If you have not been following the soda tax controversy lately, here’s a quick update. In the past year,  Capitol Hill and even the President have said that taxing sugary soft drinks may be a good way to reduce consumption and create a $50B revenue stream for the federal government over the next decade.

The American Beverage Association spun into action in order to kill any such legislative ideas, using TV commercials, direct lobbying efforts, and through persuading additional organizations representing Hispanics to join the fight. Why Hispanics? Because the numbers show that they are more apt to consume soft drinks on one hand, but have less to spend on the other. The soft drink industry repeatedly stated it is “protecting working families”.

All told, the ABA spent $18 million. The efforts succeeded, and just a few weeks ago it seemed as if all the congressmen who supported the tax suddenly had a change of heart. In launching her new campaign against childhood obesity, the First Lady also steered clear of the soda tax issue. In return, Coca Cola and Pepsi pledged to prominently display beverage calorie counts on their products.

Now for the news. Not content with the federal response, California is considering a state tax on soda, according to the Los Angeles Times:

Legislators last week pledged to pass such a tax in light of new studies linking soft drink consumption to obesity in children and adults. One study suggests that obesity and related problems cost California alone $41 billion a year in medical expenses and reduced productivity.

…When California Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez (D-Shafter) introduced his soda tax bill, he said one penny of tax per teaspoon of added sugar in any sweetened beverage would generate as much as $1.5 billion each year. That money would pay for parks, recreation and school health programs, Florez said. “The Legislature is primed for this bill,” Florez said, adding that he expects bipartisan support. read more…

And in an interesting turn of events, one of the Hispanic organizations that initially aligned itself with Coke decided to break away, and 2 Californian chapters of other organizations split from the still-in-bed-with-Coke national organizations. Bravo!

Our take on this issue is a bit different. While we certainly applaud any and all actions meant to decrease sugar consumption on a massive scale, the tax should be levied directly on manufacturers. Read more about “calorie offsets” that will squeeze the cash from rich corporation instead of “working families”.

What to do at the supermarket:

Whether you’re a working family or not, the easiest way to save $500 a year is to quit soft drinks and switch to tap water (for a family of four). You’ll save not just 5 Benjamins, but also several pounds of body weight, along with a decrease in tooth decay, and a general contribution to a greener earth.

Get Fooducated: RSS Subscription or Email Subscription

Follow us on twitter: twitter.com/fooducate

New! Choose a better breakfast with CerealScan™ by Fooducate

The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research has recently published a report entitled Bubbling Over: Soda Consumption and Its Link to Obesity in California [PDF]. In it are some real “gems” that the beverage industry likes to ignore or downplay. The data is based on research in the state of California, but it reflects on the entire country.
1. Over 10.7 million Californians over the age of one drink at least one soda a day (or other sugar-sweetened beverage).

2. 41% of children ages 2-11 drink at least one soda or other sugar-sweetened beverage every day.

3. That number goes up to 62% of adolescents ages 12-17.

4. Only 1 in 4 adults drinks pop though.

5. Adults who do drink one or more sodas or other sugar-sweetened beverages each day are 27% more likely to be overweight or obese.

6. The average American consumes 22 teaspoons of added sugar a day, vs the recommended 5-9. That 200-400% more than recommended.

7. If you think that’s a high number, just one 20 fl oz single use bottle of soda has 17 teaspoons of sugar.

8. Almost half of the additional calories growth in our diet since the 1970’s come from soda.

9. Each American consumes an average of 50 gallons of sugar sweetened soft drinks per year.

10. Soda is the #1 source of added sugar in the American Diet.

11. Two thirds of all High Fructose Corn Syrup goes into soft drinks.

12. The average size of a soda increased from 6.5 oz in the 1950’s to 16.2 oz today (149% increase!)

13. Milk consumption, on the other hand has decreased by 33% in the last 30 years.

14. Each additional daily serving of soda increases a child’s chance risk for obesity by 60%.

15. In the last 25 years, the obesity rate in California rose from 8.9%  to 24.3%. That’s one in four Californians!

16. The cost in medical and health expenses to the state is estimated at $41 billion.
Gives some perspective on what the CEO of Coca Cola wrote in the Wall Street Journal about Coke not causing Obesity, doesn’t it?

