Tips and information for dietitians from food companies

BOSTON - Food makers like PepsiCo Inc. and groups like the Sugar Association were among the exhibitors at an annual dietitians conference in Boston, an illustration of the often conflicted links between the food industry and nutrition.

Also read, Big Food’s biggest trend? Crusading against Big Food.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says health experts know the difference between marketing and science. David Wiss of Dietitians for Professional Integrity says the industry’s influence is so entrenched that many take it at face value.

Here are excerpts from handouts in the expo hall of this year’s convention.

FRITO-LAY
PepsiCo handed out sheets explaining how its “Simply” line of Frito-Lay chips including Cheetos, Tostitos and Ruffles differ from their traditional counterparts. The Simply versions use ingredients such as organic corn, whole wheat, sea salt and expeller-pressed sunflower oil for “a premium snacking experience,” the sheet said.

https://apdocs.inside.ap.org/documents/132817-fnce-frito-lay.html

SUGAR ASSOCIATION
In a sheet offering tips for “Pleasing Picky Eaters Taste Buds,” the Sugar Association noted that “youngsters may find vegetables sprinkled with a small amount of sugar before they’re cooked more enjoyable to eat.”

https://apdocs.inside.ap.org/documents/132815-fnce-sugar.html

KELLOGG
The company had a pamphlet called “The Story of Snacking” that said it is “continually developing superior snack foods that provide more of what people want and need and less of what they are trying to reduce.”

Some snacking suggestions: carrot sticks and hummus, an apple and peanut butter, and bean dip with a single-serve tub of Pringles chips. Kellogg acquired Pringles in 2012.

https://apdocs.inside.ap.org/documents/132818-the-story-on-snacking-by-kellogg.html

NABISCO
Mondelez, the Oreo cookie maker, had a laminated guide showing how people could use its Nabisco products to get 48 grams of whole grains daily. People could circle products like Wheat Thins, Honey Maid crackers and Newtons.

https://apdocs.inside.ap.org/documents/132814-fnce-nabisco.html

NATIONAL CONFECTIONERS ASSOCIATION
The candy industry group’s “Guide To Moderate Candy Consumption” offered a chart with daily options that fall between 50 and 100 calories. That included 15 small jelly beans and two strings of licorice and 10 gummi bears.

https://apdocs.inside.ap.org/documents/132816-fnce-nca.html

Source The Associated Press