Consumer Reports revealed that many apple juice brands had excessive arsenic; the FDA said it was the harmless type of arsenic. Others say that apple juice is just empty calories and should be avoided anyway. The ban on slaughtering horses for food in the USA is to end – will this mean that horse meat will appear on menus? Nestlé is investigating whether children are working on cocoa farms supplying its factories. Weight Watchers was the most searched-for diet plan on Bing; Google users were interested in the HCG Diet and The 4-Hour Body. Green chili lovers in New Mexico are concerned that the chilis may become genetically modified.
Apple juice issues – arsenic, empty calories
Arsenic in apple juice Nov-30-11 Food Product Design
A report released by Consumer Reports revealed 10% of its juice samples, from five brands, had total arsenic levels that exceeded federal drinking-water standards. The FDA promptly issued a press release reassuring consumers about the safety of apple juice, and claiming most arsenic in juices and other foods is of the organic type that is “essentially harmless.”
Apple juice can pose a health risk – from calories Dec-1-11 HuffPost Parents
Nutrition experts say apple juice’s real danger is to waistlines and children’s teeth. Apple juice has few natural nutrients, lots of calories and, in some cases, more sugar than soda has. It trains a child to like very sweet things, displaces better beverages and foods, and adds to the obesity problem, its critics say.
Foods not previously eaten – turnips, horse meat
Turnips turnaround Nov-26-11 Wall Street Journal
With inventive new preparations, the root’s culinary fan base is growing.
Horse meat ban in USA to end Nov-30-11 USA Today
Congress has lifted a de facto ban on the slaughter of horses. But some animal-rights activists decried the little-noticed provision. There is no U.S. market for the human consumption of horse meat. But it is seen as a delicacy overseas, especially in some European and Asian countries. The Chicago Tribune argued that it may become an acceptable meat there and it’s also available in parts of Canada.
Other – cocoa farms child labor, most searched-for diets, GM green chilis, and more
Nestlé against child labor on cocoa farms Nov-28-11 FoodBev.com
Nestlé has decided to work with the Fair Labor Association (FLA) to investigate whether children are working on cocoa farms supplying its factories.
Hospital turning off fryer one day a week Nov-28-11 Jackson Hole News&Guide
As part of a holiday season health initiative, St. John’s Medical Center cafeteria’s Refuge Grill will be turning off its deep fryer for one day a week. In place of some of the fried favorites will be healthier alternatives such as fruit and baked potato wedges.
More restaurants in UK serving sustainable seafood Nov-28-11 FoodBev.com
The number of British restaurants choosing to serve sustainable seafood and dropping fish from overfished stocks has increased dramatically over the last two years, according to a Fish2fork survey.
McDonald’s Europe vows to promote only nutritious items online Nov-28-11 QSRWeb
McDonald’s Europe has vowed to promote only nutritious items on its website. The QSR giant is one of 19 companies, along with Coca-Cola, Nestle and Mars, to sign a pan-European pledge advertising only “better for you” products on TV, online or in print.
Weight Watchers most-searched diet plan in 2011 on Bing Nov-30-2011 NY Daily News
According to the lastest number-crunching by Microsoft’s search engine Bing, users looking to shed some pounds turned to Weight Watchers for help, making it the most-searched diet plan over the last year. Google users looking to lose weight have been particularly interested in the HCG diet, as the hormone-based diet was the most popular weight-loss search term worldwide over the last 12 months as of November 29. Google users were also interested in the 4-Hour Body diet by Tim Ferriss, as it was the breakout search term over the last year.
Teaching foodservice providers about gluten-free and allergy-free Nov-30-11 FastCasual
An online interactive webinar focused on gluten- and allergy-free dining has been launched. AllerTrain, a first-of-its-kind training program, will educate foodservice providers about food allergens, intolerances and Celiac disease.
Nutrients for pregnant vegetarians Dec-2011 Today’s Diet and Nutrition
Nutrition requirements and how to achieve them: calories, protein, iron, calcium and vitamin D, zinc, folate, vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids, iodine
Green chili lovers fired up over genetic modification Dec-3-11 HuffPost Food
Some are worried about the future of New Mexico’s signature crop. Labor costs, relentless plant diseases and competition from cheap imports have combined to put the chile industry in a steep decline. Scientists at New Mexico State University are helping through a series of efforts aimed at unlocking the genetic mysteries of red and green chile, but that has some pepper purists fired up.
{ 0 comments… add one }