Aspartame-Thanks Rummy

[Peter Lemkin]

Related: "Genetically Modified BACTERIA Used to Make NutraSweet"

Heard the saying, "you are what you eat"? Well, brace yourself. Aspartame, the junk found in diet food, like soda, candy, etc., is actually drum roll please bacteria poop!

The patent was first filed in 1981, but this is the first time it is being made public. From the report, we learn that it is harvested from the excrement of GM E. coli bacteria.
Dude, that's awesome! NOT!!
The E. Coli is grown in tanks. When they take a dump, that stuff is collected because it contains the protein aspartic acid-phenylalanine amino acid. Once treated with methanol, it then becomes the artificial sweetener.
Now, let's be real. This is still not enough for me, at least, to give up my Coke Zero. And no, I'm not curious to even read the label of my beloved Coke Zero for a content check. But it is at least good to know. From crack cocaine to bacteria poop man, we've come a long way. I guess I should end with the old coke adage: "Have a Coke and a smile!"
Thanks, Monsanto!

[Magda Hassan]

The dairy industry in competing with sports drinks and soft drinks wants to make milk sweeter and the 'low calorie' milk will have aspartame. But the dairy industry also wants to change the definition of milk so all of this is not declared.

Dairy Industry Pushing To Expand Definition Of Milk'

November 11, 2013 11:32 PM


SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) Good old-fashioned milk packed with protein, calcium and micronutrients has landed in the middle of a food fight with sugary sodas, sports drinks, even bottled water.
Overall, sales of milk are down a whopping 25 percent since 1975. The dairy industry is now trying to rise to the top with a new plan that focuses on flavored milk like chocolate, strawberry or vanilla.
The plan leaves some with a sour taste in their mouth. The desired target is kids, and while children can greatly benefit from the nutrients in milk, nutritionists are not in support of the plan.
According to a petition filed with the FDA, this plan would change the very definition of what milk is. It would change what's called the "standard of identify" for milk and for 17 other dairy products."The dairy industry is simply interested in selling more products that's all they're interested in. They want to sell more milk," saidProfessor Marion Nestle, Nestle is the Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, and author of many books on food, politics and public health.
The change would allow dairy producers to add artificial sweeteners to flavored milk without having to clearly say so on the front. Flavored Milk that is currently sweetened with artificial sweeteners would no longer be called a dairy drink, but milk.
Imagine if you're shopping: under the proposal, a bottle of low-calorie chocolate milk would look just like a bottle of regular chocolate milk from the front. The only difference would be noticeable on the back of the product, under the ingredient list. And the artificial sweetener would not be listed as the well-known brand names but as their scientific names. According to some nutritionists, that will make it very difficult for consumers, parents and kids to know what they are buying.
"The front of the label is really what helps consumers make decisions quickly," said Registered Dietician Sonya Angelone, who spoke on behalf of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "People don't want to go to the grocery store and spend a lot of time trying to decipher the labels and figure out what's in there or what might not be in there."
Angelone said that her organization the world's largest group of nutrition experts is urging the FDA to deny the petition.
"There isn't substantial evidence that the rationale for hiding it in the back is actually a good one." said Angelone.

Dairy industry representatives have said they are not hiding anything. They said kids won't buy products that are labeled "low calorie" and that this proposed change will help kids cut down on unwanted calories and fight the ongoing epidemic of childhood obesity
Angelone is skeptical. She said sweetened milk is not the driving factor behind the obesity problem in kids.
"There really isn't any evidence for this because, right now, sweetened milk is not a real big source of sugar anyway," said Angelone.
Professor Nestle said he believes kids should not grow to expect that everything they eat or drink has to be sweet, that they need to develop and explore all tastes in food.
"I just object to the idea that everything for kids has to be sweet," said Professor Nestle. "Milk doesn't have to be sweet."
And while the FDA has stated that artificial sweeteners are safe, the prestigious Institute of Medicine issued a report detailing how there is still uncertainty about its long-term use on the health and development of children.
"There really is a lack of data or evidence," concluded Angelone.
KPIX 5 dropped by one family's home and found kids eating cookies and drinking milk after school. We asked their moms what they thought about the petition, and the moms were clear: go ahead and put artificial sweeteners in flavored milks but don't murk up the labels.
"I think that anything that has an artificial element should be labeled clearly on the front," said Lori Beth Eisenstadt.
Fellow mom and friend Erika Vooelker agreed.

