food politics
India Farmers Beat Monsanto Rep
A senior representative from Monsanto Corporation traveled from Mumbai to the nearby village of Munjala to investigate reports of crop failures of Bt cotton seed. When he denied any problems with the crop, (even though they had clearly not grown) he was severely beaten up by the farmers. Don’t you just love this?
Food Manufacturers Go Healthy: NOT!
In a marketing attempt to lure consumers to their products, food manufacturers are using an old concept towards bigger profits. This old “new” idea is to hide healthy food in their nutrient poor, manufactured products. This may fool some, but not us! We already stay away from their products. Here’s what they are trying to do.
Kraft Foods, Inc. is adding freeze dried cauliflower to their Macaroni & Cheese. They apparently freeze dry the cauliflower and then pulverize it and use that powder to replace some of the refined flour in the pasta. This allows them to claim that every cup of the product contains one half cup of vegetable.
Farmageddon is Coming!
Small family farms are under seige by bureaucrats who are trespassing on the civil liberties of citizens like you and I. This is the subject of Kristin Canty’s documentary film, Farmageddon — the Unseen War on American Family Farms. It has been premiered in various parts of the country and now it is coming to New York City from Friday, July 8 through Thursday, July 14. I’ll meet you there!
Where’s The Fat?
While the new USDA graphic is certainly a prettier picture and does convey information with more clarity, they forgot a MAJOR macronutrient group. Where’s the FAT? Fruit and vegetables have very little fat. They are recommending lean meats, which have very little fat. They are recommending low fat dairy which has very little fat. So, where’s the fat in this supposedly healthy diet?
Gluten-Free But Not Safe
Last week I was a guest blogger at FoodRenegade.com. Click the link at the bottom to read the entire article.
Recently, The Washington Post reported about the FDA’s reluctance to make a decision about gluten-free labeling. Under a 2004 law Congress gave the FDA until 2008 to establish a standard for food manufacturers who want to use the term “gluten-free” in their food label.
Girl Scouts Plee to Save Rainforests
It never ceases to amaze me when young people become passionate about a subject and take action to change things. It was recently reported in the Wall Street Journal, that two teenage girl scouts, Rhiannon Tomtishen and Madison Vorva, from Michigan have done just that.
Dietetic Association Vying for Monopoly
The American Dietetic Association (ADA) is sponsoring legislation in over 40 states, at this very moment, that would greatly affect the future of alternative nutritionists. They want to lump all nutritionists with registered dieticians into one licensing scheme.
Report on the Small Farm Summit Held on Long Island New York
The State University of Old Westbury was host to the unprecedented Small Farm Summit on Long Island on April 15, 2011. The conference was a project of the Long Island Small Farm Initiative, and it marks the beginning of an on-going effort to cultivate active community support for sustainable local agriculture.
Coconut Oil: A Healthy Oil
Many people are confused about the coconut products and coconut oil. Unfortunately, there is a widespread misconception that coconut oil is bad for you because it contains saturated fat. Although coconut products have been used for thousands of years by natives of the Tropics, India, and Asia, westerners have been told it is unhealthy. These native populations enjoy good health because coconut oil is truly one of the healthiest oil you can consume.
Battle of the Two Sugars
In response to the declining consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the Corn Refiners’ Association has asked the FDA for permission to change the name to “corn sugar.” Isn’t that typical of special interest groups — find a new way to market an old product in order to fool the public. This, in the face of serious concerns by scientists and consumers about the health and environmental impacts of HFCS.