Maseca Corn Flour Found to Have Glyphosate in Report 

Yet another vital ingredient in our food system, Maseca Corn Flour has been found to have high traces of Glyphosate, a chemical found in Monsanto’s weedkiller RoundUp. Maseca is a popular Mexican corn flour that is used to make tortillas, tamales, tortilla chips and tacos throughout the world. It is one of the top brands for corn flour and in their marketing they claim to be “100% natural”. A report done by the Health Research Institute, for the Organic Consumers Association states that:

“ACO test results on samples of Maseca white and yellow corn flour, sourced from different regions of Mexico, showed glyphosate concentrations of between 5.14 ppb to 17.59 ppb. Some flour samples tested as high as 94.15 percent for the presence of genetically modified organisms (GMO).” 

This is a very concerning problem because GMO’s are currently banned from being grown commercially in Mexico. The article from OCA says that this must mean that the company is importing GMO corn from the U.S. 

People across the US and Mexico are boycotting the brand until they have proven to have changed their product. The Organic Consumers Association gives a great list of non-GMO and organic brands for tortillas and corn flour here.

This is another instance where marketing, and labeling is being deceiving for consumers. As the midterm elections are coming up soon, voting is a big deal, but also voting with your fork, is important as well. Be diligent about where your food is coming from and what practices the companies you are buying from are using.

Eating Organic is Found to Cut your Risk of Cancer! 

A new study published on Monday by the Jama Internal Medicine, shows that eating organic foods can have a huge effect on your risks for cancer. The study done on 68,946 adults in France. It was based on their eating habits of 16 organic food items, and the follow up was four years long, seeing how many developed cancer. Only 1,340 people developed cancer and the four most prevalent types of cancers were postmenopausal breast cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer, colorectal cancer, and non-hodgkin lymphoma.

When the researchers compared the participants organic food intake scores and their cancer risks they found that those that ate the most organic were less likely to develop cancer. 

CNN reports the results: Those who ate the most organic food were 25% less likely to develop cancer. Specifically, they were 73% less likely to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 21% less likely to develop post-menopausal breast cancer. 

This is a positive result, meaning that if we eat more organic food, it can help with our future cancer risks. They found this to be true because you are getting much less exposure to pesticides by eating organic as opposed to products that are grown with pesticides and herbicides. This would infer that the more pesticide exposure you have your cancer risk goes up. 

Though the study has some draw backs, as depending on people to accurately record their diets is hard, it is a great beginning to help with the reduction and elimination of pesticides and herbicides from our foods. It is hard for some people, of lower income brackets to afford organic food right now, but if we have more backing than we can advocate for a system that allows for all food to be organic! 

To read the whole article click here. 

How to Fight Food Waste in Your Kitchen?

The James Beard Foundation Can Give you Tips! 

Over 40 % of the food produced in this country is wasted. One third of the food produced in the world is wasted. Though many people assume that wasted or leftover food that goes in the garbage will just decompose, that is not the simple answer. This food that goes to landfills decomposes without oxygen creating methane gases that contribute to climate change. The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization gives a great fact sheet on the effects of food waste. This issue isn’t a just a retail food problem. Most waste occurs right in your own kitchen. The James Beard Foundation has been working on using it’s platform for awareness of this and many other issues. One of the biggest educational awareness pieces they have used is a new cookbook Waste Not.  The book provides recipes from numerous famous chefs that utitlize the entire product. It gives the regular cook great recipes on how to use parts of vegetables and fruits that would otherwise be thrown away or considered “waste”. 

Top Chef Tom Colliccio, talks about some great ways the everyday person can reduce their waste in the kitchen. 

• Utilize the freezer! – If your cooking a chicken, freeze the bones to be used for broth. If you are cooking vegetables and aren’t going to use the whole thing, freeze the unused parts and use it in another dish later on. Freeze leftovers, or just freeze food that you make in bulk, so it doesn’t go bad sitting in the fridge. 
• Save your fruits before they turn – Freeze berries, roast bananas and freeze to use in smoothies and banana bread – he gives great specific examples in the article. 
• Select Restaurants based on their food waste policies – educate yourself on food waste in restaurants, and support the ones doing the right thing. Vote with your fork! 
• Get closer to the source of your food – Go back to the basics as far as food goes. Go to your local farm stands & farmers markets. Support local producers. Get to know your farmer! 

Read the full Washington Post article here.