Pink Slime

http://mashable.com/2012/03/09/pink-slime-google-search-trending/

Pink Slime is left over beef parts and trim that is mixed with water (and evidently some sulfates and/or other toxic nonsense) that is injected as filler in ground beef, yum. Read the article to learn more and see if the meat you've been eating is 'contaminated'.


- Tamara Taylor

Is Carmel Coloring is Soda causing cancer?

Probably. But of course, the soda industry is rejecting the claim... however, CNN reports that this week the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a nonprofit Washington-based watchdog group on nutrition and food safety, is pushing (again) for the FDA to look into the chemicals (or "carmel coloring") in cola that turns it brown. Evidently, the coloring produced by an ammonia or ammonia-sulfite process contains 2-methylimidazole (2-MI) and 4-methylimidazole (4-MI)... chemicals that have been found to be carcinogens in animals. Although there are no tests as of yet as to how this affects humans... "animal studies linking 4-MI to cancer in lab mice and rats prompted the state of California to officially list 4-MI as a carcinogen on January 7, 2011, under California’s Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986" (as noted in the article on CNN.com). Recently the CSPI found samples of Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Pepsi and Diet Pepsi to contain more than the allotted 29 milligrams of 4-MI per day under Proposition 65.

What do you think? Is caramel coloring causing cancer? I'll tell you what, if it is, the soft drink industry is sure going to fight long and hard to keep that information from us. Click Here to Read More About it in the Article

Public Chicken Slaughter as ART won't happen in Kansas

A young girl wanted to display the slaughter process of chickens to meat eaters by having a chicken coup on display then slaughtering and serving the chickens to eat. As an art project. City officials said it would amount to animal cruelty and will not allow the project to happen, otherwise she could face a $1,000.00 fine. Those who had to grow up raising and slaughtering chickens might not see much harm in this, but officials declared that safety and cruelty play a role in this decision.

Read the Article

ChooseMyPlate.gov is a great Healthy Eating Resource

There's tons to check out on ChooseMyPlate.gov for healthy eating. Including: download-able info sheets, planning guides, tips to eating healthy on a Budget and more. You should take a minute to check it out.

http://www.choosemyplate.gov

Here's what you'll find...

The 3 P’s - Plan, Purchase, and Prepare Food on a Budget
The reminders help you stay within your food budget.

Smart Shopping for Veggies and Fruits
Get the fruits and vegetables you need without breaking the bank!

Eating Better on a Budget
These 10 tips will help you stretch your food dollars.

Sample 7-Day Menu
This sample weekly menu meets all nutritional needs at a cost below current average food costs

Eating Healthy on a Budget – A Consumer Economics Perspective
Can people eat healthier and spend less money?
Are fruits and vegetables so expensive that people cannot afford to eat a healthy diet?
How can people actually know what foods are healthful choices and that they are likely economical as well?

Read a USDA Economist’s View: Nutrition Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive

Also check these materials from other agencies:
Eat Right When Money’s Tight
30 Ways in 30 Days to Stretch Your Fruit & Vegetable Budget
SNAP-Ed Connection Recipe Finder
Search recipes by various categories – including cost per serving or per recipe.
Iowa State University Extension’s "Spend Smart. Eat Smart."

CNN Reports that the USDA issues new rules for school meals

This is the first time in 15 years that school launches have been overhauled. Recent numbers show that about 17% of children in the United States are obese. The new nutrition standards are largely based on recommendations by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, as part of efforts to curb childhood obesity.

With the help of Michelle Obama's campaign against childhood obesity, school menus will change to reduce sodium, sugar, saturated fats, and trans fats to add fruits veggies and whole grains. Milk will also change from whole to 1% milk. This is due to new government regulations this week.

Under the new rules, school meals will have calorie minimums and maximums per meal based on the child's age. For kindergarteners to fifth-graders, meals must contain 550 to 650 calories, and for 9th- to 12th-graders, meals must have 450 to 600 calories.

Kevin Concannon, the USDA under secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, said he wasn't concerned with the tomato paste controversy at this point. If you're unfamiliar... a controversy erupted in November after Congress decided that two tablespoons of tomato sauce was good enough to categorize a slice of pizza as a vegetable. RIDICULOUS!

