPH Department of Nutrition, who championed the cause and conducted the underlying research that demonstrated the unhealthiness of trans fat. Now, the Center for Science in the Public Interest is working toward requiring restaurants to disclose the trans fat they use in their meals.
Other goals of the Center include raising awareness about the high concentrations of salt used in restaurants and in processed foods. Also targeted-reducing the amount of saturated fat in milk products through innovative techniques such as putting canola oil in the feed of dairy cows or through programs that reward farmers for delivering products with less saturated fat.
To read more about nutrition issues and research, visit the Nutrition Source website .
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