Flavored Milk; Petition to Amend the Standard of Identity for Milk and 17 Additional Dairy Products

A Proposed Rule by the Food and Drug Administration on 02/20/2013

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PDF DEVPRINTPUBLIC INSPECTION
Publication Date:Wednesday, February 20, 2013Agencies:Department of Health and Human ServicesFood and Drug AdministrationDates:Submit either written or electronic comments by May 21, 2013.Comments Close:05/21/2013Entry Typeroposed RuleAction:Notice; request for comments, data, and information.Document Citation:78 FR 11791Page:11791 -11793 (3 pages)CFR:21 CFR 131Agency/Docket Numberocket No. FDA-2009-P-0147Document Number:2013-03835Shorter URL:https://federalregister.gov/a/2013-03835
Regulations.gov Docket Info

Docket NumberFDA-2009-P-0147Docket NameTo Amend the Standard of Identity for Milk, 21 C.F.R. 131.110, to Includes Optional Characterizing Flavoring Ingredients With any Safe and Suitable SweetenerPublic Comments193 commentsSupporting/Related MaterialsAttachment I Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools: Leading...Attachment - Presentation to FDA: Petition to Amend Milk and...Attachment H - "Memorandum of Understanding" - [International...Attachment G - "National Nutrition Standards Recommendations"...Attachment F - "Nutrition Standard for Competitive Foods in...Attachment E - "Comparative Foods and Foods of Minimal...

ACTION


Notice; Request For Comments, Data, And Information.

SUMMARY


The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) have filed a petition requesting that the Agency amend the standard of identity for milk and 17 other dairy products to provide for the use of any safe and suitable sweetener as an optional ingredient. FDA is issuing this notice to request comments, data, and information about the issues presented in the petition.


TABLE OF CONTENTSBack to Top

• DATES:
  
• ADDRESSES:
  
• Electronic Submissions
  
• Written Submissions
  
• FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
  
• SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
  
• I. IDFA and NMPF Petition
  
• II. Request for Comments
  
• III. References
  
• Footnotes
  

DATES:Back to Top


Submit either written or electronic comments by May 21, 2013.

ADDRESSES:Back to Top


You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. FDA-2009-P-0147 by any of the following methods:

Electronic SubmissionsBack to Top


Submit electronic comments in the following way:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

Written SubmissionsBack to Top


Submit written submissions in the following ways:
Mail/Hand delivery/Courier (for paper or CD-ROM submissions): Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the Agency name and docket number for this rulemaking. All comments received may be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. For additional information on submitting comments, see the "Comments" heading of theSUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov and insert the docket number, found in brackets in the heading of this document, into the "Search" box and follow the prompts and/or go to the Division of Dockets Management, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Back to Top


Daniel Y. Reese, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (HFS-820), Food and Drug Administration, 5100 Paint Branch Pkwy., College Park, MD 20740, 240-402-2371.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:Back to Top


