Meat & Poultry to Get Nutrition Labels by 2012January 13th, 2011 - Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese
Go to the supermarket and start pulling products off the shelves and you’ll see everything has nutrition labels, even water! And now, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says starting in 2010, nutrition labels will be mandatory on many popular cuts of meat and poultry too. Read More:Meat & Poultry to Get Nutrition Labels by 20123 Chicken Mysteries SolvedSeptember 15th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
Cook enough chicken, and you’ll become an expert in safe handling of raw poultry and proper cooking times and temperatures. But how much do you know about chicken colors—from bones, to skin, to cooked meat? In today’s post, we unravel three common mysteries. Read More:3 Chicken Mysteries SolvedSweet Potato, Pineapple and Cheddar SaladJune 5th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
June is National Dairy Month, a time to remind ourselves that the official Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend:
A serving is defined as:
Our weekend recipe combines the classic flavors of sweet potato, chicken and pineapple, accented with reduced-fat Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. “This is a very easy month for me to celebrate,” says registered dietitian Regan Jones, who works with 91-year-old Cabot Creamery Cooperative in Montpelier, VT. “Cheese, yogurt and milk are three of my favorite foods and are great additions to almost any recipe. Even better, all three come in lighter varieties. “Dairy products provide nine essential nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, protein, riboflavin, vitamin B12 and potassium,” Jones adds. All of the ingredients in today’s recipe should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store. Enjoy! Sweet Potato, Pineapple and Cheddar SaladMakes 6 servings 6 small red or yellow onions
Recipe and photo courtesy of Cabot Creamery Cooperative Read More:Sweet Potato, Pineapple and Cheddar SaladCook Chicken SafelyFebruary 19th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
Handle raw chicken properly, and you’ll reduce your risk of contracting a foodborne illness. Equally important is cook time. You must cook chicken to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F, which should be measured with a meat thermometer. Test internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing, as well as the thickest part of the breast. The color of cooked chicken is no reflection of safety. The pink color in safely cooked chicken may be a result of hemoglobin in tissues. Smoking or grilling may also cause this reaction, which occurs mostly in young birds. Only a food thermometer can accurately detect whether the minimum internal temperature has been reached. Many of the new-generation meat thermometers are digital, including the CDN Proaccurate Stainless Digital Thermometer ($19.99) and Taylor Digital Cooking Thermometer ($15.99), which has a built-in programmable timer. Our Chronological Coverage
Handle Chicken SafelyFebruary 18th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
As our recent coverage shows, the raw chicken you buy has a high risk of bacterial contamination. The most common culprits are:
Food handlers are responsible for most foodborne illnesses. Sanitary handling, as well as proper cooking and refrigeration, should prevent illnesses. Observe these guidelines:
Our Chronological CoverageRead More:Handle Chicken Safely USDA Allows Contaminated Chicken in StoresFebruary 17th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
As noted yesterday in Most Chicken Producers’ Safeguards “Inadequate,” store-bought chicken is routinely contaminated with the pathogens salmonella and campylobacter. “Our tests show that campylobacter is widespread in chicken, even in brands that control for salmonella,” says Urvashi Rangan, PhD, director of technical policy at Consumers Union (CU), the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. “While one name brand, Perdue, and most air-chilled [organic] chickens, were less contaminated than others, this is still a very dirty industry that needs better practices and tighter government oversight.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point requires companies to identify potential points of contamination and take measures to eliminate them. But while the USDA has a standard that requires chicken producers to test for salmonella, it first announced campylobacter performance standards on Dec. 31. They will not be implemented until July. “USDA has been pondering new standards to cut the prevalence of bacteria in chicken for more than 5 years,” says Jean Halloran, CU’s director of food policy initiatives. “Consumers shouldn’t have to play roulette with poultry. The USDA must make chicken less risky to eat.” Photo: Anna Bates/CDC Read More:USDA Allows Contaminated Chicken in Stores Most Chicken Producers’ Safeguards “Inadequate”February 16th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
Two-thirds of store-bought chickens tested by Consumer Reports harbored salmonella and/or campylobacter, the leading bacterial causes of foodborne disease. The results, published in the January issue, involved 382 broilers purchased from more than 100 supermarkets, gourmet-food stores, natural-food stores and mass merchandisers across 22 states. Consumer Reports has been measuring contamination in store-bought chickens since 1998. The most recent test shows a modest improvement since January 2007, when the magazine found these pathogens in 80% of broilers. But the numbers are still far too high, and the results suggest most companies’ safeguards are inadequate. Among the findings:
Each year, salmonella and campylobacter from chicken and other food sources infect at least 3.4 million Americans, send 25,500 to hospitals and kill about 500, according to CDC estimates. While both pathogens are known to cause intestinal distress, campylobacter can lead to meningitis, arthritis and Guillain-Barré syndrome (a severe neurological disorder). Read More:Most Chicken Producers’ Safeguards “Inadequate” Chicken Mini Meat LoavesFebruary 5th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
