‘March Against Monsanto’ Protesters Rally Against US Seed Giant and GMO Products
Protesters rallied in dozens of cities Saturday as part of a global protest against seed giant Monsanto and the genetically modified food it produces. Organizers said “March Against Monsanto” protests were held in 52 countries and 436 cities including Los Angeles where demonstrators waved signs that read “Real Food 4 Real People” and Label GMOs, It’s Our Right to Know.” Genetically modified plants are grown from seeds that are engineered to resist insecticides and herbicides, add nutritional benefits or otherwise improve crop yields and increase the global food supply. Most corn, soybean and cotton crops grown in the US today have been genetically modified. The use of GMOs has been a growing issue of contention in recent years, with advocates pushing for mandatory labeling of genetically modified products even though the federal government and many scientists say the technology is safe. Protesters in Buenos Aires and other cities in Argentina, where Monsanto’s genetically modified soy and grains now command nearly 100 percent of the market, carried signs saying “Monsanto—Get out of Latin America.” Portland Police estimated about 6,000 protesters took to Oregon streets. Across the country in Orlando, about 800 people gathered with signs, pamphlets and speeches in front of City Hall. Maryann Wilson told the Orlando Sentinel, “Scientists are saying that because they create their own seeds, they are harming the bees.” In Birmingham, AL about 80 protesters turned out at Rhodes Park, some dressed as bees and butterflies. The FDA does not require genetically modified foods to carry a label, but organic food companies and some consumer groups have intensified their push for labels, arguing that the modified seeds are floating from field to field and contaminating traditional crops. The Biotechnology Industry Organization, a lobbying group that represents Monsanto, DuPont & Co. and other makers of GM seeds says that it supports voluntary labeling, but that mandatory labeling would only mislead or confuse consumers into thinking the products aren’t safe. The US Senate this week overwhelmingly rejected a bill that would allow states to require labeling of genetically modified foods. However, state legislatures in Vermont and Connecticut moved ahead this month with votes to make food companies declare genetically modified ingredient on their packages.
Vermont House of Representatives Gives Green Light to GMO Labeling Bill
Elaine Watson
The Vermont House of Representatives has passed H112, a bill requiring the labeling of all genetically engineered (GE) food sold in Vermont. However, there are plenty of hurdles ahead. First, the bill must be approved in the Senate, which will not now likely get the opportunity to look at it until January 2014. If approved by the Senate, it will then be effective two years after the date it is passed, or 18 months after at least two other states adopt similar bills, whichever comes first. Unlike GMO labeling bills that were defeated in 2011 and 2012, H112 does not require meat from animals fed genetically engineered feed to be labeled. It does include some of the controversial clauses enshrined in California Prop 37, including the stipulation that foods containing GE ingredients cannot be marketed as ‘natural’.
GMO Wheat Found In Oregon Field. How Did It Get There?
Dan Charles
Non-Approved Genetically Modified Wheat Found in Oregon Field, Says USDA
Mary Clare Jalonick
Unapproved genetically engineered (GE) wheat has been discovered in an Oregon field. A farmer discovered the genetically modified plants on his farm and contacted Oregon State University, which notified USDA early this month. USDA said the unidentified farmer discovered the modified wheat when farm workers were trying to kill some wheat plants that popped up between harvests. The farmer used the herbicide glyphosate to kill the plants, but they did not die, prompting the tests at Oregon State to find out if the crops were genetically engineered to resist herbicides. While most of the corn and soybeans grown in the US are already modified, the country’s wheat crop is not. Monsanto did create varieties of “Roundup Ready” wheat and carried out field trials of this wheat in 16 different states. But the country’s wheat growers told the company that they did not want it. Monsanto dropped the wheat project. It never asked for government approval, and it ended its field trials of wheat in 2005. Nobody knows how this wheat got to this farm. Monsanto’s last field trials in Oregon were in 2001. After all such trials, the GE crops are supposed to be completely removed. The discovery could have far-reaching implications for the US wheat industry if the growth of the engineered product turns out to be far-flung. Many countries around the world will not accept imports of genetically modified foods, and the US exports about half of its wheat crop. The discovery also could have implications for organic companies, which by law cannot use genetically engineered ingredients in its foods.
New Meat Country of Origin Labeling Rules Go Into Effect
M.L. Johnson
Shoppers in the US will have more information about where their meat comes from since the new federal labeling rules went into effect Thursday. The new rules require labels on steaks, ribs and other cuts of meat to say where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered. Earlier US Department of Agriculture rules only required that countries of origin to be noted, so a package might say “Produce of US and Canada”. Now, the label will specify, “born in Canada, raised and slaughtered in the US.” The new rules apply only to cuts of meat such as steaks and roasts, not to ground meat. The USDA has required country of origin labels on seafood since 2005 and on meat and other products since 2009. The new rules for meat are meant to bring the US in line with World Trade Organization standards after the organization determined the old labels discriminated against livestock imported from Canada and Mexico. Cargill, one of the nation’s largest meatpackers, protested the rules in a letter sent previously to the USDA. It said the US is heavily dependent on cattle born elsewhere but sent to feedlots and slaughterhouses here. Cargill said it had already idled a meatpacking plant in Texas because too few cattle were available and the problem would only get worse as imported cattle became less attractive to companies seeking to avoid the need for multiple labels. The rules have had support from farmers’ organizations, along with consumer and environmental groups. The new labels will begin showing up gradually in grocery stores.