What to do at the supermarket:

OK. Soft drinks in and of themselves are not evil, and there is room for them here and there as a treat, just like ice cream and candy. They can hardly be considered a daily staple, although that is exactly what they have become thanks to the efforts of the beverage industry.

But you can easily fight back. Just skip the beverage aisle at the supermarket on your next grocery trip. And the one after that. And the one after. In one year, you’ll have saved $500 for a family of four, AND most likely lost a few pounds too.

Get Fooducated: RSS Subscription or Email Subscription

Follow us on twitter: twitter.com/fooducate

Help us test our new food comparison tool: alpha.fooducate.com

A California judge threw out a lawsuit yesterday filed by a woman who claimed to have been misled by the Quaker Oats Company. Apparently, she had been eating Crunchberries cereal for the past few years, thinking she was getting wholesome crunchberry fruit with each serving.

Although this news flash is deemed a comic relief by most of us, taking a look at what’s inside Crunchberries is more of a Greek tragedy. Read more…

The pistachio salmonella recall of March could have been avoided had Setton, the California based processor, taken proper corrective action.

Recap: On the heels of the peanut butter recalls of January, March became pistachio recall month with about 2 million pounds of pistachios that Setton distributed having to be returned/destroyed. The pistachios were suspected of salmonella infection after testing by Kraft foods, a Setton customer, tested a shipment.

Turns out that Setton, according to the FDA, knew about salmonella contamination as early as October 2008, a full 6 months before the recalls even began. So why did they continue shipping?

What you need to know:

What does Setton do? They receive “fresh” pistachios from growers in California. These pistachios may sometimes be contaminated with harmful bacteria such as salmonella.  Setton processes the pistachios as follows: roast, package, and ship. Salmonella should be zapped by the roasting process. Ideally, no worries. However, if the unroasted pistachios come in contact with the roasted pistachios for some reason, the problems begin.

What did Setton do when it discovered its roasted pistachios were tainted? They re-roasted them and then shipped. That did not help. Did Setton try to figure out why the roasted nuts were tainted in the first place? Was there some sort of cross contamination that the plant mangers were unaware of?

Most likely Setton tried to rectify problems that may have caused the contamination. However, at some point the cost of fixing these problems became prohibitive.

This is where some owners/managers start cutting corners. If the risk seems tiny, why spend a million dollars renovating a production line?

Unfortunately, judgment can get cloudy in the face of profit and loss pressures. That’s why strong regulation and harsh punishments are needed. If a food factory owner holds the power of life and death in her hands, she must fear not only the business bottom line, but also the personal consequences of her decisions.

Get Fooducated: RSS Subscription or Email Subscription

Follow us on twitter: twitter.com/fooducate

Help us test our new food comparison tool: alpha.fooducate.com

Did you know that antibiotics are regularly added to livestock feed in the US?

This may change if California’s State Senate passes a bill…

…that would bar ranchers and farmers, starting in 2015, from giving feed containing antibiotics to healthy animals to promote growth and ward off disease.

The bill would also prohibit schools, starting in 2012, from serving students meat from animals that have been routinely treated with antibiotics and would require state and local government facilities to try to buy antibiotic-free meat for their kitchens.

read the news item from KCRA…

What you need to know:

Antibiotics help stave off illness, but when constantly provided to healthy animals, may result in mutated strains of bacteria that are more powerful and harmful to both animals and humans.

Just as you wouldn’t give a healthy child antibiotics on a daily basis, there should be no reason to do so with bovines. So why do growers do so?

Unfortunately for most cows, they aren’t born into an ideal farm surrounding where they graze merrily in open pasture.They lead a short and miserable life in CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) which are more like factories than farms. The animals are held in very close quarters, with little room to move and exercise. As a result, they are more prone to illness, and receive daily preventive doses of medicine.

What to do at the supermarket:

Today the only way to get antibiotic free meat and poultry is to buy organic or from a trusted local farm. It’s much more expensive, mind you, than “regular” beef, but for many people it is the only logical choice, from a health perspective as well as a moral one.

And who says we gotta eat meat every day?

Get Fooducated: RSS Subscription or Email Subscription

Follow us on twitter: twitter.com/fooducate

Help us test our new food comparison tool: alpha.fooducate.com

It’s a shame that pistachios are being recalled en-mass due to a new salmonella outbreak. These are very healthy nuts!

