Keith Keeney, VP Communications, defends his Calorie Control Council
against critique by Beau Brendler at consumerwebwatch.org: Murray
2007.08.09
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1460


http://weblog.consumerwebwatch.org/theunsponsoredlink/2007/07/why_the_hon_code_i\
s_worthless.html


Why the HON Code is Worthless

The Health On the Net Foundation <http://www.hon.ch/>
was, I'm sure, founded with great intentions,
and probably still has them,
but the seal has become meaningless as a consumer education tool.

Briefly, its eight-point code is the foundation for giving out seals
that health Web sites paste to themselves to demonstrate
that they are reliable sources of health information.

The points include reliability, transparency, disclosure of funding,
and other principles, similar to WebWatch's credibility guidelines
<http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/consumer-reports-webwatch-guidelines.cfm>.

(HON's origins in 1995 precede WebWatch by six years).
So take a look at the Calorie Control Council's Web site
<http://www.caloriecontrol.org/>
which displays a HON seal.

The Calorie Control Council, "established in 1966," says the site,
"is an international non-profit association representing
the low-calorie and reduced-fat food and beverage industry.

Today it represents 60 manufacturers and suppliers
of low-calorie, low-fat and light foods and beverages,
including the manufacturers and suppliers of more than a dozen
different dietary sweeteners, fat replacers
and other low-calorie ingredients."

OK, I'm very glad the site discloses this,
though the link is a little hard to find
(on the home page, towards the bottom,
by the copyright notice, Calorie Control Council is linked).

But who are those 60 manufacturers and suppliers?
Are they not the same manufacturers
that create the high-calorie versions of the same kinds of food?

Can their Web site be trusted to be a good source of unbiased
information for dieters?

If you go to this page
<http://www.caloriecontrol.org/candp.html> on the site,
there's a list under the heading,
"A Select List of Companies and Products Serving Health-Conscious
Consumers,"
and on it are some of the world's biggest food multinationals,
i.e., Coca-Cola, Archer Daniels Midland and Cadbury.

Are these actually the companies that fund the "Calorie Control Council"?
The site is produced by a PR firm, Kellen Interactive
<http://www.kelleninteractive.com/>,
which also created a pro-aspartame site <http://www.aspartametruth.net/>
that references the Calorie Control Council at the bottom.

(Note also that "Calorie Control Newsnet,"
the "news" section at the top of the Calorie Control Council site,
leads with a story about the New Zealand government's conclusion
that aspartame is safe.

Note also there is a slightly panicky anti-aspartame site with a similar
URL,
but with a .com suffix.

We won't arbitrate on aspartame here, but this
<http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20070626/aspartame-safety-study-stirs-emotions>

is probably closer to the reality at the moment).

There may be good information here,
but in light of HON's principles, how did it get a seal?

Posted by Beau Brendler on July 20, 2007 03:23 PM
<http://weblog.consumerwebwatch.org/theunsponsoredlink/2007/07/why_the_hon_code_\
is_worthless.html>


[ www.consumerwebwatch.org/letters-to-the-editor.cfm

www.consumerwebwatch.org/dynamic/beau-brendler.cfm

Beau Brendler is the director of Consumer Reports WebWatch, the leader
in investigative reporting on trust and credibility in the online
marketplace. To date, WebWatch's credibility campaign has led more than
170 sites, including /The New York Times/, CNET, HP, Barnes & Noble, The
Mayo Clinic, CNN, Monster, HotJobs, Travelocity and Orbitz to agree to
uphold the WebWatch credibility guidelines, making steps toward
improving the integrity of the Web.

Brendler joined Consumers Union in February 2001 to launch WebWatch
http://www.consumerwebwatch.org
The organization's research and investigative reports have been written
about by many of the world's major news organizations and leading U.S.
newspapers. WebWatch's work on Web credibility has been translated into
more than 30 languages, from Icelandic to Malay. Prior to joining
Consumers Union, Brendler was editorial director and a founder of ABC
News.com. He was asked to help launch the TV network's news site and
create its newsroom while working in Washington on ABC News' PoliticsNow
site, a joint venture with the /Washington Post/ and /National Journal/.
He had been news editor of the PoliticsUSA site, created by /National
Journal/ and The Hotline. Brendler was also editor-in-chief of two
Washington-based technology magazines, now owned by the Washington Post Co.

