If Consumer Reports' auto editors cared about our environment, every car on their annual Top 10 list would be a hybrid or EV

COVER STORY OR COVER UP? Consumer Reports' annual Auto Issue lists only 4 gas-electric hybrids or electric cars among its Top 10 vehicles for 2022.

 

Gas hits average of $4.32 a gallon

as tailpipe emissions are killing

53,000 Americans every year

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Consumer Reports boasts about a full-time auto testing staff of "about 30" who "work to deliver exclusive insights to our members," but none of them claim to be environmentalists.

And for yet another year, the non-profit's Top 10 list in its annual Auto Issue ignores the premature deaths of 53,000 people every year from tailpipe emissions, as measured by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

That compares to 34,000 a year who die in traffic accidents (based on a 2013 MIT study).

Two Toyota gas-electric hybrids, a Lexus hybrid, a Honda Accord hybrid and Ford's Mustang Mach-E -- an electric vehicle -- are the only low or zero emissions entries on CR's Top 10 list for 2022.

It's a Top 10 list, but a total of 13 vehicles are listed for some reason in the April 2022 issue of the magazine.

Safety first

"Our ratings now reward automakers that install driver monitoring systems in their cars," Marta L. Tellado, president and CEO of Consumer Reports, says in her monthly column.

Tellado makes no mention of auto tailpipe emissions and their role in global warming or impact on life expectancy.

'Green Choice'

Just last year, Consumer Reports started designating some vehicles as "our Green Choice" -- the top 20 percent of vehicles on the market with the cleanest emissions.

Unfortunately, the "Green Choice" designation came more than 20 years after the first gas-electric hybrid or green cars went on sale in the United States.

And being "clean" or "cleaner" doesn't come close to earning a vehicle a spot on the annual Top 10 list.

NO TESLAS IN SIGHT: Even though Tesla has been the best selling electric car in the United States since 2012, none are listed on Consumer Reports' Top 10 list for 2022.

Top 10 Picks

The Top 10 list in the annual Auto Issue includes a midsize SUV, Kia's Telluride, that gets 21 mpg; and a compact pickup truck, the Honda Ridgeline, which is rated at 20 mpg -- less than half the mileage of most gas-electric hybrids. 

But instead of the Honda, the so-called auto experts at the magazine should have chosen the 2022 Ford F-150 hybrid pickup truck, which is rated at 25 mpg city/highway.

And is the Kia Telluride so special that it eclipses all of the midsize SUVs with hybrid power and lower emissions sold by competitors?

Gas hits $4.32 a gallon

This year, the Top 10 list includes a total of 13 vehicles: 

Both the Toyota Prius, a gas-electric hybrid, and the Prius Prime, a plug-in hybrid with an electric range of 25 miles, are listed.

Consumer Reports also lists the Honda Accord and Accord Hybrid as well as the Lexus RX and Lexus RX Hybrid.

The Top 10 list could have done without the gasoline versions of the Honda and Lexus. 

In fact, a Top 10 list of only gas-electric hybrids and EVs makes even more sense as the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States hit $4.32 this week.

Deadly air pollution

All in all, Consumer Reports' annual Auto Issue continues to disappoint, and ignore the elephant in the room:

Premature deaths from air pollution caused by vehicle tailpipe emissions.

READ: First EV on Top 10 list

 didn't appear until 2018

Editors of Consumer Reports can't shake addiction to gasoline cars, SUVs, pickups

KILLER CARS: Once again, the editors of Consumer Reports' widely anticipated Auto Issue seem to be ignoring climate change and the deadly impact of tailpipe emissions.

 

Only 3 environmentally friendly

cars make annual Top 10 list

 

Editor's note: I've revised and corrected the lead paragraph to indicate that the first gas-electric hybrid car sold in the United States, a Honda, arrived in 1999, and that Toyota introduced the Prius hybrid in 2000.

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- More than 20 years after the first gas-electric hybrid car arrived from Japan, Consumer Reports is introducing readers to "our Green Choice designation."

In her column on Page 8 of the annual Auto Issue, a smiling Marta L. Tellado, CR's president and CEO, tells readers about "our Green Choice designations" -- dubbed "clean-air cars" -- denoted by a green leaf in the ratings pages.

