Here’s a perfect example of how not to “judge a package” by its cover and how you can read food labels safely and with confidence.
It’s also an opportunity for you to do something to help others who don’t know as much as you do about food additives and safety!
On my plane ride back from LA, I eyed this pretty pink package on the snack food cart.
This product (See the pink package below) is a partnership between Delta Airlines and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Now I’m all for partnerships to bring awareness to breast cancer, but in this case there seemed to something astray, because I think we all know that the cheddar bagel chips that were visible through the clear Delta logo are a few steps below goji berries on the superfood list… Click here to read the whole story…
10:23 pm on September 20th, 2007
If you think Cheddar bagel chips are bad, I went to a breast cancer fund raiser where they served/sold pink M&Ms. I have finally got around to reading The China Study by Colin Campbell. This should be required reading in every med school and oncology department across the nation.
Melinda
10:26 pm on September 20th, 2007
Thanks for bringing this really alarming partnership to my attention! What is the BCRF thinking? I was unable to contact them using your link (my own system glitch), and for others who may also need the actual email address to voice their concern, it’s bcrf@bcrfcure.org
Thanks again!
10:30 pm on September 20th, 2007
Thank you so much Kevin for letting us know about this and most of all – making it so easy for us to do something about it. I get grass-roots emails all the time wanting me to help fight CODEX and the like, but I can’t even understand the emails, so I hesitate on sending letters or emails if I can’t sound like an informed, intelligent person. You BLOG on this topic was easy to read and provided an easy way for me to take 5 minutes out of my busy life to let my voice be heard.
Here is my email that I sent (it was easy to reword your example into my own words – thank you):
To whom it may concern,
Were you aware that “Delta Snack Mix”, contains at least 3 ingredients (enriched wheat flour, hydrogenated soybean oil and FD&C Blue #1), that can be directly or indirectly related to heart disease, obesity and cancer?
For an organization that is seeking support to cure cancer, it seems like a contradiction of values to be promoted by a company that makes a product that can potentially cause cancer.
As a consumer and activist, I would recommend removal of your organization’s name from this product and any other product that nutritionally is a contradiction of your goals.
The public is finally getting educated about food and nutrition. In fact, a diet of raw food has been shown to cure cancer. Why hasn’t the Breast Cancer Research Foundation looked into this?
In the meantime, please reconsider the types of products you support to raise money for your campaigns.
11:06 pm on September 20th, 2007
Good article. I thought sending the email was very worthwhile and didn’t hesitate to take action. Keep up the good work!
12:13 am on September 21st, 2007
Like many have said before, the medical industry promotes sickness, not health. My mother lost her battle with breast cancer in 1978. The American Cancer Society, as well as these other organizations have only lost ground in the battle since then if you look at the numbers. Since money is what matters to these corporations, we would all do better to invest our money in our own health rather than give it away to medical research. This would make a much larger difference in the long run. Imagine if people only purchased organic produce. Just that one change would decrease cancer more than the medical industry has been able to.
12:35 am on September 21st, 2007
Good start Kevin!
It is kind of like the biologists getting thrown out of the land management offices for daring to suggest that our 275,000 toxic waste dumps ( in the continental U.S. alone) can be cleaned up! The toxic waste dump management guys would be out of a job!
So would the American Cancer Society guys if people stopped eating junk that comes in pretty pink packages.
But enough people writing them and telling them the game is up would of course change things.
How about a comprehensive list of all the carcinogenic additives in food that can be circulated widely??
1:20 am on September 21st, 2007
Well, here in Belgium we have big BBQ parties to support cancer research all the time. It’s sad …
Recently I flew to NY with Amercian Airlines. The dinner was “a light snack surprise” consisting of Pringle Chips and sugar laden snack bars. I complained that this was not proper food. The flight attendant said sorry and threw the snack away … I sent an e-mail to AA but didn’t get an answer … so educating people is of most importance ! Good work and great initiative, Kevin !
1:59 am on September 21st, 2007
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to give back. I sent the message right away. I hope someone actually “gets” the message!
Rock on!
2:36 am on September 21st, 2007
Chipotle, not chipolte!