During his tenure at ABC News.com, the site won most of online
journalism's major honors, including two consecutive Society of
Professional Journalists' first-place awards for breaking news, for
coverage of the Kosovo war, and for the sinking of the Russian submarine
Kursk; the first-ever Online News Association first-place award, for
breaking news coverage of the World Trade Organization protests in
Seattle; the Radio and Television News Directors Association's 2001
Edward R. Murrow award for best television news-affiliated site; the
People's Voice Award Webby for best news site; two consecutive Best
Digital Journalism Awards from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation; and top news honors from the Southeast Asian Journalists
Association and the National Association of Black Journalists, among
others.

Individually, Brendler has won several reporting awards, including the
1993 C.B. Blethen Memorial Award for Distinguished Investigative
Reporting. He is an oft-cited source on online credibility, consumer
awareness, privacy and security, media issues and search engines. As
WebWatch's director he has been quoted in /The New York Times/, the
/Wall Street Journal/, /Associated Press/, /Reuters/, /Houston
Chronicle/, /Chicago Tribune/,/ Kansas City Star/, /Christian Science
Monitor/, /Business Week/, /InformationWeek/, the /Wall Street Journal/
and dozens of other publications.

He created, organized and oversaw WebWatch's national summit on Web
credibility in New York City in April, 2003. He has led or participated
in Web credibility research efforts in the U.K., the Netherlands,
Slovenia and Portugal, involving representatives from Thailand,
Malaysia, Russia, Lithuania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and
many others.

Brendler started his journalism career at weekly newspapers in Seattle,
Wash., and then as a reporter and assistant city editor at the
/Anchorage Times/ daily newspaper in Alaska until its buyout and closure
in 1992. He taught journalism at the University of Maryland, College
Park, and covered the White House, Pentagon and Congress on the
technology beat for Thomson publications. He lives in Patterson, N.Y.,
with wife Priscilla, daughter Olivia and son Alexander. ]



http://weblog.consumerwebwatch.org/theunsponsoredlink/2007/08/keith_keeney_of_ca\
lorie_contro.html


Calorie Control Council Responds to HON Seal Post

Keith Keeney, vice president of communications for the Calorie Control
Council, writes this response to our July 20 post
<http://weblog.consumerwebwatch.org/theunsponsoredlink/2007/07/why_the_hon_code_\
is_worthless.html>
on the Health on the Net Foundation seal.

It's broken into two parts, so click on the "continue reading more" link
below to go to the whole page.

At the bottom are my responses.

Dear Mr. Brendler,

The Calorie Control Council (the "Council") is concerned
about some inaccuracies in your article entitled,
"Why the HON is Worthless," which appeared on your blog on July 27, 2007.

We would like to provide you with the following information
regarding the Council's use of the Health On the Net Foundation (HON) seal.

The Council applied for this seal and our site
was reviewed and approved on January 26, 2001.

The site was reviewed again by HON on July 29, 2005 and approved yet again.

The accreditation is here:
http://www.hon.ch/HONcode/Conduct.html?HONConduct376983

As you know, in order to be approved for the HON seal,
Web sites must go through a rigorous review process by the HON committee
to ensure the Web site follows the HON's eight principles.

The following explains how the Council's Web site
( www.caloriecontrol.org ) meets all eight of the HON's principles as
described here
http://www.hon.ch/HONcode/Conduct.html

1. Authoritative -- At the bottom of the site there is a disclaimer that notes,
"This site is designed primarily as an educational resource.
It is not intended to provide medical advice on personal health matters
or to guide treatment -- which is only appropriately done
by a qualified health professional."

2. Complementary -- As noted above, the Council clearly states
that the information contained on this Web site should not replace
the doctor-patient relationship and is only intended as an educational
resource.

3. Privacy -- Caloriecontrol.org respects the privacy and confidentiality
of its visitors, and does not require visitors to submit any personal
information.

4. Attribution --The information contained on the Web site
is referenced with scientific studies and research.

For example, this brochure on acesulfame potassium
( http://www.caloriecontrol.org/acesulf.html )
provides a link for references in order to support the information
provided.

In addition, the vast majority of the information the Council presents
is based on public information from government and reputable health
organizations
such as the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Mayo Clinic,
American Diabetes Association, etc.
Examples: "Artificial Sweeteners: No Calories? Sweet!" on the FDA site:
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2006/406_sweeteners.html
and "Artificial Sweeteners: A safe alternative to sugar" on the Mayo
Clinic site:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-diet/NU00592

Also, as required by the HON principles,
the date when a clinical page was last modified is clearly displayed.

