By Kelli Swensen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Ever heard of the Center for Science in the Public Interest? They’re the ones who came up with the label “organic” for foods, made it mandatory for food packaging to list nutrition facts, and many other major health policies and regulations that affect you almost every day. Oprah has even claimed the CSPI as the “master-mind critic that sounded the food alarms.” At it’s heart, the CSPI is the organization responsible for keeping the public informed on health and food related policies, monitoring the food industry’s influence on policies, and fighting for regulations to keep the American food supply safe.

What CSPI is best known for is their award-winning newsletter, Nutrition Action Healthletter. The largest circulation health newsletter in North America, Nutrition Action covers all aspects of food health including groundbreaking studies, explanations of recent policies, food facts, and insight into food companies and brands. We all eat, and this newsletter is one of the best ways to make ourselves informed consumers. To subscribe or learn more about the newsletter, click HERE.

Below are a few examples of past articles that can be found in their archives:

• Food Fears
• Xtreme Eating
• Caffeine!
• Soda Wars
• Cozy Food
• Meat’s Impact
• Brainmakers
• Get Kids Cooking
• Weight Loss Supplements

In addition to the newsletter, the CSPI’s website is beautiful, containing researched and science-backed articles on the latest food trends. Definitely worth checking out, if not even bookmarking. Especially helpful is their Consumer Toolkit which contains links to:

• “What to Eat” – A free download of 10 foods worth incorporating into your diet
• “Score Your Diet” – An online survey that rates your diet based on health, environmental impact, and animal welfare
• “Liquid Candy Tax Calculator” – An online calculator that estimates how much revenue the federal government or your state government could generate from a soda tax. The page also includes up-to-date articles on the ongoing debate over soft drink policies
• “Chemical Cuisine” – An online guide to food additives. More on this next week!

Happy reading!