UnNews:Jamie Lee Curtis: Activia is animal friendly
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This article is part of UnNews, your source for up-to-the-picosecond misinformation. |
7 July 2013
WHITE PLAINS, NY --- Actress Jamie Lee Curtis, the spokesman for Dannon (Danone for non-Americans) Yogurt's Activia product, defended the company against charges that its fermented milk foods involve animal cruelty. According to researchers, many flavors of both Dannon and Activia yogurts rely upon the use of carmine for their rich, red or pastel pink colors. "Carmine is a chemical derived from crushed beetles," Curtis acknowledged, but pointed out that "beetles are insects, not animals."
The pulverized remains of the insects are not only aesthetically pleasing, the actress, who is known for her curvaceous figure, said, "but they also do a body good." They are not a health hazard, she maintains. "In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration allows five millimeters of insect parts, whether they come from larvae, skin fragments, or other parts, and both Dannon and Activia contain far less, using just enough of the pulverized beetles to impart a rosy pink or red color to the yogurts, which, otherwise would have an unappetizing bland appearance."
Besides, the actress said, "crushed beetles are a natural ingredient, and they are good for the digestive tract: they provide some of the roughage that helps keep our consumers regular."
Dannon and Activia use pulverized beetles to color such flavors as strawberry, cherry, boysenberry, raspberry, and pomegranate berry. Chances are, critics say, that no matter what Dannon or Activia product consumers eat, they ingest "insect parts" along with the fruit and soybeans that are included in the mix.
"They're eating bacteria, too," Curtis observed. "Every delicious, nutritious spoonful of probiotic Activia contains billions of beneficial bacteria that help to regulate our customers' digestive tracts, and the natural fiber of the carmine that means our customers go to the bathroom with a smile on their faces."
"Look," Curtis told reporters, "I don't need to promote Activia, all right? And I damn sure don't have to eat the stuff. I eat it because I happen to like red beetles, and I endorse it because somebody has to do it, and if I don't do it, it will be someone else."
She spooned some strawberry yogurt from the container she held and offered it to a nearby reporter. "Try some," she invited. "It's actively good."