Food For Thought (Jan. 29 – Feb. 3)

Food and Health

The debate over whether high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is really worse for you than sugar is always popular and heated. Full disclosure: based on the available research, one reporter states will usually land you on the side that says there really is no difference. A sugar is a sugar is a sugar. However a new study suggests for the first time that there is a (slight) difference in the way the body processes HFCS and sugar.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eatingwell/sugar-corn-syrup_b_1250010.html?ref=health-news&ir=Health%20News

On February 1, First lady Michelle Obama said the campaign to bring healthy food to all Americans is happening neighborhood by neighborhood.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/industries/first-lady-to-promote-access-to-healthy-food-with-stop-at-future-calif-market-site/2012/02/01/gIQAV094gQ_story.html

Three student-chefs at a Rochester school won a $2,500 grant for promoting healthy eating in their school. The Northwest College Prep students received their big check morning of February 1. http://www.whec.com/news/stories/S2477897.shtml?cat=565

Food Assistance

Thirty-two million kids — 10 percent of the American population, and the future of the country — are about to start eating better. That’s the bottom line of the new Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) guidelines for government-subsidized school meals, announced last week. The new rules are the first changes to the program in 15years, and come as part of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/31/finally-good-news-about-school-lunches/

Two of Colorado's largest school districts have already begun implementing the changes. JeffCo Public Schools and Denver Public Schools say they already abide by 90% of the changes being mandated by the new school lunch guidelines. http://www.thedenverchannel.com/education/30342622/detail.html

New federal guidelines aimed at making school lunches more nutritious were announced this past week. It may seem like a welcome trend, but in the Los Angeles school district, many students are calling healthier inedible. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57368008/some-call-healthy-l.a-school-lunches-inedible/

The debate about food stamps continues. In an exclusive interview last week with ABC’s Diane Sawyer, Obama responded to Gingrich’s regular campaign trail refrain on food stamps, with the president saying that “the American people are going to make a judgment about, you know, who’s trying to bring the country together and who’s dividing it, who is, you know, tapping into some of our worst instincts.” http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/01/newt-gingrich-defends-food-stamps-vs-paychecks-charge/

Food Safety

The Mexican-style fast food chain referred to only as "Restaurant Chain A" in a report on a 10-state outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is Taco Bell, Food Safety News has learned. http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/02/taco-bell-named-in-salmonella-investigation-report/

W & C International Import Inc. is recalling “Rely” Sardine Anchovies because the product was found to be un-eviscerated. The recalled “Rely” Sardine Anchovies were distributed nationwide in 7.0 oz. plastic packages. The “Rely” Sardine Anchovies are a product of China.
http://www.botulismblog.com/botulism-watch/monthly-installment-of-uneviscerated-fish-recall-w-c-international-recalling-sardines-due-to-possibl/

Pennsylvania health authorities have not yet announced the results of their tests, as the number of people who are sick after drinking milk from a raw milk dairy has risen to 35 in four states. The confirmed cases of Campylobacter infection include 28people in Pennsylvania, four in Maryland, two in West Virginia, and one in New Jersey.
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/02/maryland-confirms-campylobacter-in-dairys-raw-milk/