Family Life

03.18.10 | FL News Team

Kraft Foods says it plans to cut sodium levels in its North American products by about ten percent over the next two years. The company joins others in the food and beverage sector making changes, due to growing government pressure to make their products healthier. Kraft's announcement comes the day after PepsiCo said it will halt sales of its full-sugar soft drinks to K-through-12 schools worldwide by 2012. Kraft says its sodium-cutting plan will take more than ten-million pounds of salt out of some of its most popular products such as Oreo cookies, Ritz crackers and Velveeta cheese.

 Lawmakers in more than a dozen states around the country want to impose a tax on sugary beverages like soft drinks to cover obesity-related health costs. First Lady Michelle Obama is leading a nationwide initiative called Let's Move to combat the problem of childhood obesity. She has urged food manufacturers to step up their product reformulation and repackaging efforts. Mrs. Obama says food companies should rethink their products and how those products are marketed with the health of children in mind. Both the American Beverage Association and the Grocery Manufacturers Association have pledged to help in the effort.