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Firefighters exposed to hazardous food additives

New Zealand– Christchurch firefighters were put to the test on Thursday night dealing with a dangerous cocktail of flames and chemicals.

The first on the scene at the Hornby hazardous goods warehouse turned back after chemicals burned through the gloves of two firefighters.

Decontamination units were brought in and the toxic fire was fought from a safe distance.

Chemicals stored at the warehouse included food processing additives.

Link to TVNZ

The World According to Monsanto

Filmmaker Marie-Monique Robin on the troubling past of one of the world’s biggest agricultural companies.

Don’t miss the very last line by Poppy Bush.

Link

Winter Solstice, a time to celebrate the Light

Today is Winter Solstice, the first day of winter, and following the longest night of the year, the time to celebrate coming back into the Light.

We like to do a garden project on Winter Solstice, and this year we are building a new veggie garden! We have to fence it in so the chickens don’t make trouble, and this time around we are going to make raised beds to weather any flooding.

So, we started with the fence posts around the perimeter, and Friday we got some eucalyptus planks for the beds (a gift from a friend!). We worked until dark to make the first borders as you can see from the last photo.

Today we’ll level and set the borders, and if we have time, put up the fence. Then we’ll fill up the beds with media from the mulch pile, and start building up the soil inside the beds so they are ready for spring planting.

Come spring we should be harvesting a lot more of our own food!

Be well, dear flock, star warm and safe wherever you are on this Winter Solstice. xoxo

One of our flock weathers the storm

Linda– yes, the Linda that has shared so much information and wisdom with us here on The Canary Report– has a snow storm going on in her neck of the woods. She sent me the photo at left, which she took in her neighborhood at about 2:30 Friday afternoon. She says some newscasters in Toronto are calling it “Snowmageddon” and that there’s more to come on Sunday.

So she’s hunkered down, bundled up, watching the snow pile up in the driveway. She generated some body heat with oatmeal in the morning and barley soup for dinner.

As we’ve talked about on previous posts, she’s still searching for safe warm clothing as well as non-toxic heaters and generators for power failures. And of course, wishing the air was cleaner in her city so she can catch a break with her Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. She’d love to go outside and shovel snow in her driveway, but will wait for some help. She emailed me, “Shoveling when weak and subject to breathing bad air doesn’t work.”

“Finding a safe community and support is very difficult,” she wrote, referring to the complications MCS brings to what should be simple everyday chores. “If one is housebound and perceived as negative when refusing all kinds of inappropriate advice and ideas, people think you are impossible and stay away.”

And that isolation is hard for a canary. But she also counts her blessings.

I don’t want it to sound like I’m complaining about it now, because I am not. I am still living in a city with power and services, and not out in the bush thigh high in snow. I am very blessed that my father has been going or driving me to the market every week since I got too sick to do so myself last year, so as long as he is healthy, I don’t need to get my car out in any hurry.  (And I am very lucky to have a year round organic farmers market to get safe healthy food from which I have been able to prepare my own simple meals all this time.)

I know many people with no help for any of it, no-one to help shovel out, no one to pick up some groceries, no-one who will or can help in any way. People do not understand what it’s like to be a canary and have your body wipe out from underneath you just from a few breaths of bad air, air made bad from everyday “consumer” items. Not items that we need for survival, but items that have been altered to be more poisonous and marketable (who does this make sense to???).

I dream of a safe world for all of us, one where we can help each other, share our talents and gifts, take care of the sick and vulnerable, and look after this precious planet we all call home.

Thanks for allowing me to share your story, Linda. Take care of yourself and stay warm, cozy and safe!

The save the planet song

This song is so beautiful. And I love the images in the vid. The lyrics ask, “What better ways can we come up with?” The first image he gives us as “a better way” is an awesome chicken coop! It looks like half of the structure is for the chickens and the other half for growing food. It’s really a wonderful montage of images. And the video was made by the musician himself, Douglas Stambler. His YouTube channel is here.

Download this song at:
http://www.tradebit.com/visit.php/436…

Drawings from: www.solviva.com
Domes from: www.monolithic.com

Link

Vandana Shiva on Earth Democracy

Vandana Shiva, a physicist, environmental activist and author, argues for a return to traditional farming practices as a way to reclaim the health of the planet. In this video she talks about the importance of saving non-GMO seeds and her concept of Earth Democracy.