I. IDFA and NMPF PetitionBack to Top


The IDFA and NMPF jointly submitted a citizen petition (Ref. 1) on March 16, 2009, requesting that FDA amend the standard of identity in part 131 (21 CFR part 131) for milk (§ 131.110). Specifically, the petition requests that FDA amend § 131.110©(2) to allow the use of "any safe and suitable" sweetener in optional characterizing flavoring ingredients used in milk.[SUP] [1] [/SUP]The petition also requests that FDA similarly amend the standards of identity for 17 other milk and cream products. Those standards (hereinafter referred to as the "additional dairy standards") are as follows: Acidified milk (§ 131.111), cultured milk (§ 131.112), sweetened condensed milk (§ 131.120), nonfat dry milk (§ 131.125), nonfat dry milk fortified with vitamins A and D (§ 131.127), evaporated milk (§ 131.130), dry cream (§ 131.149), heavy cream (§ 131.150), light cream (§ 131.155), light whipping cream (§ 131.157), sour cream (§ 131.160), acidified sour cream (§ 131.162), eggnog (§ 131.170), half-and-half (§ 131.180), yogurt (§ 131.200), lowfat yogurt (§ 131.203), and nonfat yogurt (§ 131.206). The petition asks that the standards of identity for these products be amended to provide for the use of any safe and suitable sweetener in the optional ingredients.[SUP] [2][/SUP]
IDFA and NMPF request their proposed amendments to the milk standard of identity to allow optional characterizing flavoring ingredients used in milk (e.g., chocolate flavoring added to milk) to be sweetened with any safe and suitable sweetenerincluding non-nutritive sweeteners such as aspartame. IDFA and NMPF state that the proposed amendments would promote more healthful eating practices and reduce childhood obesity by providing for lower-calorie flavored milk products. They state that lower-calorie flavored milk would particularly benefit school children who, according to IDFA and NMPF, are more inclined to drink flavored milk than unflavored milk at school. As further support for the petition, IDFA and NMPF state that the proposed amendments would assist in meeting several initiatives aimed at improving the nutrition and health profile of food served in the nation's schools. Those initiatives include state-level programs designed to limit the quantity of sugar served to children during the school day. Finally, IDFA and NMPF argue that the proposed amendments to the milk standard of identity would promote honesty and fair dealing in the marketplace and are therefore appropriate under section 401 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 341).
The petition acknowledges that the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in optional characterizing flavoringingredients in milk is allowed under the existing regulatory scheme, with certain additional requirements. The regulatory framework governing the naming of standardized foods that do not fully comply with the relevant standards of identity changed with the passage of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 and FDA's rulemaking establishing the Agency's requirements for foods named by use of a nutrient content claim and a standardized term (§ 130.10 (21 CFR 130.10)). Section 130.10(d) allows the addition of safe and suitable ingredients to a food named by use of a nutrient content claim and a standardized term when these ingredients are used to, among other things, add sweetness to ensure that the modified food is not inferior in performance characteristic to the standardized food even if such ingredients are not specifically provided for by the relevant food standard. Therefore, while the milk standard of identity in § 131.110 only provides for the use of "nutritive sweetener" in an optional characterizing flavor, milk may contain a characterizing flavor that is sweetened with a non-nutritive sweetener if the food's label bears a nutrient content claim (e.g., "reduced calorie") and the non-nutritive sweetener is used to add sweetness to the product so that it is not inferior in its sweetness property compared to its standardized counterpart. However, IDFA and NMPF argue that nutrient content claims such as "reduced calorie" are not attractive to children, and maintain that consumers can more easily identify the overall nutritional value of milk products that are flavored with non-nutritive sweeteners if the labels do not include such claims. Further, the petitioners assert that consumers do not recognize milkincluding flavored milkas necessarily containing sugar. Accordingly, the petitioners state that milk flavored with non-nutritive sweeteners should be labeled as milk without further claims so that consumers can "more easily identify its overall nutritional value."
As to the additional dairy standards, IDFA and NMPF state that administrative efficiency counsels in favor of similar changes. As long as FDA is dedicating resources to amending the standard of identity for milk, they argue, the Agency should also amend the standards for these products at the same time. They state that it is most efficient to consider all of the proposals together. According to the petition, the requested changes to the additional dairy standards present the same issues as the milk standard, and it is therefore appropriate to consider all of the requested changes together.

II. Request for CommentsBack to Top


FDA requests that interested persons submit comments, data, and information concerning the need for, and the appropriateness of, amending the standard of identity for milk and the additional dairy standards. FDA specifically requests comment and supporting data, as appropriate, on the following matters:
1. The petition states that amending the standard of identity for milk (§ 131.100) to allow the use of "any safe and suitable" sweetener in optional characterizing flavoring ingredients would promote honesty and fair dealing in the interest of consumers by creating consistency in the naming of flavored milk products because flavored milk could contain a non-nutritive sweetener without bearing a nutrient content claim (e.g., "reduced sugar") as part of its name. Would the proposed amendments promote honesty and fair dealing in the interest of consumers?
2. If the standard of identity for milk is amended as requested by petitioners, milk manufacturers could use non-nutritive sweeteners in flavored milk without a nutrient content claim in its labeling. Will the inclusion of the non-nutritive sweeteners in the ingredient statement provide consumers with sufficient information to ensure that consumers are not misled regarding the characteristics of the milk they are purchasing?
3. The petition states that flavored milk labels that bear nutrient content claims such as "reduced calorie" are unattractive to children. What, if any, data are available on children's purchase habits with regard to flavored milks labeled as "reduced calorie flavored milk," "no sugar added," "less sugar," etc?
4. The petition states that if FDA dedicates resources to amending the standard of identity for milk, for purposes of administrative efficiency the Agency should also amend the Additional Dairy Standards because the issues presented are the same with respect to the use of non-nutritive sweeteners. Would amending the Additional Dairy Standards as requested promote honesty and fair dealing in the interest of consumers? If the labels of these products do not bear nutrient content claims, would the inclusion of non-nutritive sweeteners in the ingredient statements provide consumers with sufficient information to distinguish between the two types of products (i.e., sweetened with nutritive versus non-nutritive sweeteners) so that consumers are not misled?[SUP] [3][/SUP]
5. The petition notes that ice cream is permitted to contain either a nutritive or non-nutritive sweetener without the label bearing a nutrient content claim or otherwise distinguishing the two types of products from one another. Are the considerations underlying FDA amendments to the standard of identity for ice cream[SUP] [4] [/SUP]applicable to the requested amendments to the standard of identity for milk or the Additional Dairy Standards?
6. If the standard of identity for milk and the Additional Dairy Standards are amended in the manner requested by the petition, what will be the effect on search costs[SUP] [5] [/SUP]for consumers who would like to determine whether a product contains a nutritive or non-nutritive sweetener?
After reviewing the comments received, FDA will further evaluate the need for, and appropriateness of, the amendments requested by IDFA and NMPF and will decide what further actions are appropriate. For a copy of the petition filed by IDFA and NMPF please go to: http://www.regulations.gov and insert "Docket No. FDA-2009-P-0147" into the "Search" box.
(Authority: 21 U.S.C. 321 et seq.)


