Food News
The curious case of tainted milk from a Maine dairy farm
Reuters | Posted on March 20, 2019For Maine dairy farmer Fred Stone, the discovery in 2016 that his cows were producing tainted milk has since brought financial ruin and threatened to shut down a century-old family business. Now state regulators and health experts are investigating whether the contamination could reflect a much broader problem for farms that used similar methods to fertilize their land.The chemicals on Stone’s farm likely came from biosolids, or nutrient-rich sewage from municipal utilities, that he spread across his fields, according to a report last year by Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The chemicals are known as perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS – some of which have been linked to cancers, liver damage, low birth weight and other health problems.
Canada hiring more meat-sniffing dogs amid African Swine Fever outbreak
ipolitics | Posted on March 20, 2019The Canadian government is investing up to $31 million to increase the number of meat-sniffing dogs in its employ as Canada’s pork industry remain on edge about a global outbreak of a deadly pork virus called African Swine Fever.
Experts weigh new findings on eggs, cholesterol and health
CBS News | Posted on March 19, 2019A new, large study may serve up some confusing advice for egg lovers. Research from Northwestern Medicine finds that adults who ate several eggs per week and high amounts of dietary cholesterol had a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death from any cause. The researchers found that eating three to four eggs per week was linked to a 6 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease and an 8 percent higher risk of any cause of death.With so much conflicting evidence, it can be hard for consumers to keep track of which foods are considered healthy choices."It's a very large study with a very large number of different types of patients. These are all good things," she said. "But in general, any dietary study is fraught with difficulty because of the problem of patient recall. Do you remember what you ate last week? Because I don't. It's the same thing with patients."
What is Cheeslandia?
Chesselandia.com | Posted on March 19, 2019First and most importantly, there will be thousands of pounds of assorted artisan cheeses, but Wisconsin also brings a un-brie-lievably unique spin with special touches like a Ferris wheel of award-winning cheeses, three 7-liter gourmet fondues, custom swag, and at certain times throughout the day, fair favorites like fried cheese curds and boozy snow cones. A cast of characters will make special appearances including a magician and juggler as well as a woman in a dress made of champagne flutes. This must visit SXSW lounge is designed with social sharing in mind so everything is curated for the perfect picture.
No One’s Really Sure How to Regulate This Hemp Food Craze
Pew Trust | Posted on March 14, 2019Despite limited research on the compound’s health benefits, hemp CBD has become a nationwide health food craze. Stressed-out people flock to cafes and restaurants that sell CBD cocktails and cookies, doughnuts and dog treats. Martha Stewart is advising a cannabis company on a line of CBD products for humans and pets. Congress recently primed the market for more growth when it legalized hemp farming and sales nationwide. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says businesses such as Hudson’s cafe are unlawfully introducing drugs into the food supply.The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, first passed in 1938, makes it illegal to sell an active ingredient either in dietary supplements or in foods that will be sold across state lines. The FDA has approved a CBD-based drug, Epidiolex, for treating epileptic seizures and is evaluating other drugs that use the compound as an active ingredient.
Gene-edited food quietly arrives in restaurant cooking oil
San Francisco Chronicle | Posted on March 14, 2019Somewhere in the Midwest, a restaurant is frying foods with oil made from gene-edited soybeans. That's according to the company making the oil, which says it's the first commercial use of a gene-edited food in the U.S. Calyxt said it can't reveal its first customer for competitive reasons, but CEO Jim Blome said the oil is "in use and being eaten."The Minnesota-based company is hoping the announcement will encourage the food industry's interest in the oil, which it says has no trans fats and a longer shelf life than other soybean oils. Whether demand builds remains to be seen, but the oil's transition into the food supply signals gene editing's potential to alter foods without the controversy of conventional GMOs, or genetically modified organisms.
How Can We Use Emerging Technology To Improve Community Nutrition?
Forbes | Posted on March 14, 2019Technology is bringing to life the ability to accomplish feats that would have seemed science fiction when many of us were children -- like driverless cars and virtual reality. We likely have conversations with bots without even realizing we aren’t chatting with an actual person. These are exciting and important advancements, but if those of us positioned to shape and affect the implementation of technology don't use it to address some timeless human challenges, we ignore much of the power that has been placed at our disposal.One example is the North Market in North Minneapolis, an Inmar client in one of the country’s largest food deserts. North Market will offer digital incentives to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants that will encourage -- and enable -- these shoppers to purchase additional fresh produce. That includes digital coupons like those used in other retailer-operated digital coupon programs.
North Carolina bill would legalize retail raw milk sales, exempt smallest herds from safety regs
Food Safety News | Posted on March 14, 2019Following what a raw milk producer described as a visit during which she “met our cows,” State Rep. Michele Presnell introduced a bill in North Carolina to allow retail sales of unpasteurized milk in the state. The proposed measure, House Bill 103, would require warning labels for raw milk available at retail locations, but it would exempt some dairies from sanitary regulations. It’s first line describes the legislation as “an act to promote small dairy sustainability by allowing the retail sale of raw milk for human consumption.”Public health advocates, medical groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics, and agencies from local health departments up to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all have standing warnings about the dangers of unpasteurized, raw milk. Pasteurization kills bacteria, parasites and viruses in milk and other foods and beverages.
Is milk healthy? Canada's new food guide says not necessarily
BBC | Posted on March 13, 2019Canada has released a new food guide, and one thing is noticeably missing - a daily dose of dairy. The guide does away with food groups entirely, and instead encourages people to eat a variety of unprocessed foods.The last time the food guide was updated was in 2007, and the version unveiled on Tuesday took three years of consultations.The changes have been praised by advocates for plant-based diets, but have raised the ire of the dairy lobby.Instead of recommending Canadians get a specific number of servings, the guide lumps dairy in with other proteins.Canadians are advised to fill half their plate with fruits and vegetables, a quarter with starches or grains and a quarter with protein.
Examining Food Loss and Food Waste in the United States
Choices | Posted on March 13, 2019Grant, Gallardo, and McCluskey shed new light on how consumers may adjust food waste patterns in the presence of innovations designed to replace or complement other package information about food quality and food safety. This work develops a choice experiment with options involving raw ingredients and ready-to-eat meals as a way to evaluate one dimension of consumers’ willingness to pay for reduced food waste. The authors find evidence that consumers are willing to pay more for initiatives that increase food shelf life which may lead to a reduction in food waste. This work offers insights into consumer acceptance of new technologies that might provide better information about the freshness and quality of food and has implications for the generation of food waste in household settings.