Food labels

Do you want GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) food for your family?  GMO food has had its genes spliced with lab-replicated genes from other animals, plants, and viruses to make it resistant to insects, heat, drought and more so it will grow more easily for mass production.  This includes cross specie changes. 91% of soy  and 85% of corn are now GMO produce. Many scientists and health professionals are concerned about the long term health issues attached to the consumption of GMO food.  "In one study, traces of insecticide were present in the blood of 93% of pregnant women and in 80% of umbilical cord blood." * Others say time for more research is needed. 30 countries, including the European Union, Australia and Japan won't allow GMO farming. They didn't wait until health negative results surfaced. 

How would you know if you are eating GMO food?  You won't, unless the food companies are required to use a GMO label .Or, unless you buy all organic, stay away form the Top 8: corn, soybeans, canola, cottonseed, sugar beets, Hawaiian papaya and yellow squash.  There is a Non-GMO Shopper's guide: www.nongmoshopping guide.com.

In 2 days, the FDA, who has a former Vice President of GMO producing leader Monsanto as their Deputy Commissioner for Food, must respond to the Petition to require GMO labeling.  To sign this petition, please CLICK HERE. Thank you.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Don't forget to enter to win a case of Creamy Almond Butter with Omega 3s by Once Again Nut Butter. www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes.

*"GMO", Prevention Magazine, April 2012, p. 89.

Please read this… for the health of your family, ellen

Q&A about Arsenic and Apple Juice

by Kimberly Lord Stewart (author of Eating Between the Lines, guest on Better Food Choices Radio)

If the recent Consumer Report study about arsenic in apple and grape juice leave you in a quandary about what to buy and whether there are safe juice options, consider this your one-stop source for no spin information on what to buy.

A few weeks ago, Dr. Oz entered the conversation when he independently tested apple juice samples for arsenic. The results were alarming, as some samples exceeded FDA limits for arsenic.  But the television doctor’s tests were discredited because they did not distinguish between the two types of arsenic—organic and inorganic.  The Consumer Reports study gives Dr. Oz’s concerns credibility,  so here is what you need to know:

Q: What is organic and inorganic arsenic?Don’t confuse this with the same type of organic used in food production. Organic arsenic is naturally occurring arsenic in soil and ground water. There are two forms of organic arsenic that may pose health risks, according to FDA. Inorganic arsenic is a known carcinogen.  Inorganic arsenic in water is considered a silent killer because it has no taste, no color or odor.

Inorganic arsenic was allowed in US until the 1970’s to combat the Colorado potato beetle, but even with the 40-year ban, it remains in the soil. A bigger concern is that more than 70% of apple juice concentrate consumed in this country is imported from China, where there is no regulation regarding inorganic arsenic.  Other countries that import apple juice include Argentina, Brazil, Eastern Europe and South Africa, each with varying levels of regulations. For instance in the Consumer Reports study, Brazilian imported apple juice proved cleaner than juice from Argentina and China.

Q: What did the Consumer Reports study find? This recent Consumer Reports study found that among 88 samples of apple juice and grape juice, the levels of arsenic were notably higher than what is allowed in drinking water.  The study specifically looked at the two type of arsenic, organic (the type that is naturally occurring) and inorganic (the type that comes from agricultural inputs and is considered carcinogenic. Even though none of the samples exceeded the FDA limits for arsenic in food for adults, the results are of particular concern for children’s health.

Q: How much arsenic is allowed in food and water?The juice industry is citing the study as of little concern because none of the results show that juice exceeds food standards, but FDA is relooking at the issue. Current regulations limit the amount of total arsenic in drinking water at 10 parts per billion (ppb) and 5 ppb for inorganic arsenic. FDA says they have a “level of concern” for arsenic levels above 23 ppb in food.


Q: Should I be concerned?Consumer’s Union (parent company of Consumer Reports) is calling for FDA to adjust the limits for apple juice to 3 ppb for arsenic and 5 ppb for lead. "We calculated that level so that if a child drank 4 to 6 ounces of juice daily, they would be under the daily limit of arsenic intake," Michael Hansen, senior scientist at Consumers Union, tells The Salt. "It would give them a one in 1000 risk for skin, bladder and lung cancer." Hansen says that 35% of children 5 and younger drink more juice than pediatricians recommend, which is why the limits need to be established for children.