Shuanghui’s $4.7 Billion Buy of Smithfield Would Be Largest Chinese Takeover of US Company
Smithfield Foods To Be Sold To Chinese Firm For $4.72 Billion
Bill Chappell
Shuanghui: Smithfield Acquisition Allows Us to Be a Global Leader in Animal Protein
Stephen Daniells
Will Chinese Firm Bring Home The Bacon With Smithfield Deal?
Peggy Lowe
Smithfield-Shuanghui Merger Faces Opposition form Food Safety Advocates
Chinese meat processor Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd. has agreed to buy Smithfield Foods Inc. for approximately $4.72 billion in a deal that will take the world’s biggest pork producer private. Shareholders of Smithfield will receive $34 per share under terms of the deal announced Wednesday—a 31 percent premium to the company’s closing stock price of $25.97 on Tuesday. Both companies’ boards have unanimously approved the transaction, which still needs approval from Smithfield’s shareholders. Smithfield’s headquarters will remain in Virginia and the existing management team will remain in place. Shuanghui will not close any Smithfield facilities, no jobs will be lost, and all collective bargaining agreements will be honored. Smithfield employs approximately 46,000 people. In addition to Smithfield, the company’s brands include Armour, Eckrich, Gwaltney, Kretschmar and others. The company’s roots stretch back to 1936, when the Luter family opened a packing plant in Virginia. If the deal goes through it would be the largest takeover of a US-based company by a Chinese company ever, according to data from Dealogic, cited by The Wall Street Journal. The deal must still be approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US, a move that could be hindered by Shuanghui’s involvement in a 2011 scandal that involved feeding a dangerous additive to pigs set for slaughter. Elizabeth Holmes, a staff attorney at the Center for Food Safety, says US regulators should take a hard look at the deal. Environmental groups were quick to criticize the deal, too, citing the growing globalization of vertically integrated or factory farming. Smithfield executives emphasized that the deal has nothing to do with bringing Chinese products to the American table. Rather, it’s about tapping American producers to satisfy growing demands for meat in China, where the ranks of the middle class have been growing faster than anywhere else on Earth. According to Smithfield chief executive C. Larry Pope, “This is not a strategy to import Chinese pork into the US. This is exporting America to the world.”
Biodiversity Loss Becoming Major Threat for Farmed Plants and Livestock Breeds
Alister Doyle
A decline in the diversity of farmed plants and livestock breeds is gathering pace, threatening future food supplies for the world’s growing population, according to Zakri Abdu Hamid, the head of a new UN panel on biodiversity. Preserving neglected animal breeds and plants is necessary as they could have genes resistant to future diseases or to shifts in the climate to warmer temperatures, more droughts or downpours. The extinctions of some domesticated animals and plants is happening in tandem with accelerating losses of wild species caused by factors such as deforestation, expansion of cities, pollution and climate change. According to Irene Hoffmann, chief of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), eight percent of livestock breeds have already become extinct. In 2010 governments set goals including halting extinction of known threatened species by 2020 and expanding the area set aside in parks or protected areas for wildlife to 17 percent of the Earth’s land surface from about 13 percent now.
Greenpeace Seafood Report for 2013 Scores Supermarkets on Sustainability
Carey Polis
Greenpeace has released its seventh annual “Carting Away the Oceans” report, which scores supermarkets on their commitment to sustainable seafood. To come up with its scorecard, Greenpeace ranked 20 grocery chains (18 actively participated in the survey—Publix and BI-LO did not) on four criteria: policy, initiatives, transparency and red list inventory. Each category is given a score, and then the chain is ranked overall. Whole Foods was given the top ranking this year–the first time since 2008. The report also commended the level of transparency at Wegmans and Harris Teeter, among others. The National Fisheries Institute, an industry trade group, disputed the report, calling it an “unscientific and arbitrary ranking” and a “PR maneuver to hustle for donations from wealthy foundations.” More chains than ever participated in the survey this year, so while the measurement tools might still not be perfect, both consumers and retailers clearly are starting to care ore about this issue.
SUMMER IS HERE…….
The Great Charcoal Debate: Briquettes Or Lumps?
