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Palestinian olive oil garners raves from believers in fair trade
Olive oil from some of the oldest groves in the world is garnering interest in Canada. For more than 2000 years, Palestinian farmers have grown …
The Diet Detective Good fats vs. bad: Nutrition experts weigh in
What about coconut oil? Is it dangerous to heat olive oil? Which is better: polyunsaturated or monounsaturated… By Charles Stuart Platkin Are all …
Whole Foods Market’s Margaret Wittenberg Named to Board of The Organic Center
the leading natural and organic foods supermarket, announced that Margaret M. Wittenberg, the Company’s Global Vice President for Quality Standards and…
Grocers take a meaty gamble
High food and energy prices are driving busy Americans from restaurants for the first time in decades. But that doesn’t mean they’ve suddenly discovered a …
Tassie wine best in the world
The Tasmanian wine industry’s profile has been boosted with a local sauvignon blanc being recognised as the best in the world. …
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Olive oil: WTO in favour of Mexico in dispute with EU
Mexican import duties on olive oil from Italy, Spain and Greece are illegal, World Trade Organization judges ruled, backing a complaint by the European Union while rejecting the bloc’s call for a repeal of the taxes.
`Having found that Mexico has acted inconsistently with provisions’ of WTO rules on subsidies and import duties,`we recommend that Mexico bring its measures into conformity,’ judges said in a 110-page report posted today on the Geneva- based WTO’s Web site.
The EU, which produces four fifths of the world’s olive oil, said when asking judges to rule on the case in December 2006 that Mexican duties as high as 30 percent were imposed in August 2005 without any evidence of a threat to the domestic industry. Mexico imported 8,000 metric tons of olive oil worth $21 million annually from the EU when the complaint was lodged.
The Mexican government said the measures, imposed in August 2005, complied with WTO rules and were necessary because of European olive oil subsidies.
Judges ruled against Mexico on several points, including exceeding the time limit on its investigation and the country’s failure to base the probe on evidence that would allow an objective examination of the data.
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Are all saturated fats bad?
Are all saturated fats bad? What about coconut oil? Is it dangerous to heat olive oil? Which is better: polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat? We asked a few nutrition experts, and here are their answers.
Is it true that you should not heat olive oil?
According to Dr. David L. Katz, a professor at the Yale School of Public Health, “Unsaturated oils are less tolerant of heat than saturated oils. When unsaturated oils are heated, some trans fat can form. This is the basis for claims that unsaturated oils such as olive oil are unsafe to cook with.” But the claims are unfounded. “The degradation of oils occurs mostly at the ’smoke point,’ the temperature above which the oil gives off smoke. This temperature is reached in deep fryers but is rarely reached with home cooking.”
Are all saturated fats unhealthy?
There is clear evidence that not all saturated fatty acids are created equal. “Stearic acid, for instance, appears innocuous; it does not raise serum cholesterol or increase the risk of heart disease. This is one of the reasons why dark chocolate is as heart-healthy as it is,” says Katz.
So why has saturated fat been vilified?
“Most of the demonization of saturated fat is based on the belief that it always raises cholesterol, an argument that has two huge holes in it,” says Jonny Bowden, author of “The Healthiest Meals on Earth “(Fair Winds Press, July 2008).
Can coconut oil be healthy with all that saturated fat?
Which is better, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat?
Image: Fitsugar
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EMS Surface and Air Sanitation Technology Kills Pathogens AND Protects Consumers
Cantaloupes from Central America, seafood from China, peppers from Mexico, tomatoes from Florida … Long established refrigeration technology and the global transportation industry allow people to experience fresh and frozen products from around the world each and every day.
Most consumers assume these products are safe to eat, but highly publicized incidents of food-borne illnesses are creating growing concerns over E. coli, Salmonella, molds, viruses and other health- or life-threatening microorganisms within our food supply.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 76 million cases of food-borne illness, resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths, occur nationwide each year. These concerns have generated calls for better food handling processes and technologies across the supply chain. Today, Ingersoll Rand offers a solution to assist with food-safety challenges.
Benefits of Using EMS Surface and Air Sanitation Technology
* Reduces food safety risks.
* Extends shelf life of perishables.
* Reduces product shrink.
* Reduces risk of cross contamination.
* Safe for use in organic operations.
* Creates a more pleasant environment.
* Continuous treatment with no human interaction needed.
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Bisphenol A (BPA) May Affect Brain, Behavior, Prostate in Children
The controversial chemical BPA, found in many food and drink containers, may prevent the brain from building vital connections between neurons, a Canadian-U.S. study has found.
Canada should review the existing safe levels of BPA (also known as bisphenol A) and consider making them lower as a result, one of the researchers says.
“Whether or not the (safety) limits are now low enough is a good question,” said study author Neil MacLusky, who teaches biomedical science at the University of Guelph. “I think the limits probably should be looked at and probably should be reduced.