 The Juice Products Association says there is nothing to worry about. "Consumer Reports and other media outlets erroneously compare juice to the standards for drinking water. Juice is not water. To compare the trace levels of arsenic or lead in juice to the regulatory guidelines for drinking water is not appropriate because regulatory agencies have set lower thresholds for drinking water than for food and other beverages because people consume larger amounts of water."

 Q: What is FDA doing about it?FDA will continue to test juices and juice concentrate and evaluate data provided by industry, consumer groups and government agencies, as well as data published in scientific literature. If the agency finds too much inorganic arsenic in any juice, it will take steps to remove that product from the market.

Q: As a parent, what can I do to limit my child’s exposure to arsenic in juices?Here are a few ways to protect your  children from exposure to arsenic and lead in juices:

1. Buy organic. Among all the samples tested by Consumer Reports, organic brands contained lower amounts of arsenic than other brands.
2. Pay attention to Country of Origin. Brands from China and Argentina contained higher levels of inorganic arsenic than juice from the United States.
3. Be brand savvy. One of the study’s most surprising results were the dramatic differences in arsenic levels among brands. For instance, Gerber baby apple juice had the highest levels of arsenic, while Juicy Juice had low levels.
4. Dilute your child’s juice. Physicians recommend limiting juice intake regardless of concerns about arsenic, to limit sugar intake. So this latest arsenic study is another reason to limit your child’s apple juice consumption.
5. Print out this list of brands that contain the highest and lowest levels of arsenic. PDF attached.

To learn more about food safety and food labeling issue like this on, read Kimberly Lord Stewart’s book, Eating Between the Lines, now available on ebook.

 http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Between-Lines-Supermarket-Shoppers/dp/031234774X

 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eating-between-the-lines-kimberly-lord-stewart/1008026588

The food companies know this.  Body care, cleaning and perfume companies probably do too.  Research as shown there are fragrances that stimulate your brain to think, "I 'm hungry, better eat this… just one more bite."  Now mind you, this desire can begin in your bathroom with fragrant soaps and shampoos.  Do you nibble on food during or after you have used a sweet smelling cleaning fluid? We think is It is better to avoid lab created fragrant products for two reasons.  Desirable smelling lab-made chemicals, when used as directed, have been connected to respiratory, neural and other illnesses. And, stimulating the desire to eat when you are not truly in need of food adds to weight management issues.  Keep in mind that everyone living your home is affected by this reality as well.  I have to look hard to pick out unscented laundry soap. And I certainly do not use those chemically laden laundry softeners which give me giant headaches. I feel better and struggle less with snacking!  Please, give some serious thought to making these changes.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Better enter now to Win a WHOLE YOUNG TURKEY by Plainville Farms. I really hope you are the one I call on Monday morning to say, "YOU WON!"  Enter by going to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today!

Author and Food Expert, Kimberly Stewart, is GIVING away her book, Eating Between the Lines. , the Supermarket Shopper's Guide to the Truth Behind Food Labels.   Go to www.eatingbetweenthelines.com and sign for it.  All addresses are kept confidential.  This is a must have book, a very generous offer.  Don't miss out.

(We learned how to spend money on which Eggs on today's radio show, www.BetterFoodChoicesRadio.com or iTunes (Better Food Choices) from Kimberly Stewart.  Great show!)

… for the health of families,
ellen and sally

Aspartame has been rebranded as AminoSweet.  Dr. Mercola reminds us of its side effects: Headache, Change in Vision, Convulsions and Seizures, Hallucination, Nausea and Vomiting and Joint Pain.  Aspartame has also been identified as an excito-toxin, seriously effecting one’s brain and nervous system.  And then you can look at the fact that it mimics Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Alzheimer’s, Depression, ADD and more diseases.  NutraSweet and Canderel are other aspartame commercial names.  PLEASE, be the smart one and do not buy, drink, eat or serve any artificial sweeteners and especially aspartame brands. 

… for the health of your family,
ellen and sally