Food For Thought (Jan. 22 - Jan. 28)

Food and Health

In the food world, the people with power are the ones who affect what and how and where and why we eat. They're the agribusiness moguls who decide what gets grown and how it gets harvested and sold; the representatives of major food processing, distribution concerns, and retail food outlets who create new products and service the demand for edibles old and new. They're also the consumer advocates — who tell us what we should and shouldn't eat, sometimes upending whole industries in the process. http://www.thedailymeal.com/50-most-powerful-food-folk-america-for-2011

Guess what – traffic light labels work. Investigators measured sales before the start of the intervention. About a quarter of items sold were in the red category and 42% were green—these hospital workers were already making healthy choices. The intervention took place in two 3-month phases. The first phase just involved traffic light labels. In the second phase, the investigators moved the items around to make the green-labeled products more visible and accessible. http://www.foodpolitics.com/

This time of year the options in fresh produce are limited, SupermarketGuru wants to remind you of some thrifty ways of filling up on nature’s bounty. Generally winter vegetables and fruits include, root vegetables such as: parsnips, rutabagas, potatoes, beets, citrus fruits like blood oranges, kumquats, and clementines. Winter is also the time for Brussels sprouts and jicama. http://www.supermarketguru.com/index.cfm/go/sg.viewArticle/articleId/2767

A new study of women ages 18 to 44 found that drinking coffee and other caffeinated beverages can alter levels of estrogen.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/27/caffeine-alters-estrogen-levels-in-younger-women/?ref=health

Food Assistance

Hoping to combat the growing problem of childhood obesity, the Obama administration on Wednesday announced its long-awaited changes to government-subsidized school meals, a final round of rules that adds more fruits and green vegetables to breakfasts and lunches and reduces the amount of salt and fat.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/us/politics/new-school-lunch-rules-aimed-at-reducing-obesity.html?_r=1&ref=health

A Georgia DA says there may be a culture in Dougherty County that it's OK to lie on application forms and receive free school lunch for your students. But he says those free lunches days are over. He says his office and school police will audit the lunch program now, and he will prosecute violators.
http://www.walb.com/story/16589030/d-a-to-vet-free-school-lunch-applications

A Kansas House committee will question a state official next week about a new policy that reduced or ended food stamp benefits to hundreds of U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants.
http://www.dodgeglobe.com/newsnow/x675926940/House-panel-to-examine-food-stamps-policy

Food Safety

The scathing review by the Department of Health and Human Services found that the safety of the nation's food supplies was compromised because FDA did not always follow its own guidelines to properly handle recalls.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/23/news/economy/food_safety_recalls_fda/index.htm

Thursday, a Colorado House committee gave its unanimous support to a cottage food bill. If enacted, the bill would allow the sale of "nonpotentially hazardous" food from home kitchens.
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/01/cottage-food-bill-gets-public-hearing-in-colorado/

Dietary levels of acrylamide, the chemical compound and known carcinogen naturally produced from cooking food, cannot be shown to pose any health risk to humans.
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/01/panel-acrylamide-in-food-unlikely-to-pose-health-risk/

Park City Group President Randy Fields addressed food safety regulations in America at a Food and Drug Law Institute conference in Washington, D.C., Thursday, January 26, 2012. Fields was invited to speak to FDA officials, attorneys and industry experts for a registry the Park City Group developed that would track food from farm to fork. http://www.parkrecord.com/rss/ci_19837579?source=rss

Chlorine is a commonly used tool of the fresh-cut produce industry to prevent cross-contamination in the wash flume. But a high organic load, as is common in fresh-cut produce, reduces the efficacy of chlorine by using up free chlorine. A new chlorine stabilizer called SmartWash from New Leaf Food Safety Solutions, Salinas, Calif., could improve food safety during the wash and transport through the cutting room.
http://freshcut.com/index.php/food-safety/entry/chlorine-stabilizer-shows-promise-in-wash-environment

This year promises to be a noteworthy year in food safety. The regulatory outlook for 2012 is dominated by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), and July will be a particularly important month for food safety, as many important provisions of FSMA either become effective or require regulations to be implemented at that time.
http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2012/fda-safety-outlook-2012.html

Food for Thought (Jan. 15 - Jan. 20)

Food and Health

An industry has grown up based on the concept that ‘food doctor’ nutritionists can cure patients’ ills and allergies through diet.
http://www.foodhealthnews.com/2012/01/nutrition-therapists-condemned-as-quacks-who-put-patients-health-at-risk/

The CDC just announced that 33% of American adults are now considered obese. And instead of running to the gym or throwing out our junk food, everyone seems to be sitting around looking for someone to blame.
http://blisstree.com/live/obesity/the-cdc-says-33-of-americans-are-obese-its-time-to-take-responsibility-638/

On Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 11:15 am First Lady Michelle Obama was joined by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack at Parklawn Elementary School in Alexandria, VA to speak with parents about USDA’s new nutrition standards for school lunches.
http://www.schoolnutrition.org/Blog.aspx?id=16628&blogid=145506

