banning oreos?

**Sara Noel** · 05-14-2003, 08:54 AM

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A lawyer who has spent much of his life enjoying Oreo cookies has sued Kraft Foods Inc. seeking to ban the much-loved cookies in California because they contain trans fat, an ingredient he calls inedible.

Kraft boasts that people have eaten 450 billion Oreo cookies since they introduced the chocolate wafer sandwich cookies with a creamy filling in 1912.

But if British-born attorney Stephen Joseph has his way, that culinary love affair will come to an end, at least until Kraft stops using hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils to make the cookies.

Kraft calls the suit filed in Marin County Superior Court just north of San Francisco baseless but Joseph says he is taking advantage of a provision of the California civil code that holds manufacturers liable for common products if not "known to be unsafe by the ordinary consumer."

The ingredient is used in thousands and thousands of products. In an interview on Monday, Joseph said, "I am probably full of hydrogenated fat because until two years ago I didn't know about it. I resent the fact that I have been eating that stuff all my life."

Hydrogenation adds hydrogen gas to vegetable oil, helping to solidify it into products such as margarine. Health experts say the process makes them as unhealthy as real butter, if not more so, as the hydrogenated fats act like cholesterol in the body. Trans fats are common in cookies and crackers and part of both the cookie and filling in Oreos.

'SHOCKING' CASE

"That's what's so shocking; that it has been so well hidden," said Joseph, who has set up an advocacy group called BanTransFats.com Inc. "I hope if nothing else comes of this lawsuit that more people know about trans fat than before."

Kraft says it is already testing alternatives to trans fats but said they will vigorously fight the lawsuit.

Its parent company Altria Group Inc. is also the owner of cigarette maker Philip Morris USA, itself no stranger to legal battles over product safety.

"We know the importance of good nutrition and we are committed to helping people lead a healthy lifestyle, but we have no choice than to draw the line against baseless lawsuits like this," Michael Mudd, Kraft's senior vice president for corporate affairs, said in an interview.

"We've been ... exploring ways to reduce trans fat in Oreos and those efforts are continuing," he continued. "You can make a cookie without trans fat but what you're trading off is the unique taste and texture that people have come to expect."

U.S. companies, the world masters in processed foods, are showing an awareness of trans fats. Frito-Lay, part of PepsiCo Inc., announced last year it would eliminate trans fats from snacks such as Doritos. McDonald's Corp. also said it would make French fries with less trans fat.

In February, a federal court threw out a lawsuit against McDonald's that claimed its burgers and fries cause obesity.

The commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) has said the agency will soon require labeling information about trans fats in foods.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...nm/transfat_dc

first yucky uh-oh oreos and now this.

**homesteadmamma** · 05-14-2003, 09:06 AM

Well being that he is a lawyer, he certainly must not read the news or any articles in regards to eating healthy. There has been plenty of articles written on this subject.

Trans fat has been in the news for a much longer time than 2 years and its actually his choice whether he decided to eat Oreos or not.

I think as adults, its our responsibility to find the good or bad foods and to choose not to eat them, if we so wish. Personally I'm more concerned about all the spraying that goes on our wheats, fruits and veggies that is seldom looked at. When you see them doing airiole (sp) spraying on the fields of grain, then you need to become concerned!!!

**Sara Noel** · 05-14-2003, 09:09 AM

My favorite pastime is count the warning labels I encounter in a day. LOL
Oreos is going down. They'll try anything as a last ditch effort.

**Darlene** · 05-14-2003, 09:14 AM

This Lawyer should go live in a bubble and ...
What a jerk. I am so tired of all this stupid litigation over things people voluntarily put in their bodies. It's always someone elses fault. Don't like it don't eat it. Don't want to be in a restaurant that allows smoking, don't go there. I could go on & on.... Some people don't seem to know the words choice and moderation. Sheesh

**homesteadmamma** · 05-14-2003, 09:19 AM

Darlene, your absolutely right.

People don't take responsibility anymore for their own actions. Its always someone else's fault. He doesn't have to eat Oreos period!!!!!

btw - I don't like Oreos but my family loves them.

**mom2matty** · 05-14-2003, 09:24 AM

I was listening to something yesterday (tv on but I wasn't really watching it) and some guy said that "when this lawyer loses this case he should be forced to eat 1000 oreos in 1 day!!"

I agree, each of us are ulitmately responsible for what we eat and how we feed our children!!

**blueknitter** · 05-14-2003, 10:01 AM

I wonder what will come next, since obviously no one wants to take responsibility for their actions anymore? I, for one, would be thrilled if someone nailed General Mills for their overuse of red#40 dye, but that would actually be a viable case so we know that will never happen.

**gemmbp** · 05-14-2003, 10:20 AM

Did someone tell this man that cookies are supposed to be HEALTHY? They are snacks after all,not a main food group! I think he has WAY too much time on his hands! Even my kids know they aren't good for you,that is why they are not for a meal,and they can only have a few!!!!! People don't want to take responsibility for themselves! After all-if they did that-who would they sue?

**justjenn** · 05-14-2003, 11:38 AM

This is ridiculous. I agree-this guy has too much time on his hands. Give me a break!

**grneyegrl** · 05-14-2003, 11:40 AM

this guy should have to eat 10,000 cookies in one day..man i hate this..our society should encourage healthy eating maybe make it easeier..i think all junk food should be heavily taxed and healthy food should be make much cheaper and more widely availabe..ie vending machines..ok my vents over.. no , i have more and

fast food places should sell healthy food and it should be cheap..

ok now im done

**Dixie** · 05-14-2003, 03:31 PM

Um, you mean Oreos *aren't healthy* lol.

The company my dh works for makes the oreo cream. I asked him to bring some home in a jar, so we could snack. I guess I'll have to switch to carrots, instead.

**mommy2three** · 05-14-2003, 04:26 PM

**lucy979** · 05-14-2003, 05:22 PM

Who will they sue next? People are running out of companies to sue!

**Missy** · 05-14-2003, 05:23 PM

Gimme a break! I bought a package of oreo's the other day, and upon close inspection, i found that nowhere on the package did it say it was a health food. Furthermore, I did not see a public notice telling the consumer to take all they could and force that lawyer (or anyone else) to eat them. If he doesn't think they are good for him or anyone else, he can keep his money in his pocket and buy something else! He SHOULD have to eat a few hundred of them as punishment for tie-ing up our legal system with senseless lawsuits. Uh-oh, i am beginning to rant, I will stop it there....maybe go munch on an oreo.