Public Health

Food manufacturers to cut 1.5 trillion calories by 2015

By Tiffany O'Callaghan | May 17, 2010 | +

© Markus Moellenberg/Corbis
Woman Shopping for Groceries --- Image by © Markus Moellenberg/Corbis

Some of the nation’s largest food and beverage manufacturers announced today that, as part of the growing national anti-obesity campaign championed by First Lady Michelle Obama, they will trim 1.5 trillion calories from their products by 2015.

Members of the Health Weight Commitment Foundation, which was formed last October, include PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, Campbell’s, General Mills and other food and beverage giants, as well as supermarket chains and other retailers. Manufacturers say that they will reduce calorie content by reformulating recipes when possible, cutting back on portion sizes and introducing more low-calorie food options.

This latest initiative is part of a collaboration between the First Lady and Partnership for a Healthier America, and is just one of a series of voluntary public health actions being taken by industry. (Several food and beverage manufacturers have already signed on to voluntarily cut salt content as part of the National Salt Reduction Initiative, while beverage giants said they would pull their high sugar products out of schools and replace them with water and low-calorie drinks.)

Related Topics: 1.5 trillion calories, food manufacturers, Body & Mind, Obesity, Prevention, Public Health, Uncategorized

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  • http://wellnessmuse.wordpress.com wellnessmuse

    Great news. I only hope that they don’t add artificial stuff to add flavor. In addition, it was always shocking to me that sodas were even allowed in schools. I hope that they don’t replace with “low calorie” drinks that are filled with artificial sweeteners. These are just as bad. The fake fruit juices are filled with sugars and artificial coloring.

    I also wonder why so many of our food products have added color. I mean does Ritz crackers really need to add yellow to the cracker? We as a country have got to change the way we look at food and our health. It’s so 1950′s!

  • http://japan-russia.jimdo.com/freedom/?title=forex parakori

    Do you know how many calories are in butter and cheese and ice cream?

    Would you get your dog up in the morning for a cup of coffee and a donut?

    http://www.holylips.com

    ____________________

  • mkassowitz

    It will be interesting to see how these companies actual go about doing what they say. However, without a full overhaul of our agricultural system, which is built to grow bulk rather than nutrition, the effort will not likely work. We are growing junk food at the field level these days. http://organicconnectmag.com/wp/2010/03/childhood-obesity-and-american-agriculture/

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