Michael Jacobson, who holds a Ph.D. in microbiology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was co-founder (1971) and long-time (1978-2017) executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a nonprofit health advocacy organization.  CSPI publishes Nutrition Action Healthletter, once the world’s largest-circulation nutrition newsletter, as well as numerous studies and reports.  Under Jacobson’s leadership, CSPI used education, legislation, regulatory actions, and litigation to establish reforms including laws requiring Nutrition Facts labels on most food packages and calorie information on chain-restaurant menus, a law defining “organic foods,” and an FDA regulation banning artificial trans fat.  In 2022, Jacobson continued his interest in educating the public about diverse food-related issues, by founding the National Food Museum.

Jacobson is the author or co-author of books, including:  Salt Wars (MIT, 2020), Restaurant Confidential (Workman, 2002), Marketing Madness (Westview, 1995), What Are We Feeding Our Kids? (Workman, 1994), The Fast-Food Guide (Workman, 1986, 1991), The Complete Eater’s Digest and Nutrition Scoreboard (Doubleday, 1986), and Salt: The Brand Name Guide to Sodium (Workman, 1983).  He has published dozens of articles and letters in academic journals, including the Journal of Molecular Biology, New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, American Journal of Public Health, Journal of the American Medical Association, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  His articles have appeared in the popular press, including Smithsonian, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, The Hill, and many regional newspapers.  Jacobson’s numerous media appearances include Oprah and 60 Minutes.