The herbicide resistant crops she mentions are food crops that are genetically engineered (GMO is the acronym for Genetically Modified Organism) to withstand pesticides such as Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, allowing farmers to spray crops all they want to kill weeds without harming the crop.

Link

Thanks, Mokihana, for the inspiration for this post!

Honey is a natural preservative and sweetner

I love honey! I have it in my tea every morning, and put it on toast, English muffins, bagels, and the occasional peanut butter and banana sandwich. (LOL, I just made myself hungry writing that.)

I also add it to my favorite homemade salad dressing, which I make by blending olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a dollop of organic mustard and another dollop of honey.

So guess what? A recent study shows that the added honey is helping the salad dressing stay fresh while making it sweet and also giving me some antioxidants. Ooooooo, another reason to love honey!

Note to Commercial Food Scientists: You don’t need to put nasty chemical additives and high fructose corn syrup in salad dressing. Cut it out!

Antioxidant-rich honey is a healthy alternative to chemical additives and refined sweeteners in commercial salad dressings, said a new University of Illinois study.

“To capitalize on the positive health effects of honey, we experimented with using honey in salad dressings,” said Nicki Engeseth, a U of I associate professor of food chemistry. “We found that the antioxidants in honey protected the quality of the salad dressings for up to nine months while sweetening them naturally.”

Engeseth’s study substituted honey for EDTA, an additive used to keep the oils in salad dressings from oxidizing, and high-fructose corn syrup, used by many commercial salad-dressing producers to sweeten their salad dressing recipes.

“We chose clover and blueberry honeys for the study after an analysis of the sweetening potential, antioxidant activity, and phenolic profiles of 19 honeys with varying characteristics,” said the scientist.

The dressings were also compared to a control dressing that contained ingredients found in current commercial salad dressings, she said.

Engeseth explained a problem the scientists encountered in using honey in a salad dressing system. “Salad dressings are emulsions-they contain oil and water; and to keep these ingredients together in one phase, manufacturers rely on emulsifiers and thickening agents to avoid thinning of the dressing and separation of the oil and water phase,” she said.

When the researchers found that enzymes in the honey broke the emulsion by attacking the starch that was used to thicken the dressing, they came up with a new formulation that used xanthan gum as a thickening agent, which they then used in all the dressings, she said.

The researchers then stored the dressings under various conditions, including 37 degrees Celsius (accelerated storage) for six weeks and 23 degrees Celsius and 4 degrees Celsius for one year, followed by an evaluation of their oxidative stability.

“After nine months of storage, both types of honey were as effective as EDTA in protecting against oxidation or spoilage. Blueberry honey performed slightly better than clover,” she said.

Engeseth said that many consumers prefer products with natural ingredients and that salad dressings made with honey should appeal to these consumers.

“There’s such a wide range of salad dressings on the market–some unique salad dressings as well as inexpensive products that perform beautifully. If manufacturers are interested in developing salad dressings that have a healthy twist, we’ve demonstrated that using honey as both an antioxidant and a sweetener is one way to do this,” she said.

The article was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Co-authors are Carolyn Rasmussen of Kraft Foods, Sophia Leung of Newlywed Foods, Lia M. Andrae-Nightingale, a former U of I graduate student, and Xiao-Hong Wang and Shelly J. Schmidt of the University of Illinois.

Link

Photo by Blentley

Thanks, Linda!

Tofu-veggie stir fry

This recipe from Rachel MacIntyre at The Friendly Kitchen is pretty much exactly how and what I like to cook. Local food here in Hawaii has lots of stir fry dishes, all basically chopped veggies with some sort of meat or tofu (I use tofu). The only changes to this recipe I might make are that I use olive oil instead of sesame, no onions, and instead of the sauce, I use plain organic tamari.

I’m a huge eater of broccoli and baby bok choy, and I use tons of garlic and ginger in lots of different dishes. But if you need it simpler, as I sometimes do, you can just fry up the tofu and add some broccoli and tamari, steam a few minutes and it’s done– it’s delicious just that simple.

For rice, I use basmati white or brown. If I’m feeling fancy, I might use jasmine.

