October 24th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
In August, I told you about the Salad Bar Project—a program that allows Whole Foods Market customers to donate money for school salad bars.
I’m happy to report that 7 weeks of fundraising have brought in $1.4 million, which will fund 570 salad bars in U.S. schools.
“The overwhelming support our shoppers have shown for the Salad Bar Project is heartwarming—just plain amazing,” says Whole Foods co-CEO Walter Robb. “We nearly doubled the original fundraising goal, so it’s clear our customers share our passion for supporting more nutritious offerings in school lunchrooms across the country.”
Read More: Whole Foods Market Shoppers Donate More Than $1.4 Million for Salad Bars in U.S. Schools
Tags: Chef Ann Cooper, children, Health, Parenting, Salad Bar Project, salad bars, school food, school lunch, Whole Foods Market
Posted in Health, Organic Food, Parenting | Comments Off
October 23rd, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
 Del Monte Fresh Produce has recalled certain cantaloupes that were grown in and shipped from Arizona, but distributed to limited customers in and around Detroit. The melons may be contaminated with salmonella.
Eighty-one cartons of cantaloupes, each containing 15 melons, were distributed to wholesalers in Detroit. The cantaloupes reached retail and foodservice outlets beginning Oct. 11.
The cantaloupes have a light brown skin and orange flesh. Each has a Del Monte sticker that reads “Cantaloupe USA.”
Read More: Del Monte Recalls Cantaloupes in Detroit Area
Tags: cantaloupe, Del Monte, detroit, food safety, foodborne illness, Health, Michigan, recalls, salmonella
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October 22nd, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
 Five deaths and six illnesses are being linked to celery distributed by San Antonio-based SanGar Produce & Processing.
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has ordered the company to stop processing food and recall all products shipped from the plant since January. The order was issued after laboratory tests of chopped celery from the plant indicated the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause severe illness.
The recalled products—primarily cut fresh produce in sealed packages—were distributed to restaurants and institutional entities like hospitals and schools. The DSHS doesn’t believe products were sold in grocery stores.
Read More: 5 Die, 6 Sickened After Eating Tainted Celery
Tags: celery, food safety, foodborne illness, Health, Listeria, Texas
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October 21st, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
 Nutrition labels and symbols would best benefit shoppers if they appeared on the front of food packages and focused on calories, saturated fat, trans fat and sodium—the top four overconsumed nutrients, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM).
The not-so-fab four are strongly associated with many of America’s health woes, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.
The IOM recognizes that packages have limited space, so its expert committee believes information on cholesterol, fiber, added sugars, vitamins and other nutrients that are listed on Nutrition Facts panels (right) can remain on the back.
Read More: Front of Food Packages Should Highlight Calories, Fats, Sodium Levels
Tags: food labels, Health, heart health, obesity, Organic Food, saturated fat, sodium, trans fat
Posted in Health, Organic Food | 2 Comments »
October 19th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
We have two new recalls to announce. While the involved products are not organic, you may have purchased them.
Pats Exotic Vegetable Beverages
 Bronx, NY-based Pats Exotic Beverages is recalling all packages of its Carrot Juice, Carrot Beet, Carrot Lime and Cucumber beverages because they were inadequately processed and may contain foodborne pathogens.
Read More: 2 New Recalls: Pats Exotic Vegetable Beverages, Store-Brand Frozen Vegetables
Tags: beverages, FDA, food safety, foodborne illness, frozen vegetables, Health, recalls
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October 17th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
 Braces are no longer just a teen thing. In fact, roughly half of today’s orthodontic patients are adults.
Having lived through 4 years of mouth metal back in the day, I know how Halloween treats like caramel apples and popcorn balls can wreak havoc with just a few bites. Is it any coincidence that October is National Orthodontic Health Month?
The good news: The American Association of Orthodontists has provided the following list of best and worst Halloween treats.
Read More: When Halloween and Braces Collide
Tags: candy, dental care, halloween, Health, holidays, Organic Food
Posted in Health, Organic Food, Parenting | Comments Off
October 16th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
 As with humans, dogs and cats can develop diabetes—a condition in which the body’s blood glucose levels are not properly regulated.
Here’s the basic biology: The pancreas secretes insulin, which helps regulate blood-sugar levels. When there’s a surplus or shortage of insulin, variations in glucose levels can lead to a host of damaging conditions.
Ask your veterinarian to run a blood workup if your dog or cat exhibits any of the following signs:
- Increased panting
- Increased water consumption
- Increased urination
Read More: 8 Signs Your Pet May Have Diabetes
Tags: cats, diabetes, dogs, Health, pets
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October 14th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
 The average American will spend $66.28 on Halloween this year, $20.29 of which will go toward candy purchases, according to the National Retail Federation. (Costumes are the No. 1 expense.)
But when trick-or-treating first became popular in the 1920s, children received whatever neighbors had on hand: apples, pastries, breads and even money. Flash-forward to the 21st century: We now spend $1.8 billion on Halloween candy each year—so, what has changed?
Read More: Halloween Candy Companies Have Brainwashed Us Into Buying
Tags: advertising, candy, halloween, Health, holidays, Organic Living, Parenting
Posted in Health, Organic Food, Organic Living, Parenting | Comments Off
October 13th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
 As I reported Friday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (right) wants to prevent food-stamp recipients in the Big Apple from using them to buy soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages.
New York Times reporter Anemona Hartocollis has since put Bloomberg in an awkward position by revealing that his company, Bloomberg, L.P., offers free Coke, Pepsi, Fanta orange soda, ginger ale and Mountain Dew to its employees.
Critics are debating whether Bloomberg’s food-stamp proposal makes him a hypocrite or hero. In the meantime, New York City obesity stats remain alarming:
Read More: NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg: Hero or Hypocrite?
Tags: diabetes, Health, New York City, obesity, Political Action, soda
Posted in Health, Political Action | Comments Off
October 11th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
Americans consume 300 million sandwiches daily—roughly one per U.S. resident each day.
While we tend to think of the noble ’wich as lunch fare, Organic Sandwich Night is a great way for families to enjoy a nutritious dinner that requires minimal preparation.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend six 1-ounce servings of grain foods each day, half of which should come from whole grains—a goal many of us fail to meet. A dinnertime sandwich helps ensure you’re eating at least two of those servings.
Read More: Make Tonight an Organic Sandwich Night
Tags: Health, Organic Food, recipes, sandwich, sandwiches, whole grains
Posted in Organic Food, Organic Food Recipes | 1 Comment »
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