Pro-Biotech Attack Dogs Slander Stonyfield Farm & Organic Dairies

Center for Global Food Issues Challenges Stonyfield Farms To Prove Health Claims
PR Newswire. New York: Oct 24, 2003. pg. 1
Dateline: Virginia

Abstract (Article Summary)

CHURCHVILLE, Va., Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Global Food Issues'

"Milk is Milk" consumer education campaign is challenging organic yogurt
producer Stonyfield Farms to put their money where their marketing mouths
are and offer valid proof of their latest health claims. Stonyfield today
launched yet another marketing operation linking Stonyfield products to
child health issues -- this time suggesting organic yogurt in vending
machines can help reduce childhood obesity.

"Organic standards used by Stonyfield and their suppliers allow for the use
of a wide range of pesticides and reproductive hormones such as
prostaglandin. And, all milk is tested to ensure it's free from antibiotic
residues," noted [Alex Avery]. "Stonyfield's claims and labels asserting no
hormones and no pesticides are simply false, and their health-related
marketing is equally misleading. It's time to put an end to false and
misleading claims by Stonyfield targeting parents and children over safe,
nutritious and affordable dairy products."

Full Text (743 words)

Copyright PR Newswire - NY Oct 24, 2003

'Milk is Milk' Campaign Alleges Misleading Marketing Harms Consumers

CHURCHVILLE, Va., Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Global Food Issues'
"Milk is Milk" consumer education campaign is challenging organic yogurt
producer Stonyfield Farms to put their money where their marketing mouths
are and offer valid proof of their latest health claims. Stonyfield today
launched yet another marketing operation linking Stonyfield products to
child health issues -- this time suggesting organic yogurt in vending
machines can help reduce childhood obesity.

"We find Stonyfield's marketing practices deplorable," stated Alex Avery.
Avery, who heads the Center for Global Food Issues' "Milk is Milk" education
campaign added, "Creating false distinctions of this magnitude between
organic and non-organic dairy products scares parents into spending more of
their limited grocery budgets, and in this difficult economy, that is
wrong."

In fact, false and misleading marketing IS wrong, according to the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) and multiple state laws.

In the past two years Stonyfield Farms has:

* Issued a press release announcing "organic vending machines to help
fight childhood obesity;"

* Run full page advertisements in publications targeting parents
allegedly misleadingly linking child health issues including;

* Yo-Squeeze, Planet Protectors and Stonyfield Baby yogurt ads
claiming "Earth to mom! Yogurts made without the use of
antibiotics, hormones or toxic pesticides;"

* "You can't fake this" campaign ads claiming: "Yobaby yogurt is a
great way to get to eat healthy ... made with the whole milk
that pediatricians recommend, milk that doesn't come from cows
treated with synthetic bovine growth hormone ... "

* "You can't fake this" campaign ads claiming: "Because very few
recipes call for ... toxic persistent pesticides;"

* Published in-store shopping guides and coupons claiming "No Hormones,
No Phony Ingredients, No Yucky Stuff, No Pesticides;"

* Yogurt Labels claiming "No Yucky Stuff ... No Hormones, No
Antibiotics, No Pesticides;"

* Web site claims that Health Canada (the Canadian equivalent to FDA)
found "potential human health concerns" with milk from
hormone-supplemented cows (In fact, Health Canada's formal review
undertaken by the Canadian Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons
determined there to be "no biologically plausible reason for concern
about human safety")

* Copies of these Stonyfield materials can be found at

www.milkismilk.com

"Stonyfield's attempts to link parental concern for children's health with
the way their yogurt is made are unconscionable," stated Avery. "Respected
medical groups, such as the American Medical Association and the World
Health Organization have publicly disagreed with the health-related claims
suggested by Stonyfield in their multi-million dollar marketing campaigns."

The Center for Global Food Issues is asking Stonyfield CEO Gary Hirshberg
and Stonyfield's corporate owner Dannon to provide the science-based proof
required of FDA and other regulatory bodies for making the health claims
implied by Stonyfield, including that:

* Consuming Stonyfield organic yogurt will contribute to childhood
weight loss;

* Stonyfield organic yogurt contains less (or no) pesticides, hormones
or antibiotics than conventional yogurt;

* Stonyfield organic yogurt is healthier for children than conventional
yogurt;

* Production practices, such as the use of supplemental growth hormones,
used by conventional yogurt competitors are unhealthy for children.