Former President Clinton has announced a new initiative to get kids healthier and provide more nutritious lunch options at 13,000 schools across the country. As part of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, the William J. Clinton Foundation has partnered with the American Heart Association to reduce childhood obesity nationwide by 2015 and get kids moving and eating better. http://www.blogowogo.com/blog_article.php?aid=3882816&t=17

Food Assistance

Some have advanced degrees and remember middle-class lives. Some work selling lingerie or building websites. They are white, black and Hispanic, young and old, homeowners and homeless. What they have in common: They're all on food stamps.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/20/food-stamps_n_1218248.html

There are more white people on food stamps than blacks, a fact not presented by Gingrich in a South Carolina debate. http://www.trivisonno.com/food-stamps-race

Right now, schools follow federal mandates to allow students from lower income households to have free or reduced lunch.
http://ktar.com/6/1490258/State-senator-aims-to-change-free-and-reduced-lunch-program

Over the last five years, Americans have experienced a struggle far worse than many of us have ever experienced. Lost jobs, demotions and cuts are translating into families wondering how to maintain one of our most basic needs, food.
http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/16529900/free-lunch-program-helps-pee-dee-students-achieve-in-classroom

The federal lunch program serves students considered economically disadvantaged, based on their family income. Since it’s based on actual numbers instead of estimates, the figure is considered one of the best available measures of the economic well-being of families with school-aged children.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/01/15/more-ohio-kids-living-in-poverty-lunch-program-shows.html

Prince George's County Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services is leading the country in the nutritional quality, content, and integrity of our school meals. You can rest assured a healthy school meal is available for your child. http://www1.pgcps.org/foodandnutrition/

“Who are we to say, ‘You made a mistake. You paid your debt to society. We’re letting you re-enter society, but you can’t eat’?” she adds. “It doesn’t make sense.”
http://americaswire.org/drupal7/?q=content/food-stamp-bans-under-review-many-states-seek-prison-savings

Food Safety

The Obama Administration may be considering a plan to merge the functions of food safety as currently performed at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration (FDA) into one large single food safety agency, located within FDA.
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/01/a-budget-neutral-better-way-to-boost-food-safety/

Although preparedness for public health emergencies had been on an upward climb in the U.S. over the last decade, some of our most elementary capabilities are experiencing cuts in every state across the country. This includes the ability to identify and contain outbreaks, provide vaccines and medications during emergencies, and treat people during mass traumas.
http://healthyamericans.org/newsroom/news/?newsid=2357

Chicago retailers that sell pre-packaged foods and recently inspected restaurants with no history of foodborne illness would police themselves and send inspection reports to City Hall, under a “self-certification” plan advanced Tuesday to free inspectors to focus on “high-risk” establishments.
http://blog.usfoodsafety.com/2012/01/18/chicago-to-let-some-low-risk-food-sellers-certify-themselves/

Salmonella Enteritidis infections centered in Texas and Oklahoma, but also spread over 8 other states, sickened 68 people who ate at a Mexican-style fast food restaurant chain in October and November, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.
http://savant7.com/beefcattlenews/general/cdc-mum-about-fast-food-chain-in-salmonella-outbreak/

Last January, President Obama signed the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the largest overhaul of the U.S. food safety system in decades. Since then, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has begun implementing various guidelines for the food industry.
http://foodmanufacturing.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/fsma-one-year-later/

RSW Distributors, LLC, is recalling approximately 3,104 pounds of seasoned diced beef products that may contain foreign materials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
http://westmorelandtimes.com/news/2012/01/diced-beef-products-recalled-may-contain-foreign-materials-17011208565701/

Herbadashery of Casper, WY is recalling certain bottles of barbecue dipping sauce because the labels do not specify that the sauce contains anchovies, an allergen.
http://naturallygourmetproducts.com/food-safety/allergen-alert-barbecue-sauce-with-anchovies/

Food for Thought (Jan.7 – Jan.13)

Food and Health

Scientists working at the Medical Research Council have identified changes in the patterns of sugar molecules that line pre-cancerous cells in the esophagus, a condition called Barrett’s dysplasia, making it much easier to detect and remove these cells before they develop into esophageal cancer.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/researchers-use-sugar-to-halt-esophageal-cancer-in-its-tracks?ret=/articles/list&category=medicine&page=1&search[status]=3&search[sort]=date+desc&search[section]=10&search[has_multimedia]=

Educating consumers to use the Nutrient Rich Foods approach to eating is an effective means of promoting healthful shopping and eating patterns, and improving diet quality.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/584657/

The ultimate goal is to understand how our perception of fat in food might influence what foods we eat and the quantities of fat that we consume.
http://www.sci-news.com/medicine/article00151.html

Among overweight and obese adults, a diet rich in slowly digested carbohydrates, such as whole grains, legumes and other high-fiber foods, significantly reduces markers of inflammation associated with chronic disease.
http://www.flexonline.com/nutrition/diet-rich-slowly-digested-carbs-reduces-markers-inflammation-overweight-and-obese-adults