"We will now incorporate data to identify how vehicles stack up when it comes to the amount of greenhouse gas and other pollutants they emit," which damage our health and the environment.

Leafing through the issue, all of the vehicles marked with that green leaf are either gas-electric hybrids like the Toyota Prius or fully electric, like the Tesla Model 3.

But only two hybrids, both from Toyota, and that lone Tesla Model 3 are among CR's Top 10 in the April 2021 Auto Issue.

The 2018 Auto Issue from Consumer Reports was the first to include an all-electric vehicle, even though a 2010 MIT study concluded 58,000 Americans die prematurely every year from tailpipe emissions.

And Tesla's Model 3 was the only fully electric vehicle on the 2020 Top 10 list.

Addicted to gasoline

Every single vehicle in the Top 10 should be either a gas-electric hybrid or electric, which have the least impact on our health and our climate.

Yet, for some unfathomable reason, the editors of Consumer Reports continue to recommend cars with gasoline engines, and large gas-guzzling SUVs and pickups, when there is a wide range of hybrids and electric cars available.

The magazine boasts the staff of its Auto Test Center "anonymously buy the vehicles, just like a consumer would, and we never base our ratings on models borrowed from the manufacturer."

Nor does Consumer Reports accept any advertising, so an auto issue that goes completely green won't affect the bottom line at the nonprofit Consumers Union, publisher of CR.

Caving in to Big Auto

Still, the magazine's auto testers cave in to automakers who have been slow to introduce hybrid and electric cars and trucks.

For example, the 2021 Toyota Sienna Minivan is being sold in the United States only as a gas-electric hybrid, and a gas-electric version of the 2021 Ford F-150 pickup -- the best-selling U.S. vehicle -- gets raves in an online CR report, but neither is on the Auto Issue's Top 10 list.  

The cover of the April Auto Issue shows three vehicles, including the new and unproven electric Rivian RIT pickup truck, and the fully electric Ford Mustang Mach-E, an SUV, the first Mustang with 4 doors.

The third vehicle is the Toyota RAV4 Prime, a plug-in hybrid.

But the RAV4 hybrid doesn't make the Top 10 list, either.

The more we learn about plastic and food the more we realize the health risk we face

SHOCKING: Consumer Reports magazine warns readers, "You may be consuming as much as a credit card's worth of plastic a week."

Factories destroy environment,

we ingest harmful chemicals

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- For more than a decade, we've been trying to limit our intake of the harmful antibiotics used to raise meat and poultry on America's factory farms.

And in recent years, we've been buying and eating far more pesticide-free organics -- thanks to lower prices at Whole Foods Market, and a growing selection of organic and non-GMO food and beverages at Costco Wholesale and ShopRite supermarkets.

But we were ignorant of the dangers posed by all of the plastic packages and wrapping much of that food comes in.

And we didn't know about the recycling scam perpetrated by the petrochemical companies that are building more plants -- usually near minority neighborhoods -- to poison the air, and churn out even more harmful plastic packaging.

How we end up eating plastic

In a special report, the June 2020 issue of Consumer Reports magazine tells readers how to limit their risk of consuming "as much as a credit card's worth of plastic a week."

"Scientists say we each may be ingesting" plastic "through contaminated food and water, to the likely detriment of our health."

Nearly a century ago, plastic was advertised as "The Material of a Thousand Uses," Consumer Reports says.

Today, plastic is found in "the plates we eat from, the straws we drink through, the furniture we sit on," toys, clothes, cars and even in life-saving medical equipment.

"And -- more than anywhere else -- plastic is in our packaging, encasing ... the food we eat and the beverages we drink," CR says.

"Cracking open a brand new plastic bottle or tearing a wrapper off a sandwich releases fragments of plastic that we might end up ingesting.

"Reliable research now shows that tiny bits of plastic -- called microplastics -- are in our food, drinking water, the air we breathe, and, yes, inside our bodies," the magazine reports.

