Unilever spent $140,000 lobbying government in 2Q on sugar policy, food safety

Unilever spent $140,000 lobbying government in 2Q

WASHINGTON — The U.S. unit of Unilever, maker of Dove soap, Skippy peanut butter and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, spent $140,000 in the second quarter to lobby the government on sugar policy, food safety and other issues, according to a recent disclosure report.

That’s less than the $260,000 it spent in the same period last year and down sharply from the $420,000 it spent in the first quarter of 2010.

The company also lobbied on nanotechnology, deferring foreign income, anti-counterfeiting trade and other issues.

Besides Congress, the company lobbied the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative, among other agencies, from March through April, according to the report filed July 20 with the House clerk’s office.