Convenience stores (c-stores) are not typically recognized for their food selections, but as tobacco and gas prices rise, fewer people are spending money on these items and other c-store staples. http://8pak.com/2012/01/13/new-trends-convenience-stores-to-focus-on-food-in-2012/

The LG fridge might have features to help you lose weight, but since it's not yet available (and its price tag is a bit steep), give the fridge you already own a little makeover. It can help you reach your 2012 weight loss goals with these tips. http://www.fitsugar.com/Ways-Your-Fridge-Can-Help-You-Lose-Weight-21242390

Food Assistance

In recent speeches and debates, Republican Presidential contenders Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich have all invoked the 1996 welfare reform project as a model for responsibly cutting federal spending on social safety-net programs like food stamps and health care.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/10/romney-santorum-gingrich-welfare_n_1197409.html

Pennsylvania plans to make the amount of food stamps that people receive contingent on the assets they possess - an unexpected move that bucks national trends and places the commonwealth among a minority of states.
http://articles.philly.com/2012-01-10/news/30612157_1_food-stamps-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-federal-poverty-level

After losing her job as a consultant for nonprofits, Martha Heassler and her husband, a graphic artist, no longer had money for their daughter’s college education, new clothing or groceries.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-12/mercedes-owners-ph-d-holders-join-crowd-straining-food-banks.html

One day last semester at Utah State University, a nontraditional student contacted Jordan Hunt, the executive assistant to the Associated Students of USU. The student said she was “scared” about her financial situation, being able to put food on the table while going to classes, working and paying the bills for her apartment.
http://news.hjnews.com/news/article_88d23eb6-3f29-11e1-ac01-0019bb2963f4.html

Food Safety

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is continuing to test imported shipments of orange juice for the fungicide carbendazim before allowing them to enter commerce. Preliminary test results for three samples are negative, according to an agency spokesman. http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/01/fda-preliminary-tests-for-fungicide-in-oj-imports-are-negative/

Congressman Gary Ackerman, D-NY, this week reintroduced a bill to permanently prohibit the slaughter at meat plants of unhealthy livestock that cannot walk because they are diseased, injured or ill, and to require that these animals be humanely euthanized.
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/01/bill-seeks-permanent-ban-on-downer-slaughter-at-meat-plants/

According to the CDC a salmonella outbreak, which peaked during the summer and is over, stemmed from labeling confusion. The packaging described the product as "kosher broiled chicken livers," but the product was not ready-to-eat and required further cooking before eating. http://foodpoisoning.pritzkerlaw.com/archives/salmonella-cdc-declares-chicken-liver-salmonella-outbreak-over.html

Later this month the Environmental Protection Agency is scheduled to release new guidelines that would set limits on the safe exposure of U.S. consumers to dioxin. As with most proposals of this type, farmers, ranchers and the U.S. food industry are caught between the proverbial rock and a hard spot. http://www.mycentralnebraska.com/pages/11914510.php?

Food for Thought (Dec.31 – Jan.6)

Food and Health

Some dieters think increasing or cutting back on protein will trick the body's metabolism into causing weight loss. But a new study suggests if you're going to eat a lot, changing the amount of protein in your diet probably won't help you lose weight. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57352169-10391704/calories-count-more-than-protein-for-weight-loss/

Only 20% of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. are given to people who are sick with bacterial infections, such as ear and urinary tract infections and pneumonia. Most of the penicillin, tetracycline and other antibiotic drugs used in this country are given to livestock that are perfectly healthy. http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-antibiotics-agriculture-20120109,0,7336685.story

High-fat foods cause damage to the hypothalamus – an area in the brain responsible for hunger, thirst and the body’s natural rhythms and cycles. http://blog.usfoodsafety.com/2012/01/06/high-fat-foods-cause-brain-scarring/

Food Assistance

Five years ago, New York State stopped requiring that all applicants for food stamps be electronically fingerprinted. Recently, California and Texas ended their requirement, leaving New York City and Arizona the only jurisdictions to continue the stigmatizing requirement.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/02/opinion/stigmatizing-food-stamps.html?_r=1&ref=welfareus

Gov. Jerry Brown released his budget plan Thursday, proposing more deep cuts to state health and welfare programs next fiscal year while warning that spending on schools, universities and courts will be reduced by billions if California voters refuse to pass his tax proposal in November. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/05/BADC1MLEJ6.DTL

Food Safety

Ammoniated beef has taken a real beating in the media over the past couple years, and now fast-food giants McDonald's, Taco Bell and Burger King are no longer using it. http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/01/fast-food-companies-abandon-ammoniated-beef/

According to a recent Canadian study, people from well-educated families are almost twice as likely to suffer from some dangerous food allergies as others — possibly because their bodies’ natural defenses have been lowered by rigorous hygiene and infection control. http://blog.usfoodsafety.com/2012/01/04/food-allergies-linked-to-hygiene-hypothesis/

The first ever lawsuit concerning risks of nanotechnology was filed in federal court last month when several groups jointly sued the US Food and Drug Administration for its lack of response to a 2006 petition demanding that products with nanomaterials be labeled and their affects tested for safety. http://www.infowars.com/fda-sued-over-lack-of-nanotech-oversight-labels/