Chicken Factory
By Catherine Haug, August 23, 2014 (photo, right, from Factory Farming.com (3))
Take Part news blog reports that three major grocery manufacturers pledge to force positive changes in their supply chain, affecting animal cruelty and climate change. But they have so far refused to force another needed change; can you guess what that is? (more…)
Frankenfood
By Catherine Haug, Aug 19, 2014 (Image, right, used by permission from Organic Consumers Association
Vanilla is a wonderful flavor for baked goods, yogurt, puddings and frozen desserts like ice cream. Until recently, we had the choice of natural vanilla extract from the vanilla bean, or imitation vanilla (an industrial duplication of the vanillin component of the vanilla bean). But now there’s a third option – synbio vanilla – used in commercial products like ice cream , and is genetically engineered by a computer.
Haagen Dazs, one of the largest “natural” ice cream companies int he U.S., prides itself on natural vanilla, but it has not yet committed not to use synbio vanilla. Friends of the Earth have a petition to Haagen Dazs; if this interests you, see reference (1) below. To learn more about this new technology, read on. (more…)
Frankenfood
by Catherine Haug, August 19, 2014 (Image, right, used by permission from Organic Consumers Association)
You have undoubtedly heard that as the growing of Roundup-resistant crops increases, the number of Roundup-resistant weeds increases as well, which in turn requires increased spraying of these GMO crops with Roundup and other herbicides. It’s a vicious circle. It isn’t just herbicides, but also pesticides and GMO species resistant to the effects of these pesticides that are increasing.
Monsanto, et.al., come to the ‘rescue’ by developing new chemicals and GMO varieties resistant to them, so that the toxic load of ag sprays on these crops increases as well. And, of course, these new chemicals and GMOs are approved before longterm studies on their safety can be completed.
Two new GMO crops and related new herbicides are awaiting approval: (more…)
Frankenfood
by Catherine Haug, July 20, 2014 (Image, right,used with permission from the OCA)
You may be aware that Oregon is the next state to attempt to mandate labeling of GMOs, and just as in California and Washington, Big Ag and the GMA (Grocery Manufacturers Association) are pulling out all stops to defeat the ballot measure.
What you may not know is that other measures to limit GMO crops are faring better. Recently, voters in Jackson County, Oregon – led by local farmers – voted overwhelmingly to ban GE crops because they can contaminate other farmers’ crops. This success despite the big chemical companies like Monsanto having spent millions to defeat this county measure.
There’s more than one way to skin a cat (don’t let my cat Charlie hear me type that….), and this is a great example of how grassroots efforts can pay off.
It’s important in another way too: One of the claims made by Monsanto, et. al., say that labeling genetically engineered products will hurt Oregon farmers. This vote in one of Oregon’s agricultural counties proves this claim false. Non-GMO crops are worth more as exports as well as when sold in the US.
>> If you support the effort to label GMOs in Oregon, you can sign a petition by Friends of the Earth (FOE):
Stick of Butter (Western Pack)
By Cat, Jun 23, 2014 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)
Headlines around the world are announcing “Butter is Back” after articles published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine (1) and Medical News Today (2) in March of this year were lauded in Time Magazine (4), and now, on the NBC’s Today Show (5, includes video). These follow the publication of an article in the New York Times (3) by researcher Dr. Fred Kummerow, who has been studying the effect of different lipids (including fats and cholesterol) on health for 80 years. He was the first to alert people to the problem of trans fats in margarine and vegetable shortening, in 1957!
I’ve been writing for a long time about the misunderstanding concerning saturated fats in general and butter in particular, since the late 1970s – there are several articles on this blog (see list below) and on my personal website about this as well.
One caveat: To be most healthful, butter should be from the cream of grass-fed/pasture-raised cows. Most national brands feed their cows grain/soy feed that is likely GMO. The best butter is homemade, from the raw or cultured cream of grass-fed cows.
So, where did ‘science’ go wrong in pointing the finger at saturated fats, and why? (more…)
Frankenfood
By Cat, May 27,2014 (Image right from Organic Consumers Assoc., used with permission)
The fight to label foods containing GMO ingredients is making progress, but we have a long way to go. Meanwhile, the GMA (Grocery Manufacturers Assoc.) continues to pour money into the fight against labeling.
It’s time to stand up to them, by boycotting ALL their products, including the natural & Organic brands they own (see list, below).
Every time you buy one of these traitor brands, your dollars support the anti-labeling efforts of the GMA, voiding your efforts to label GMOs. (more…)
