Center for Food Safety Lists 'Food Industry Front Groups'

After a 40-year absence, enemies lists are making a comeback in Washington D.C. The ordinarily mild-mannered Center for Food Safety (CFS) Tuesday put out a list of what it called “food industry front groups” that it charged with being guilty of deceptive practices.  “Front groups like these have long served as an industry tool to delude and deceive the public, and to avoid much-needed government regulation,” said CFS Executive Director Andrew Kimbrell. He said the list demonstrates “largely hidden industry influence.”  The report that goes with the list says tactics practiced by the “front groups” commonly involve phony grassroots efforts, name calling, buying science and scaremongering. It blames such front group tactics for the loss in California last fall of Proposition 37 to require labeling genetically modified food.  The groups CFS doesn’t like much include established and newly formed organizations and apparently any scientific institute associated with a food manufacturer. There’s been no reaction yet from any of those who made the list.  Thier names by the category assigned by CFS follow:  Long-Standing  Alliance for Food and Farming  American Council for Science and Health  Animal Agriculture Alliance  Center for Consumer Freedom  International Food Council Foundation  Recently Formed  Alliance to Feed the Future  America’s Farmers  Center for Food Integrity  Global Harvest  Protect the Harvest  U.S. Alliance for Farmers and Ranchers  Scientific Institutes of Food Manufacturers  Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition  Beverage Institute for Health and Wellness  Conagra Food Science Institute  Gatorade Sports Science Institute  Nestle Nutrition Institute  End-note  Publishing lists of one’s enemies fell out favor 40 years ago after President Nixon, a devotee of the practice, resigned from office. It resurfaced only recently when the IRS admitted it began harassing U.S. conservative groups in 2011.