TERIYAKI TOFU STIR-FRY WITH BROCCOLI, CARROTS, AND BABY BOK CHOY
serves 4

4-5 Tbs. Toasted Sesame Oil
1/2# extra firm organic tofu, drained 15 minutes, sliced very thin
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1 bunch organic broccoli, cut into florets
3 organic carrots, peeled and cut into rounds on a bias
1 head baby bok choy, stems cut into matchsticks, leaves roughly chopped

Teriyaki Sauce:
2 Tbs. Mirin
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup wheat-free tamari

1. In a largish saute pan, heat the sesame oil over medium high heat. Add the tofu and saute on each side for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown on both sides. Transfer tofu to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

2. Return the pan with the sesame oil still in it to the stove. Add onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened. Add bok choy stems. When they begin to soften, add the broccoli and carrots.

3. As the broccoli and carrots are cooking, dissolve the cornstarch in the mirin in a glass measuring cup. Add agave and tamari to the measuring cup and set aside.

4. When broccoli and carrots are al dente(tender crisp), add bok choy leaves and stir. Cook for 30 seconds. Then, add the sauce, and just as it begins to thicken, remove from heat. Toss tofu into the pan, stir it all around, and serve with steamed brown rice.

Link

Thanks, Rachel!

Nestle says melamine in milk is from animal feed

I’ve been following the melamine debacle mainly because I’m astonished at the incompetence of the government in its handling of the mess.

Melamine is a toxic chemical used in fertilizer and plastics. It’s been showing up in a variety of products from pet food to milk meant for human consumption. At first the Food and Drug Administration said that melamine may be harmful in infant formula in any amount but that there is no known threat in American milk products for children and infants. But then when melamine showed up in American products meant for babies, they said the levels were low enough not to cause concern.

While all this was going on, the “experts” said that it was unlikely the contamination’s source was cattle feed because the melamine would have been excreted in the animal’s waste. Now the wonderful folks at Nestle are saying that contaminated feed is the source of the chemical in their baby milk sold in South Africa.

Huh?

28 Nov, 2008 - Nestle has said that contaminated animal feed was responsible for levels of melamine discovered in two brands of its formula milk in South Africa - giving credence to the possibility that the industrial chemical may be able to cross from the feed to the food chain.

The statement by Nestle, the world’s largest food and nutrition company, runs against the belief held by many experts and food safety bodies that melamine ingested by animals does not pass into the food chain, as reported exclusively by Feedinfo News Service. It challenges the perception that the industrial chemical is either excreted by the animal or is diluted to such an extent that any remaining traces are practically undetectable in human food.

The announcement by Nestle South Africa comes after a batch of the company’s Nido Growing up Milk for one-year-olds and a consignment of Lactogen Starter Infant Formula with iron were recalled by the KwaZulu-Natal health department earlier this week.

A Nestle statement said: “Testing led to the discovery of melamine in a number of samples of cattle feed which is predominantly used in winter, which explains the presence of melamine traces in these batches. Consequently, Nestlé has also taken steps to ensure that the cattle feed used by its South African milk producers is melamine free.”

Link

Photo by P1r

Thanks, Dan!

11/29 UPDATE: FDA sets limit for baby formula

Thanks, Linda!

The beauty of backyard chickens

I’m a big proponent of backyard chickens. I have four hens, who wandered into my garden and heart a couple of years ago. I had absolutely no idea how to care for them, so we learned together. I learned just about everything from books, mostly Chickens in your Backyard: A Beginners Guide by Rick and Gail Luttmann.

Chickens (hens are what you want, no noisy roosters!) are fairly easy to keep: the trick is to give them a secure run with a good strong fence, a safe coop that locks up at night, and to keep it all clean and dry. (That’s my alpha hen Lucy at left. She’s sweet but very greedy!) Although it’s extremely difficult to raise them totally organically (the commercial food is not organic, and they need that for full nutrition), they give you eggs that are far superior to anything you can buy in the store.

Plus, the hens are extremely sociable, charming creatures and a delight to have around. I let mine lose in the yard every day at 4:00 p.m. until dark so they can gobble up bugs and greens to their heart’s content– they love that! I call them my ornamental chickens because they look so pretty out there in the garden.