4:18 am on September 21st, 2007
Thanks for this article Kevin. I find it frustrating when good-willed people do all sorts of things to support cancer research (like organise marathons and events to raise money) yet totally miss the link between what they put in their mouths and cancer. I’ve accepted your invitation and emailed Breast Cancer Research Foundation with your text plus a few words of my own. Wishing you a lovely day
6:39 am on September 21st, 2007
Ah Kevin,
Thanks for this! I wonder…who gets the $$ for breast cancer research. If it is mainly the big pharmaceuticals, then what are the chances that the “findings” will include poisonous chemical cocktails that the researching companies can patent for profit??
isabella
7:33 am on September 21st, 2007
Thanks Kevin:
I am so glad you presented us with your findings through this article; I also enjoyed your importing of humor to the topic. I already sent my letter to the BCRF. Please continue to do this…especially with CODEX issues. I think it is important for everyone to understand WHY they should be eating raw, health and living foods and WHY natural health and the freedom to know and choose is so vital. I find MANY only know they should – so they start and fall off the wagon. They are not empowered by knowledge and information that is honest and understandable – so they can become truly passionate and take true pride in their choice for a raw and health lifestyle…one they will WANT to hold onto for life. Thanks Again, Karen
9:14 am on September 21st, 2007
You know, when I looked at the picture of the “snack food” package Kevin posted, I “misread” the word “Flying” as “Lying”. Maybe it wasn’t a misread.
9:28 am on September 21st, 2007
Right On Kevin,
a quick scan down any supermarket breakfast cereal asile
would reveal the same sort of false misleading advertising….
the good news is….awareness is growing and they know it and they know they aren’t in the game….or they wouldnt even be putting such terms on their packaging…
walmart is scrambling for a share of the organic market place….let’s hope airlines and cancer organizations spending billions on researching won’t be far behind-perhaps the cancer research billions might be better spent
on reasearching what we breathe in or put into and on our bodies that creates cancer…
9:39 am on September 21st, 2007
I really enjoyed this blog, and I did take the time to write an e-mail, because you are spot on in your concern. It is so hypocritical of the Breast Cancer Industry, and just proves once again that they only care about money, not women’s health. I hate to be so negative, but I seriously doubt they care what we think as the cash is rolling in to their bank accounts. People, it’s up to us to stay educated and take charge of our health. Do not depend on anyone else to do it for you, or to take care of you. They only want your money, so stay smart. And healthy! Spending money on better foods means spending way less money on healthcare. A healthy population is also better able to stand up for itself, and stay aware of when our rights and freedom are being taken away. It’s the TRUE ticket to freedom, and should be our patriotic duty to grow an organic garden to help limit our dependence on foreign oil, and get our butts out of iraq. I got way off course here, but it all ties in together. Every bite you take counts.. So make the right choices!
9:57 am on September 21st, 2007
Thanks Kevin,
It’s bad when an organization as huge a this continues to lie that they are trying to find a cure when they help promote the disease. Secondly no “health care” system is looking for a cure because in some states it’s against the law to cure a person of a disease. Keep your money in your pocket not this organizations and keep eating raw
Keep reporting the truth Kevin.
10:11 am on September 21st, 2007
The Breast Cancer Foundation and all others like it (Heart & Stroke, Liver Foundation, Diabetes Foundation, etc.) are businesses disguised as charities. They’re in bed with BIG-PHARMA to promote sickness, as was pointed out in one of the other comments. There’s no money in promoting broccoli and raw/living foods as a cure for cancer. I just read an article a few days ago in The Globe and Mail (Canada’s national newspaper) that only 2% of all the money spent on cancer research is spent on prevention! All the others who’ve commented already saying that we’re best off educating ourselves and spending money on our own health care programs – i.e. – a living foods lifestyle – are bang on. Governments and cancer societies are not going to save us
To your personal and planetary health,
Nimisha
11:05 am on September 21st, 2007
what a great story and with a way to do something about it. I also wrote to them and offered to assist them in getting truly organic, non-GMO, raw whole food snacks to substitute. You can see them at my website: http://www.specialized-systems.thewholefoodfarmacy.com
I think I will followup to see if anyone even reads the e-mails and if so, what that person actually thinks – IF I can even get through to them. I actually grew up next door to Suzy Komen, she was my babysitter ! They do good work, but not sure they have a clue about what really causes breast cancer ! One day, with people like you/us it WILL BE DIFFERENT !! thanks for all your VERY valuable and specific information !
peace and love
Suzy Karasik
12:19 pm on September 21st, 2007
Thank you for the article… Enough has been said by other people here, and i can not add more. I just emailed the foundation myself- awareness IS growing, those who work for the money tower will recognize it very soon IMO
6:27 pm on September 21st, 2007
I send it – THANKS KEVIN for info. It is good to react, be dynamic, respond. Vito
1:13 am on September 22nd, 2007
Kevin.
you rule!