These symbols on plastic -- called "chasing arrows" -- are familiar to anyone who tries to recycle. But the vast majority of plastic bottles and other containers end up in landfills or oceans. This chart is from the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council in Steamboat Springs, Colo.

Most plastic isn't recyclable

CR says that in the United States, 76 percent of plastic garbage goes into landfills, about 16 percent more more is burned -- fouling the air -- and 1 percent of that total goes into the oceans, breaks down and ends up in seafood.

CR's figure -- 76 percent -- apparently is taken from NOVA, the TV science documentary:

In a July 2017 report, NOVA said that 6.3 billion metric tons of plastic -- of the 8.3 billion metric tons created between 1950 and 2015 -- are out of use and "most of it is in landfill and nature."

"The very idea that recycling makes plastic use acceptable comes from plastic manufacturers," says Judith Enck, a former Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator who is quoted by Consumer Reports.

"The reason the public thinks recycling is the answer is that the plastic industry has spent 30 years on multimillion-dollar [advertising] campaigns [falsely] saying that," she says.

"That was absolutely the wrong message. The message should have been: Don't use so much plastic," Enck says.

Glass containers are recommended over plastic for storing and reheating food. (Photo is from RealSimple.com).

How to use less plastic

Consumer Reports lists 6 ways to cut back on using plastic:

• Drink tap water. Don't rely on bottled water.
• Don't microwave food in plastic containers or covered by plastic wrap. 
• Buy and store food in glass, silicone or foil, not in plastic that may contain harmful chemicals.
• Eat fresh food as much as possible. Don't rely on processed food wrapped in plastic.
• Vacuum regularly to avoid inhaling dust in your house that could be loaded with microplastics and chemicals that are found in plastic.
• Join forces with community level recycling groups or so-called zero-waste groups.

See: "Plastic Wars" from FRONTLINE ON PBS

Read: 2020 statistics on plastic in the ocean

Read: The best glass food storage containers

Consumer Reports trashes Tesla, Model 3, other EVs; and a new reason to hate SUVs

The Subaru Ascent SUV leads Consumer Report's list of Top 10 vehicles in 2019, even though a competing model, the Toyota Highlander, is more friendly to the environment. The Highlander, available with a gas-electric drivetrain, gets better mileage.

Environmental impact of cars 

missing in magazine's 2019 Auto Issue

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Consumer Reports' 2019 Auto Issue completely ignores the environmental impact of the 260 new vehicles that are rated and reviewed, just like the first such issue in 1948.

Not a single all-electric, zero-emissions vehicle makes the magazine's "10 Top Picks" this year, although the list includes three gas-electric hybrids from Toyota.

Topping the Top 10 is the 22-mpg Subaru Ascent, a 3-row midsize SUV, even though the Japanese automaker's Crosstrek is available as a plug-in gas-electric hybrid that gets far better gas mileage.

Shocking omission

Given climate change, global warming or whatever you want to call the heating up of the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels, the refusal of the magazine's testers to give vehicles an environmental grade is shocking.

When he unveiled the Model 3 in March 2016, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he hoped the mainstream sedan would accelerate the transition to "sustainable transportation."

And he noted electric vehicles are more important than ever in view of 58,000 premature deaths every year in the United States from tailpipe emissions.

The automotive media, including Consumer Reports (CR), ignored him then just as they are doing know.

Tesla and other automakers should get points for the number of zero-emissions and gas-electric hybrids in their lineup, just as CR knocks itself out praising them for "impressive fuel economy" (19 mpg in the Ford F-150, for example).

Instead, in a March 15 report sent to readers, CR asks, "As Tesla unveils Model Y crossover, should consumers buy into drama-filled company?"

The piece was by Jeff Plungis, identified as CR's lead "automotive investigative reporter."

2019 Auto Issue

In a section on "How the Brands Stack Up" (defined as companies offering "consumers strong-performing and problem-free vehicles") EV maker Tesla dropped 11 places to 19th among 33 brands (behind Buick, but ahead of Ford, Nissan and Chrysler).

On the "Best + Worst Lists," Tesla's Model 3 is "no longer recommended" because of "declining reliability," along with the Acura RDX, Chrysler 300, BMW 5 series, Dodge Charger and Volkswagen Tiguan.

