Wake Up: What is Citrus Greening and What to Do?
In case you didn't hear, virtually all of Florida’s citrus trees are suffering from “greening,” a bacterial tree disease that is threatening the $9+ billion Florida citrus biz (think oranges, grapefruits, tangerines…) and has attacked Brazil as well, covering 90% of the world's orange juice. Imagine the shortages. Also called Huanglongbing (HLB) or Yellow Dragon Disease, greening first surfaced in 2005 in Florida (yes, it's from Asia). Infected trees produce green, ...
For Optimum Health in 2015, Feds Start Now
Want to really get ahead of the food curve? Think 2015.Follow the lead of those hard working public health experts, who are already doing just that.Federal guidelines have been around for quite a while (wow-there was a "meat group" back in the day, now called "protein"). Since 1980, every five years, the USDA and HHS issue dietary guidelines and the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee convened its first meeting about 9 weeks ago. While it may not matter to many of us, these ...
James (Jim) Duke: Ethnobotanist and All Around Smart Guy
We love the ethnobotanist James A. Duke, who is responsible for the unequaled Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Database at the USDA, the Green Pharmacy and dozens of other publications that describe in accurate scientific detail the amazing properties of the plant world.In a recent article, published in the DC area Pathways Magazine, Duke tackles Cuba and reminds us of some important facts, including how the natural compounds in a fresh mint mojito cocktail can help ward off the ...
Creating At-Risk Kids with At-Risk Foods
The typical image of "at-risk" children is of semi-starved poor children, lacking the basics of life -- shelter, clothing, and medical care. Yet, we are all becoming keenly aware that all of our children are "at risk" of succumbing to the "obesity epidemic." Of course, it's not really an actual epidemic, strictly speaking, but its undeniable that the kids are getting very fat and increasingly unhealthy.We may all scratch our heads and wonder, "How did this happen?" The answer is not ...
Keeping Safe By Keeping Track: Animal ID and Food Security
So now that many of us are completely freaked out about eating (if you're not, you must be forgetting your recommended daily dose of media) , let's talk about what is touted as the promise of "hope" on the horizon, keeping us safe by instituting an animal spy system, for our own heath and welfare, of course. It's the National Animal Identification System (NAIS for short). Um... Seems a bit creepy if you ask us.This U.S. "government animal health surveillance" system, which requires regist...
The Organic Connection (For What it’s Worth)
An article in today's New York Times raises a question lots of folks have especially as they are trying to spread their diminishing food budget among growing expenses -- is organic better? The points raised address issues such as inspections and what the USDA Organic seal does and doesn't mean and how private organic certifications entities intersect with issues like food safety and their own continued profits.As we've been explaining for years, just because a food says it's organic doesn't ...
Does Safe Food Mean Good Food?
Now that the peanut butter situation has brought attention (yet again) to the crater-size gap in our nation's food safety system, it also begs the question: Even if the government beefs up its food safety activities, shouldn't there be affirmative steps taken to create a food system that not only succeeds in preventing food-borne illnesses but that actually helps make us well?In practice, safe food and good food are two very different goals. Safe food in today's food supply system often ...
Influence Peddlers and What We Eat
The Washington Post, reporting all things politico, had a story today about our new Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack, formerly Iowa governor. Apparently, he's trying to reassure worried food policy activists, Michael Pollan among them, who think it's going to be agribusiness as usual. Certainly in these times, with accusations of sleeping regulators who allow (even effectively condone) fraud and influence peddlers running amok (isn't that their job?), it's a real worry.The fundamental problem here, ...
This Food’s Crap… Now Gimme More!
The goal of food companies is to sell you more. It has been called the "Eat More" message, and it has permeated our society and affected all who adopt and pursue it. Side effects of this strategy include obesity (anyone see those Belly Fat ads? Mmm mm good), chronic health problems, immune disorders, and vulnerabilities in places we never knew we had. The relentless Eat More message has become More Mess for all of us.How has this happened? Let's just say, these interesting economic times we ...
Consider the Source: COOL Feds in the Act
Amidst all the gloom and doom, including a Wall Street Journal front page report of possible food pricing collusionfor tomatoes and eggs, coming on the heels of dairy and citrus probes (while record food prices are being seen and felt), there is a ray of hope. Starting in a few weeks, September 30, 2008, supermarkets and other big food retailers will have to start labeling certain foods with their country of origin, including meats, produce, nuts and some others -- affectionately referred to as ...