There are many urban and even some rural communities that are restricted by law from having backyard chickens, but there also is a growing movement in many areas to get the laws changed! The above video is a humorous account of a community in Colorado that hopes to get the laws changed so peeps can have hens in their backyards. It’s a really cute portrayal of the pros, and points out the flaws of the “cons.”

I think it’s important for those of us with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity to take control of our food sources as much as possible. Even if you can’t have backyard chickens, you may be able to find eggs at your local farmer’s market from peeps who have their own flock. Commercial chickens are treated quite cruelly, so this is another reason not to buy commercial eggs. Even those labeled as “free range” are not running around in pastures.

And even if you can’t eat eggs, hens are still wonderful pets. And you could give away your eggs, or even sell them at local farmer’s markets yourself if you felt that industrious!

Spiced Butternut Squash and Chickpea Stew over Toasted Millet

In celebration of Thanksgiving, The Canary Report presents the first of what I hope are many fine recipes from Rachel MacIntyre, a private chef with insight into food allergies and sensitivities who has graciously offered to share her expertise with us. She has a great food blog at The Friendly Kitchen, where she advocates for organic, sustainable ingredients.

Rachel’s done a wonderful job at adapting this squash and chickpea stew recipe to give you good nutrition while staying away from food allergy or sensitivity triggers. Remember if there’s any ingredient to which you might have a sensitivity, contact Rachel and she’ll help you find a substitute as best she can. And don’t forget to visit The Friendly Kitchen and give her some comment love– she’s been wonderfully gracious at offering her consultation services to us canaries!

Here is Rachel’s intro and recipe for Spiced Butternut Squash and Chickpea Stew with Toasted Millet:

Millet is a very popular gluten free grain used in Indian and African cuisine. It has a somewhat nutty flavor and a nutritional profile that is very similar to whole wheat, making millet flour an excellent substitute in gluten free baking. It is super diverse and can be used in savory and sweet dishes. Admittedly, I’ve not taken full advantage of all the ways this wonderful grain can be used, but I’m so obsessed with it at the moment that I’m sure you will be seeing much more of it in posts to come.

So, now that I’ve gone on and on about the side dish of this meal, let me tell you that the stew itself is a healthy, comfort food knockout. I’m kind of a sucker for one pot meals with loads of veggies in them, especially when they have some sort of ethnic flare, so when I saw this recipe, I was totally on board.

The combination of millet and chickpeas contains all of your essential amino acids, so you vegans and vegetarians out there can eat this meal knowing that it is providing your body with complete proteins. Plus, with the addition of butternut squash and spinach you are getting tons of antioxidants and minerals to keep your body nourished and strong through these colder months of the year.

SPICED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CHICKPEA STEW WITH TOASTED MILLET
serves two hungry folks
adapted from a recipe by the Food Network Kitchen

For the stew:
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, small diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 oz.) can crushed tomatoes (my favorite is Muir Glen Fire-Roasted)
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. cumin
1 small butternut squash, cut into 1 inch pieces (learn the easiest way to cut up a butternut squash here)
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 lemon juiced and zested
1/4 cup raisins
4 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup sliced almonds

For the millet:
1/2 cup millet
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, vegetable broth, or water
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbs. raisins
salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a medium sized pot, saute the onion in olive oil over medium high heat. When it begins to soften, add the garlic. Cook for about 1 minute before adding the spices and crushed tomatoes.

2. When the cinnamon stick just begins to unfurl, add the squash, chickpeas, broth, lemon zest and raisins. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, covered, until the squash is soft, about 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, bring the broth for the millet to a boil in a small saucepan.

4. In a dry saute pan over high heat, toast the millet until it begins to smell nutty. Add the toasted millet to the boiling broth and lower the heat to a simmer. Add the raisins, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes or until the millet is fluffy and looks like cooked couscous. When the millet is done, stir in the lemon zest, season with salt and pepper and keep warm while you finish the stew.

5. When the squash is soft, stir in the spinach and add the lemon juice. Continue to stir the stew over low heat until the spinach is just wilted.

6. Serve the stew with the toasted millet on the side and garnish with sliced almonds.

Other Millet Recipes in the Blogosphere:
Vegan Pumpkin, Millet, and Chocolate Chip Mini-Muffins at Eat’n Veg’n
Grandma’s Grain at 101 Cookbooks
Allergen Free Pumpkin Waffles at Karina’s Kitchen
Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Espresso Cookies at Karina’s Kitchen
Millet Pie with Spinach and Feta at Serious Eats

Link

Thanks, Rachel!

