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Michele Simon
Born1965 (age 60–61)
OccupationPublic health lawyer
EducationCarnegie Mellon University
Alma materYale University
SubjectFood policy
Notable worksAppetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines Our Health and How to Fight Back
Notable awardsNational Association of Nutrition Professional's Community Award
PartnerRoss Turner

Michele Simon (born 1965) is a public health lawyer who has been researching and writing about food policy since 1996. She has written extensively on the politics of food. Her book, Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines Our Health and How to Fight Back, was published by Nation Books in 2006. Simon has also written extensively about alcohol policy.

Biography

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Simon studied biology at Carnegie Mellon University and received her master's degree in public health from Yale University and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.[1][non-primary source needed] Early in her career, Simon wrote about the politics of food for numerous publications, on such issues as genetically engineered foods, organic standards, and the National School Lunch Program.[2][non-primary source needed]

In 2000, Simon founded the non-profit organization, Center for Informed Food Choices to educate people about eating plant-based foods and the politics of food through her newsletter, Informed Eating.[3][non-primary source needed]

From 2007 to 2011, Simon served as research and policy director for the Marin Institute (now called Alcohol Justice), an alcohol industry watchdog group based in Northern California.[1][non-primary source needed] Simon testified before Congress in support of HR 5034, the Comprehensive Alcohol Regulatory Enforcement Act.[4] Her 2007 report on alcoholic energy drinks led to federal action to ban the products.[5][non-primary source needed]

Simon founded Eat Drink Politics in 2011, a food and alcohol industry watchdog consulting firm that helps advocates, policymakers, and others counter corporate tactics that undermine public health.[1] Simon served as a senior advisor for the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (now called Fairplay.[6]

In 2013, Simon was awarded the National Association of Nutrition Professional's Community Award and the Nutritional Therapy Association's Award of Excellence.[1][non-primary source needed]

In 2016, Simon founded the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), a trade association representing the plant-based foods industry. Simon served as PBFA's executive director through 2020, advancing policies and practices to promote plant-based foods.[7][8][non-primary source needed]

In 2023, Simon wrote a chapter for the book The Good it Promises, The Harm it Does: Critical Essays on Effective Altruism. The book was edited by Alice Crary, Lori Gruen, and Carol J. Adams and publisehd by the Oxford University Press. The Harm it Does was critical of the effective altruism movement, with Simon's chapter (How "Alernative Proteins" Create a Private Solution to a Public Problem) arguing that alternative proteins, such as cultured meat or meat substitutes, are an ineffective means to end animal suffering.[9]

Work

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Writing

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Simon's book, Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines Our Health and How to Fight Back, was published by Nation Books in 2006.[1][non-primary source needed]

Simon has contributed to various outlets such as The Huffington Post[dead link],[10] Grist,[11] and Food Safety News.[12]

Simon has authored numerous articles in academic journals, including the City University of New York Law Review,[13] Food and Drug Law Journal,[14] Duke Law Journal,[15] and the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review.[16]

Simon has published reports exposing the food and alcohol industries' negative practices. Her 2007 report on alcoholic energy drinks helped lead to a federal ban on the products.[5][non-primary source needed] Simon's "Food Stamps, Follow the Money" brought attention to industry lobbying in the food stamps program in the United States.[17] "And Now a Word from Our Sponsors", covered by The New York Times, highlighted corporate sponsorships in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.[18]

Speaking

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Simon has lectured at New York University, Yale University, Stanford University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She taught semester-long courses in health policy as an adjunct professor at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, alcohol policy at the University of California, Berkeley,[19][non-primary source needed] and The Politics of Food at the University of the Pacific master's program in Food Studies.[20]

Simon has spoken at numerous events to discuss the plant-based foods industry, including the Natural Products Expo, the Seed, Food and Wine Festival, and the Animal Law Conference.[21][dead link]

Personal

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Simon was raised in New York City and lives in Los Angeles, California, with her partner, film and television actor Ross Turner.[citation needed]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Eat Drink Politics, Eat Drink Politics - About
  2. ↑ Appetite for Profit, Appetite for Profit - Articles
  3. ↑ Appetite for Profit, Appetite for Profit - Newsletter
  4. ↑ Michele R. Simon - House Judiciary Committee Archived 2013-03-02 at the Wayback Machine, Michele Simon's testimony at the HR 5034 hearing, 2010
  5. 1 2 PR Newswire, Federal Agencies to Act on Dangerous Alcoholic Energy Drinks, 2010
  6. ↑ Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, Steering Committee
  7. ↑ "Eat Drink Politics". Eat Drink Politics - Blog. 20 March 2013.
  8. ↑ "Eat Drink Politics". Medium. 1 January 2021.
  9. ↑ "The Good It Promises, the Harm It Does: Critical Essays on Effective Altruism". OUP Academic. Oxford University Press. 23 February 2023. doi:10.1093/o. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  10. ↑ Huffington Post: Michele Simon
  11. ↑ Grist: Michele Simon
  12. ↑ Food Safety News: Michele Simon
  13. ↑ PepsiCo and Public Health: Is the Nation’s Largest Food Company a Model of Corporate Responsibility or Master of Public Relations?, February 2012
  14. ↑ State Laws on School Vending: The Need for a Public Health Approach, 2007
  15. ↑ The Competitive Food Conundrum: Can Government Regulations Improve School Food, 2007
  16. ↑ Can Food Companies Be Trusted to Self-Regulate - An Analysis of Corporate Lobbying and Deception to Undermine Children's Health, 2006
  17. ↑ Report wants to know how much soda is bought with US food stamps, Reuters, 2012
  18. ↑ Report Faults Food Group’s Sponsor Ties, New York Times, 2013
  19. ↑ Appetite for Profit, Michele Simon - CV
  20. ↑ Wall, Alix (24 November 2015). "The 1st Master's Level Food Studies Program Launches on the West Coast". KQED, 11/24/15.
  21. ↑ "Plant Based Foods Association". Plant Based Foods Association - Past Events.
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