5. Justifiability -- Claims regarding the benefits and safety
of low-calorie foods and beverages made on the Web site
are carefully supported by scientific research and from information
from the FDA, Mayo Clinic, American Dietetic Association,
American Medical Association, etc.

6. Transparency -- As you noted, the Council discloses it
"is an international non-profit association
representing the low-calorie and reduced-fat food and beverage industry."

The link to our About page
(although we realize you seem to prefer a separate button for that)
is on every page of our site, not just the homepage.

7. Financial disclosure -- The Council discloses its funding sources
on its Companies and Products page as required by the HON principles.

8. Advertising Policy -- There is no advertising on the Council's Web site.
Your article took issue with the fact that caloriecontrol.org
presents an industry's point of view.

However, the Council is simply communicating information provided by
government, respected scientists and major health organizations.

Numerous studies indicate low-calorie foods and beverages are safe
and provide consumers many benefits and the Council provides information
on this subject to reassure the millions of consumers
who enjoy and benefit from the availability of these products.

In addition, you included a link to a negative WebMD article on aspartame.

However, we feel you should have also directed your readers
to articles written by WebMD that are positive with regard
to aspartame's safety, such as
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/which-artificial-sweetner-is-right-for-you?pa\
ge=2

and http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20060404/aspartame-cancer-link-refuted

It appears the Council's Web site would also qualify for the
Consumer Reports WebWatch Guidelines,
and we thank you for bringing that to our attention.

We will apply for this honorable accreditation
and modify any parts of our Web site that do not adhere to these
guidelines.

We believe the Council�s Web site explicitly follows the guidelines
of the HON seal and provides consumers with relevant,
scientifically documented information on the ingredients
used in the wide variety of low-calorie foods and beverages.

And in answer to your question,
"Can their Web site be trusted to be a good source
of unbiased information for dieters?"
we would like to point out that HON is not in the business
of evaluating whether information provided is "unbiased" --
that is not their purpose nor should it be.

Instead, the requirement is to abide by the "attribution" standard,
meaning information contained on this site is supported
by clear references to source data,
which we have done with relevant references and links.

Also, please note that the Council has not hired a "PR agency".

Instead, the Council, a small, nonprofit trade organization
without a large budget, formed in 1966,
is professionally staffed by the Kellen Company,
an association management company (AMC).

Wikipedia has a good explanation of AMC's here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_management_company

Kellen Interactive is the Internet division of the Kellen Company.

We respectfully submit this information
in hopes of some corrections or clarification.

We have no doubt that some organizations and web sites
have mistakenly and unethically used the HON seal,
but caloriecontrol.org clearly is not one of those,
and we would like to see the record set straight.

Thank you for your consideration of our request.

Sincerely,
Keith Keeney
Vice President, Communications
Calorie Control Council [ webmaster@... 404-252-3663 ]

www.culinary.net/resources/commoditiesassocs/caloriecontrolcouncil.html

Calorie Control Council
Headquarters:
5775 Peachtree-Dunwoody Rd.
Suite 500-G Atlanta, Georgia 30342 U.S.A.

Office: 404-252-3663 Fax: 404-252-0774
Web address: www.caloriecontrol.org
Key Contact:
Lyn Nabors, Executive Director
Keith Keeney, Director of Communications

Number of Members: 60

Qualifications: Manufacturer or Distributor of low-calorie, reduced-fat
or light food or beverage.

Description:
International non-profit trade association
of companies that make low-calorie and reduced-fat foods and beverages,
and the ingredients that make these products possible. ]


Here's my response:

First, thanks for writing! We appreciate it.

Second, we stand by the earlier post. Here's why.

1. We didn't say, or mean to imply, that the Calorie Control Council's site
somehow came by its seal inappropriately.

The post criticizes the HON seal, hence its headline.
The blog post also notes HON's intentions are probably good
and that there's probably good information on the CCC site.

WebWatch has published some research on HON and health seals here
<http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/dynamic/health-report-assessing-health-sites-ab\
stract.cfm>


2. Mr. Keeney is correct:
"We would like to point out that HON is not in the business
of evaluating whether information provided is 'unbiased.' "
That's the central point of the post,
and central to our criticism of the HON seal.

