Food for Thought (Mar. 11 – Mar. 17)

Food and Health

Scientists say they have identified five eating patterns for U.S. adults that are strongly influenced by age, race, region, gender, income and education.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120313190052.htm

When it comes to managing children's obesity, cutting portion sizes and cutting carbohydrates can work equally well -- though carb control is tough for many kids, a new clinical trial finds. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46735629/ns/health-childrens_health/

Physicians who have more healthy habits are more likely than doctors without such habits to recommend five important lifestyle modifications to patients, including eating healthy, limiting sodium, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol and being more physically active. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/242923.php

Prof. Marion Nestle, a leading nutrition expert and public health advocate, criticized PepsiCo’s decision to invest about $500M on marketing its’ “megabrands.” She described the brands as unhealthy and said the company’s decision was a “a crass commercial decision.” http://www.beveragedaily.com/Markets/PepsiCo-draws-fire-for-alleged-crass-commercial-choice-of-profit-over-public-health

Food Safety

Information on food recalls and alerts, keeping food safe, food poisoning, and recent news and features can be found at http://www.foodsafety.gov/index.html.

Foodborne illness outbreaks linked to imported food appeared to rise between 2009 and 2010, according to a new analysis released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wednesday. http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/03/cdc-outbreaks-linked-to-imported-foods-increasing-2/

In response to nationwide concern among parents and school service providers about 'pink slime' being purchased by the national school lunch program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Thursday that next year it will give school districts the ability to choose whether they will serve the ammoniated beef product. http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/03/usda-to-offer-school-districts-choice-on-pink-slime/

The continued growth of the certified-organic products sector truly is revolutionizing the modern food system in many positive ways, and changing the way people view food and health. But along with this positive growth has come the not-so-positive growth of a highly-deceptive, unregulated "natural" products sector which churns out food and personal care products that are oftentimes loaded with toxic chemicals, genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), and many other distinctly conventional additives that health-conscious individuals are seeking to avoid.
http://www.naturalnews.com/035238_natural_foods_GMOs_organic.html

Food Assistance

The proposal to devolve social programs to the states may draw more attention as the presidential contest arrives in Mississippi and Alabama, two of the nation’s least-affluent states. In Mississippi, 22 percent of the 3 million residents received food stamps in December 2011, the highest percentage in the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-12/mississippi-whites-not-used-to-help-back-republican-aid-cutters.html

A new program to keep thousands of Delaware kids fed when they are out of school during the summer represents the latest effort to provide proper nutrition to a population that is widely dependent on a network of feeding initiatives.State agencies are teaming up with the U.S. Department of Agriculture this summer to feed 5,000 children who currently receive free or reduced-price meals at school and who may be at risk of going hungry when school is not in session. http://www.delawarefirst.org/24090-delaware-childrens-food-safety-net

In the last three years, demand at the town's food pantry has tripled, Senior Services Director Joyce Becker said, and the facility needs more space. Bethlehem is an affluent suburb, with the median household income around $80,000 and median house value at $272,663, according to city-data.com, but unemployed couples, seniors and single-parent households are increasingly relying on the town's modest pantry. http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Food-pantry-lacks-room-3411022.php