Marketing guidelines from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding
truthful and non-misleading claims state that such claims as "No Hormones"
are false as all dairy products naturally contain hormones -- cows cannot
produce milk without them. Regarding hormone (bST) health claims former U.S.
Surgeon General C. Everett Koop stated these claims to be "baseless,
manipulative and completely irresponsible." Dr. Koop added, "Even worse are
attempts by some persons to use school children as pawns in their opposition
to BST. Any suggestion that milk from BST-supplemented cows is unsafe for
children to consume at school, or home, is a potential threat to their
health and well being."

"Organic standards used by Stonyfield and their suppliers allow for the use
of a wide range of pesticides and reproductive hormones such as
prostaglandin. And, all milk is tested to ensure it's free from antibiotic
residues," noted Avery. "Stonyfield's claims and labels asserting no
hormones and no pesticides are simply false, and their health-related
marketing is equally misleading. It's time to put an end to false and
misleading claims by Stonyfield targeting parents and children over safe,
nutritious and affordable dairy products."

________________________________________________________________
'Milk is Milk,' Says Center for Global Food Issues
PR Newswire. New York: Oct 28, 2003. pg. 1
Dateline: Illinois
Publication title: PR Newswire. New York: Oct 28, 2003. pg. 1

Full Text (629 words)

Copyright PR Newswire - NY Oct 28, 2003

Dairy Marketing Awareness Campaign Introduced to Worldwide Food Expo
in Chicago

CHICAGO, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Global Food Issues (CGFI)
earlier this year launched a grass roots campaign of concerned consumers,
principally mothers, to educate food and dairy retailers (supermarket and
grocery chains) regarding false and misleading label and marketing
practices. Wednesday CGFI brought their initiative to the Worldwide Food
Expo being held at McCormick Place in Chicago introducing their initiative
to thousands of food and dairy industry leaders. CGFI's booth can be found
at space S8672 bordering the Beverage Expo Zone.

The "Milk is Milk" campaign has included advertising in targeted markets,
consumer-to-retail outreach efforts, consumer store-checks and the
distribution of a milk carton containing facts about the production of milk,
reviewed and approved by the American Council on Science and Health's
Director of Nutrition, Dr. Ruth Kava, and produced by CGFI. The carton is
part of CGFI's "concerned consumer" campaign took kit, available at
www.MilkIsMilk.com <
>http://www.milkismilk.com/>
, which enables consumers
to identify and report false and misleading dairy marketing in their local
supermarkets. Key points include:

All milk is produced the same way -- by cows. Abundant and high quality
milk production results from the daily management of well-fed healthy
dairy cows. Some dairy producers may use a variety of technologies, but
the milk remains the same nutritious product providing vitamins,
minerals, protein and calcium.

All milk is continuously tested for purity, safety and quality. Milk is
tested numerous times before it reaches the dairy case to ensure that it
meets or exceeds government standards and requirements for safety,
purity and quality. These tests begin at the farm and continue
throughout the processing of milk.

"Milk is milk," stated CGFI Research Director Alex Avery. "The misleading
marketing of certain dairy products as superior in health, nutrition or
quality creates undue concerns for consumers and hurts farmers. These
practices are contributing to reduced consumer demand for affordable,
wholesome and nutritionally important dairy products."

Milk and dairy products are an essential part of a healthy, well- balanced
diet, particularly for children. In addition, family dairy farms are an
important part of the American farm economy. Recent studies have linked
declining milk consumption to an increase in arm fractures in children, and
to childhood obesity. Yet, certain misleading marketing practices by some in
the dairy industry designed to increase sales of niche products are creating
false fears and driving people away from affordable, nutritious dairy
products. These marketers publicly admit to specifically targeting women and
the children for whom they purchase food with their campaigns. In the
process, state and federal regulations and guidelines specifically
established to prevent these practices are being ignored.

"Well-published research shows that health and safety fears are a leading
factor in driving consumer food purchase choices," noted Avery. "This is
particularly true for mothers who purchase products they believe to be
better for their family's health and well being. In the case of milk, labels
that claim to be 'pesticide-free,' 'antibiotic-free' or 'hormone-free' are
misleading and in most cases simply false."

In addition to this concerned consumer coalition, CGFI has joined several
other non-profit consumer, public policy, agriculture, and animal health
groups seeking appropriate regulatory enforcement against misleading labels
and advertisements with federal, state and local agencies. The US Food and
Drug Administration recently took action against milk producers who were
found to be in violation of FDA truth in labeling guidelines. Links to
related research, complaints and other materials are available on the CGFI
campaign web site www.MilkisMilk.com <
>http://www.milkismilk.com/>
.

The Center for Global Food Issues is a project of the Hudson Institute, a
tax-exempt non-profit public policy organization, providing factual,
science-based information on important food and farming issues. SOURCE
Center for Global Food Issues