Food Industry

The Food and Drug Administration said Friday that the safety of a controversial chemical found in some baby bottles, children's drinking cups and other food containers merited further study but did not warrant immediate restrictions on its use. The FDA, the Department of Health and Human Services and other health agencies have committed $30 million to studying the health effects of bisphenol A, or BPA, and expect results in 18 to 24 months....

Despite a 2-year-old pledge by more than a dozen major food companies to advertise healthier foods to children, about two-thirds of those companies' ads remain for products of low nutritional quality, according to a study released Monday. The report, released a day before the Federal Trade Commission and other government agencies are set to suggest nutritional standards for foods marketed to kids, concluded that the industry's effort at self-regulation has failed. Ads for sugary cereals, fast food and sweet snacks made up more than 70% of the total studied.

Until a few days ago, the food industry was moving ahead with its program to label products such as Lucky Charms cereal and Ritz Bits Peanut Butter Chocolatey Blast crackers as nutritionally "Smart Choices." But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration made threatening noises, and the industry has backed off for now. That indeed was a smart choice. The idea held promise: Food company representatives joining with dietitians and academics to develop a clear set of criteria for foods that could be considered nutritious options.

At first it may seem only right for Dean Foods Co., the nation's largest organic dairy producer, to roll out a line of yogurts and milk marketed as "natural." But Dean's announcement last week alarmed advocates of organic food, who say the burgeoning market for less-expensive "natural" foods reaps billions from consumers while guaranteeing little or nothing in exchange. Certified organic food products are regulated by the U.S.

Re "How the potato got hot," Opinion, July 7 The article suggests that we should welcome genetically modified foods -- as we ultimately welcomed the potato. The real history of the potato is a more cautionary tale. It suggests we should be careful when we manipulate the food supply to the profit of a few and the potential peril of many. Peggy Stone Los Angeles :: While inside an Indian market in the Andes, I was amazed at the colors and varieties of locally grown potatoes being sold there.

In one kitchen, Bob Suchyta perfects his muffins and brownies, trying to build a business in case the economy costs him his radio job. In another, Chelsea Britt, a recent college graduate, bakes in hopes of keeping her dad's panforte business going. In a third kitchen, Robyn Chandonnet prepares vegan raw cheesecakes. There are dozens of stories behind the bowls and stoves and recipes at Chef's Kitchens, an incubator for food businesses.

There's a tug-of-war underway over food prices between the nation's supermarkets and giant food manufacturers including Nestle, Unilever and Kellogg. The nation's big grocery chains contend that food manufacturers have raised prices too fast and too far, considering large drops in prices for fuel, corn, wheat and other important commodities in recent months. The food companies disagree and say they are still coping with many rising prices themselves.

Restaurants are being told to list calorie counts on their menus. Schools are banning bake sales, and cities are outlawing new fast-food restaurants in some neighborhoods. State and local governments, concerned about the growing cost of obesity and diabetes and the ever-higher cost of healthcare, are acting more like food police. And more regulations may be ahead.

Joseph and Victoria Hurley are the kind of customers that keep restaurateurs up at night. The Hurleys, parents of two young boys, have restructured their lives. The couple -- she's a marketing consultant and he's a much-traveled computer troubleshooter -- dumped their Jeep Grand Cherokee for a Lexus hybrid SUV that gets twice the mileage. Dinners out at places such as the Cheesecake Factory and the Daily Grill are rare treats instead of a weekly habit.