The Model 3 problems described by readers were cosmetic, and don't affect its high safety rating.

No category for EVs

In another section, "New Car Ratings," EVs do not appear in their own categories.

Under "Cars: Compact Electric and Hybrids," two Toyota gas-electric hybrids are rated higher than the Chevrolet Bolt EV Premier, and the Honda Insight EX is tied with the Bolt.

That's bewildering in view of the improved Bolt -- a fast, quiet, tight four-door hatchback you can drive with one pedal: 

Lift off the gas and the battery electric car comes to a stop at a crosswalk, stop sign or traffic light.

And CR dropped the Bolt from its Top 10 list this year.

Teslas finish 4th

Tesla's Model 3 is listed 4th among "Cars: Luxury Compact" after the Acura TLX, Infiniti Q50 and Kia Stinger.

The Tesla Model S -- the first car to achieve an overall score of 100 points from CR -- also finished 4th among "Cars: Ultraluxury." 

Ahead of the Model S were three gas-thirsty cars the Tesla outsells by far: 

Mercedes-Benz S550, BMW 750i (xDrive) and Genesis G90.

Electric Jag?

I could not find any mention in the 2019 Auto Issue of the all-electric 2019 Jaguar I-Pace, which is being advertised on TV in the New York-New Jersey area.

Subaru's Crosstrek, a plug-in hybrid, merits only a few words under "New Car Profiles."

The section on "New Cars Worth Waiting For" lists only 8 vehicles, including 6 gas-guzzling SUVs, 1 sedan and 1 sports car.

Among the 6 so-called sport utility vehicles is the monstrous Lincoln Aviator, to be available with 400- and 450-horsepower engines.

That abomination from Lincoln flunks every environmental test.

Read: Years late, CR puts an EV on Top 10 list

The Toyota Supra, above, a 2-seater that will go on sale this summer, is being built in partnership with BMW and is based on the German automaker's Z4 roadster, according to Consumer Reports' April 2019 Auto Issue.

SUVs are deadlier

Consumer Reports continues to ignore the menace of big SUVs, which use more gasoline and pollute more than other vehicles, and make traffic congestion worse because they take up so much more space than other vehicles.

Not to mention how aggressively they are driven.

Yet, in a section of the 2019 Auto Issue called "Making the World Safer for Pedestrians," the magazine notes "the unforgiving structure of SUVs, when compared with the lower profile of cars, is adding to the [pedestrian] death toll," according to research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

"Higher-riding SUVs and other light trucks -- which now account for almost 70 percent of U.S. vehicle sales, up from nearly 50 percent a decade ago -- mean that pedestrians are more likely to be hit in the abdomen or head than at the legs, which leads to more serious injuries and fatalities."

CR says vehicles with pedestrian-detection systems and automatic emergency braking are one way to slow the rising number of pedestrians killed in the past decade.

The magazine said  that in 2017, 5,977 pedestrians were fatally hit by vehicles -- a 45 percent increase from 4,109 such deaths in 2009, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

So, it's hard to understand how CR can then turn around and recommend any SUV to readers, who could find as much room, all-wheel drive and even a hybrid drivetrain in a minivan.

Reliability of Volvo, other brands bears no resemblance to TV commercials or reviews

A photo from the Volvo Cars website shows the 2019 Volvo XC90, a 3-row, 7-seat luxury SUV, with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $47,200 to $104,900, above and below.

One reviewer called the Swedish crystal gear shift lever the "most beautiful gear shift I've ever seen ... a glowing beacon of shimmering gorgeousness in the center of the car."

Annual reliability survey flunks

 Swedish marque, Tesla, Cadillac

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Volvo's 2019 XC90, a 7-seat luxury SUV, gets high marks from the automotive media, but Consumer Reports is warning the stylish Swedish vehicles are among the least reliable on the road.

Volvo finished 29th and last in the magazine's brand rankings "based on the average reliability for vehicles in the lineup," according to Consumer Reports' December 2018 issue.

The Swedish brand lost 6 places from last year's ranking.

