A number of organizations will be offering Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified seafood, including McDonald’s who will serve sustainable seafood across Europe. Health departments step in to stop restaurants from serving foods containing insects. In food safety, the FDA say it’s ok that chickens may contain a small amount of arsenic; sprouts should carry health warnings because they are at high risk of carrying microbes; and Europe is re-investigating the safety of aspartame. A number of dietary suggestions were made for ensuring children’s health, and also to help picky eaters choose more foods.
Sustainable seafood in supermarkets and foodservice
Loblaw introduces fresh sustainable seafood Jun-6-11 PG Store Brands
Loblaw Companies Ltd., Brampton, Ontario, said seafood lovers now can purchase Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified Pacific sockeye salmon, Pacific cod, Pacific halibut and Atlantic haddock at the fresh seafood counter at select Loblaws stores in the Greater Toronto Area.
Sodexo to promote MSC-certified seafood Jun-8-11 BusinessWire
Sodexo has signed a worldwide agreement with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for wild caught fish with the view to promoting MSC-certified seafood across the 80 countries where it operates and maximizing awareness and collaboration with clients and consumers.
McDonald’s will serve sustainable fish across Europe Jun-9-11 HuffPost Food
Starting in October 2011, McDonald’s 7,000 European locations will serve sustainable seafood certified by the Marine Stewardship Council.
Eating insects / entomophagy – grasshopper tacos, cicada ice cream
San Francisco won’t let restaurant owner sell grasshopper tacos Jun-7-11 ABC 7
A San Francisco restaurant owner had a hit on his hands until the health department stepped in and said he can no longer sell his special grasshopper tacos or any other insect-inspired entrees. They want them to get the grasshoppers from an FDA approved source, which may not exist.
Cicada ice cream Jun-7-11 Weird News AOL
A public health official in central Missouri has asked an ice cream shop to cool it with the cicada ice cream, even though customers apparently can’t get enough of it.
Food safety – arsenic in chickens, E. coli outbreak, aspartame investigation
FDA: Some chicken may have small amount of arsenic Jun-8-11 USA Today
The FDA said Wednesday that a new study by the agency shows that an ingredient in chicken feed that contains arsenic, called Roxarsone, may make its way into parts of the bird that are eaten. The study raised “concerns of a very low but completely avoidable exposure to a carcinogen.”
Microbial food poisoning outbreaks and sprouts Jun-11-11 Food Politics
Sprouts are a prime suspect in microbial outbreaks. They have been implicated in many outbreaks in the United States. This is because sprouts are sprouted from minute seeds that are hard to clean. Food Safety News suggests a warning label for sprouts. For a list of E. coli outbreaks, see HuffPost Food.
EFSA to review aspartame – eight years ahead of schedule Jun-14-11 New Hope 360
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is to move forward by several years a full review of the safety of aspartame following a request by the European Commission.
Feeding fetuses, children and teens – avoiding obesity, allergies, and stillborn; feeding picky eaters
Study suggests DASH diet may prevent teen obesity Jun-6-11 Boston Globe
Girls who followed basic principles of the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet through their teens had a smaller tendency to gain an excess amount of weight by the time they reached early adulthood than teens who didn’t stick to this diet.
No need to hold back on milk, nuts in babies Jun-7-11 Reuters
Giving your baby cow’s milk, nuts or other solid foods linked to allergies before six months does not appear to cause extra wheezing or eczema later on, according to a Dutch study.
High-fat diet increases risk of stillborn Jun-8-11 Food Product Design
A new study published in the June issue of the journal Endocrinology has found eating a high-fat diet during pregnancy decreases blood flow from the mother to the placenta and increases the risk of stillbirth.
Feeding picky eaters WebMD
One in five preschoolers is a picky eater, several studies show. Many children outgrow pickiness by age 4 or 5. To encourage your finicky child to eat a wider variety of foods, it’s helpful to understand the reason for her eating habits.
Gluten-free – restaurant menu, trend looks like a fad
Costa Vida adds gluten-free to menu Jun-6-11 Fast Casual
Costa Vida Restaurants has announced the addition of all new gluten-free menu options. Glutens have been removed from all sauces, dressings, meats and selected desserts.
Gluten-free growth Jun-7-11 Food Business News (requires registration)
Despite the current popularity of gluten-free products, a large portion of the trend is in many ways similar to the low-carbohydrate fad in the opinion of Melissa Abbott, director of Culinary Insights at The Hartman Group, Bellevue, Wash. While those with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity always will be consumers in the market, she said the group is a low percentage of gluten-free consumers and the rest of the market is based on a fad.
Ethical and sustainable food – cage-free eggs, growth
Krispy Kreme switching to cage-free eggs Jun-7-11 QSR Magazine
Feeling heat from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Krispy Kreme will soon switch its food supply chain to include cage-free eggs. In 2010, California signed into law a bill that would require all eggs sold in the state as of Jan. 1, 2015, to be cage-free.
Ethical food defies recession Jun-8-11 Food Processing
Food trend experts, Innova Market Insights, is reporting that new food and beverage products with an ‘ethical platform’ are faring better during the recent economic downturns in the United States. “Consumers believe that products manufactured with more respect toward animal or human welfare and the environment are worth the extra charge.” See also article in Food Product Design.
Other – reasons for dieting, caffeine and hallucinations, trying new flavors
Dieting for health or losing weight – by ethnicity Jun-6-11 PR NewsWire
According to the latest research from Mintel, more Black adults who are watching their diet are doing so for health reasons, not to lose weight. In fact, 56% of Black adults are dieting to lose weight, compared to 63% of White adults, 57% of Asian adults and 54% of Hispanic adults.
Too much caffeine can trigger hallucinations Jun-8-11 Food Product Design
Individuals who consume five or more cups of caffeinated coffee may increase their risk of auditory hallucinations, according to a new study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences. The findings suggest stress, coupled with high caffeine consumption, trigger imaginary voices in the head.
Experimenting with new flavors Jun-11 Technomic AmEx Market Briefing
The vast majority of American consumers take a middle road when it comes to flavor innovation, with almost two-thirds (64%) saying they like to try new flavors “on occasion.” About one out of five (21%) is a traditionalist, preferring to stick to familiar flavors. Not much more than one out of seven (15%) is a true adventurer, frequently seeking out new flavors.
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