“We should really think carefully about whether we want bisphenol A to be used in containers” for food and drink. He tested the maximum safe level of the chemical on monkeys and found the animals were less able to form synapses, or connections that allow brain cells to exchange signals. These signals allow us to learn and remember.
That doesn’t mean humans are being hurt, he cautioned. Actual exposures are well below the official safe limit - probably at least 50 times lower - but he still suggests the limits should be investigated, and probably made lower.
“It’s certainly not saying this is something the average man or woman on the street should be really worried about.”
image: Wiredberries
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Coca-Cola acquires China Huiyuan Juice Maker
Coca-Cola Co. agreed to buy China Huiyuan Juice Group Ltd. for HK$17.9 billion ($2.3 billion), its biggest overseas acquisition, as the sodamaker tries to build its share of non-carbonated drink sales.
The world’s biggest soft-drink maker will pay HK$12.20 a share in cash, almost triple its price of HK$4.14 last week, the companies said in statements today. Huiyuan shares closed today at HK$10.94 in Hong Kong.
Chief Executive Officer Muhtar Kent’s second acquisition since taking over in July will give Coca-Cola about 20 percent of China’s fruit-juice market, helping it compete with PepsiCo Inc. as U.S. soda sales slow. Coca-Cola will pay more than twice the valuation of Huiyuan’s closest local rival.
`It’s a bit expensive, but it’s better than building everything from zero,” Fiona Wong, consumer analyst at Sun Hung Kai Securities Ltd. in Hong Kong, said in a telephone interview today. `The Huiyuan brand is very well known in China.”
Coca-Cola’s purchase of Huiyuan, which is subject to Chinese regulatory approval, would be the biggest foreign takeover of a company in the Asian country.
The deal values Huiyuan at 46.6 times this year’s estimated earnings, according to Bloomberg data. Uni-President China Holdings Ltd., the Shanghai-based maker of fruit drinks and instant noodles, trades at 20.03 times estimated earnings.
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Vascular cognitive impairment | B-vitamin deficiency may cause vascular cognitive impairment.
A new study in the August 26, 2008 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) suggests that B-vitamin deficiency may cause vascular cognitive impairment.
The study was conducted in mice by researchers at Tufts University to examine the metabolic, cognitive, and microvascular effects of dietary B-vitamin deficiency.
“Metabolic impairments induced by a diet deficient in three B-vitamins -folate, B12 and B6- caused cognitive dysfunction and reductions in brain capillary length and density in our mouse model,” says Aron Troen, PhD, the study’s lead author. “The vascular changes occurred in the absence of neurotoxic or degenerative changes.”
The study showed that mice on a diet deficient in folate, vitamin B12 and B6 experienced significant deficits in spatial learning and memory compared to those on a normal diet.
The study also showed that B-vitamin deficient mice had 7 times higher concentrations of homocysteine than those fed the normal diet. B-vitamins like folate vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 are needed to convert homocysteine back to methionine, a way to reduce accumulation of homocysteine.
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Scientists use particle accelerator to date wine
French scientists have devised a way of using particle accelerators to authenticate vintage wines, one of France’s top research bodies said this week.
The new method tests the age of the glass in wine bottles by analyzing X-rays emitted when the bottles are placed under ion beams produced by a particle accelerator, the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) said in a statement.
“This enables the age of bottles and their origin to be verified and thus a vintage to be authenticated, a bit like the signature of a painter on a masterpiece, all without opening the bottle and without affecting in any way the content,” it said.
“The technique consists of zapping bottles with ion beams generated by a particle accelerator.
By comparing the results with a database containing detailed information on 80 bottles from the Bordeaux region from the 19th century to the present day, the tests can help indicate the vintage of many wines.
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FDA Food Irradiation Decision Questioned | Top news
FDA Food Irradiation Decision Questioned
This Spring and Summer has been the season of food illness outbreaks with the Salmonella outbreak across North America, several small E. …
Debate Continues Over Safety Of Food After Irradiation
The debate continues to wage on in regards to how we can make sure that what we are eating is safe. This comes as US regulators have …
FDA’s Decision over Food Irradiation Stirs Debate
The Food and Drug Administration approved the irradiation treatment of spinach and lettuce to kill the potential harmful bacteria …
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Irradiation of foods | Debate continues over safety of food after irradiation
The debate continues to wage on in regards to how we can make sure that what we are eating is safe. This comes as U.S. regulators have given approval to the use of irradiation of spinach and lettuce.
Irradiation works by treating food with radiation basically, zapping it to kill any potentially harmful bacteria it may have.
On top of the bacteria, the radiation also kills any insects, pathogens, or anything else living on the food. This comes as food-borne illnesses such as salmonella outbreaks, and E. coli outbreaks continue to pop up across the U.S.
Though many experts have started that irradiation of foods does not pose any risk to human health, the majority are not yet convinced.