III. ReferencesBack to Top


FDA has placed the following references on display. To view the references, go to http://www.regulations.gov and insert the docket number(s), found in brackets in the heading of this document, into the "Search" box. The references may also be seen in the Division of Dockets Management (see ADDRESSES) between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
1. International Dairy Foods Association and the National Milk Producers Federation, Citizen Petition, March 16, 2009.
2. " Frozen Desserts: Removal of Standards of Identity for Ice Milk and Goat's Milk Ice Milk; Amendment of Standards of Identity for Ice Cream and Frozen Custard and Goat's Milk Ice Cream" (59 FR 47072, September 14, 1994).


Dated: February 14, 2013.
Leslie Kux,
Assistant Commissioner for Policy.

[FR Doc. 2013-03835 Filed 2-19-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-01-P

FOOTNOTESBack to Top


1. Section 131.110©(2) currently allows the use of "nutritive sweetener" in optional characterizing flavoring ingredients used in milk.
Back to Context
2. The National Yogurt Association (NYA) submitted a citizen petition on February 18, 2000 (Docket No. FDA-2000-P-0126) that requested that FDA make similar changes to the standards of identity for yogurt and cultured milk. Among other requested changes, the NYA petition asked that FDA amend the standards of identity for yogurt and cultured milk to permit the use of all safe and suitable sweeteners, while also revoking the standards of identity for lowfat and nonfat yogurt. In 2009, FDA proposed to grant the petition in part, and to deny it in part. See"Milk and Cream Products and Yogurt Products; Proposal to Revoke the Standards for Lowfat and Nonfat Yogurt and to Amend the Standard for Yogurt" (74 FR 2443, January 15, 2009). Thus, FDA has already requested comments on issues that are similar to the issues IDFA and NMPF raise with respect to yogurt, lowfat yogurt, nonfat yogurt, and cultured milk, and is addressing those issues through the rulemaking initiated in response to NYA's petition. Therefore, FDA is not currently requesting comments on IDFA and NMPF's suggested amendments to the yogurt, lowfat yogurt, nonfat yogurt, and cultured milk standards.
Back to Context
3. Although FDA requests comments relevant to the IDFA and NMPF petition, FDA does not seek comments regarding the requested amendments to the standards of identity for yogurt, lowfat yogurt, nonfat yogurt, and cultured milk. FDA has already sought and collected comments regarding similar amendments to those standards in a proposed rulemaking. See 74 FR 2443.
Back to Context
4. FDA amended the standard of identity for ice cream to allow for "any safe and suitable sweetener" to be used in ice cream. See "Frozen Desserts: Removal of Standards of Identity for Ice Milk and Goat's Milk Ice Milk; Amendment of Standards of Identity for Ice Cream and Frozen Custard and Goat's Milk Ice Cream" (59 FR 47072, September 14, 1994) (Ref 2). Before FDA's amendment, the standard provided only for "nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners."Show citation box
Back to Context
5. Search costs include the time and energy it would take an average consumer to read a label and determine whether the product contained the nutritive sweetener or the artificial sweetener.

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles...y-products

[David Guyatt]

Why stop with milk?

Why not change the contents of, say, a beef steak - then hide the changes - but simply sell it as a beef steak?

Or anything else, in fact. Call a product a recognisable name to hook the dumb public, but make it from something else altogether. The public don't need to know what exactly, as this would "confuse" them...

Obviously this is not lying.

Like f*ck it's not!

[Magda Hassan]

I'd say don't give them ideas David but I bet they've already long thought of that.