The coronavirus outbreak caught us all off guard. No one was prepared for what 2020 had in store for us, including how it’s affected not only our work but also our lifestyle and diet. With the lockdowns happening all over the world, poverty and malnutrition are simultaneously on the rise. I decided I would use […]
Tag Archives: food safety
22
Mar
Mar
(The following is a transcription from Mark Anderson’s November 2017 teleconference call with practitioners. It has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.) Mark Anderson: We want to talk today about the MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) mutation gene and why this is so important for our consideration. You have heard me say in other classes that […]
18
Dec
Dec
A lot of people are freaking out about GMOs—and for good reason. The public has been lied to many times regarding food safety, so it’s no surprise we’re paranoid. How can we overlook mistakes like this old ad: “DDT is good for me-e-e!” While the GMO debate rages, now there’s a new kid on the […]
11
Dec
Dec
Dad and I were standing next to the cake and candy table at my cousin Leah’s wedding, watching the couple’s first dance. Two little boys about 5 and 8 came up and frantically scanned the glass candy bowls. But all of the candy was gone. The 5-year-old spun around and stared up at us. “Where […]
15
Jul
Jul
It’s summer. It’s hot. Staying hydrated is important, and no matter the occasion, water is the best choice you can make. But beware—with some water bottles, you may end up downing more than just water. My personal water “bottle” of choice isn’t a bottle at all. There’s nothing better than a wide-mouthed, quart-size canning jar, […]
10
Jul
Jul
DDT advertisement circa 1947 from Pennsalt Chemicals. In a recent article for the American Bee Journal, Ron Phipps writes: […] it is becoming increasingly clear that the widespread use of neonicotinoids on agricultural crops is a major factor [for annual honeybee losses.] The manufacturers of these pesticides, like the manufacturers of tobacco products in an […]
13
Jun
Jun
I just read the list of ingredients in my toothpaste. Is this stuff safe?! I wonder, since some ingredients deemed safe are later declared toxic. For example, triclosan was an ingredient approved for use in toothpaste until recent findings forced the EPA and FDA to take another look. Some companies have responded to consumer concerns. […]
20
May
May
Back in the day, I was an avid soda drinker. And I’m not talking about just once in a while. I drank my share and your share and maybe even part of your best friend’s share. Growing up, I was almost never allowed this tempting beverage, so apparently I had to make up for it […]
15
May
May
The battle for raw milk is on! Bills to legalize or expand raw milk sales are pending in thirteen state legislatures. Is your state on the list? Find out at the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund website. You can also find out where the issue of raw milk stands in your state by visiting the Real […]
03
Apr
Apr
Selene River Press proudly supports The Food School at Common Ground Urban Farm, a nonprofit advocate of real food, local food systems, food justice, and agricultural education for kids. Here’s your chance to support a worthy cause! Come enjoy live music from Fort Collins’ own Grateful Dead tribute band Switchman Sleepin’ while you help raise […]
01
Apr
Apr
Are you a fool when it comes to food labels? You’re not alone. The way the food industry twists label definitions with tricky language on food packaging makes all of us look foolish when we walk down the aisles of our local market. We make personal choices to eat natural, wholesome, and nourishing foods. But […]
28
Mar
Mar
When it comes to the best choice for milk, there’s an ongoing controversy and opinions from every side. Is the best choice raw, organic, cow, goat, soy, rice, or nut milk? Issues like dairy intolerance and convenience also help fuel our search for substitutes. One of the things we’ve learned through our evolving relationship with […]
21
Mar
Mar
I have hope for the future of food because I have hope for a new generation of taste buds. Yep, taste buds. They’re going to move the food industry away from the synthetic and processed nastiness that started taking over our grocery shelves way back in the 1950s—when Dr. Royal Lee fired several warning shots […]
14
Mar
Mar
In the middle of an almond orchard, a tractor sprays the trees in bloom RIGHT NEXT to the honeybee hives. Of course, it must be lemonade they are spraying, right? They would never spray insecticide or fungicide right next to the hives, right? As far as honeybees are concerned, what happens in Southern California early […]
07
Mar
Mar
Sometimes we don’t see ourselves until we catch our reflections staring back at us from a mirror. Although the image is reversed, it still reveals the facts, whether they be flaws or perfections. Perhaps our common-sense desire for healthy food is also easier to express in reverse. What are people actually saying when they insist […]
28
Feb
Feb
Exactly one year ago, the New York Times ran a science editorial entitled “It’s the Sugar, Folks.” The opening sentence: “Sugar is indeed toxic. It may not be the only problem with the Standard American Diet, but it’s fast becoming clear that it’s the major one.” A few paragraphs later it states, “The study demonstrates […]
14
Jan
Jan
Have you ever given any thought to the water you drink? If you’re like me, you probably didn’t think much about it for the first half of your life. It was always there, and you assumed all was well as you drank the recommended amount. But we might be wrong in our assumption that water […]
12
Dec
Dec
Foster Farms’ chicken has sickened 389 consumers with antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella Heidelberg since November 15, according to the CDC’s last count. The USDA issued a Public Health Alert about the outbreak on Oct 7, 2013. That’s alarming enough, but even worse is that 40% of those who contracted the bacteria have required hospitalization because […]
When Melanie Warner, former New York Times reporter, starting asking questions about food expiration dates, she ended up with Pandora’s Lunchbox, a book exposing the rather unappetizing science of the food industry.
This past year, the Consolidated Continuing Appropriations Act 2013, to provide funding for various federal agencies through the end of the 2013 fiscal year, was passed. The contents of Section 735, which has been called the “Farm Provision” or the “Monsanto Protection Act, are startling: For the first time in our food chain, not even a judiciary […]