Kraft to Use 'South Beach' Trademark

CHICAGO - Kraft Foods, Inc. said yesterday it has reached a deal to use the South Beach diet's trademark to appeal to carb-conscious dieters, according to Reuters.

Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft, the biggest North American food maker, plans to use the trademark on foods for people following the popular diet regimen.

The diet rejects such processed foods as white bread and flour in favor of complex grains, vegetables, low-fat cheeses, lean meats, and other lean protein.

Kraft declined to identify which of its foods would carry the "South Beach Diet Recommended" label or when the foods would appear in supermarkets.

Terms of the multiyear agreement with the diet's author, Dr. Arthur Agatston, were also not revealed. "The South Beach Diet" has been a New York Times bestselling book for over 53 weeks. Agatston recently released a new book, "The South Beach Diet Cookbook."

Kraft makes several foods that can be eaten by those on the diet, among them some low-fat cheeses under the Kraft label, a few types cold cuts under the Oscar Mayer name, and Boca meat alternatives.

The company is one of several food makers looking for ways to reposition its foods as healthier amid a burgeoning American obesity epidemic, in which 64 percent of U.S. adults are considered overweight.

Earlier this month Kraft backed away from a promise made two years ago to cut portion sizes of some of its foods. Instead, the company is choosing to more clearly label portion sizes on smaller containers with more than one serving.
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