Meet Rachel MacIntyre from The Friendly Kitchen

I’m so excited to share this with you!

A private chef with insight into food allergies and sensitivities has graciously offered to share her expertise with the flock at The Canary Report, giving me permission to post her recipes and photos from time to time.

I’d like to introduce you to Rachel MacIntyre, who blogs at The Friendly Kitchen: Allergy Friendly and Eco-friendly Recipes from a Private Chef’s Kitchen.

Rachel is a graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu Program at the Texas Culinary Academy in Austin, Texas, where she honed her skills in the art of classic French cuisine.

“Upon graduation, I learned that I had developed several food allergies, including wheat, dairy, eggs, and yeast, and was no longer able to eat most of the foods that I loved to cook,” she says in her bio. “Using this ‘impediment’ as an opportunity to explore different arenas in the culinary world, I began to learn about and experiment with vegan/vegetarian foods, Macrobiotics, raw and living foods, and allergen-free cooking.

“I embraced an organic, plant-based diet that excluded my allergens and factory farmed meats, resulting in a dramatic change in my health and well-being. Deciding that I wanted to help others on their path to healing as well, I started my own business offering catering, personal chef services, cooking classes, and nutritional consultations for everyone, but with a special focus on people with specialized diets.”

In addition to blogging, Rachel works full time as a private chef in Austin.

Here’s what she has to say about her blog The Friendly Kitchen:

1. All meats, dairy, or eggs used in these recipes are specifically sourced from organic, pasture-raised, humanely-treated animals. The use of any factory-farmed animal products is NOT recommended. Not only are these factories harmful to the animals, they’re also not good for you or our planet.

2. Always choose local and/or organic produce when available. Or, better yet, try growing your own!

3. If there is a recipe that you would like to try but you are allergic to one (or more) of the ingredients, let me know and I will try recommend some substitutions or alternatives for you.

Did you hear that? If you need to tweak a recipe because of something you might be sensitive to, she’ll try to help you find a substitute! I really look forward to partnering with Rachel to find foods and recipes that work for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, many of whom also have severe allergies or sensitivities to certain foods. I’m also hoping we can dialogue about food sources and packaging, which can be problematic for peeps with MCS.

So go visit Rachel at The Friendly Kitchen, and look for The Canary Report’s first post of one of Rachel’s recipes on Wednesday, just in time for Thanksgiving.

Aloha and Welcome to the flock, Rachel!

EPA weakens pesticide standard at request of manufacturer

Environmental Protection Agency’s action at behest of manufacturer could double human exposure to food contaminant linked to asthma, infertility

Think the EPA is looking out for your health? Think again. Here’s a press release from the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research organization. Click on Skin Deep graphic for more info on the chemical benzalkonium chloride.

OAKLAND, CA - At the request of a single manufacturer - Edwards-Councilor Co., Inc. of Virginia Beach, VA - the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has weakened federal safety standards for a toxic chemical that is used in a broad range of cleaners and other consumer products that come in regular contact with food.

The chemical in question - alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, or ADBAC - is a pesticide and antimicrobial agent that is suspected of causing asthma and reproductive system damage. Products containing this chemical are regularly used to sterilize surfaces and utensils used during food preparation. Residues that remain can accumulate in food and be consumed by unwitting diners.

“EPA should not give a free pass to this potent chemical, given its widespread use in commercial and consumer products, and growing concerns about its adverse impacts to human health and the environment,” says Environmental Working Group scientist Rebecca Sutton, Ph.D.

This toxic antimicrobial is a type of benzalkonium chloride, a class of antimicrobial chemicals used in a broad range of cleaning products and at least 207 personal care products, where it is completely unregulated,according to an EWG analysis. EPA’s action, effective Oct. 20, has rolled back a key federal safety standard in place to reduce consumers’ risks.

Reviews of available toxicological and epidemiological research on ADBAC and other quaternary ammonium compounds, or QACs, reveal substantial data gaps and significant cause for concern regarding impacts to human health and the environment. As EPA eased food safety standards for this particular pesticide, it neglected to consider evidence that ADBAC and other QACs may be reproductive and genetic toxicants. In addition, studies on people and lab animals have linked these compounds to increased risk of asthma.

