Food giant to tackle US obesity

Kraft, the biggest food manufacturer in the United States, is to cut the size of portions, change some recipes and encourage healthier lifestyles in an effort to combat obesity.

The company, which makes Dairylea Cheese, Ritz crackers, Philadelphia spread, Toblerone and many other products, says it is promoting healthier eating – but admits it is also worried about lawsuits.

One lawsuit was filed earlier this year that sought to ban Kraft’s popular Oreo biscuits on the grounds they contain an ingredient that clogs arteries and “reduces human life”. Kraft says the suit is baseless.

“We are making these commitments first and foremost because we think it is the right thing to do,” said Michael Mudd, a spokesman for the company.

“If it also discourages a plaintiff’s lawyer or unfair legislation, that’s just fine with us.”

The company plans to provide clearer nutrition labelling for its products, so customers know more about what they are buying.

As well as cutting portion sizes in its single-serving snack packs, Kraft will also eliminate marketing campaigns in American schools.

Companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi have been criticised for doing deals whereby they give extra funding to schools that only stock the donor’s cans.

New York schools last week voted to stop selling sweet drinks and snacks from vending machines on campus.

Kraft says it will also set up a team of experts on nutrition, behaviour and health to study the nutritional value of its products. By the end of the year, they will have drafted a plan to attack obesity, the company said.

Dr Henry Anhalt, a paediatric endocrinologist at New York’s Maimonides Medical Centre, said Kraft may be covering itself in court, but the result could also be healthier children.