Fed Up!
Keeping the food on your table fresh, safe, healthy and delicious

I've lost my appetite Posted by Daniela at 06/20/08 02:36 PM

If you’ve stopped eating a particular food, temporarily or permanently, as a result of a recent recall, you’re not alone.

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Red, Raw and Contaminated? Posted by Daniela at 06/16/08 01:37 PM

I have a soft spot for tomatoes. I spent a long day in the fields of Immokalee, Florida, picking tomatoes as part of a college learning seminar on migrant farmworkers.

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Worst Company in America? Posted by Daniela at 05/02/08 10:36 AM

It’s not surprising the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company is nominated as the “Worst Company in America” by readers of The Consumerist.

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Where's the recalled beef? Posted by Daniela at 02/21/08 04:29 PM

From the Consumer Reports Safety Blog: Four days after the nation's largest-ever beef recall, U.S. consumers still have no way of knowing whether they ate—or might have in their freezers—some of the potentially suspect meat, food safety experts at Consumers Union said Thursday.

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Undercover video leads to outcry on meat safety Posted by Daniela at 02/15/08 10:22 AM

None of us want to eat beef infected with mad cow disease, E. coli, or salmonella. Nor would we feed it to our children. Unfortunately, low-income children who qualified for federal assistance under the National School Lunch Program may not have had a choice.

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Less Shuffle, No Cut Posted by Reggie at 01/23/08 12:15 PM

. Today's New York Times editorial on cloning by editorial board member Verlyn Klinkenborg raises an interesting and important point about the impact of cloning on genetic diversity. Klinkenborg analogizes to shuffling cards, and notes that cloning represents an unshuffled deck -- clearly not a benefit to all players. The editorial was in response to the FDA's recent action further clearing the way for meat and dairy from cloned animals to enter the food market.

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Penn Label Ban Update Posted by Reggie at 11/29/07 02:52 PM

More than 65 dairy farmers, consumer, farm and agricultural, public health, animal protection and environmental organizations, food processors and retailers today wrote to Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell to protest the recent Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) action which would prohibit state farmers from telling consumers that they aren’t using artificial hormones on their dairy cows.

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Protect Us From Choice -- Please Posted by Reggie at 11/16/07 03:18 PM

Last month, in an Orwellian stretch of logic and without warning or any public discussion, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) notified 19 dairies that “their labels are false or misleading and need to be changed” So, what kinds of labels were so terrible that the PDA felt they had to be removed from milk cartons immediately? Labels that told the consumer that the cows that produced the milk had not been given any artificial hormones.

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Pointing Fingers Posted by Reggie at 10/15/07 10:11 AM

My grandmother was fond of reminding me that when I pointed a finger, there were three pointing back at me. She would sometimes add that it’s OK to identify faults in others, if you are willing to look at your own weaknesses. I bet my Grandmother would have had something to say about US food industry and regulator efforts to address the safety of food imports – from China in particular. The Grocery Manufacture/Food Products Assn (GMA) proposal outlined in the October 12, 2007 Los Angeles Times Articles suggests that while the food industry is acknowledging risks with imports, their focus is on holding imports to a higher standard.

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...the whole world in her loaf Posted by Reggie at 08/19/07 10:31 AM

She’s got guar gum sourced from India In her loaf She’s got gluten mix from Poland In her loaf She’s left no country untapped for honey In her loaf Sara Lee's got the whole world in her loaf

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Food and Drug Safety blues Posted by Reggie at 08/13/07 05:06 PM

I just read an informative and entertaining article about the history and current woes of the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The author, Emily Friedman has a way with words and with reducing very wonky data and policy into digestible bites.

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Farm Bill Attractions Posted by Reggie at 07/26/07 02:42 PM

Consumers Union just fired off a letter to Congress’ House Agriculture Committee opposing an amendment to the Farm Bill, H.R. 2419, which would allow state inspected meat to bypass the federal meat inspection program.

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Organic Breast Milk Best? Posted by Reggie at 07/25/07 03:48 PM

According to a new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, breast milk from women who consumed at least 90% of dairy and meat from organic sources contained higher levels of beneficial fatty acids and was higher quality.

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COOL Attack on Ice Posted by Reggie at 07/20/07 04:27 PM

Congress' House Agriculture Committee passed the Farm Bill without the amendment that would have severly weaken Country of Origin labeling (COOL). A combination of strong public support of COOL and an effective messenger in the person of Lou Dobbs helped the committee rethink weakening the frequently delayed COOL law.

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Lou Dobbs Loses his COOL Posted by Reggie at 07/19/07 04:23 PM

The much delayed Country of Origin Label (COOL) provision of the 2002 Farm bill is under attack in Congress as the House Agriculture Committee considers the current Farm bill. Check out Lou Dobbs tonite as he explains his and others' frustration with Congress and industry Lobbyists.

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Consumer Reports food labeling poll Posted by Reggie at 07/11/07 04:55 PM

Consumer Reports food-labeling poll shows consumers want to know where their food comes from and expect higher label standards... According to the poll, 92 percent of consumers agree that imported foods should be labeled by their country of origin.

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With a little less help from my friends Posted by Reggie at 06/26/07 03:16 PM

One would think that the federal government would welcome any competent help to assure the safety of the nation’s food supply, but no.....

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Taking Food & Drug Safety Seriously Posted by Reggie at 05/29/07 03:33 PM

"China's former top drug regulator was sentenced to death Tuesday for taking bribes to approve untested medicines, as the country's main quality control agency announced its first recall system targeting unsafe food products."

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Doing Nothing Won't Do Anything Posted by Reggie at 05/21/07 01:43 PM

"Without question, America's food safety system has degenerated over the past 6 years. We don't know how many times concerns raised by F.D.A. employees were ignored or soft-pedaled by their superiors. What we do know is that since 2001 the F.D.A. has introduced no significant new food safety regulations except those mandated by Congress."

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Colbert on Hormones Posted by Reggie at 04/20/07 08:50 AM

Just for laughs check out the clip from the Colbert Report on synthetic growth hormone rGBH. FDA is proposing a similar "no labeling" required approval for food from cloned animals.

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Not in Fido's Food Either Posted by Reggie at 04/06/07 05:07 PM

...our pets are the canaries in the coal mine. Human food safety is also at risk

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Guest Blogger: Elisa in Wonkland Posted by Reggie at 03/23/07 12:49 PM

I was asked by the FDA to speak at its well-attended hearing in Oakland yesterday on the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables. I felt like Alice stepping through the looking glass. (Image: Sir John Tenniel - 1865.)

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Consumers Comment On Mad Cow Border Issue Posted by Reggie at 03/12/07 12:52 PM

Consumers Union collected 17,655 names on a petition opposing USDA's plan to relax restrictions on the import of Canadian cows that could present higher risks of Mad Cow disease.

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Gov Watchdog Joins Call for Immediate Reform Posted by Reggie at 02/08/07 10:10 AM

The General Accounting office (GAO), Congress’ analytical watchdog arm, added the nation’s food safety system to its list of “high risk” areas in need of immediate attention from Congress and the Executive Branch.

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A Real Meat and Potatoes Discussion Posted by Reggie at 02/05/07 01:13 PM

“Our food safety structure is collapsing and endangering public health.” A strong statement from Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D. Conn) who announced her subcommittee would hold a hearing on Thursday Feb 8th on food safety.

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