In an interview in the leading scientific journal Nature in June of 2008, Washington State University scientist Dr. Patricia Hunt says she observed a severe decline in the fertility of her lab mouse population after moving her lab from Case Western University in Cleveland, OH to Pullman, WA. The culprit: the disinfectant Virex, that contains ADBAC and other QACs, and which was used to clean the mouse cages in the new animal facility.

Widespread use in hospitals of disinfectants containing ADBAC and QACs is believed to be one of the primary reasons asthma is on the rise among health care workers. A recent survey of 3,650 health care workers in Texas found that the likelihood that these workers developed asthma during their careers doubled if they performed general cleaning of surfaces.

“EPA’s action to remove these safety standards at the behest of a single company goes against the Agency’s own mission ‘to protect human health and the environment’,” Sutton said. “EPA’s acquiescence to Edwards-Councilor will increase human exposures to this toxic chemical, and may lead to more cases of asthma and infertility among Americans.”

Dr. Sutton’s entire letter to EPA can be found here.

###

Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit research organization based in Washington, DC that uses the power of information to protect human health and the environment.

Link

Thanks, Ruth!

Tainted candy alert

White Rabbit Creamy Candy, Koala’s March Crème filled Cookies, and Sherwood Brands Pirate’s Gold Milk Chocolate Coins may contain melamine.

I used to eat White Rabbit Creamy Candy as a kid, it’s a local favorite, so this melamine scare is a little creepy to me. Here’s some info from an email I received from momsrising.org:

We want to give you a heads up about some Halloween candy that could be bad for kids: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to consume White Rabbit Creamy Candy or Koala’s March Crème filled Cookies because they may contain melamine. (1)  And, the Canadian government is warning the public not to consume Sherwood Brands Pirate’s Gold Milk Chocolate Coins, which may also have reached the U.S. (2)

What’s wrong with these candies? You’ve likely heard about the dangerous chemical, melamine, which was recently found in the Chinese milk supply and sickened thousands of children in China.  We’ve now seen reports that melamine tainted milk has been used in some Chinese candy products that have been shipped to the United States. (3)

The good news is that Chinese candy makes up only 0.7% of the candy sold in the U.S. (4) and the risk of serious harm from minor exposure to melamine is considered low by the World Health Organization (5). That said, we wanted to send this out to you because we don’t want our kids eating candy with any toxic ingredients.

*Please forward this email to friends, family, and your school email list so all can be on the lookout for this tainted candy on Halloween.  (And, if you’re not already a member of MomsRising, please sign on now so we can keep you informed: http://www.momsrising.org/fighttoxins)

MomsRising has created a page where you can easily share this information with friends, as well as see pictures of the tainted candies, get more information, and download a flyer that you can post on your school or other community bulletin boards.

See the Tainted Candy Pictures, Get the Flyer & Tell Friends Here:

http://www.momsrising.org/melamine

Enjoy a safe and happy Halloween,

Joan, Kristin, Katie and the MomsRising.org Team

1. http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/melamine.html

2. Here’s the Canadian government’s warning:

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2008/20081008e.shtml

The Vancouver Globe and Mail:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081028.wlhalloween28/BNStory/lifeFamily/home

And an article in the Chicago Tribune:

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/features_julieshealthclub/2008/10/chocolate-coins.html

3. From Consumer Reports:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/10/chinese_formula07.html,

Candy problem verified on Snopes: http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/coins.asp

4. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-09-24-melamine-china_N.htm

5. “Consumers exposed to tiny amounts of melamine shouldn’t worry, says Angelika Tritscher of the World Health Organization. ‘Melamine at low doses is actually not considered to be very toxic.’” Quote from: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-09-24-melamine-china_N.htm

And some recent press coverage:

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=868904

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/ci_10626959

Making sense of the USDA Organic label

Understanding the USDA Organic label will help you make better choices when planning for a chemical-free diet.

Here’s the scoop:

Making sense of organic labeling can be difficult, and many consumers do not understand the significance of the USDA Organic label. Since October 21, 2002, the following guidelines were established by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) to assure consumers know the exact organic content of the food they buy.