There are two types of moms: those whose meat loaf became your ultimate comfort food and those who served scary bricks of incinerated beef. As San Francisco Chronicle reporter Amanda Gold points out, meat loaf “has both staunch supporters and fervent detractors. But no matter whether it’s considered jail food or the stuff of happy childhood memories, it has made a definite resurgence in recent years, especially in local restaurants.” These days, many of us substitute ground chicken or turkey for the traditional ground beef in an effort to reduce consumption of red meat. Baking single-serving mini meat loaves is another culinary trend—one that allows us to control portion size. Today’s recipe comes from The New American Plate Cookbook, published by the American Institute for Cancer Research. Lean ground chicken is the base, with onion, carrots, mushrooms, parsley and marjoram adding substantial nutritional value, texture and subtle flavors. All of the ingredients should be available at your local natural and organic food store. Round out your meal by filling the remaining two-thirds of your plate with almost any vegetable (try kid-pleasing Spicy Nutmeg Carrots) and a whole grain like Quinoa Pilaf. Chicken Mini Meat LoavesMakes 6 servings (two mini loaves per serving) 2 tablespoons olive oil
Per serving: 200 calories, 8 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 15 g carbohydrate, 19 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 460 mg sodium Recipe and photo courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research Read More:Chicken Mini Meat LoavesTyson Foods Lied To Consumers About Drugs Used To Raise Their ChickensJanuary 21st, 2010 - Laura Klein
Tyson Foods has been marketing their chickens as being raised without antibiotics. However Tyson uses a poultry feed additive known as ionophores, that the U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies as an antibiotic. Ionophores are given to poultry to control the parasitic disease coccidiosis. It is also used as a growth promoter for cattle. Because ionophores have been shown not to be harmful to humans (and are supposedly not a threat to antibiotic resistance) , Tyson wanted to advertise its chicken as being “without harmful antibiotics.” In December 2007, the USDA approved the phrase for marketing purposes, but competitors Perdue Farms and Sanderson Farms filed lawsuits one month later. Consumers followed with a class-action suit. A federal judge has signed off on a preliminary agreement that could net consumers $5 million in refunds and coupons from the nation’s largest poultry producer. Individuals who bought Tyson chicken products labeled as having been raised without antibiotics from mid-June 2007 through April 2009 would be entitled to refunds. This settlement also includes Tyson’s fresh, frozen or deli chicken along with Cornish hens or tenders during the same time period. Concerns about antibiotic resistance has European regulators concerned enough that they have banned several in-feed antibiotics for their animals. Legislators in the United States are considering a similar action with The Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act, which would prohibit the use of many non-therapeutic antibiotics in animal feed.1 Feeding animals a daily dose of antibiotics also has an environmental impact. Colorado State University researchers showed that ionophore drugs are getting into public waterways.2 In the study, the ionophore monensin was found at sample sites near agricultural regions. Additionally, ionophore drugs were found in surrounding streams with higher concentrations in the sediment vs. the overlaying water. Researchers concluded this study raises questions about whether antibiotics can accumulate in sediment and impact stream health. I can’t help but ask, do we really need to feed our animals a constant, steady supply of antibiotics in their food and water when they are not sick? We will have a severe problem on our hands if we continue this practice. In case you missed it, ABC News ran a story about one farmer who fought for his life after becoming infected with an antibiotic resistant form of strep after being gored in the knee by a bore. After two months of unsuccessful antibiotic treatments, Kremer’s doctors were baffled. The answer was found in the bore. A drug resistant strain of strep ran through the boars veins after being fed a steady, daily supply of penicillin. Antibiotics save lives when used properly. Do we really want to continue to risk human lives by feeding our livestock a steady supply of drugs when they aren’t needed? The conditions of animals that are raised in Big Ag (Big Agriculture) are atrocious and disgusting. Something has got to change. You can make a difference buy buying more certified organic foods and continue to raise the demand for truly healthy foods. The American dollar is the most important voting tool we as consumers have. 1 http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/solutions/wise_antibiotics/pamta.html Hot Dog StandJune 10th, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
But summer isn’t the same without a juicy, grilled frankfurter on a toasted bun. Fortunately, there are healthier, lower-fat natural, organic and vegetarian cures for your hot-dog cravings. The Great Organic Uncured Hot Dog from Applegate Farms is made from organic grass-fed beef, as are Niman Ranch’s Fearless Franks and Organic Prairie’s Uncured Hot Dogs. Organic Prairie also offers chicken dogs and turkey dogs. If you’re a vegetarian, check out the Lightlife line of Smart Dogs, Tofu Pups, Veggie Dogs and Pretzel Dogs. Another meatless option is the Yves line of Hot Dogs, Good Dogs, Tofu Dogs and Jumbo Hot Dogs. Be sure to top your dog with organic condiments. I’ll show you some of my favorites tomorrow. Read More:Hot Dog Stand |
Because of the rising demand for drug free meat and poultry, it looks like big food producers are turning to deceitful tactics to trick consumers into thinking their products are drug free.
Hot dogs get a bad reputation, and deservedly so. They’re high in saturated fat, sodium, nitrates, 