As we wait for the FDA recall list to fatten up, let’s learn about this delicious nut.
1. The pistachio nut comes from the pistachio tree, native to western Asia – Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, and western Afghanistan.

2. Pistachios reached Europe from Iran at least as early as the 6th century.

3. In the US, pistachios are cultivated mostly in California and New Mexico.

4. Today’s top manufacturers of pistachio are Iran, US, Turkey, Syria, and China.

5. The pistachio nut is actually the seed of the tree fruit. This is what experts call a culinary nut, rather than a botanical nut.

6. The word pistachio originated from a mix of Persian and Latin.

7. If you thought a machine splits the shells open, you’re wrong. They split when the fruit ripens.

8. Each pistachio tree averages 120 lbs. of nuts every two years. That’s around 50,000 nuts.

9. Pistachios are rich in mono-unsaturated fats (the good kind). Research on the health benefits of pistachios has shown that they may help reduce levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower the risk of heart disease.

10. Pistachios are also rich in Thiamin (vitamin B1) and vitamin B6.

11. A 1 oz. serving of pistachios of 40-50 nuts contains over 10% of the FDA’s daily values for fiber, magnesium, copper, and phosphorous. It will set you back 150 calories.

12. Like all food from plants, pistachios are cholesterol free.

13. In these dire times, try walnuts and cashews as alternatives. So far, they are safe….

Get Fooducated: RSS Subscription or Email Subscription

Follow us on twitter: twitter.com/fooducate

Help us test our new food comparison tool: alpha.fooducate.com

Image via Wikipedia

Is the massive peanut recall (still ongoing) replaying itself, this time with pistachios?

Could be.

Last night, the FDA issued a consumer alert, warning consumers that

The FDA and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) are investigating Salmonella contamination in pistachio products sold by Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc, Calif. The company has stopped all distribution of processed pistachios and will issue a voluntary recall involving approximately 1 million pounds of its products. Because the pistachios were used as ingredients in a variety of foods, it is likely this recall will impact many products. In addition, the investigation at the company is ongoing and may lead to additional pistachio product recalls.

Read the full alert..

The first incident was reported last week by Kraft, whose Back To Nature Trail Mix was found to contain salmonella.

This is just another example of how one processing plant selling tainted raw materials to hundreds of manufacturers  can create a huge mess for consumers, supermarkets, and the manufacturers themselves. Not to mention hospitalizations and even death.

Until an overhaul of the US food safety system is enacted, we will continue to see these massive recalls.

What to do at the supermarket:

The US manufactures about 136 million metric tons of pistachios a year, so the amount recalled (500,000 metric tons) is less than half a percent.

Do you want to take a chance?

Stay away from pistachio products for now. It may take weeks or even months for all manufacturers to “voluntarily recall” tainted products.

Update: The voluntary recall by Setton Pistachio has just been announced by the FDA.

Get Fooducated: RSS Subscription or Email Subscription

Follow us on twitter: twitter.com/fooducate

Help us test our new food comparison tool: alpha.fooducate.com

This week, Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack announced the implementation of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) law for meats and nuts. The law has many loopholes, but it is a good first step.

In the meantime, private enterprise is always a few steps a head. Realizing that there is a growing market of consumers who want accountability and traceability not just at the country level, but at the farm level, YottaMark, a California startup,  has developed a nifty solution.

HarvestMark.com

HarvestMark is a sticker that the farmer places onto a bulk package of fruit or vegetable during harvest. The sticker includes a unique numeric code which can later be used to trace the product back to harvest day and know among other things:
- which farm was this product grown in?
- when was it picked?
- how long has it been in storage?
- who were the middlemen?

The code is different than the UPC barcode. All the data associated with a certain batch of produce is uploaded by the various stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of the product using software that the YottaMark company has developed. For example, a warehouse can track when the product came in ,when it left, and if there were any irregularities during storage. This sort of a solution can also be helpful in product recall management.

If applied at the single product level, consumers may be able to get all this information as well, whether in the supermarket or at home.

It will be interesting to see if, when and how HarvetMark gains market traction.

harvestmark.com

Get Fooducated: RSS Subscription or Email Subscription

Help us test our new food comparison tool: alpha.fooducate.com

Here are ten facts about trans-fat, the Darth Vader of  processed foods:

1. Trans fat is found in shortenings,  margarine, snacks such as crackers, candies, and cookies, fried foods, pastries and other  foods prepared with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

2. Hydrogenation is the process of bombarding an oil’s fat molecules with hydrogen atoms, making it more dense and raising its melting point, so that the oil becomes solid at room temperature.  An unfortunate side effect of this the creation of trans fatty acids. Partially hydrogenated oil means that the hydrogenation process stopped short of a full solid, reaching a more creamy, semi-soft, butterlike consistency. This is the story of margarine.