Single-Ingredient Foods
On foods like fruits and vegetables, look for a small sticker version of the USDA Organic label or check the signage in your produce section for this seal.

The word “organic” and the seal may also appear on packages of meat, cartons of milk or eggs, cheese, and other single-ingredient foods.

Multi-Ingredient Foods
Foods such as beverages, snacks, and other processed foods use the following classification system to indicate their use of organic ingredients.

100% Organic—Foods bearing this label are made with 100% organic ingredients* and may display the USDA Organic seal.

Organic—These products contain at least 95–99% organic ingredients (by weight). The remaining ingredients are not available organically but have been approved by the NOP. These products may display the USDA Organic seal.

Made With Organic Ingredients—Food packaging that reads “Made With Organic Ingredients” must contain 70–94% organic ingredients. These products will not bear the USDA Organic seal; instead, they may list up to three ingredients on the front of the packaging.

Other—Products with less than 70% organic ingredients may only list organic ingredients on the information panel of the packaging. These products will not bear the USDA Organic seal.

Keep in mind that even if a producer is certified organic, the use of the USDA Organic label is voluntary. At the same time, not everyone goes through the rigorous process of becoming certified, especially smaller farming operations. When shopping at a farmers’ market, for example, don’t hesitate to ask the vendors how your food was grown.

*Salt and water are not included.

Link

Who’s chirping about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity today?

Bancroft This Week reports on Peter Haynes who’s been living in a tent since mid September due to a severe case of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. He’s saved only by a surgical mask that filters the air he breathes. Haynes was diagnosed and treated at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto.

Lee at Health Advice for Women talks about the ways in which her diet affects her Multiple Chemical Sensitivity in “MCS: Gluten & Dairy Free.”

Leif Grunseth, certified neuromuscular therapist, re-posts “Personal Care Products: Picking the Safe Ones,” snitched from sixwise.com.

CFS Warrior blogs about “Interesting Research Updates on CFS/CFIDS” and the role of infections in causing or perpetuating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as well as carbon monoxide sensitivity being a cause in those with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity combined with light, sound and taste sensitivity.

Why organic?

Clara explains why organic produce is better. Warning: seriously CUTE.

Link

Chicky’s organic garden

This is a very sweet vid about organic gardening. My husband and I are just starting to carve out a new veggie garden in the back yard, a serious one this time, fenced in to keep the chickens out, with raised beds and room for a couple of fruit trees. So I’m inspired by this video, not just to work hard on our project so we can grow more of our food for our own health, but to contribute to the health of the planet.

I’m charmed by the two boys in the video: From the mouths of babes comes the promise of a chemical-free future. And that makes a canary very happy!

Learn about the value of Chicky’s very special Organic Garden. Produced by by John & Mark Cavanagh & Zachary Bain.

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Fresh from the garden

Remember the cherry tomatoes from my garden in yesterday’s post? Well, here they are for dinner tonight. Cut in halves with chunks of Muenster cheese, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil & organic balsamic vinegar. Some organic whole wheat crackers on the side. Dinner!

Plastic sucks

I was raising a stink about plastics way before any of us knew about the dangers of BPA. I’ve carried my portable water with me in glass bottles for over 15 years because I cannot tolerate the taste of water that’s been stored in a plastic bottle, pleh!

But that’s not the only problem with plastic. Beth over at Fake Plastic Fish is dedicating her blogging life to the elimination of plastic because it’s not only bad for people, it’s bad for the planet: every scrap, every single molecule of plastic ever made still exists somewhere on the planet, a huge amount of which is floating around in the ocean as a big huge gross Plastic Island. Beth says:

What’s wrong with plastic anyway?

Good question. Here are some answers:

• Plastic is made from oil… This post lists the main problems with plastic from creation to disposal and beyond.
• Is your water cooler messing with your hormones? A post about the problems of #7 polycarbonate plastic.
• Woman Drinks Wine… Why plastic wine corks and screw caps are problems for the environment.
• …The Perils of PVC. What’s PVC and why should we avoid it?
• And here’s a link to a PDF version of the IATP Smart Plastics Guide, which lists the different types of plastics and explains which ones are the most harmful and why.

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Video snitched from Fake Plastic Fish

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