3. We didn't link to a negative article about aspartame.
We linked to an article on WebMD about the emotional debate
surrounding aspartame which, in fact, quotes the Calorie Control Council.
We thank you for the additional links.

4. We didn't say the Calorie Control Council hired a PR agency.
We said the site is produced by a PR firm.
Kellen Interactive on its home page markets its services as
"website creation, website promotion and Internet marketing."
Promotion and marketing are synonymous functions with public relations.

For more about Kellen, its various divisions and its clients,
read this entry on SourceWatch
<http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Kellen_Communications>
and this one
<http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Calorie_Control_Council>

Further, the Wikipedia entry cited in Mr. Keeney's letter on
"association management companies" lists as its primary source
an "AMC Institute News Release."
Clicking on that link leads you here
<http://www.amcinstitute.org/newsroom/index.cfm>
to the Web site of the AMC Institute,
"the source for professional association management companies."

On the home page of the AMC site,
the two main media contacts listed,
Stan Samples and Kate Grusich,
are employees of Kellen Communications.

5. There is no "about us" link on the home page.
The link is as I described it.
The "Companies and Products Page" is also as I described it,
a list of companies, under the heading,
"A Select List of Companies and Products Serving Health-Conscious
Consumers."
It doesn't say, "these are the companies that fund the Calorie Control
Council."

In addition, the site's URL describes a valence, not an organization.
"caloriecontrol.org" sounds like a Web site about dieting.
"caloriecontrolcouncil.org" sounds like the Web site
of an industry organization, which is what this Web site is.

Posted by Beau Brendler on August 7, 2007 04:26 PM
<http://weblog.consumerwebwatch.org/theunsponsoredlink/2007/08/keith_keeney_of_c\
alorie_contro.html>

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


aspartame bans, tis more an avalanche than a trend...:
Rich Murray 2007.08.09
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1457

[ see also:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1458
ASDA, Wal-Mart's UK supermarket chain, bans artificial colors, trans
fats, MSG and aspartame, Marguerite Kelly, The Washington Post: Murray
2007.08.03 ]

So far, USA print and broadcast media are deaf, blind, and dumb,
regarding recent major bans of aspartame and MSG in the UK and EU.

The EU Parliament voted July 12 to ban artificial sweeteners
in newly born and infant foods.

On May 15 four huge UK supermarket chains announced bans
of aspartame and MSG, food dyes, and many additives
to protect kids from ADHD --
Sainsbury, Tesco, Marks & Spencer, and ASDA, a unit of WalMart.

May 31: Coca-Cola and the much larger Cargill Inc.,
after years of secret development, with 24 patents,
will soon sell rebiana (stevia) in drinks and food
in the many nations where it is approved as a sweetener --
for decades a major sweetener in Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan,
Thailand, Malasia, Saint Kitts, Nevis,
Brazil, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Israel,
and an approved supplement in USA, Australia, and Canada,
according to Wikipedia.


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1454
recent research and news re aspartame and stevia: Murray 2007.08.05

"Of course, everyone chooses, as a natural priority,
to actively find, quickly share, and positively act
upon the facts about healthy and safe food, drink,
and environment."

Rich Murray, MA Room For All rmforall@...
505-501-2298 1943 Otowi Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages
group with 81 members, 1,460 posts in a public,
searchable archive http://RMForAll.blogspot.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1395
Aspartame Controversy, in Wikipedia democratic
encyclopedia, 72 references (including AspartameNM # 864
and 1173 by Murray, brief fair summary of much more research:
Murray 2007.01.01

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1453
Souring on fake sugar (aspartame), Jennifer Couzin,
Science 2007.07.06: 4 page letter to FDA from 12 eminent
USA toxicologists re two Ramazzini Foundation
cancer studies 2007.06.25: Murray 2007.07.18

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNMmessage/1451
Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose) and coloring
agents will be banned from use in newly-born and baby foods,
the European Parliament decided: Latvia ban in schools 2006:
Murray 2007.07.12

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNMmessage/1437
stevia to be approved and cyclamates limited by
Food Standards Australia New Zealand:
JMC Geuns critiques of two recent stevia studies by Nunes:
Murray 2007.05.29

