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Food Shortages and World Hunger; Fiber Hijacked by Big Food; Musk Brother Invests in Food; New Legislation Hampers DEA From Cracking Down on Opiates;

Rice and Beans: $1.20 in New York, $73 in Haiti

Image result for rice and beans raw“The United Nations World Food Programme just released a report on the cost, relative to average income, of a basic meal such as rice and beans in 33 countries. Someone living in New York might spend less than 1 percent of their daily income for that plate of food. But someone in Yemen would need to spend 22 percent of their daily income, while it would be 30 percent in Mozambique and 35 percent in Haiti. Compared to a New Yorker’s income, the true cost of the meal would be $1.20 in New York, about $46 in Yemen, $62 in Mozambique and $73 in Haiti.”

Read the full article by Anne Weir published on Environmental Working Group’s website here

The Power of Fiber: Hijacked by the Food Industry

We know that fiber is good for us and experts tell us that it’s fundamental for maintaining a balanced diet; more specifically, that increasing your intake of fiber reduces the risk of several health issues such as colon cancer and high blood sugar levels. However, according to Center for Science and Public Interest, fiber has actually been hijacked from us by the food industry. The ‘buzz word’ is used spuriously by companies like Kelloggs and Hersheys to continue to sell sugary and highly processed foods to unassuming consumers.

Ongoing clinical studies will continue to provide insight to what the Food and Drug Administration determines in the coming month, regarding whether or not an ingredient meets its fiber definition.

“The F.D.A. said it had conducted a scientific literature review of clinical studies associated with 26 isolated or synthetic non-digestible carbohydrates not listed as dietary fiber. Among the carbohydrates were acacia gum, carboxymethyl cellulose, inulin, polydextrose and xanthan gum. The F.D.A. said it had identified the main physiological endpoints, such as cholesterol or glucose levels, but now is asking for scientific data on additional physiological endpoints for which a non-digestible carbohydrate may have a beneficial effect, thus potentially meeting the definition for fiber.”

Kimbal Musk Wants to Feed America, Silicon Valley-Style

“Almost unwittingly, Mr. Musk has become a symbol of a growing divide between those raised on the modern American food movement — which gained traction in the 1970s and drove a revival in cooking, local products and food justice — and a new generation excited about cellular proteins, Soylent and app-based delivery services that are driven more by innovation than by pleasure.”

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Though he wants to “create a network of business, educational and agricultural ventures big enough to swing the nation’s food system back to one based on healthy, local food grown on chemical-free farms,” healthy food advocates and farmers are not sure whether Musk knows exactly what he’s doing. Even Alice Waters, the San Francisco-based chef and founder of Edible Schoolyards, has come out criticizing Musk for his big goals, suggesting he learn a bit more about actual farms and soil before taking such a strong position about change in the food system. 

‘Homegrown Organic’ Bill Would Help Growers Transition, Boosting U.S. Production, report by Environmental Working Group

bill introduced by Rep. Ann Kuster, D-N.H., last August would help close the gap by helping American farmers make the transition to organic farming.

The Homegrown Organic Act of 2017 (H.R. 3637), would modify existing voluntary agricultural conservation programs to better assist producers who want to switch to organic. The simple changes called for in the bill will provide transitioning producers with valuable technical and financial assistance, as well as make more farmland available to producers wanting to farm organically.”

Food and Drug Administration Not Doing Enough to Protect Consumers When It Comes to Food and Drug Safety 

In August, Bloomberg reported a drop in the FDA’s warning letters sent to companies, notifying them of what the administration alleged to be serious violations of federal rules. Compared to the first seven months of any year since 2008, and according to a review of letters posted on the FDA’s website, this year’s tally (ahem, Trump!) is the lowest. Warning letters are only one indicator of how the FDA gets companies to comply with food, drug and safety laws. Additionally, they can order recalls, seize products, and seek court-ordered injunctions, all which help to initiate criminal persecutions against serious violators. Of course, Trump’s pick for FDA Commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, is not  really the idyllic choice to get this job done with public interests in mind. Since Gottlieb himself has had ties to the drug industry, many public health advocates and experts are not expecting him to reverse the FDA’s trend of declining administrative efficacy for consumer protection. Instead, Gottlieb is busy  outlining how to get drugs swiftly back into production post-hurricane destruction and out on the market to keep profits up and, at worst, people sick and penniless.

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Despite the hopeful movement for food labeling laws, the Food and Drug Administration repeatedly delayed their implementation of food labeling and consumer protection laws last year, a decision also backed by the Trump administration. And, even though NYC was an early advocate of calorie labeling, and said that it would act on its own, lobbyist trade groups successfully submitted arguments in retaliation. There are too many instances such as this, which get lost amidst the slurry of Trump’s tweeting, to not demand our rights as consumers to know what is in our food and what our kids can buy at the supermarket.

In a report last week by NPR, the impacts of the FDA’s loose regulatory methods and poor leadership is made clear; the ineffective administration is  leaving consumers like you and me very vulnerable and at risk.

The E.P.A.’s Top 10 Toxic Threats, and Industry’s Pushback by the NY TIMES

The Environmental Protection Agency has published a list of 10 toxic threats it will evaluate first under a law passed last year intended to crack down on hazardous chemicals. They are among 90 chemicals identified by the agency that may harm children, damage nerve tissue, cause cancer, contaminate the environment, accumulate in the bloodstream or show up in consumer products. As the review begins, industry and other interest groups are urging the E.P.A. to limit any restrictions.

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