Tesla's three models were ranked 27th and Cadillac's six models finished 28th.

The magazine lacked data to rank Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover, Maserati, Mitsubishi and Smart.

Survey of members

Each year, Consumer Reports says, members are asked about problems with their cars, minivans, SUVs and trucks.

This year, CR's Auto Reliability Survey -- the largest of its kind -- gathered data on more than 500,000 vehicles and 17 trouble areas, including in-car electronics, power equipment, noises and leaks, climate system and body hardware.

"We based the ranking on the average problem rates for the 2016 model," the magazine said.

Among 11 luxury midsize SUVs, the Volvo XC90 finished next to last, with a score of 22 (21-40 is worse than average), sandwiched between the Porsche Cayenne at 24 and the Tesla Model X at 13.

The Volvo XC60, a luxury compact SUV, received a predicted reliability score of 32; the Volvo S90, a luxury midsize car, finished with a score of 12, last among a dozen competitors; and the Volvo V60 wagon, redesigned for 2019, was called "worse" than average.

Turbo problems

Consumer Reports' October 2018 issue also notes problems with the turbocharged engines in Volvos and other brands.

To boost fuel efficiency, "more than half of U.S. models offer turbo engines as an option ... along with multi-speed transmissions," but "it's clear from CR reliability data that not every automaker gets its turbos and transmissions right."

Out of 18 powertrains, Volvo's turbocharged-and-supercharged 4-cylinder engine was ranked 13th (worse than the average non-turbo engine), followed by Ford, Chevrolet, Lincoln, Hyundai and MINI.

The Tesla Model 3 finished last among five compact luxury cars in Consumer Reports' annual predicted reliability survey (Car and Driver photo).

What media say

"The XC90 is a fine SUV," according to U.S. News & World Report. "It gets top marks ... for its stylish, upscale cabin and ample space for passengers and cargo."

Kelley Blue Book says, "If you're seeking a luxury SUV with seating for seven, exceptional safety features, and a design and spirit that stands out from the crowd, you'll find it all in the 2019 XC90."

Edmunds.com says the XC90 in its highest trim level, the T8 Excellence, is "just not practical for most buyers."

"So skip the crystal glasses and backseat refrigerator and go with the mid-level T6 Momentum," which "gets the turbocharged-and-supercharged 2.0-liter engine ... leather upholstery, and a larger display screen for the driver."

"You," a Volvo TV spot that has an aria playing in the background, promises "one SUV that fits everyone's life."

EVs and hybrids

Consumer Reports' reliability scores for ultra-luxury cars are Mercedes-Benz S Class, 45; Tesla Model S, 36; and Genesis G90, 34 (41 to 60 is average).

(Although I'm a Consumer Reports subscriber and the owner of a 2015 Tesla Model S, I didn't receive a questionnaire on its reliability, which has been excellent.)

Among five luxury compact cars, Tesla's Model 3 finished last, with 49. Other rankings were Audi A4, 60; BMW 3 Series, 57; Lexus IS, 57; and Kia Stinger, 55. 

Among hybrids and electric cars, the Chevrolet Bolt EV scored 50 and the Chevrolet Volt hybrid finished with 32, above the last place Honda Clarity with 14 (21 to 40 is worse than average).

Toyota's Prius C hybrid scored highest, with 93, followed by the Prius Prime plug-in hybrid, 91. 

The all-electric BMW i3 was third, with 89, followed by the Prius hybrid, 87; Kia Niro, 77, and the all-electric Nissan Leaf, 69 (61 to 80 is better than average).

Years late, Consumer Reports puts an EV on Top 10 list, but killer gas cars still rule

Consumer Reports' annual Auto Issue for 2018 shows one gas-electric hybrid on the cover. And the Chevrolet Bolt is the first all-electric car to make the magazine's 10 Top Picks (Page 19).

-- HACKENSACK, N.J.

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

An all-electric, zero-emissions car has one major, life-saving advantage over every car that uses gasoline or diesel fuel -- no killer fumes.

A 2013 MIT study estimated 200,000 Americans die prematurely every year from so-called combustion emissions (industry, power generation, cars, trucks, trains and ships), and 58,000 of those deaths are caused by tailpipe emissions.