3. Cis and trans are terms that refer to the arrangement of chains of carbon atoms in a fat molecule. hydrogenation turns cis  into trans.

4. Some margarine brands use fractionated oils instead of partially hydrogenated oils in order to eliminate trans-fat. The fractionation process involves heating then cooling a liquid oil, thus separating it to fractions that have different melting points. Unfortunately, this process raises the level of saturated fat in the oil.

5. Trans fat labeling on food packages has been mandatory since 2006.

6. Loophole alert: If a serving has less than o.5 grams of trans-fat, the label may state ZERO. Yes, that includes 0.49 grams in a serving size even a 2 year old would find ridiculously too small.

7. Trans-fat is an artificial creation, but there are some trace amounts of trans-fat found naturally in meat and dairy products, called vaccenic acid.

8. consumption of food containing trans-fat has unequivocally been shown to increase the risk of heart disease by raising levels of LDL (bad cholesterol), and lowering levels of HDL (good cholesterol).

9. In 2003, Denmark effectively banned trans-fat from foods, charting a course for an 80% reduction of trans-fat in all foods.

10. in 2008, California became the first state to ban restaurant chains from using  trans-fats for cooking or frying.

What to do at the supermarket:

Don’t trust the nutrition label stating zero trans-fat per serving. Take a look at the ingredient list to spot partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Get Fooducated: RSS Subscription or Email Subscription

Help us test our new food comparison tool: alpha.fooducate.com

1. Over 45 Million pounds of Avocado will be consumed today, Superbowl Sunday!

2. Avocado competes with buffalo wings and pizza as The Superbowl Food, thanks to a successful marketing campaign by avocado growers over the past 2 decades.

3. All Haas avocados are genetic replicas of a single tree planted in the Haas family grove in the 1920’s.

4. A shortage of avocados is looming this spring, due to the 2008 drought in southern California, where 90% of domestic Avocados are grown.

5. Have no fear, Mexican avocados will be here to supplant any shortage. In fact Mexico is the world’s largest Avocado producer.

6. Avocados are unique fruit. They have a high fat content, but this is a “good” fat – monounsaturated fat.

7. A whole avocado contains 200-300 calories and is a good source of vitamin A, C, E and the B vitamins, as well as fiber and potassium.

8. Guacamole is Aztec for “Avocado Sauce”, the original recipe calling for crushed avocado, tomatoes and salt.

9. Supermarket guacamole tastes plain bad. Avocados don’t store well, that’s why store bought guacamole needs a lot of help from food additives. Here is a sample list of ingredients you’ll find in a ready made container -
Food Starch,
Sodium Alginate (emulsifier – keeps oils and waters mixed together),
Xanthan Gum (increases viscosity),
Erythorbic Acid (retains food’s color) ,Potassium Sorbate (anti mold), Sodium Metabisulfite (anti spoilage)

Ouch.

Luckily, making your own guacamole is quick and easy. Spend ten minutes to make your own. The difference in flavor, let alone chemicals, is worth it:

Simple Guacamole Recipe (serves 4-8 people):

Ingredients:
4 ripe avocados
2 limes (lemons OK)
2 tomatoes (optional)
half a medium onion
1 TBSP Dijon mustard (or more, to taste)
cilantro or Italian parsley (not a must)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. halve the limes.
2. peel and pit the avocados, immediately squeezing 2 lime halves over the the avocado meat to prevent browning.
3. dice one avocado into quarter inch cubes, and crush the rest with the back of a fork. place in large bowl.
4. dice the tomatoes. add to bowl.
5. finely dice the onion and cilantro. add to bowl.
6. add the mustard.
7. mix everything with a wooden spoon (or your hands).
8. taste. add salt and pepper (you’ll need a bit less than normal due to the mustard)
9. douse with juice of the second lime and refrigerate till game time.

Enjoy!

Get Fooducated: RSS Subscription or Email Subscription

Help us test our new food comparison tool: alpha.fooducate.com