Salutations, today is Cinco De Mayo. Originally a Mexican holiday commemorating a great military victory 150 years ago, it has come to symbolize, especially in the US, Mexican heritage day. A very important piece of that heritage is the scrumptious Mexican food so abundant here, especially in the southwest.

Today we’ll take a look at guacamole, Aztec for “Avocado Sauce”. The classic dip is composed of very basic ingredients – ripe avocados, onions, lime / lemon juice, salt and pepper. Additions include chili, tomatoes, and herbs and spices. (see our easy recipe below).

So how different can a supermarket guac dip be from the basic configuration described above?
We were S H O C K E D when we laid eyes on Dean’s Guacamole Dip.

Here’s a look inside the label. Read more…

Earlier this week we posted about the halo effect of health claims, enticing consumers to believe a food may be more nutritious than it really is. Today we will take a closer look at the different types of health claims, their history, and the cooperation between the food industry and the FDA to allow more claims on packaged foods.

Background

The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 (NLEA) was designed to give consumers nutrition information about the foods they eat. This includes the ingredient list and nutrition information panel we are all familiar with. Some players in the food industry were not very happy to disclose so much information, especially levels of “bad” nutrients. As a means to sweeten the deal, Read more…