Kraft Foods

There is an surprising disparity between the stance of Kraft in the USA, where the company welcomes trans fat labelling and is working to reduce trans fats in its productsm, and Kraft in the UK, where it appears to be doing little if anything.

Kraft in the UK

Kraft UK sell a number of products containing trans fat, such as

• Terry's chocolates, eg Terry's chocolate orange, Terry's All Gold
• Angel Delight (dry mix for sloppy pudding).

Also, despite their stated support in favour of trans fat labelling in the US, there is no trans fat labelling here in the UK. Nor does their website ( www.kraftfoods.co.uk) make any mention of trans fats, in contrast to their US website (www.kraft.com).

We asked Kraft UK to explain the difference in the stance of the company in these two countries. They failed to answer my questions. Instead they replied:

I can advise you that we use hydrogenated fats at low levels in some of our products. Hydrogenation creates some trans fatty acids during the process, which are therefore present at low levels in the finished product.

Please be assured that all our products are made to strict standards and comply with all legislative requirements. Kraft Foods may reduce the levels of trans fatty acids in finished products over time and where possible use alternative fats where these are available, without increasing the total saturates and trans fat content.

You may be interested to learn that in the latest Government National Diet and Nutrition Survey, the average intake of trans fatty acids is 1.2% of dietary energy and this falls below the recommended target of 2%.

Our comment on their statment

It

• fails to address the UK / USA discrepancies
• contains no mention of the labelling issue - so long as there is no information on packaging and no health warning about trans fats, it is impossible for most people to make informed choices to reduce their trans fat intake
• creates confusion over the so-called 2% "target"; in fact the FSA states that trans fats have no nutritional value and are best avoided altogether. The "target" referred to here, stated as 2% of total dietary energy, is apparently based on the (1994) Report 46 of the Cardiovascular Review Group of the now-disbanded Committee of Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA), Nutritional Aspects of Cardiovascular Disease). However this report does not specify that 2% is a target, but a level not to be exceeded, while ways should be found to reduce trans fat levels further. See relevant extracts from the report here.
• ignores the fact that certain people, with particular dietary habits, are ingesting considerably more that the average amount and that their health is suffering as a result.

Kraft in the USA

Kraft Foods in the USA is a company in the vanguard of removing trans fats from food products. Its progressive stance follows from a legal action of May 2003 against Kraft by the Ban Trans Fats campaign, over the inclusion of trans fats in its best-selling Oreos cookies. This forced Kraft to commit to a policy of removing trans fats from its food, in return for the legal action being dropped. On 6 April 2004, Oreos became trans fat free. See the press release here.

A Kraft statement on trans fats may be read here. It includes the statement that:

Kraft Foods agrees that trans fat should be listed on the Nutrition Facts panel and filed comments with the FDA in support of that position. We will be rolling out trans fat labeling on an ongoing basis and we will be fully in compliance by January 1, 2006 per the FDA rule. We will also be posting trans fat information for our products to the kraftfoods.com website on a continuing basis.

In the meantime, if people see "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated oil" in the list of a food's ingredients, that means the food contains some level of trans fat.

On February 18 2004, Roger K. Deromedi, Kraft's Chief Executive Officer, recognised concern about trans fats, saying:

"The growing importance of health and wellness has significantly altered consumption and buying behaviors. Low-carb diets, concerns about trans fat and obesity, and greater demand for organic and natural products are requiring a shift in what we market and how we market it."
See here.

On the same date the company announced its "Back to Nature" lines of cookies, crackers, dinners, and organic cheeses, made with no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives and containing no hydrogenated oils and no trans fat.

The "Back to Nature" cookie varieties will be: Chocolate Chunk Cookies; Classic Sandwich Creme; Chocolate & Mint Sandwich Creme; and Crispy Oatmeal. The cracker varities will be Crispy Wheats; Classic Rounds buttery crisps; White Cheddar Rice Thins; and Sesame Ginger Rice Thins. [see here.]

Lance Friedmann, Senior Vice President, Global Health & Wellness, said:

"One of Kraft's strengths is a portfolio that delivers against a broad range of consumer choices. And, we will continue to use consumer insights as the primary drivers to develop more products and programs to address the growing interest in health and wellness."
See here.

He went on to announce "Nabisco 100-calorie packs" - single-serve snacks formulated to have three grams or less of fat, zero grams of trans fat and no cholesterol. The 4-item line includes Wheat Thins, Chips Ahoy!, Cheese Nips and Oreo brands.

He also announced Triscuit crackers with zero grams trans fat - the first in a series of biscuit products that will be reformulated to have zero grams or reduced levels of trans fat.

Kraft is also developing guidelines for the nutritional characteristics of all products:

"We will be developing nutrition guidelines for all products, both existing and new. The guidelines, which will be developed with the help of our global advisory council, will likely include levels for characteristics such as calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sugars and sodium. "
See here.

Background info

Kraft Foods markets many of the world's leading food brands, including Kraft cheeses, Maxwell House and Jacobs coffees, Nabisco cookies and crackers, Oscar Mayer meats, Philadelphia cream cheese, Post cereals and Milka chocolates, in more than 150 countries.

Contact

Kraft Global

website: www.kraft.com.
Post: Kraft Foods Global, Inc., Consumer Response Group, 1 Kraft Court, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Phone: +1-800 323 0768 (free only within US).

Kraft UK

website: www.kraftfoods.co.uk.
Email: UKCorporate@krafteurope.com ; ukkraftcareline@krafteurope.com .
Telephone: 01242 236101.
Post: Kraft Foods UK Ltd, St George's House, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham GL50 3AE.