What does “Antiboitic Free”, “No Antibiotic Residues”, “Natural” mean? Does it mean that no antibiotics were used during the life of the animal?
Here is a great article that goes over in detail about the abuse of antibiotics in todays livestock. Why has congressed not passed any laws prohibiting the use of antibiotics. Who wins, who loses?
Read the article here from ConsumerReports.
Technorati Tags: antibiotics, meat, livestock
Here is an interesting article about the Portland, Maine public schools and their new food policy for school, events, outings, etc.
School District Bans All Sorts Of Yummy Food At Games, Events, Field Trips & Dances
Technorati Tags: Food policy, Portland
The China government has given guidance to the media on what to say about food safety after the recent torrential rains in Beijing.
You can read the article here: Here’s How China’s Propaganda Machine Wants Journalists To Cover Food Safety Concerns.
Technorati Tags: China, food safety
Walmart has made a decision to sell genetically modified (GM) sweet corn. They have teamed up with seed giant Monsanto and will be introducing it in the near future.
After careful investigation Walmart has determined that there are no safety concerns with the GM corn. This is the same GM sweet corn that others, like Whole Foods, have said absolutely no, to GM sweet corn.
Genetically modified food carries a negative connotation in the eyes of the consumer, there is concern about allergies, long term impact on food supply chain, etc.
It will be interesting to see if consumers will accept the GM sweet corn from Walmart or if there is a consumer revolt.
Read more, click here.
Technorati Tags: Walmart, Monsanto, GMO, genetically modified, sweet corn
Will this be the worst draught in 25 years? How will it impact corn and soybeans the two major crops grown in the Midwest?
It started with last years draught in Texas and now has expanded to a much larger area in the Midwest. Will Mother Nature come to the rescue?
Already we have seen the December corn futures contract increase in price 40% since the middle of June. November soybean prices are at an all time high. The USDA has lowered the yield for corn to 144-147 b/p/a (bushels per acre), a 12% decrease (in 1988 the last major drought the corn crop experienced a 25% decrease to 120 bpa). The outlook for the next 6 – 10 days is for continued high heat which will continue to stress the crops. What’s next?
Some articles to read:
MSNBC
Atlantic Wire
Business Insider
This is an interesting article from Bloomberg. Mom’s are fighting back against corporate giants for advertising junk, sugary foods to our kids. Can we win this battle against the food giants of the world? I sure hope so.
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And here is a twist on China and organics. Rather that foreigners not trusting labeling, certification on Chinese products the Chinese authorities have turned the tables and now are rejecting any imported products that claim to be organic. According to the authorities, the new rule prohibits any organics unless approved organic in China! And just how do you get it organic approved in China if you are importing the product into China? You don’t, you just have to remove any organic labels from your product and import as if not organic.
See the article, click here.
As a traveler to China I find this website horrifying. Next trip I will be watching what they serve very closely and being extremely selective.
Check out the website, click here.
What are your thoughts? Is this surprising?
Hooray for Disney. Disney announced today that they will ban junk food ads commencing in 2015. Advertisers will be required to follow new nutritional guidelines with emphasis on fruits and vegetables.
Read the article here.
By Associated Press
Last updated at 12:25 PM on 16th November 2011
Pizza is set to be classified as a vegetable for the purposes of school lunches – because it contains tomato paste.
A congressional committee is pushing for the move and to keep french fries on school lunch lines in a fightback against an Obama administration proposal to make school lunches healthier.
The final version of a spending bill released late Monday would unravel school lunch standards the Agriculture Department proposed earlier this year which limits the use of potatoes and delays limits on sodium and a requirement to boost whole grains.
The bill also would allow tomato paste on pizzas to be counted as a vegetable.
Guideline reversal: A spending bill released late Monday reverses previous school lunch standards proposed by the Agriculture Department limiting the use of potatoes and allowing tomato paste on pizzas to be counted as a vegetable
Food companies that produce frozen pizzas for schools, the salt industry and potato growers requested the changes, and some conservatives in Congress say the federal government shouldn’t be telling children what to eat.
Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee said the changes would ‘prevent overly burdensome and costly regulations and to provide greater flexibility for local school districts to improve the nutritional quality of meals.’
Pro veggies: First Lady Michelle Obama has made healthy eating a top issue for her, promoting a balanced meal with plenty of vegetables to young children which some feel may slouch with Congress’ new guidelines
School districts had said some of the USDA requirements went too far and cost too much when budgets are extremely tight.
Schools have long taken broad instructions from the government on what they can serve in federally subsidized meals that are served free or at reduced price to low-income children.
But some schools have balked at government attempts to tell them exactly what foods they can’t serve.
Fighting for fries: The Senate voted last month to block limiting potato in their version of healthy school lunches
Reacting to that criticism, House Republicans had urged USDA to completely rewrite the standards in their version of the bill passed in June.
The Senate last month voted to block the potato limits in their version.
Neither version included the language on tomato paste, sodium or whole grains, which was added by House-Senate negotiators on the bill.
The school lunch proposal was based on 2009 recommendations by the Institute of Medicine, the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said they were needed to reduce childhood obesity and future health care costs.
Nutrition advocate Margo Wootan of the Center for Science in the Public Interest said Congress’s proposed changes will keep schools from serving a wider array of vegetables.
Children already get enough pizza and potatoes, she says.
Garden education: Mrs Obama, who has invited local school children to help with the White House’s garden, has pushed for healthier school lunches while some school districts have said the USDA requirements have gone too far and cost too much
It would also slow efforts to make pizzas — a longtime standby on school lunch lines — healthier, with whole grain crusts and lower levels of sodium.
‘They are making sure that two of the biggest problems in the school lunch program, pizza and french fries, are untouched,’ she said.
A group of retired generals advocating for healthier school lunches also criticized the spending bill.
The group, called Mission: Readiness has called poor nutrition in school lunches a national security issue because obesity is the leading medical disqualifier for military service.
‘We are outraged that Congress is seriously considering language that would effectively categorize pizza as a vegetable in the school lunch program,’ Amy Dawson Taggart, the director of the group, said in a letter to members of Congress before the final plan was released.
Issue of National Security: Indiana Senator Richard Lugar called on Congress to pass Mission: Readiness, which says poor nutrition in school lunches is a national security issue because obesity is the leading medical disqualifier for military service
‘It doesn’t take an advanced degree in nutrition to call this a national disgrace.’
Specifically, the provisions would:
• Block the Agriculture Department from limiting starchy vegetables, including corn and peas, to two servings a week. The rule was intended to cut down on french fries, which some schools serve daily.
• Allow USDA to count two tablespoons of tomato paste as a vegetable, as it does now. The department had attempted to require that only a half-cup of tomato paste could be considered a vegetable — too much to put on a pizza. Federally subsidized lunches must have a certain number of vegetables to be served.
• Require further study on long-term sodium reduction requirements set forth by the USDA guidelines.
• Require USDA to define ‘whole grains’ before they regulate them. The rules would require schools to use more whole grains.
Food companies who have fought the USDA standards say they were too strict and neglected the nutrients that potatoes, other starchy vegetables and tomato paste do offer.
‘This agreement ensures that nutrient-rich vegetables such as potatoes, corn and peas will remain part of a balanced, healthy diet in federally funded school meals and recognizes the significant amounts of potassium, fiber and vitamins A and C provided by tomato paste, ensuring that students may continue to enjoy healthy meals such as pizza and pasta,’ said Kraig Naasz, president of the American Frozen Food Institute.
The school lunch provisions are part of a final House-Senate compromise on a $182 billion measure would fund the day-to-day operations of the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development.
Both the House and the Senate are expected to vote on the bill this week and send it to President Barack Obama.
From DailyMail – click here.
Technorati Tags: pizza, vegetable, school lunch
