No more Oreos in California?

Dragonlady8 · Guest

Suit seeks ban on Oreo cookies

Tuesday, May 13, 2003 Posted: 5:57 AM EDT (0957 GMT)

11 billion Oreo cookies are eaten each year, according to the company's Web site.

SAN FRANCISCO, California (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 has said the agency will soon require labeling information about trans fats in foods.

Melanie G · Outlaw Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 230 City: Orlando

People are ridiculous

B-rad · Posted: May 13, 2003 6:17 am Post subject:

Agreed.... I love my oreo's! I bet there is some one on this board that argue to their heart's content about the validity of the suit though.

pooser · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 4738

there are foods much worse than oreos. i hope that they dont get banned or whatever otherwise i might have to start buying oreos on ebay or something.

JerZeyGrlWakr1080 · Outlaw Joined: 01 May 2003 Posts: 182 City: Jersey

u would think people paid a lot of money would have better things done with there time, not taking away a favorite food among kids and adults everywhere. whats this world coming to? Rolling Eyes

Kinky · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 218 City: Niagara Falls

Geez... the world is full of CHEMICAL IMBALANCES (sp). Should we be sueing everyone and everything we see? Surprised

Jester · Posted: May 13, 2003 9:07 am Post subject:

Sounds like some bitter fat kid is lookin' for a way to get money to buy some more Oreos. Mr. Green

So if hydrogenated vegetable oils are getting banned, that means butter's gotta go too since it's a totally saturated fat. Say goodbye to all good tasting junk food!

B-rad · Posted: May 13, 2003 9:37 am Post subject:

NO WAY I would Crying or Very sad

if they took away all the stuff I should not be eating, but tastes soooo good.

Jester · Posted: May 13, 2003 9:58 am Post subject:

I'm right there with ya pal. I'd hunt that lawyer down & cram Oreos into his cry-hole until they were spilling out his ears.

Da MOOSE · Posted: May 13, 2003 10:33 am Post subject:

don't you just love these people that try to save "US FROM US"

Grouch · Posted: May 13, 2003 10:45 am Post subject:

As long as I have my daily dose of riddalin, I will be OK.

Chales · Guest

Thats funny because I just finished eating about 12 oreos.

Dees · Posted: May 13, 2003 12:53 pm Post subject:

oreos and all this eye candy evens it out.

subjektive · Outlaw Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 168 City: Mid-West

mmmm......double stuff oreos..... Twisted Evil

subjektive · Outlaw Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 168 City: Mid-West

you would think that these people would have better things to ban....like twinkies Shocked

Bogger · Outlaw Joined: 10 Apr 2003 Posts: 134 City: Augusta, Ga

how can they take away oreos??? who cares if its bad for you or if it has trans fat, it tastes good

criminally_minded · Posted: May 13, 2003 11:03 pm Post subject:

Ban McDonalds. I dare you to try.

nick e[V]ans · Posted: May 14, 2003 2:29 am Post subject:

double dare ya cm

Dragonlady8 · Guest

~ Triple dog dare ya, CM

criminally_minded · Posted: May 14, 2003 4:31 am Post subject:

"Go back to your seat Billy, I double dare you"

"Uhhh... accident.... mistake... tit"

- Billy Madison

Jester · Posted: May 14, 2003 6:18 am Post subject:

OttoNP · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 848 City: MI

This is stupid, if I want to eat trans fat it is my right to do so. If I want to eat styrofoam, plastic, dirt, wood, metal, foam, dog food, catnip, and/or carpet Wink

I should be able to. It should be MY choice. I don't want my choices limited because some idiot in california lacks self control...

Nick
________
MOTORCYCLE TIRES

Bill Y Bob · Posted: May 14, 2003 12:39 pm Post subject:

if they do ban oreos, i'll sneak oreos into california for all cal. boarders Wink

Chales · Guest

Stephen Joseph must be one of those guys that got picked on all the time as a kid.

FRANKIE · Guest

what's the big deal... i eat LOTs of inedible things, daily. everyone does. i guess a lot of people don't realize how much undigestable material they put into their systems. so if you're gonna do it. it might as well be for the glory of a yummy treat - like an oreo(s). okay, seriously... who can eat just one oreo?

Mister C · Posted: May 14, 2003 7:43 pm Post subject:

Whats up with this guy, there are a lot worse things that partially hydrogenated whatever. Also, he should read the labels on food. It's his own fault for putting stuff in his body without seeing what it is. What a crackpot. He probably sucks as a lawyer.

Grouch · Posted: May 15, 2003 5:52 am Post subject:

This entire thread is about cookies.

I thought it was about two black guys having sex with a white woman. Im so dissappointed.