I’ve been following the FDA’s hearings about the approval of genetically modified salmon for human consumption. And I’m excited to tell you that it was NOT approved. However, it was also NOT not approved. (Tricky double negative there.) The FDA “failed to reach a conclusion” on the matter (and has declined to set a timetable …
Aug
24
8 Reasons to Beware of Eggs
Half a Billion Eggs Recalled, And Counting… Over 500 million eggs have been recalled due to an outbreak of Salmonella that sickened thousands of people across the country (and many cases go unreported because Salmonella infections, which cause diarrhea and stomach cramps, often go undiagnosed). This is one of the country’s worst food safety recalls, …
Jul
14
Be Careful What You Fish For
Anyone who made it through Biology 101 knows that fish have nerves and brains that sense pain, just like all other animals. Scientists tell us that fish nervous systems closely resemble our own, even including neurotransmitters like endorphins that relieve suffering – of course, the only reason for a nervous system to produce pain killers …
Jun
30
Frankenfish
The FDA is eerily close to approving genetically modified salmon for human consumption. These “AquAdvantage” fish, as the company that created them calls them, are Atlantic salmon that are genetically altered to contain a growth hormone gene from a Chinook salmon as well as a genetic “on-switch” from the ocean pout, a distant relative of the …
Jan
28
Movie Review: Food, Inc.
Food, Inc. is a fantastic summary of all the food-related issues in the US today. Marketing The way we eat has changed more in the past 50 years than in the previous 200. But we still use the same images of agarian America to sell food. Hillshire Farms, owned by Sarah Lee, a $12.8 billion …
Jan
07
High Fructose Corn Syrup
I’ve seen this ad SO MUCH lately! It is one of three commercials that the Corn Refiners Association created to “change the conversation about high-fructose corn syrup.” The ad features a mother delivering the Corn Refiners’ message about high-fructose corn syrup, “It’s made from corn, doesn’t have artificial ingredients, and like sugar, it’s fine in …
Jun
17
Rules And Regulations
To address a question I received… How can the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) possibly allow crap-filled meat to enter the market? Well, the meat industry is regulated by the USDA (US Department of Agriculture), not the FDA. And unfortunately, the USDA is operating under a conflicted mission: to promote the sale of American beef …
May
21
NutraSweet Not So Sweet
The FDA has approved the use of 5 artificial sweeteners, but none is as controversial as the approval of aspartame, more commonly known as NutraSweet or Equal. NutraSweet is in all diet sodas, diet drinks (including diet juices and Crystal Light), and most diet foods. Equal is the sweetener in the blue packet. There are …