Eliza Barclay
A lot of things about grilling can ignite a fight, including the meaning of “barbecue”. And with the proliferation of fancy equipment—from gas grills to pellet smokers to ceramic charcoal cookers—amateur cooks are growing more knowledgeable, and opinionated, about how to best cook food outdoors. But the first hurdle is navigating the question: Do you use charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal, also known as “natural” hardwood charcoal? Most people with an opinion can agree that there are advantages and disadvantages to each one. Briquettes burn more consistently, but contain additives and generate more ash. Lump charcoal can burn hotter (handy if you’re searing meat) and can be made with specific woods that leave a trace of their essence on the food. But the lumps come in a jumble of different sizes, some of which may not be evenly charred. And bags can contain excess dust that may block the flow of oxygen in a grill. If sales figures settle the debate, then briquettes and instant-light charcoal are the favorites by far. All charcoal is made of the same thing: wood burned with little oxygen so that all that’s left is essentially carbon. But makers of lump charcoal claim it’s superior because of its purity—it contains no additives like regular briquettes or lighter fluid like the instant-light ones. While lump charcoal and briquettes both originate as scrap lumber, the uniform round shape of the briquette is a result of an industrial process that depends on other materials, too, such as coal, limestone, borax and cornstarch. Some serious grillers actually prefer cooking with logs instead of charcoal, but it’s a far more challenging undertaking. Grillers with access to good local wood may also be intrigued by the nascent DIY charcoal movement. Virginia Tech and the Virginia Cooperative Extension Office have been promoting homemade charcoal made with small kilns as a way to add value to wood scraps or firewood. The “local fuel for local food” idea has caught on at a few farmers markets in the state. For the lump-charcoal-obsessed who prefer to buy it, there’s The Naked Whiz’s Lump Charcoal Database, which features detailed review of dozens of lump charcoal products.
Gatorade vs. Water: Which Is Better for Kids?
Casey Seidenberg
Many little athletes enjoy Gatorade, Powerade and all those other brightly colored sports drinks. Yet what kid actually needs 34 grams of sugar and a dose of chemical food dye in order to replenish after a one-hour sports game? Yes, these kids are playing hard and sweating, thus they need to reload, but what they need immediately following a game is water. Could they use some electrolytes with their water? Of course. If children require water and a few minerals after a game, why not give them a bottle of water and a piece of fruit? A 20-ounce bottle of Gatorade has 75 mg of potassium, while a small clementine as 131 mg and a banana has 422 mg. There is even a gram or two of protein in a banana. A clementine has calcium, magnesium, Vitamin C and folate. The processed sugar in a sports drink will flow into the bloodstream quickly. A banana and a clementine both have fiber, which slows any natural sugars from entering the bloodstream. Some people are going to point out that sodium is lost through sweat in higher concentrations than the other electrolytes, and neither the fruit nor water provides sodium. But the American diet already contains enough, if not too much sodium. Just remember, these drinks were originally designed for performance athletes, not growing children. Obviously one sports drink isn’t going to doom a child forever, but wetting the expectation that a child athlete “needs” a sports drink to replenish after a game or practice creates a long-term habit that can become dangerous.
Cold Facts: The Science of Brain Freezes
Lynn Kuntz
File it under “Science is Fun,” or maybe just “For Science Geeks Only,” but a neuroscientist has explained the phenomena experienced after gulping down ice cold foods and beverages commonly referred to as “brain freeze.” Technically it’s called sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia. According to Dwayne Godwin, Ph.D., a neuroscientist at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, “Our mouths are highly vascularized, including the tongue—that’s why we take our temperatures there. But drinking a cold beverage fast doesn’t give the mouth time to absorb the cold very well.” Quickly consuming something cold rapidly changes the temperature of the back of your throat. That’s the location of the carotid artery, which feeds blood to the brain, and the anterior cerebral artery, which is where the brain tissue starts. And while the brain itself doesn’t feel pain, the meninges, or outer covering of the brain can. The rapid drop in temperature causes the two arteries to dilate and contract, and the brain interprets it as pain. To prevent brain freeze, Godwin suggests placing your tongue on the roof of your mouth to keep your throat warm or drinking a tepid beverage to moderate the temperature in your mouth. Or, you can always stop drinking ice cold beverages or eating ice cream…..Yeah, right.
Good news if you happen to live or be visiting New York with your dog…..
Doggy Frozen Yogurt Cart Debuts in City Parks This Weekend
Emily Frost
UPPER WEST SIDE—Frozen treats specially made to keep dogs cool will debut this weekend with New York City’s first Mister Softee-style truck for pooches. The Yappy Treats Cart will offer small-batch frozen yogurt for dogs in containers that make licking easy. They come in flavors designed to tempt the canine taste buds—including tuna-carrot and peanut butter-banana-carob. Truck owner Laura Diaz has a 29-day permit which she’ll use every Saturday and Sunday this summer. She hopes that if the trial goes well, she’ll secure a permanent permit. The company would not have been possible without the help of Diaz’s 8-year-old Afghan Hound Sisu and her Weimeraner Merlin. The pair proved invaluable when it came to taste-testing flavors. Just be sure your pooch eats carefully—don’t want doggie brain freeze!