Tag Archives: food-safety

EPA Opens Petition to Ban Endocrine Disruptor Triclosan

Why Is There Still an Endocrine Disruptor In My Toothpaste? Almost five years ago John claimed There’s A Frog Disruptor In My Soap , and ever since we have been wondering why a chemical that does more harm than good is in our deodorants, hand cleaners and even our toothpaste. The FDA is studying it and now the EPA is looking closely as well. The EPA gets a look-in on what one would think was FDA turf because of those tad… Read the full story on TreeHugger

Visit link:
EPA Opens Petition to Ban Endocrine Disruptor Triclosan

Animals Are Becoming Obese Like Us, Says Study

Photo: Yukari* / CC Obesity rates among people worldwide have soared over the last several decades — but it turns out that humans aren’t the only ones packing on the pounds. According to a recent study from the University of Alabama, many animals that spend too much time living around humans are prone to becoming overweight, and researchers aren’t entirely sure why…. Read the full story on TreeHugger

Continued here:
Animals Are Becoming Obese Like Us, Says Study

The Hidden Cost of Cheap Shrimp: Coral Reef Damage, Mangrove Destruction, Labour Abuse and Health Problems

Cheap Shrimp: Hidden Costs (Introduction) from UBCjournalism on Vimeo . Shrimp used to be a delicacy; now they are ubiquitous and cheap. TreeHugger has noted that farmed shrimp are “one of the most destructive means by which humans produce food.” Now a new investigative report by the University of British Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism looks at the shrimp industry in Thailand in terms of coral reef damage, mangrove destruction… Read the full story on TreeHugger

The rest is here:
The Hidden Cost of Cheap Shrimp: Coral Reef Damage, Mangrove Destruction, Labour Abuse and Health Problems

Propaganda Alert: AP reports Small Farms are Exempt from Food Safety Bill

A day after the Food Safety Modernization Act (S.510) passed cloture with a vote of 74-25, theAssociated Press put out some world-class propaganda claiming that “Somesmall farms would be exempt from government efforts to prevent foodborne illness under a Senate agreement on food safety legislation.” The article claims a last-minute deal was struck to allow small farms to “avoid expensive food safety plans:” The agreement brokered by Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana and announced Thursday would attempt to allay concerns of smaller farms about a food safety bill now pending in the Senate. That bill would give the FDA more authority to recall tainted products, increase inspections of food processors and require producers to follow stricter standards for keeping food safe. The agreement brokered by Tester would allow farmers who make less than $500,000 a year in revenue and sell directly to consumers, restaurants or grocery stores within their states or within 275 miles of their farms to avoid expensive food safety plans required of larger operations. That all sounds well and good, but it only exempts them from having to submit food safety plans, not from inspections that they get billed for, licensing requirements with expensive quality controls, product confiscation without cause or recourse, and even armed raids. We've already seen all of these ugly faces of food fascism unfold in America. Private organic co-ops have beenraided by armed guards, lemonade standsfined and closed down, Amish Dairies raided, and a family farm had 50,000 pounds of cheese confiscated. This type of food tyranny is only likely to increase when the food safety bill passes, seizing the righteousness of protecting the people. Evidently, the bill essentially transfers the authority over food regulation enforcement from the FDA to the Department of Homeland Securitywho brought us the liberty-killing, child-molesting TSA. Finally, this bill will do nothing to protect the public from foodborne diseases, because it does nothing to fundamentally change the factory food production methods that allow them to fester. The bill will allow the big agri-cartel to further consolidate the food industry, thus gaining even more control over food and humanity itself. This, clearly, is the real purpose of this bill. We can expect to see the “authorities” raiding a lot more small, private health-food cooperatives like in the video below. Tyranny is coming to a family farm or organic co-op near you. added by: GLOBALPOLITICAL

7 Tips for Enjoying Nature’s Mushroom Bounty

Image: Are they edible? scoobygirl, Flickr Few things are finer than taking advantage of fresh, local ingredients growing wild and free to spice up a fantastic meal. In Germany, mushroom season is celebrated with special menus featuring the famous pfifferling mushrooms in classic and modern dishes. But after a moist summer perfect for mushroom proliferation, the headines in Germany are a reminder that nature’s bounty can be dangerous: reports of possible mushroom poisonings have doubled. Following some si… Read the full story on TreeHugger

See more here:
7 Tips for Enjoying Nature’s Mushroom Bounty

Genetically Modified Crops Banned Around the World (Slideshow)

Photo via politicolnews.com While some farmers (and governments) support the use of genetically modified crops for their higher yield quantities and pest and weed resistance, others point out that the long-term effects of these gene adjustments just still aren’t clear. From maize and eggplant to canola and potatoes, see how countries around the world are dealing with the pros and cons of GMOs.

Read more here:
Genetically Modified Crops Banned Around the World (Slideshow)

High Levels of Arsenic Found in Children’s Urine, You’ll Never Guess Where it Came From

photo: Sara Novak A story reported in Grist and first published in the Salt Lake Tribune said that alarming amounts of arsenic were found in two Utah children’s urine. The girl’s urine tested 50 percent above what’s considered safe and the boy’s tested 75 percent above acceptable levels. The culprit turne… Read the full story on TreeHugger

See original here:
High Levels of Arsenic Found in Children’s Urine, You’ll Never Guess Where it Came From

Setting Up and Running a School Garden. Toolkits for Teachers

All Images: United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have released a follow up document to their 2005 publication, Setting Up and Running a School Garden. The newer manual is a School Garden Teaching Toolkit, comprising a bunch of step-by-step lessons to “engage learners actively and encourage them to observe and experiment.” Both manuals are very comprehensive, each being around the 200 page mark. As the FAO’s Growing Connection

See the rest here:
Setting Up and Running a School Garden. Toolkits for Teachers

Genetically Modified Rape Taking Over North Dakota

Image: joeshlabotnik, Flickr Back when the bright yellow flowers were still known as Rape or Oilseed rape, Brassica napus produced a bitter oil, unsuitable for human consumption and used mainly to lubricate machines . Canadian researchers bred an edible hybrid known as “Canadian Oilseed, Low-Acid” — or Canola, for short. Today, Canola oil claims to be one of the healthiest cooking oils, with high Omega-3 levels. Increasing use of C… Read the full story on TreeHugger

Read this article:
Genetically Modified Rape Taking Over North Dakota

Cyglo Tyres with Embedded LEDs Turn Your Bike Into a Light Show

Image via Gizmodo Some cyclists prefer style over safety, including when it comes to safety lighting. Cyglo Tyres appears to offer both, ditching the bulky bulb on the handlebars for LEDs embedded in the tires themselves. When spinning, they form a perfect circle of colored light. The best part is that the lights are powered by the spinning wheel itself. But there seems to be at least one significant design flaw…. Read the full story on TreeHugger

Follow this link:
Cyglo Tyres with Embedded LEDs Turn Your Bike Into a Light Show