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1427
more from The Independent, UK, Martin Hickman, re ASDA
(unit of Wal-Mart Stores) and Marks & Spencer ban of
aspartame, MSG, artificial chemical additives and dyes
to prevent ADHD in kids: urray 2007.05.16
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article2548747.ece

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1426
ASDA (unit of Wal-Mart Stores WMT.N) and Marks & Spencer
will join Tesco and also Sainsbury to ban and limit
aspartame, MSG, artificial flavors dyes preservatives additives,
trans fats, salt "nasties" to protect kids from ADHD:
leading UK media: Murray 2007.05.15

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1438
Coca-Cola and Cargill Inc., after years of development,
with 24 patents, will soon sell rebiana (stevia)
in drinks and foods: Murray 2007.05.31

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1277
50% UK baby food is now organic - aspartame or MSG
with food dyes harm nerve cells, CV Howard 3 year study
funded by Lizzy Vann, CEO, Organix Brands,
Children's Food Advisory Service: Murray 2006.01.13

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1271
combining aspartame and quinoline yellow, or MSG and
brilliant blue, harms nerve cells, eminent
C. Vyvyan Howard et al, 2005 education.guardian.co.uk,
Felicity Lawrence: Murray 2005.12.21

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1417
formaldehyde as a potent unexamined cofactor in cancer research --
sources include methanol, dark wines and liquors,
aspartame, wood and tobacco smoke: IARC Monographs on the Evaluation
of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans implicate formaldehyde
in #88 and alcohol drinks in #96: some related abstracts:
Murray 2007.05.15

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1286
methanol products (formaldehyde and formic acid)
are main cause of alcohol hangover symptoms
[same as from similar amounts of methanol, the 11% part of aspartame]:
YS Woo et al, 2005 Dec: Murray 2006.01.20

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1143
methanol (formaldehyde, formic acid) disposition:
Bouchard M et al, full plain text, 2001: substantial sources
are degradation of fruit pectins, liquors, aspartame, smoke:
Murray 2005.04.02

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1455
FEMA slow to safety test Katrina toxic trailers,
Charles Babington, Associated Press -- 1 ppm formaldehyde in air
is about half the daily dose from 3 cans aspartame diet soda
and ten times the 1999 EPA alarm level for drinking water:
Murray 2007.07.23

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1459
third study by expert Greek team of neurotoxicity
in infant rats by aspartame (or its parts, methanol,
phenylalanine, aspartic acid), KH Schulpis et al,
Food Chem Toxicol 2007.06.16: Murray 2007.08.05

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNMmessage/1447
second study by expert Greek team of neurotoxicity
in infant rats by aspartame (or its parts, methanol,
phenylalanine, aspartic acid), KH Schulpis et al,
Toxicology 2007.05.18: Murray 2007.07.04

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNMmessage/1444
expert Greek group finds aspartame (or its parts,
methanol, phenylalanine, aspartic acid) harm infant rat
brain enzyme activity, KH Schulpis et al,
Pharmacol. Res. 2007.05.13: Murray 2007.06.23

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1414
effect of aspartame on oncogene and suppressor gene
expressions in mice, Katalin Gambos, Istvan Ember, et al,
University of Pecs, Hungary, In Vivo 2007 Jan;
scores of their relevant past studies since 1977: Murray 2007.04.14

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1373
aspartame rat brain toxicity re cytochrome P450 enzymes,
especially CYP2E1, Vences-Mejia A, Espinosa-Aguirre JJ et al,
2006 Aug, Hum Exp Toxicol: relevant abstracts re formaldehyde
from methanol in alcohol drinks: Murray 2006.09.29

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1340
aspartame groups and books:
updated research review of 2004.07.16: Murray 2006.05.11

Dark wines and liquors, as well as aspartame,
provide similar levels of methanol,
above 120 mg daily, for long-term heavy users,
2 L daily, about 6 cans.

Within hours, methanol is inevitably largely turned into formaldehyde,
and thence largely into formic acid -- the major causes
of the dreaded symptoms of "next morning" hangover.

Fully 11% of aspartame is methanol -- 1,120 mg aspartame
in 2 L diet soda,
almost six 12-oz cans, gives 123 mg methanol (wood alcohol).
If 30% of the methanol is turned into formaldehyde,
the amount of formaldehyde, 37 mg, is 18.5 times the
USA EPA limit for daily formaldehyde in drinking water,
2.0 mg in 2 L average daily drinking water.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////