Milk industry petitions FDA to allow artificial sweeteners "silently" added to milk.

SunnyD

Belgian Waffler
Jan 2, 2001
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www.neftastic.com
The petition was filed back in 2009 so this may be a repost from back in the day, but the FDA has just published it and is just now allowing an "open comment period" on the merits of this petition.

Link

Basically, the industry wants to add shit like aspartame or sucralose to milk and milk products like yogurt without having to label the product or add those items to the ingredient listing on the labels.

Yeah... :\

Milk has no added sugar, but the dairy industry is asking the Food and Drug Administration to allow it to add artificial sweeteners in the hopes of creating a lower-calorie milk product that will attract more consumers. The only catch: They don't want to announce the reduction in calories due to the sweetener on the label.

Currently the FDA regulation states that milk can contain only "nutritive sweeteners," which have calories and are recognized as safe by the FDA. According to the journal for the U.S. government, the Federal Register, the International Dairy Association (IDFA) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) have asked the agency to allow the industry to use "any safe and suitable" sweetener and "allow optional characterizing flavoring ingredients used in milk (e.g., chocolate flavoring added to milk) to be sweetened with any safe and suitable sweetener — including non-nutritive sweeteners such as aspartame." The industry believes that offering lower-calorie flavored milks, such as chocolate milk, will benefit school children who are more inclined to drink flavored milks. This lower-calorie product, they believe, will help in the fight against childhood obesity.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
58,516
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But it's for the children. You must be a terrorist. Why do you hate America?
 

BlitzPuppet

Platinum Member
Feb 4, 2012
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They believe, will help in the fight against childhood obesity.

Would make sense if the majority of childhood obesity was caused by the kids drinking milk....but more often than not I'm sure that it's caused by the kids drinking soda/junk food...and those children probably don't include milk in their diets at all.
 

Colt45

Lifer
Apr 18, 2001
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I hadn't realised the obesity epidemic was due to chocolate milk.

Milk is pretty self limiting, too rich. Worry more about juice and cola.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,344
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dah fuck?

i drank (and still do) gallons of milk a week and was scrawny as shit. you know why? cause my mom didn't cook like shit and i actually went outside and played after school instead of sitting behind a computer or xbox for hours.

although, i did sit behind snes/genesis for HOURS as a kid. but still went outside to play and run around.
 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
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i don't see anything in the federal register saying it doesn't have to be added to the ingredient list. what they want is to not have to put 'Reduced Calorie Chocolate Milk' on the front of the package because they used aspartame rather than sugar in the chocolate additive.


Would make sense if the majority of childhood obesity was caused by the kids drinking milk....but more often than not I'm sure that it's caused by the kids drinking soda/junk food...and those children probably don't include milk in their diets at all.

8 oz of typical chocolate or strawberry school milk has about as much sugar in it as coke.
 
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KeithTalent

Elite Member | Administrator | No Lifer
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Nov 30, 2005
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Wow, if that were to happen up here I would have to start buying from local farms or buy my own cow. :hmm:

KT
 

mmntech

Lifer
Sep 20, 2007
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In other words they want to sell low grade milk and use cheap artificial sweeteners to disguise it. Classy.
 

phucheneh

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2012
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wtf?

Who sweetens milk? If it needs some more taste, quit drinking skim. I would stop drinking milk if I had to buy it with sugar in it.
 

BlitzPuppet

Platinum Member
Feb 4, 2012
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8 oz of typical chocolate or strawberry school milk has about as much sugar in it as coke.

How many kids do you know pick milk/flavored milk over soda? I used to drink a TON of milk as a kid but I grew way to fast (osgood schlotter's) Least milk has vitamins/minerals in it where sodas have zilch.

Plus like stated above sodas don't fill like milk does :D.
 

ElFenix

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How many kids do you know pick milk/flavored milk over soda? I used to drink a TON of milk as a kid but I grew way to fast (osgood schlotter's) Least milk has vitamins/minerals in it where sodas have zilch.

Plus like stated above sodas don't fill like milk does :D.

i don't know any kids. coke is getting banned from schools. so i'd imagine, in the school setting, if you're buying lunch, you're getting milk.




In other words they want to sell low grade milk and use cheap artificial sweeteners to disguise it. Classy.

and that's different from using cheap caloric sweeteners to sell low grade milk how?
 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
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Low fat chocolate milk has about 25 grams of fat per 8 oz while a 12 oz coke has 39. So thats roughly the same.

Take away the sugar and low fat chocolate milk is pretty darn healthy. So the idea of using an artificial sweetener is logical. However, not labeling it is bullshit.
 

TwiceOver

Lifer
Dec 20, 2002
13,544
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I quit drinking milk regularly over a year ago. Now when I do drink a little bit it tastes so sour and awful. I don't get why they need to fuck with milk though.
 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,559
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I quit drinking milk regularly over a year ago. Now when I do drink a little bit it tastes so sour and awful. I don't get why they need to fuck with milk though.

About 15 years ago I remember when the milk industry lobbied to extend the "sell by date" on milk.
I noticed after that milk often didn't taste as good.
 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
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I'm sure the geneticists at Monsanto are trying to develop a cow that produces sucralose in its milk "naturally"
 

BlitzPuppet

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Feb 4, 2012
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i don't know any kids. coke is getting banned from schools. so i'd imagine, in the school setting, if you're buying lunch, you're getting milk.

Aren't vending machines just being banned? What about kids that take in their lunches? I remember bringing juice boxes because my mom wouldn't let me bring cokes.

Besides carbonated beverage + track 2 classes later = puking my guts out. Did it once and that was enough of a lesson for me.

Low fat chocolate milk has about 25 grams of fat per 8 oz while a 12 oz coke has 39. So thats roughly the same.

Coke has fat? :eek: