Kraft Foods said today it has named 10 experts to its 'Worldwide Health & Wellness Advisory Council', first announced in July as part of the company's much hyped plan to help address the rise in obesity.
The members are experts in areas such as obesity, physical activity, public health, human behavior and nutrient fortification.
"The council will give Kraft access to a range of important voices from outside the company who can play an invaluable role in helping us develop our response to the global challenge of obesity," said Betsy D. Holden, Co-CEO of Kraft Foods.
Roger K. Deromedi, co-CEO of Kraft Foods, added that the announcement showed the firm's commitment to 'ongoing stakeholder dialogue'. "The council will help us strengthen the alignment of our products and marketing practices with societal needs," he said.
Many of the members are experts in nutrition, including Dr Jeanne P. Goldberg, Professor of Nutrition at Tufts University, Boston, and Michael Lefevre, chief of the division of Functional Foods Research and Professor in the Division of Nutrition and Chronic Disease at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA.
The maker of Nabisco cookies and Philadelphia cream cheese announced in July that it would cap the portion sizes of its single-serve packages and improve the nutrient content of existing and future new products. However critics have called the moves preventive measures against potential lawsuits, already facing fast food companies such as McDonald's.