Yet, Consumer Reports stubbornly downplays the benefits of all-electric cars and gas-electric hybrids, and only this year named an EV to its Top 10 list in the magazine's annual Auto Issue.

Every other vehicle on the coveted list uses a gasoline engine; the editors couldn't find room for a single gas-electric hybrid, even though they are available in sedans, SUVs and crossovers.

Is CR truly independent?

This despite Consumer Reports' claim of independence: 

Unlike virtually all other publications and websites, Consumer Reports doesn't borrow the vehicles it road tests from the automakers' press fleets.

Each year, "we spend $2.2 million to buy" about 50 cars, SUVs and trucks, the magazine says.

And it doesn't accept any form of advertising from carmakers, automobile dealers and oil companies, so shouldn't feel any pressure to promote big SUVs, pickup trucks and cars powered by antiquated gasoline-combustion engines. 

Still, like all other auto publications, Consumer Reports pays little attention to climate change or the environmental benefits of EVs, gas-electric hybrids and hydrogen-powered cars.

This video will help you avoid breathing in deadly fumes while driving:

'10 Noteworthy Newcomers'

Also in the annual Auto Issue is a section on "10 Noteworthy Newcomers." But here, too, no all-electric car or hybrid is included.

This despite the debut of a second-generation Nissan Leaf, which is mentioned in another section, "New Car Profiles."

"The Nissan Leaf electric car has been redesigned for 2018 with a more powerful electric motor, a larger 40-kWh battery that is claimed to yield 150 miles of driving range, and a new driver-assist feature.

The price range is given as $29,990 to $36,200.

An optional 60-kWh battery (like the one in the Chevrolet Bolt and my 2015 Tesla Model S) is expected to arrive at the end of 2018, giving the car a claimed 200-mile range.

See: America's only gas-electric hybrid minivan

The 2018 Leaf is the first new all-electric car from Nissan since the December 2010 debut of the homely, first-generation Leaf, below.

'Brands that deliver'

Another section of the annual Auto Issue ranks auto brands "based on CR's exhaustive vehicle testing, as well as owner feedback on more than 640,000 cars to determine the predicted reliability and owner satisfaction ratings," the editors say.

The brand rankings are useful to compare to all of those TV auto ads we saw during Olympics, especially the annoying ones from Chevrolet.

CR's ranking appear in parentheses:

Mercedes-Benz (15), Volkswagen (16), Volvo (18), Chevrolet (23), Cadillac (24), Jaguar (29), Alfa Romeo (31), Land Rover (32), Jeep (33) and Fiat (34).

Ranked 1 to 8 are: Genesis, Audi, BMW, Lexus, Porsche, Kia, Subaru and Tesla.

The slow-selling Chevrolet Bolt EV is on Consumer Reports' Top 10 list for 2018.

Consumer Reports is exposing Big Sugar for perpetrating a fraud on U.S. consumers

This small, 6-ounce container of Yoplait Original Harvest Peach low-fat yogurt contains 19 grams of "sugars" or the equivalent of nearly 5 teaspoons (4 grams of sugar in each teaspoon). The American Heart Association recommends 9 (or fewer) teaspoons or 36 grams of added sugar per day for men and 6 teaspoons or 24 grams per day for women and children.

-- HACKENSACK, N.J.

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

And you thought saturated fat in meat, poultry, butter and other foods is the major cause of heart disease.

Now, Consumer Reports exposes "a food fraud that may have been perpetrated on the American public" by Big Sugar.

"A report published in JAMA Internal Medicine revealed that in the 1960s, scientific research -- secretly bankrolled by the sugar industry -- was released that downplayed the effects of a sugar-laden diet and instead called out 'saturated fat' as the real dietary demon responsible for heart disease.

"And media outlets, food manufacturers, and ordinary citizens ate it up.

"That bit of nutritional subterfuge may have been at least partly responsible for 50 years of misleading public health advice.

