Lawsuit Seeks to Ban Kids From Eating Oreos!

***Cycleon*** · 05-12-2003, 09:11 PM

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SAN FRANCISCO - Kids in California may have to give up their Oreos, if a lawsuit filed by a San Francisco public interest lawyer is successful.

The lawsuit, filed last week in Marin County superior court, seeks a ban on the black and white cookies, arguing the trans fats that make the filling creamy and the cookie crisp are too dangerous for children to eat.

Stephen Joseph said he filed the suit against Nabisco, the maker of Oreos, after reading articles that said the artificial fat is hidden in most packaged food, though consumers have no way of knowing.

The big difference between this suit and others that have targeted tobacco and McDonald's fast food is that consumers know that tobacco is bad for their health and that McDonald's food contains a lot of fat, Joseph said.

"Trans fat is not the same thing at all. Very few people know about it," he said, explaining that his suit focuses on the fact that trans fats are hidden dangers being marketed to children.

Nabisco officials were not immediately available for comment. They have 30 days from the May 5 filing date to respond to the suit.

The National Academy of Sciences (news - web sites)' Institute of Medicine (news - web sites), which advises the government on health policy, said last summer that this kind of fat should not be consumed at all. It is directly associated with heart disease and with LDL cholesterol, the 'bad' kind that accumulates in arteries.

But the U.S. Department of Agriculture (news - web sites) said partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which contain trans fats, are present in about 40 percent of the food on grocery store shelves. Cookies, crackers, and microwave popcorn are the biggest carriers of trans fats, which are created when hydrogen is bubbled through oil to produce a margarine that doesn't melt at room temperature and increases the product's shelf life.

The Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) has tried to force food companies to list trans fat content with other nutritional information on food packages, but manufacturers have challenged the rule. Even food labeled "low in cholesterol" or "low in saturated fats" may have high percentages of trans fats.

Informing customers about trans fats on food labels could prevent 7,600 to 17,100 cases of coronary heart disease and 2,500 to 5,600 deaths per year, the FDA has estimated.

Joseph said he has targeted Nabisco because, while other major snack food makers have reduced the amount of trans fats in their products, Nabisco has not.

As stupid and overly intrusive as I think this is I think its about time they go after the real health culprits out there and it isnt juice!

**BLOOD** · 05-12-2003, 10:20 PM

That's pretty funny... at least it explains why oreos are so good. They're daemonically delicious....

**symatech** · 05-12-2003, 11:10 PM

i will NEVER stop eating my oreos!! period...

**wrstlr69sdnl** · 05-12-2003, 11:18 PM

thats going to be on a source list pretty soon 20 pk 20ml per middle cream lol

hey I live in cali damn

**Rickson** · 05-12-2003, 11:29 PM

Wait a minute. Oreos aren't good for you? A couple of kids explode and I can't eat anything anymore.

**painintheazz** · 05-13-2003, 05:28 AM

HAHAHA, WTF, you know I am all about diet and being healthy but there is a point were I even say if someone wants to eat something let it be, if the kids are sick with being fat they will do something about it, like me!! And if I want a fucking oreo to cheat with I want a OREO... Freedom is more important to me.

Pain

**jeffylyte** · 05-13-2003, 05:38 AM

freedom is important to me too, but it seems a shame that the FDA can't make the damn companies list the trans fats in the nutrition info. I bet like many lawsuits this one is really aimed at getting this done. Much like how the courts can't rule the pledge unconstitutional (which everybody seems to quote, but isnt the case) and can only dictate that it not be said in schools, the courts can't ban oreos. thats a legislative function. I am really wondering how this will turn out. will it be money? I hope so since most companies are risk adverse and they will probably settle and start listing the stuff on the nutritional label as they should.

anyway, don't take my damn oreos (especially the fudge covererd kind...yum

), just tell me what are in the damn things!

**willpharmd** · 05-13-2003, 07:01 AM

I think the lawsuit is rediculous. I mean come on, to actually ban oreas. I do however think the companies should list ALL of the nutritional content. I mean 3/4 of the population doesn't care if they eat pure fat every day of their lives. The lawyers arguments make sense, but I think this just boils down to the almighty dollar.

**ripped4fsu** · 05-13-2003, 07:43 AM

Originally posted by wrstlr69sdnl
thats going to be on a source list pretty soon 20 pk 20ml per middle cream lol

DAMN!! now I gotta get my oreo's in mexico too?!?

**Cali** · 05-13-2003, 08:34 AM

Geez, there's a lawsuit for everything out there. Who the hell comes up with this stuff?! Banning cookies...I can see the post office now scanning boxes for cookies. Might make it easier to ship gear if they're overly concerned about Oreos.

**mammoth** · 05-13-2003, 09:16 AM

Its not Keebler's respoonsibility to worry about Kids health habits. Its the parents responsibility to govern what the kids eat and don't eat. My child DOES NOT get to eat whatever she wants. I do let her have treats, but only after meals and maybe as a reward. She DOES NOT eat oreos for breakfast or as a meal period! I think the lawsuit is just as ridiculous as the lawsuit brought against McDonalds. I am getting sick and tired of the parents in this world passing the buck on issues such as this.

**Terinox** · 05-13-2003, 09:29 AM

Ah, screw it, I never really liked Oreo's to begin with

But this shit is REALLY getting out of hand. We should create a new organization, consisting of AR members to go around and kick these peoples asses!!!

**SilverSiR** · 05-13-2003, 09:44 AM

I hate fuckin frivioulus lawsuits like this, where a bunch of lobbyist try to tell me what I can do and what I can not do. It's like mother's group who try to banned singers like Marilyn Manson and Eminem from playing in their hometown. Where the easiest thing to do is not let their kids go to the concerts and not depreiving other people of Manson or Eminem. Some people think they have to mother society to their values, but don't understand that everyone has different morals and beliefs. I especially want to beat up Tipper Gore for this reason, go home and fuck your faggity-ass husband and let me have the right to choose the music I want to listen to.

**daem** · 05-13-2003, 10:30 AM

Originally posted by BLOOD
They're daemonically delicious....

rightfully so, however not as daemonically delicious as me

**wrstlr69sdnl** · 05-13-2003, 04:14 PM

Just made a trip back from mexico with 5 pks of oreo whos interestid will sell oops I became a source and didnt even know it pm me for those oh so creamy oreos

**bigtraps** · 05-13-2003, 04:18 PM

Originally posted by wrstlr69sdnl
Just made a trip back from mexico with 5 pks of oreo whos interestid will sell oops I became a source and didnt even know it pm me for those oh so creamy oreos

I love Mexi oreo's...Yeah!

**Buddha_Red** · 05-13-2003, 05:45 PM

never blame to person that eats bag after bag of the cookies.

Just call a lawyer. Dont exercise, sue for 20 million.

What a world hehe

**Devourer** · 06-04-2003, 04:25 PM

oh man i just heard about this after my pack a day double stuff habit. i gotta kick these things man. does anybody know a good oreo withdrawal program?