Is this the First Lady Food PR Effect? Michelle Obama’s recently launched “Let’s Move” campaign is racking up corporate support from manufacturers and retailers. On Tuesday it was PepsiCo’s announcement, and yesterday Kraft Foods excitedly shared plans to reduce sodium in all its brands by 10% on average in the next 2 years. Here’s an excerpt from the press release:

“We are reducing sodium because it’s good for consumers, and, if done properly, it’s good for business,” said Rhonda Jordan, President, Health & Wellness, Kraft Foods. “A growing number of consumers are concerned about their sodium intake and we want to help them translate their intentions into actions.”

The company’s goals call for sodium to be lowered in a number of products up to 20 percent by the end of 2012. For example, Oscar Mayer Bologna is slated to reduce sodium by 17 percent and some flavors of Easy Mac Cups are scheduled to reduce sodium by 20 percent. read it all…

But before we all get excited, let’s take a look at that product that’s going to lose 20% of its sodium – Easy Mac Cups.

What you need to know:

This foodlike product, sorry to be so blunt, is so awful that even a reduction of salt by 100% wouldn’t make it something to be proud of. A 2 oz. microwaveable cup is a single serving.

Here is the ingredient list:

ENRICHED MACARONI PRODUCT (WHEAT FLOUR, GLYCERYL MONOSTEARATE, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE [IRON], THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SALT, MALTODEXTRIN, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, ACETYLATED MONOGLYCERIDES, MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDES, APOCAROTENAL (COLOR), CHEESE SAUCE MIX (WHEY, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, PALM OIL, MILK, MILKFAT, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SALT, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE, MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDES, NATURAL FLAVOR, CITRIC ACID, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, LACTIC ACID, GUAR GUM, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, MILK, DRIED ONIONS, YELLOW 5, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, YELLOW 6, ENZYMES, CHEESE CULTURE).

This is plain Mac & Cheese. So why are there 37 ingredients in here? Pull out your dictionaries folks. Among the controversial ingredients here – MSG, Artificial food colorings, and milk protein concentrate.

The nutrition facts panel states that there are 700 milligrams of sodium here. That’s 29% of  the daily recommended maximum for healthy adults. Salt appears in the ingredient list before the cheese sauce! In 2012, when this product will be reformulated, it should have 20% less sodium, meaning 560mg or 24% of the daily max. That’s still quite a lot.

But get this, Kraft discovered that the 2 ounce cups are not filling enough for some kids. They now have 4 ounce cups, or a double dose. In this case the sodium is actually going to skyrocket to 50% of the daily max, instead of the current 29%. Interesting that there is no mention of that stat anywhere…

We’d also caution against microwaving food and water in plastic containers, lest who knows what chemicals  leach into lunch. But that’s the topic for another post.

While we realize that the 30 seconds it takes to pop a cup of easy mac into the microwave seems like the ideal solution for busy moms, just slightly more effort can reap a much better tasting meal for your family. You can prepare a huge batch on the weekend, and then heat up single serve portions during the week when you’re too tired to do anything else.

We’d love to hear from you – dear reader – how do you prepare mac n cheese for your kids?

What to do at the supermarket:

When looking at a product that’s gone through a reformulation, don’t focus just on what’s been taken out. Look at all the other ingredients as well. The longer the list, the less recommended the product.

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Last week, The Coca Cola Company announced a new, smaller sized Coke can, (“only” 7.5 fl. oz.):

The Coca-Cola mini can is a great option for smaller thirst occasions, and for calorie-conscious consumers,” said Hendrik Steckhan, president and general manager, Sparkling Beverages, Coca-Cola North America. “Our new sleek mini can supports the idea of moderation and offers people yet another way to enjoy their favorite Coca-Cola beverage.”

Scheduled for a test run in New York and Washington DC in December, these cans will contain only 90 calories. A national rollout is scheduled for March 2010.

Interestingly, this new product innovation was NOT presented at the recently ended Food and Nutrition Conference and expo of the American Dietetic Association in Denver.

What you need to know:

This is great.

As a first step.

Beverage manufacturers, and Coke as their uber-symbol, have been under attack for being a contributing factor to the rising obesity rates in the US. Fear of a “soda tax” prompted the beverage industry leaders to a flurry of op-eds in leading newspapers as well as various alliances with health professionals in order to improve their public image.

This smaller can is the first substantial move in the right direction.

But it is a small step. The 90 calories come almost entirely from sugar, of which there are about 21 grams. That’s more than 5 teaspoons worth of a sugar rush. Yes it’s better than 150 calories (10 teaspoons) in a 12 oz can. But what will the price be? Will the product be sold alongside its larger brothers at a prohibitive price.

And even if the price per fl oz is identical, will consumers, so used to supersizing, want to go back?

Here’s an idea, Coke: After the rollout of the smaller cans, how about a rollback of the larger sized cans?

What to do at the supermarket:

If you can’t go cold turkey on soft drinks, these types of product can at least help reduce your liquid candy consumption.

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Canned and prepared soups are a sodium landmine many consumers have stepped into inadvertently over the years. But as more and more of us need to cut back on sodium intake, soup makers have been working overtime to find a solution.

The problem with canned soups is that they taste bland to begin with. Salt is added for two reasons – 1) it is a cheap preservative that lengthens the product shelf life and 2) it is a cheap way to enhance the product’s flavor.

Lower the salt content, and the soup tastes bad. No buyers. What’s a multi-billion corporation to do?

Campbell’s Soup company is now claiming it has maintained its good taste AND reduced the sodium level in it soups by 32% and more through smart formulation. Here’s a piece from a company press release last month:

In the wellness arena, Campbell’s iconic Tomato soup, which is enjoyed by 25 million Americans at least once a week, will feature the same great taste with a major sodium reduction of 32 percent to 480 mg per serving. Campbell will reposition “Healthy Request” soups in the heart health space by further reducing the sodium levels to 410 mg per serving and featuring the American Heart Association certification on a redesigned label. Both products will be available in September.

It’s interesting to learn how Campbell’s managed such a reduction in sodium without sacrificing taste.

According to the company, they are using a proprietary kind of sea salt with less sodium, as well as additional tinkering with the ingredients. Last time we took chemistry 101, salt is 40% sodium, 60% chloride. Additional minerals found in sea salt add up to less than 1%. So we’ll have to keep guessing for now what really changed.

For more information on the new soups and a taste verdict, there’s a good writeup by Jennifer LaRue Huget over at the Washington Post.

What to do at the supermarket:

If you can’t / won’t prepare soup at home, look for the low sodium products in the soup aisle. They should have less than 500mg of sodium per serving.

If the soup tastes bland, you can always shake some salt onto your serving at home.

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A quick roundup of this morning’s news from the American Dietetic Association’s Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo in Chicago this week.

Eating Whole Grains Lowers Heart Failure (HF) Risk, According To New Study:
In a new study researchers observed over 14,000 participants for more than 13 years and found that whole grain consumption lowered HF risk, while egg and high-fat dairy consumption raised risk. Other food groups did not directly affect HF risk.

New dual action Iron pill launches today.  Bifera to be Available in Select Stores in Early 2009. From the press release:
New, dual action iron supplement pill with virtually no gastrointestinal side effects for people who need the energy and nutritional benefits from iron to be available without prescription

The Latest Pistachio Study (Sponsored by…the Western Pistachio Association) reveals that consuming pistachios may reduce the risk of heart disease.

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