The New York attorney general has opened an investigation into energy drink manufacturers to discover whether claims made in the drinks' advertising and marketing about their ingredients and health benefits are false or fraudulent.

Menands, NY-based Midland Farms is voluntarily recalling certain milk products because they may have been improperly pasteurized.

Pasteurization heats milk to eliminate pathogenic bacteria like listeria and salmonella.

The recalled products are sold in plastic containers and are marketed under the brand names Midland Farms, Corrado’s Market, Jersey Dairy Farms and Trade Fair Premium. Each has the plant code 36-1661 and a date code near the top of the container.

I’ve never understood the appeal of Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts. Even as a kid, I thought they were pretty awful. 

Read the label on a box of Pop-Tarts, and the mystery may be solved. Your basic Unfrosted Blueberry Pop-Tart weighs in at 210 calories, with 16 g sugar, 2 g saturated fat and less than 1 g fiber. The main ingredient is enriched flour, which sounds reasonable enough. But the next two ingredients are corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup, followed by dextrose, soybean and palm oil, cracker meal, wheat starch, salt, dried blueberries, dried grapes, dried apples, leavening, citric acid, cornstarch, modified wheat starch, soy lecithin, natural and artificial blueberry flavor, xanthan gum, caramel color, red #40, vitamin a palmitate, niacinamide, reduced iron, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin b6), blue #1, blue #2, riboflavin (vitamin b2), thiamin hydrochloride (vitamin b1) and folic acid. 

In a sure sign of consumerism run amok, fans can now enjoy Pop-Tart “sushi” and other weird concoctions at the new 3,200-sq.-ft. flagship Pop-Tart Store and Cafe in New York City’s Times Square. I won’t even bother figuring out the nutritional content and calorie count of the well-publicized Fluffer Butter: marshmallow fluff sandwiched between two Pop-Tarts. It’s also unclear to me why people would pay $12 to assemble a custom Pop-Tart dozen. They can buy two eight-packs for half the price at a local grocery store.

Several natural-food companies have produced organic toaster pastries modeled after Pop-Tarts. But a Nature’s Path Unfrosted Blueberry Toaster Pastry, also 210 calories, contains 18 g sugar (more than a Kellogg’s Pop-Tart), 2 g saturated fat (the same as a Pop-Tart) and only 1 g fiber. The ingredient list: organic wheat flour, organic evaporated cane juice, organic evaporated cane juice invert, organic palm oil, organic apples, organic whole wheat flour, organic corn starch, organic vital wheat gluten, organic dextrose, organic blueberries, organic blueberry flavor, organic rice starch, sea salt, leavenings (baking soda, cream of tartar), organic rice bran extract, organic honey, organic molasses, citric acid, organic vanilla flavor.

Amy’s makes 99% organic, 160-calorie apple and strawberry Toaster Pops, which respectively contain 10 g and 11 g sugar, 2 g fiber and no saturated fat. The ingredient list (apple): organic unbleached wheat flour with organic wheat germ and organic wheat bran, organic apples, filtered water, organic evaporated cane juice, organic sunflower seed meal, organic apple juice concentrate, organic high oleic safflower and/or sunflower oil, organic cornstarch, sea salt, yeast, spices.

Ultimately, a healthful breakfast should include a low-fat protein and high-fiber whole grain. Traditional children’s cereals are a joke, so shop for a low-sugar, organic, whole-grain alternative. Check out this basic recipe for Cracked Wheat Cereal, or treat yourself to a Southwestern Scramble and Pumpkin-Maple Oatmeal.

Move over, Good Humor man! The old-fashioned ice cream truck has experienced a dramatic makeover.

Lucky New Yorkers can hook up with Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream, whose  trucks have a huge Twitter and Facebook following. Think of it as ice cream by appointment: Loyal patrons use the social networking sites to find out where the company’s three trucks will be parked each day.

Van Leeuwen’s ice creams are made with carefully sourced ingredients: fresh, local and organic, with no stabilizers or preservatives. The most popular flavors include vanilla and pistachio, but why not opt for ginger, red currant or peppermint & chip?

Coffees, lattes, teas and hot chocolate are also available, made with locally produced organic milk. Cups, spoons, napkins and straws are made from renewable corn or sugarcane husks. 

New Yorkers can also find Van Leeuwen pints at Whole Foods Market and independent local retailers.

Deliciously Organic Frozen Treats

1. Organic Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
2. Hot Chocolate Affogato
3. Organic Strawberry Rose Geranium Ice Cream Drizzled with Balsamic Vinegar
4. Organic Chocolate Mint Ice Cream
5. Lemon Verbena and Lavender Ice Cream
6. Coffee Bananas Foster
7. Creamy Margaritas

Photo: Stevendamron

Recording artists Collective Soul, Sam Moore, John Legend and The Roots are the latest additions to the Dow Live Earth Run for Water, a series of 6K runs to be held Sunday to help combat the global water crisis.

Multiplatinum-selling Collective Soul, who recently released the eponymous Collective Soul, will perform at the Chicago event, to be held in Montrose Harbor.

“I’m a longtime environmental advocate and believe strongly that it is our duty as a society and as individuals to preserve our planet and its resources,” says guitarist Dean Roland. “The global water crisis is an environmental issue that affects nearly 1 billion people, and the Chicago community can help raise awareness and money to help address it.”

Joining the band is multiplatinum-selling Rock & Roll Hall of Fame “Soul Man” Sam Moore, who served as the inspiration for The Blues Brothers.

“I am honored to have been asked to lend my talent to an event that is striving to bring clean, safe drinking water to the women and children of the world, many of whom have to walk a mile or two each way or more daily to a water station just to keep themselves and their families alive,” Moore says. “I love Chicago. It’s one of my favorite cities. My wife’s a home girl, and we’re both hoping our friends and family who are here together with every fan of mine—fans of The Blues Brothers and Sam & Dave—turn out for the walk on April 18 so we can make a real difference and change lives for the better for so many.”

Live in New York: John Legend, The Roots

Two-time GRAMMY Award winners The Roots (Jimmy Fallon’s house band) and six-time GRAMMY-winning singer John Legend will perform live at the New York event, to be held in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.

“We are thrilled to be participating in this important event to bring clean, safe drinking water to the women and children around the world walking 6 kilometers every day to sustain their families,” says The Roots’ Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson. “We encourage the New York community to come out on April 18 because together we can make a difference in the lives of so many.”

“As an alumnus of the Live Earth concerts in 2007, I am proud to take part in another global event aimed at identifying solutions for critical environmental issues, such as the global water crisis,” adds Legend. “I believe music has the power to bring people together in pursuit of common goals, and in this case that is raising awareness and money to help solve the global water crisis.”

Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Atlanta 

Country star Dierks Bentley will appear at the Minneapolis event, Melissa Etheridge will perform in Los Angeles, and Rob Thomas will play in Atlanta. 

For Your Organic Bookshelf: Running Out of Water: The Looming Crisis and Solutions to Conserve Our Most Precious Resource