"And the resulting flood of packaged foods that were low in fat but high in sugars and refined grains may have contributed to the current epidemic of obesity and related diseases" in the United States, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

"Today, the typical American diet is packed with huge amounts of added sugars: We're talking those used as ingredients in many packaged food [yogurt, pasta sauce and so forth] -- not the one naturally found in foods such as fruit and milk.

"One thing there is little doubt about now: Added sugars are bad for you."

The November 2017 issue of Consumer Reports on the dangers of too much sugar in your diet carries an extensive report called "Eat Smarter, Eat Healthier." Sections include sugar as "the gateway to weight gain," "how food-packaging claims can fool you," how too much salt can tax your heart, how cutting back on fat is "only half the battle," and the risks of going gluten-free.

Sugar industry power

The sugar industry lobby is so powerful that sugar is the only ingredient on those "nutrition fact" labels you find on packaged food not accompanied by the percentage of maximum recommended daily consumption.

For example, a 6-ounce container of Yoplait Original low-fat yogurt with fruit lists the amount of "sugars" as 19 grams with no equivalent in teaspoons or any other information [4 grams of sugar equal 1 teaspoon].

The Food and Drug Administration's plan for new food labels has been postponed, Consumer Reports says.

Food reporting

In recent years, Consumer Reports has become the leading source of reporting on industrial farms; the danger of the human antibiotics used to raise cattle, chickens, pigs and other animals; and the excessive amounts of added sugar and fat in food.

Newspapers big and small have lagged in this regard, and even the food sections of newspapers as prestigious as The New York Times are filled with recipes that rely heavily on sugar, butter, heavy cream, and full-fat milk and cheeses, all of which have been linked to obesity and heart disease.

'Death by chocolate'

For example, on Wednesday, the Better Living section of The Record, my local daily newspaper, ran sugar-laden recipes from chefs for Triple Silken Pumpkin Pie and Chocolate Shortbread Cookies.

There also was a guide to making a Cinnamon Sugar Nut Jar at home with 1 cup of sugar, ground cinnamon and nuts.

On Dec. 15, the cover story in Better Living recommended "Dark Delights: The Best Chocolate Concoctions [spelled 'Concotions'] in North Jersey."

Appropriately enough, one of the photos showed a dessert with "four distinct chocolate treats" called "Death by Chocolate," served at Village Green Restaurant in Ridgewood.

"No one has yet been able to finish it [the dessert]," the chef was quoted as saying, though he didn't mention whether it has put anyone into the hospital.

Food shopping: Consumer Reports to hold public forum on following sustainable diet

One way to follow a sustainable diet is to buy chemical-free organic food when you can, such as these Organic Opal Apples that were on sale at the Whole Foods Market in Bergen Town Center, Paramus, above. Today, at the Whole Foods in the Closter Plaza shopping center in Closter, I bought a 1-pound box of Organic Whole Wheat Shells imported from Italy, below.

THE DATE IS TUESDAY, NOV. 28,
 AT JOHNSON PUBLIC LIBRARY 

--HACKENSACK, N.J.

What does eating sustainably mean to you?

Consumer Reports says:

"Maintaining a sustainable diet is a way of eating that can be maintained for the long haul. It's a way of eating that supports the individual and the planet."

It's important to maintain a sustainable diet "to protect natural resources -- land, water, animals, and insects -- now and in the future. 

"The way food animals are raised has an impact on both human health and natural resources."

The magazine and website have reported extensively on the use of harmful human antibiotics to raise meat and poultry on industrial farms, and rated supermarkets and fast-food restaurants.

Now, Consumer Reports is seeking to reach existing and new audiences through such community workshops as this one on following a sustainable diet.

The free workshop will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 28, at the Johnson Public Library, 274 Main St. in Hackensack, from 6:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Street parking is free after 6 p.m. Once inside, ask for directions to the conference room on the lower level of the library.

Victor E. Sasson will conduct the workshop. 

The Hackensack resident is editor of two blogs that discuss food shopping, restaurants and harmful antibiotics in meat and poultry, The Sasson Report and Do You Really Know What You're Eating?

If you would like to attend, please email Alan Smith, a community engagement specialist at Consumer Reports (alan.smith@consumer.org) or call him at 1-914-378-2000, Ext. 2662.