FAUS has been busy

The wonderful volunteers at the Feingold Association have been busy. The Feingold shop just opened today and we need your support to keep it open! They have lots of products touting some fun anti-food additive slogans. My favorite slogan is Petroleum in Food - it's just WRONG!

In case you didn't realize it, those FD&C FDA- approved colors and flavors in our food ingredients lists in this country are petroleum-based. Yep, petrol in our food - appetizing eh? A lot of us have found that not only is it unappetizing but it makes our kids a little nuts. Ever notice the cub scout meeting frenzy when they're all given a bag of Skittles and end the meeting running about like lunatics? Then all the den leaders shake their heads and cluck about a "sugar high". Well, sorry folks - that ain't no sugar high - that's what eating petroleum does to little bodies. If you'd like to get that out of your diet and out of your system, might I suggest looking into the Feingold Association? A volunteer-run organization, Feingold Assoc of America (FAUS) does the research for us. For a reasonable membership fee they will send you a food guide containing the brand and product names of all the products they've researched and found to be additive free. Since our food labeling laws are a farce, their research is necessary to find out what's *really* in the food we feed our family. And, nope, I don't get a cut of anything for telling you about this but I may get your child in a Sunday School class or a homeschool co-op meeting and we'll be much happier if your little wonder is eating naturally.

The medical community in Great Britain has finally gotten a clue and now we're hoping the FDA will follow suit. Unfortunately, the only thing they tend to follow is the money trail and their trail leads right to Big Pharm and Big Food. But, speaking of Big Food, FAUS has also managed to get the attention of McDonald's who is currently soliciting for letters to the Big M telling them we want the artificials OUT of our fast food. Consider writing a letter and giving them a piece of your mind - they are listening! In fact, they've been getting so many responses that they decided to reroute the emails to a person dedicated to the issue which caused many of the messages to bounce back. They've supposedly fixed that glitch and are now ready for business. Here's the text of the letter from Shula (who has some definite opinions on the matter), the FAUS food research guru, on how to contact McDonald's:

McDonald's has been in touch with the CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest) and has told them that they really aren't sure that Americans are concerned about the fact that their food contains synthetic dyes. McDonald's has asked their nutrition & labeling manager, Julia Braun, to gather information on whether or not consumers have any interest in this area.

Julia says that McDonald's rarely does anything unless they can document a consumer demand, so she has invited parents to write to her and share their feelings about food dyes, and she has provided information below on how to reach her.

I have not included a prepared letter because I know each of you has a unique story about how the additives have affected your family, and how you deal with that problem - and each of you has a child who would really like to eat the fries at McDonald's if they would just get the TBHQ out of the cooking oil (okay, that is not part of "this issue," but don't hesitate to
mention it if it is important to you).

Just in case you are short on words to describe the food colorings, don't hesitate to use terms like "land mines" and "booby traps" - because that is what they often are to our children, as well as the less lucky kids who don't know about the Feingold Program and don't even know what is bothering them.

Her contact info:

Email: julia.braun@us.mcd.com

Julia Braun, MPH, RD
Nutrition & Labeling Manager
2111 McDonald's Drive
Oak Brook, IL 60523

Remember to sign your email with your name and address at the bottom.

Let's change history, everybody!

Shula Edelkind

So keep that Feingold store open and enjoy their products and, while you're feeling like a bit of an activist, give McDonald's a piece of your mind!