Published on November 13th, 2008
According to the Taipei Times, a student at Dayeh University in Changhuain Taiwan died in late October during the annual steamed bun eating contest. The 23 year old was participating to see who could finish two steamed buns stuffed with egg and cheese in the fastest time. The student couldn’t stop vomiting and fell unconscious during the competition. Although he was rushed to the hospital, it was too late. The cause of the death remains unclear, but some believe he choked to death. All this for NT$2,000 (approximately US$60.)
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Published on November 10th, 2008
Tyson Injects and Feeds Antibiotics into “Raised without Antibiotics” Labeled Chicken
The second largest chicken producer in the United States has been lying to consumers. Tyson Foods has been claiming chicken as “Raised without Antibiotics” that has been injected with drugs before hatching.
Tyson has been tricking Americans and bending USDA rules about truthful labeling regarding antibiotics in poultry. The company has spent tens of millions of dollars in advertising its chicken as “raised without antibiotics” this year. Tyson has admitted to injecting eggs with antibiotics, and the USDA has responded by asking the company to stop using the antibiotic-free label. Tyson’s has filed a lawsuit to keep using the label, claiming the USDA’s rules do not apply before the second day of life. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on November 7th, 2008
Got another wonderful email from Willie Nelson today . . .
I really love and appreciate the work Willie Nelson is doing with Farm Aid and the letter he wrote to our new president elect, Barack Obama, which beautifully articulates the need to pay attention to family farmers. While there are so many urgent issues looming and competing for airspace for our new president, I can’t agree with Willie more that support of family and smaller local/regional farm systems is at the heart of the solution for many of the challenges that plague our country.
Family farms and regional farming systems help reduce the food production carbon footprint in so many ways, not the least of which is that it travels less of a distance if it is supporting a defined regional area.
If you visit your local farm stands and farmer’s markets and have ever belonged to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program, you have come to respect if not love your local farmers - and for good reason!
Thank you Willie for continuing to make noise (and great music) on this issue!
Read Willie’s letter . . .
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Published on October 28th, 2008
The store shelved are flooded with “fun size” treats in orange and black bags. It’s Halloween season, and candy is certainly on the minds of every kid I know this time of year. It’s on my mind for different reasons.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a voluntary recall notice for the Sherwood Brands Pirate’s Gold Milk Chocolate Coins. The candy, manufactured in China, is the latest product thought to contain the melamine-contaminated milk powder. The product is primarily distributed through Costco stores in Canada as well as some bulk and discount retailers there.
So far, no illnesses have been reported, and the recall only concerns Canada. Other products that have been recalled in the U.S. and abroad both due to the melamine contaminated milk powder include Mr. Brown’s coffee and milk tea products as well as White Rabbit Creamy Candy. White Rabbit candies were distributed to California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington state through wholesale distributors to retail stores. The White Rabbit Candy recall is the first candy recall issued for products sold in the U.S.
Cadbury also had recall woes in September over some of its chocolate brands that were manufactured in China and distributed in Asia. Even M&M and Mars have had to assess some of their products manufactured in China and distributed in Asia including Chinese-made Oreos, M&Ms and Snickers that were found in Indonesia. Counterfeit products are suspected in this instance. However, South Korea ordered a recall of Mars and Nestle products that were found to also contain melamine.
Most likely, none of these brands will show up in your child’s treat bag, but if you live in Canada, you do need to be aware of the latest recall. For all regions, U.S. included, White Rabbit Candy is one to be sure and look out for.
Published on October 28th, 2008
Guest contributor Pamela Price is the founder of Red, White & Grew, a blog devoted to “Promoting the Victory Garden Revival and other simple, earth-friendly endeavors as bipartisan, patriotic acts in an age of uncertainty.”
Not too long ago, Eat the View (ETV) founder Roger Doiron wondered here how to push the idea of creating a new White House Victory Garden further into the public sphere. At the time, he hoped to see Obama and McCain say on camera whether or not they’d follow in the footsteps of Eleanor Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson and allocate a portion of the First Lawn to food production. Thus far neither presidential contender has addressed the notion, but much of the rest of the country is going to learn about it very soon… thanks to the Vimeo.com Climate Matters Video Contest. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on October 15th, 2008
I’m a card carrying member of Slow Food USA and one of the founders of Slow Food Rogue Valley southern Oregon Convivium. I believe it’s my duty and privilege to pass along the follow information about the Declaration for Healthy Food and Agriculture. I encourage you to endorse it, sign it and comment on it, NOW.
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Published on October 15th, 2008
Dear Farmer-in-Chief
Michael Pollan writes a letter to the future president to explain why the health care crisis, energy independence, and climate change cannot be solved without addressing our Some compelling facts from the essay include; “After cars, the food system uses more fossil fuel than any other sector of the economy — 19 percent … the way we feed ourselves contributes more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere than anything else we do — as much as 37 percent … [it] now takes 10 calories of fossil-fuel energy to produce a single calorie of modern supermarket food.” Worth a read, or a debate question or two.
On the Road Again
Having just navigated the local food on the road path myself, I enjoyed this article at Ethicurean on how to find local food while traveling. Sure, the airport is a lost cause for local cuisine, but eating local on the road can add a lot to your travel experience.
October’s Eat Local Challenge
The last month of the harvest season for most of us, October marks a significant month for Eat Local Challenge participants. Learn more about the event at the Eat Local Challenge site. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on October 14th, 2008
You may have read, especially from various press releases, about this restaurant claiming to “green” or “sustainable” or that chef doing “farm-to-table” cuisine. Now don’t get me wrong. I am a huge proponent and supporter of sustainable cuisine and local artisans, as long as it isn’t used just for PR purposes. But with all do respect to my fellow locavore restaurateurs, the Real Farm-to-Table cuisine is represented by restaurants like the recently opened Founding Farmers in Washington, DC. The North Dakota Farmers Union, which has 42,000 members, made a $6 million investment (in a pair of Washington restaurants) despite the economic downturn, high food prices and risks inherent in running a restaurant.
Source: Founding Farmers
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Published on October 8th, 2008
Searching for that truly virtuous cup of coffee? If you’ve looked into the impact of your morning cup of joe recently, chances are you know that most coffees are their greenest when they’re still on the plantation, or maybe the tree.
Roasting, shipping, marketing, bagging and processing all take a lot of energy, and most coffee in the world travels a fair distance before it ends up in our french presses. Coffee is an equatorial crop, and we don’t all live on the equator.
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Published on October 6th, 2008
Food Crisis Quote of the Week
“The essential purpose of food, which is to nourish people, has been subordinated to the economic aims of a handful of multinational corporations that monopolize all aspects of food production, from seeds to major distribution chains, and they have been the prime beneficiaries of the world crisis,” H. E. M. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, President of the General Assembly of the UN.
Large Reductions in Usage of Agrichemicals May Not Impact Yield
“The results suggest that large reductions in agrichemical use can be compatible with high crop yields and profits,” says Dr. Matt Liebman, an agronomy professor at Iowa State University. Read the rest of this entry »