Food and beverages sold in vending machines will also have to meet nutritional standards. First lady Michelle Obama and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack unveiled the standards Wednesday. The USDA offered a weekly sample lunch menu with before and after comparisons as well.

Read More

Household Chemicals Could Possibly Diminish Immunity

The NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams reported last night that children's vaccines could be reduced in effectiveness by chemicals (PFC's) in common items in the household. Effects could cause vaccines to be up to 40% Less effective. They are found in containers, non-stick cookware, and beauty solutions. In 2015, the EPA has plans to have PFC's worked out of the system... which is good, but beware until then. See the video of the broadcast Online.

Prescription Drug and Over-the-Counter Drug Voluntary Recall: Possible Drug Mix-up

Companies/Manufacturers:

Novartis
Endo Pharmaceuticals

Problem:

BROKEN PILLS
MISLABELED PILLS
PILLS IN THE WRONG BOTTLE

Summary:

Machinery problems at a drug manufacturing plant prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to warn patients of a possible mix-up affecting various prescription pain medications and over-the-counter drugs.

Affected Items:

The over-the-counter drugs involved in the recall were manufactured at a Lincoln, Nebraska, facility which also produced various prescription pain medicines for Endo Pharmaceuticals, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

These pills include Percocet, Opana and Percodan, if you take medication produced by them... the FDA advises that you visually inspect the pills.

Consumers who have select bottles of Excedrin, Bufferin, NoDoz and Gas-X, produced by Novartis, are being told to discard or return the products in a voluntary recall that started Sunday.

Specifically: Excedrin and NoDoz products with expiration dates of December 20, 2014, or earlier, as well as Bufferin and Gas-X Prevention products with December 20, 2013, or earlier expiration dates.

For More Information, click Here and Here for an additional article to see CNN Reports.

Tyson Fresh Meats Recalls 40,948 Pounds Of Beef Products On E.coli Risks

Nebraska-based Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. is recalling about 40,948 pounds of ground beef products, on suspected contamination with E. coli O157:H7 bacterium, the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said.

10-pound chubs of "Chuck Fine Ground Beef 80/20" is what's being recalled. Read More Here or See Video on CBSnews.com.

Infection often causes severe, acute hemorrhagic diarrhea (although nonhemorrhagic diarrhea is also possible) and abdominal cramps. Usually little or no fever is present, and the illness resolves in five to 10 days. It can also be asymptomatic. To learn more about E.coli, check out the info on Wikipedia.

A Russian man was caught on Friday trying to bring 90 kilogrammes of butter over the Swedish border to Norway

Why is a man trying to smuggle 90 kilos of butter to Norway? Crazy enough, Norway is experiencing a shortage of butter as a result of a fad Low Carb High Fat diet craze in the country. Stores are rationing out butter and the black market for the food is tremendous. One person reports "I've seen an ad where they wanted 5,000 kronor ($740) for a box of butter." Sounds insane! (But it's true). The country's "reserve" of butter is sold down right before the holiday, upsetting culinary holiday traditions.

The Local Reports... "A Russian man was caught on Friday trying to bring 90 kilogrammes of butter over the Swedish border to Norway without paying the custom duty. And the emerging black market is making some attempt to make some well-needed money before Christmas by auctioning out their butter online. " Read More

CNN Reports... "A rainy summer reduced the quality of animal feed, decreasing milk production in Norway this year by 20 million liters (5.3 million gallons) compared with the same period last year." Read More

MSNBC Reports... "Butter is now selling on Norway's top auction website, with a 250-gram piece starting at around $13, roughly four times its normal price." Read More

If you can get butter into Norway right now and sell it, looks like you'll make a killing!

12 Foods for Breast Cancer Prevention

EverydayHealth.com Reports... "Loading your plate with a rainbow of fruits and veggies is the foundation of a breast cancer prevention diet, and these same food choices can also help you live better after a breast cancer diagnosis." This is good information for all women to know, the short of it is: broccoli, garlic, pomegranates, walnuts, fish, flaxseed, soybeans, orange fruits and vegetables, berries, green tea, tumeric,

Read More to find out why...

In related news, Dr. Oz talks about breast cancer prevention (Read More)