Thanks you.
I enjoy your sarcasm.
Blue #1 is fierce!!
Green Beams to you!
THANK YOU for Raw Summit
1:53 am on September 22nd, 2007
Kevin,
Good on you to spot this and then take action.
I have little (make that ‘no’) time for cancer research charities, they are possibly worse than the pharmaceutical companies, in that they disguise their desire for cash as doing good to others, for no personal gain. They exist only because they refuse to speak out the truth about behind cancer etc, after all the message would cost little to disseminate and then they’d be out of work!
As some have mentioned, I think they give not a jot about the opinions of those such as us, who can actually figure out what is going on, they know that their generous audience is oblivious to the ‘fringe’ health movement.
If anyone has the time, or contacts, I’d suggest some letters into the more mainstream media, or traditional health areas. This case would be a hard one for BCRF to respond to, other than to confess ineptitude in placing product approval/advertising.
It will be interesting to hear if they respond to anyone and what they will have to say.
3:28 pm on September 22nd, 2007
as long a people remain naive about the poisons laced into what they are conditioned to accept as food, there will be customers persuaded by the misleading notion that they are doing something positive.
Naivety is at the heart of all of this as well as the perpetrated notion that disease claims victims as though it is an active entity in it’s own right.
That charity foodpack is a twin exploitation by companies. They can’t be completely ignorant- enough has been published about dodgy ingredients- for them to claim innocence.
Thanks Kevin for all your work.
9:34 pm on September 22nd, 2007
Mildly interesting article, but really irritating that I had to go through 4 pages to get what amounted to about 2 paragraphs of information. Certainly not an efficient use of time (although neither is writing this comment).
12:33 pm on September 23rd, 2007
Hi Kevin
Well done for raising this subject.
Bill C.
12:29 pm on September 25th, 2007
I am so glad a friend hooked me up to your website. Thank you for all your good work. I sent the e-mail as well.
I also went on the below website today for a similar reason. Health freedom!!! We are at war on so many fronts, like Big Pharma, Codex and the FDA.
Ron Paul is the best!! in the political arena, to further our cause for health freedom. He is running for President. Without our health, we cannot change any of the other restrictive measures the global power brokers are burdening us with. Go on this site and support him,if your heart and spirit says so! But at least go on this site.
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/health-freedom/
10:09 pm on September 26th, 2007
Thank you Kevin. My mother died from ALS 11 years ago. At that time, I had never heard of a raw food diet. NO ONE suggested that we try food to cure her. I can remember my dad squeezing Ensure into her feed bag. What if I would have squeezed in a green smoothie?? I can never know, but I hope to help those who suffer from this disease now, and in the future. Thank you for mentioning this disease, it is dealy and with no known cure at this time. Andrea Pappas
1:19 am on September 27th, 2007
I totally agree! I had this same thought when my sister forwarded me an email asking people to buy M&M’s Pink & White candies b/c $0.50 per bag would be donated to breast cancer research through their association with the Susan G Kolman (sp?) foundation. What a joke! I emailed her back that I would *not* be forwarding her email b/c I didn’t feel right encouraging people to eat the very things that are associated with cancer: excess sugar, fat and fake food colors!
WAKE UP people! Serious! The marketing “geniuses” at these huge fake food manufacturers aren’t even disguising their attempts to sell more products by making associations with organizations that hit so close to home, and so close to the heart. Sigh….I guess they know that most Americans are so comatose and zoned out from all the sugar and fat, that they probably won’t even make the absurd connection!!
8:44 am on December 7th, 2007
Pink Ribbons are everywhere! Just recently I saw a box of Donuts covered in sugar glaze and chocolate sitting at the nurse’s desk of the Acute care floor at the hospital where I work…and of course the box had a great big pink ribbon on it! That is the most insane thing I have seen for quite awhile. So many things wrong with that picture…I am sure the Doctors and Nurses munched on them all day, showing there support for the BCRF.
Give me a break!
8:46 am on December 7th, 2007
Oh yeah, I forgot to add that we have a local community group called Citizens for Better Health that is constantly raising funds by having Hot dog & Bake sales…What the?!?!?!@$@#$