It is important to remember that many of the protections we now enjoy from dishonest advertising were the result of lawsuits and not from our elected leaders actually protecting us. Our wait for Washington to force food makers to let us know what we are consumming has had mixed results. This N.Y. Times story is definitely good and bad news. The good news is that the lawyers who took on big tobacco are turning their sights to the food industry. The bad news is that, because these possible regulations are not being crafted through the democratic process, they could result in reforms that are more profit driven than thoughtful pursuits of the common good.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/business/lawyers-of-big-tobacco-lawsuits-take-aim-at-food-industry.html?_r=1